Show Notes
Hurricane Beryl ripped through much of the southern Caribbean last week, wreaking havoc along its way. Among the most devastated was Carriacou, a small island belonging to Grenada off the coast of Venezuela. Samaritan's Purse deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) and sent multiple DC-8 flights to the island, carrying much-needed relief supplies, an emergency field hospital, and, most importantly, the hope found only in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Kristy Graham talked with Kaitlyn Josten, who was on board the initial flight to Grenada, about what she saw during the first wave of this response.
Even amid complete devastation, local church partners have hope. As Samaritan’s Purse staff were preparing to distribute tarps and solar lights on the first day, Kaitlyn and the team joined a church’s worship service. What she witnessed deeply moved her. The people sang about the goodness of God.
“And it just moved the majority of our team to tears in hearing people who have lost everything, whose island is devastated, singing about the goodness of God. They weren't praying and begging for relief, they were worshiping God and thanking Him for what they still had left.”—Kaitlyn Josten
Passersby curiously looked on as the church worshipped. The pastor of the church, Pastor Happy, welcomed everyone into the circle of people praising God. Just a day after the hurricane devastated Carriacou, the local church mobilized to help its people and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.
“We love the opportunity and the ability, the grace to be able to reach out to people on the street, minister to them, share the Gospel with them. After the first night here, we had devotions. And the people came from the streets to join us and they gave their life to Jesus during our devotion.”—Pastor Happy“
Samaritan's Purse has an incredible network of churches through Operation Christmas Child. Devon, an international field representative from Grenada and a local pastor, has been an invaluable partner in the early days of our response. He has helped us minister to hurting families and to provide relief in relevant ways across his homeland.
David Thompson, senior director of Operation Christmas Child International, explained how he and his team are helping to support the hurricane response through local churches like Devon’s.
“That's the network that the Lord has raised up for the last couple decades. It's just such a blessing. I mean, these local churches were out there with Devon. He's a former senator in Grenada, and he's a local church pastor, and he's incredible.”—David Thompson
Additionally, North American Ministries continues to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ at our six disaster relief sites across the United States, including our most recent deployment to Texas where Hurricane Beryl toppled trees and flooded homes. Luther Harrison, vice president of North American Ministries, spoke about how they monitored this powerful storm from the beginning. Much like Operation Christmas Child, Harrison and his team have a large network of churches ready to band together when disaster hits.
“We want to make sure that everyone hears the Gospel message and understands what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross.”—Luther Harrison
Please pray for the thousands of people impacted by Hurricane Beryl. Pray for Samaritan’s Purse staff, church partners, and volunteers as they minister to those hurting. If you’d like to keep up to date with more stories from On the Ground, please visit SamaritansPurse.org.
Hurricane Beryl roared through the Caribbean, leaving total destruction in its wake. On Grenada’s Carriacou Island, nearly all structures were destroyed. Less than 24 hours after the storm hit, Samaritan’s Purse began serving those in desperate need of help and hope. Tune in to this week’s episode to hear from Kaitlyn Josten, who joined the first wave of responders, about what it was like to partner with the local church in Grenada. Also, you will hear from Operation Christmas Child and North American Ministries about their roles in the response.