Article was written by Beth McKlosky
In December 2017, Rick Sames and the crisis response team he pulled together from Penn Valley Church (Telford, PA) traveled to Houston where they met the rest of their team – some from Ashland Grace (Ohio) and some from Grace Church at Willow Valley (PA). Their goal was to be the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus to homeowners who from whom Hurricane Harvey’s floodwaters had taken so much.
The team was greeted by neighborhoods still devastated, looking like ghost towns. With so many houses still uninhabitable, homeowners were forced to live in other places, returning to continue repairs on their homes after their workday or on weekends. So when homeowners were approached by a large team offering to help, some happily handed over their house keys and gave the team full run of their homes!
Sadly, scammers learned to take advantage of this trust, which factors into this story of “Mr. P.”
MR P
Mr. P is a Vietnam War veteran whom the team offered to help. Knowing of the scammers, he was leery of the team, but his desperation for help forced him to accept their offer. As the team worked, they realized he was always watching, observing their every move.
For two days, the team poured into Mr. P. They brought him lunch, shared about the Bible verses they wrote as a testimony on an interior wall joist in his home, gave him his own Bible, and prayed for and with him. Slowly his suspicions weakened and he started opening up and becoming more friendly.
THE STORY CONTINUES
Four months later, some team members from Penn Valley Church returned to Houston and took time to revisit the neighborhood where Mr. P lived. When Mr. P saw them, he rushed out to greet them, excited to show them the progress that had been made on his home and get caught up. The team was delighted to learn that Mr. P and another neighbor have started attending a Bible study in which they are reading through The Case for Christ with a pastor. Team members from Penn Valley and Ashland keep in touch with Mr. P and continue to pray for him and invest in his life.
Mr. P couldn’t imagine why people would come all the way from Pennsylvania, on their own dime just to help people like him. He wasn’t used to this kind of selfless love. In the end, the team gave Mr. P far more than just help on his house; they gave him the gift of the gospel in word and deed. What better gift can we offer people in times of crisis?
