Hurricane Harvey, the largest rainfall event in US history, has dumped nearly 25 trillion gallons of rain, 19 trillion on Texas. This is enough rain to cover the entire United States nearly 1/2 inch deep. To think of it another way, if the Mississippi River were emptying into Houston, it would take 18 days for it to equal the volume of rain left behind by Hurricane Harvey. It may take weeks to drain and years for the people there to rebuild.
Rescuing and Sheltering “Toss-aways” Worldwide
Imagine yourself a young boy with a severe physical disability. Your parents make it clear they don’t want you. Eventually, your mother sells you to passing gypsies for a pitiful price.
So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. (1 Corinthians 3:7)
Can you imagine losing everything you own in less than 10 minutes? That’s exactly what happened to many in East Texas on April 29 as a tornado ravaged much of the area near the World Challenge Texas offices. The tornado was on the ground for 51 minutes with eight smaller tornados touching down as well.
Heavy rains in Peru recently triggered deadly mudslides, destroying entire villages. Many villagers watched helplessly as their lives were completely washed away in mere minutes. The disaster could have meant total devastation and despair. But thanks to your gifts of support, World Challenge (WC) was able to bring hope to a landscape of despair. Here’s a look behind the scenes at how your support worked to help those facing total disaster.
While many in their seventies are happy just to be able to attend church, Cookie, soon to be 75, pastors one. She leads Street Church in Garland and is director of D-Boy Ministries, a ministry named in memory of her son, who was murdered in 1990. The aim of both ministries is to help teenagers find new life in Christ.
Dear World Challenge,
On January 5th, our orphanage in Thailand received your annual donation. As always, it was a great blessing. This year it was especially helpful, and I would like to explain why.
The following is a beautiful letter written to us by a grieving mother. The testimony she paints is a of daughter’s utter faithfulness to God despite severe disabilities. The mother’s letter has been slightly edited and abridged:
Writing a special note of encouragement as I wish to express deep, profound gratitude for all your articles, which I’ve read over the years.
We hear a lot about the favor of God these days. That's a good thing. Without the Lord's favor, we wouldn't be able to breathe, stand or find true life anywhere. Our loving, compassionate God looks to bless us with his amazing favor.
When faced with the challenge of living in a time of uncertainty and unrest, are you tempted to give up hope?