Families Who Lost Everything Find New Hope: Mississippi Home Dedications

In March, an EF4 tornado tore through Rolling Fork, Silver City, and Amory, Mississippi. The tornado demolished homes in these communities leaving many with no place to go. Hear from Josh, an Amory native whose family was affected by the tornado. Just months before the tornado hit, Josh’s home was destroyed in a house fire. Once he finally got settled, the tornado hit. He lost two homes in a matter of months.

Kristy Graham, host of On the Ground with Samaritan’s Purse, sits down with Luther Harrison, vice president of North American Ministries, to talk about the impact of this storm. He discusses the ways Samaritan’s Purse has been able to assist these families in the cleanup but also gift them a tangible picture of God’s love: a brand-new mobile home.

“We've got Christ in our heart, so we've got to be intentional about going forward to these families that if no one else is reaching out to them. Where are they going to go?” – Luther Harrison

Kristy also talked with April VanLeeve, a beneficiary service coordinator who has been able to call many of these families to tell them that they have been approved to receive a new home. April expressed the joy of getting to deliver this life-changing news and how Jesus Christ is at the center of this mission.

“Many times, we get to pray and rejoice for them and praise God. We get to pray with them through the process—letting them know that the Lord sees them and that they're not forgotten. But when we get to call them and tell them of this gift and compare that to a very small gift in comparison to the gift of life in Christ, it's just amazing.” – April VanLeeve

These homes are given free of charge and come with new furniture and appliances. This allows homeowners to begin planting roots on move-in day. Josh received his brand-new home last month and during the dedication, he expressed his gratitude for the gift from God made possible by Samaritan’s Purse.

“It’s going to be a forever home.” – Josh, homeowner

Please pray for Josh’s family as well as others as they settle into their new homes. Pray also for our U.S. Disaster Relief teams who are serving across the country right now. If you’d like to keep up to date with more stories on the ground, please visit SamaritansPurse.org.