{"id":30797,"date":"2022-08-13T11:52:05","date_gmt":"2022-08-13T15:52:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=30797"},"modified":"2022-12-10T16:11:03","modified_gmt":"2022-12-10T21:11:03","slug":"united-methodists-help-kentucky-flood-victims-8-14-22","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=30797","title":{"rendered":"United Methodists Help Kentucky Flood Victims (8\/14\/22)"},"content":{"rendered":"
At the end of July 2022, a flash flood ravaged parts of Missouri and Appalachia, destroying the homes of hundreds of families, leaving them without food, clothing, or drinking water.\u00a0 On Sunday 8\/14\/22 and 8\/21\/22, PUMC will take a special offering to help in the relief efforts from this tragedy.<\/span><\/em><\/div>\n
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What in God’s Name Happened???<\/span><\/h3>\n
On July 28, a large storm passed through parts of the southern midwest.\u00a0 The southeastern counties of Kentucky were especially damaged.\u00a0 Homes were lost, power and water services interrupted, and at least 37 people died.\u00a0 Many of the survivors were homeless and without clothing, food, or water.<\/div>\n
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An article in USA Today (August 9<\/a><\/span>) described President Biden’s tour of the devastation.\u00a0 From Marine 1, the president viewed sights such as cars and buses floating in streams, building materials lining a creek’s banks, a laundry basket hanging in a tree, homes washed away.\u00a0 During the tour, the president was quoted as saying “What in God’s name happened???”<\/div>\n
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What IS Happening in God’s Name!!!<\/span><\/h3>\n
Where there is pain and suffering, God is there to provide relief, love, and restoration.\u00a0 Bishop Leonard Farley (Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church<\/a>) was quoted as saying, “This is the time when the Church should shine at its best.<\/span><\/em>”\u00a0\u00a0<\/div>\n
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Spurred on by God’s invisible yet powerful hand of Love, people are responding in love.\u00a0 Companies are donating food and clothing.\u00a0 Church volunteers are contributing “flood relief buckets<\/a>“, helping people fill out insurance forms, and taking displaced families into their homes.<\/div>\n
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The Church is Shining!<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/div>\n
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United Methodists (using funding provided by UMCOR<\/a><\/span>– the United Methodist Committee on Relief) are joining with others to roll up their sleeves to extend God’s love to the victims of the flood.\u00a0 The Church and other concerned people are working to ensure that Love is the enduring part of this story.\u00a0 Material things will be replaced and forgotten.\u00a0 Even the painful loss of loved ones will eventually be soothed by the divine hope of eternal reunion.<\/div>\n
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The United Methodist News Service recently published a couple of articles reporting on the flood relief efforts (click on the links to read the articles):<\/div>\n