A Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplain treads through mud in Elkhorn, Nebraska, where historic flooding has caused tremendous damage.
A team of 10 crisis-trained chaplains is on the ground in Nebraska, where last week's "bomb cyclone" dumped an unprecedented amount of snow and rain.
Three lives were lost in Nebraska and Iowa because of the floods. As chaplains join forces with disaster relief ministry Samaritan's Purse, the volunteers have much to pray about. Families have lost loved ones; farmers and ranchers fear they may be ruined; and more than $1 billion of damage has been done.
Many of the chaplains who serve with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team have more than a decade of experience ministering to people in crisis. Their goal is to offer emotional and spiritual care, which can sometimes be overlooked after a natural disaster strikes.
"The Missouri looks like an ocean," the Nebraska State Patrol posted on Twitter as water swept across roads and highways. This photo from the U.S. Air Force shows the heavy flooding that swept through Offutt Air Force Base after the Missouri River overflowed. Troops scrambled to save sensitive equipment, munitions and aircraft.
This photo was taken on Monday, March 25, and shows a tiny portion of the damage the state of Nebraska is grappling with. Gov. Pete Ricketts says it's "the most widespread destruction we have ever seen in our state's history."
Walking through one of the homes affected by the flooding.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." —Philippians 4:6-7
The chaplains pray they will be a source of encouragement and peace in the midst of uncertainty.
