Crisis-trained chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team are offering emotional and spiritual care in Marion County, Oregon, after a disastrous ice and snow storm devastated the area on February 12.
The weight of the ice snapped branches and toppled trees, which brought down power lines in the process. As many as 150,000 people were reportedly without power as temperatures hovered just north of freezing in the wake of the massive Pacific Northwest storm.
Though socially distanced, chaplains offer a woman comforting words and prayer during a difficult time.
“The amount of damage that an ice storm can do is catastrophic. Our hearts go out to those who lost loved ones and suffered property damage,” said Josh Holland, assistant director for the Rapid Response Team. “We feel honored to be able to send crisis-trained chaplains to talk and pray with those who were impacted, and to share the love of Jesus Christ with that community.”
Chaplains also take time to talk and visit with first responders when possible during these types of deployments. In many cases, these individuals prioritize serving their communities over their own needs.
The storm was so strong, it split large trees like this one like twigs.
Salem Evangelical Church is serving as the base of operations for the Rapid Response Team and Samaritan's Purse, a ministry that will help homeowners with the cleanup process.
Knocking on doors and checking on neighbors is one way the chaplains minister to residents in this area. Chaplains are happy to listen, talk and pray with anybody in need.
Salem, the capital of Oregon, sits an hour from the ocean and an hour from the mountains. It is nestled in the Willamette Valley, a region that contains an estimated 3 million of Oregon's 4.2 million population. Chaplains also visited this area during Franklin Graham's 2016 Decision America Tour.
Please keep Marion County in your prayers as repairs are underway and residents simply do their best to stay warm and remain hopeful.
