Crisis-trained chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team arrived in Texas not long after Hurricane Harvey hit. Chaplains are now ministering in Victoria, Dallas, Houston and Rockport, Texas, with more sites to be added.
Franklin Graham visited some of the hardest-hit areas of Texas on Thursday. He paused to pray with a Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplain who has been ministering to residents.
Vice President Mike Pence joined Franklin Graham at a work site in Texas on Thursday. Pence rolled up his sleeves to help locals affected by Hurricane Harvey. Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains and Samaritan's Purse volunteers are ministering to residents there in the wake of the deadly disaster.
A chaplain's job is to listen and comfort people with God's love in times of tragedy. As of Aug. 30, there were 27 Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains deployed across three sites. The number of deployment sites is expected to double in the coming days.
While chaplains help residents work through varying emotions and questions, Samaritan's Purse volunteers are there to assist in cleanup and repair.
During his visit to Rockport, Texas, Franklin Graham addressed a crowd outside a damaged church. "We need Christian men and women willing to come to south Texas to help us. There’s so much need down here," he said.
Franklin Graham spent time with Texas residents and the chaplains who have been ministering to them.
The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team shares the hope of Christ during times of crisis. “We see this as an opportunity to demonstrate God’s love and care for people, for them to know that God hasn’t forgotten them,” said Jack Munday, international director of the RRT.
Vice President Mike Pence, along with his wife and second lady Karen Pence, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, visited families impacted by the disaster.
Gov. Abbott also signed a proclamation declaring Sunday (Sept. 3) a day of prayer in Texas. “As we gather today here at this church, it’s important that we remember that the greatest power that exists is the power of God and the way that God can touch and move all of our lives,” he said.
Flood rescues after Harvey have been intense and ongoing as floodwaters recede.
An estimated 30,000 to 40,000 homes have been destroyed in the Houston area alone.
Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplain David Barlow shares a smile with firefighters in Victoria. Often, first responders are deeply affected by the work they're called to do in times of crisis. Continue to pray for these men and women on duty across Texas.
With Samaritan's Purse volunteers working in the background, chaplains take a moment to pray with a homeowner affected by Harvey in Victoria, Texas.
A week after Hurricane Harvey crashed into Texas, more than 1 million residents are displaced.
Police and emergency personnel are working around the clock to rescue flood victims. Large pockets of land are still underwater across the state.
A 9-year-old reads from the Bible as a chaplain listens inside a home. Officials say thousands of people are still stranded in their flooded homes and officials are asking residents to be patient as they wait to be rescued.
Chaplains circle up to pray while visiting the home of residents affected by Hurricane Harvey.
Though they've been displaced twice from hurricanes, this family remained joyful in the hope of Christ. "But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you." —Psalm 5:11, ESV
Hurricane Harvey, now a tropical storm, has set a record for total rainfall from a single tropical cyclone in the continental United States, according to the National Weather Service. Two weather stations in the Lone Star State have reported total rainfall over 48 inches.
On Wednesday, the tropical storm continued to pound the Gulf Coast with torrential rains, flooding and strong winds. The full force of the storm's impact has begun shifting to western Louisiana.
Rapid Response Team chaplain Mike Mattingly comforts and prays for Felix Cavazos, a victim of Hurricane Harvey.
Hundreds of chaplains are standing by to deploy in multiple sites across Texas. Will you keep the people of Texas in your prayers?
