PORTSMOUTH, VA – Natural disasters like floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes can leave families as deprived of food and shelter as people displaced from war zones or subject to abject poverty. Having a pantry and a refrigerator full of food before a disaster strikes are useless after it has passed.Gary LeBlanc had already spent 35 years…
BARDARASH, Iraq – More than 13,000 Syrian refugees have embarked on harrowing journeys through the conflict zones in their own country to find safety in neighboring Iraq. Their first stop across the border is the Sehela transit centre where Samaritan’s Purse staff has been present to greet them, help serve a meal, and offer them…
ABUJA, NIGERIA – Faith-based organizations Action Against Hunger and Mercy Corps were forced to suspend operations in northeastern Nigeria in mid-September. The Nigerian army closed two Action Against Hunger offices and four Mercy Corps facilities based on allegations that both agencies were aiding terrorist groups Boko Haram and the Islamic State. Action Against Hunger vigorously…
VIRGINIA BEACH – Operation Blessing began in 1978 under the leadership of businessman, Bible teacher, philanthropist, and founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network, Pat Robertson. Over the years, Operation Blessing has “touched the lives of millions of people in more than 90 countries” and every one of the United States. Operation Blessing exists to provide…
Noel Yeatts, author, speaker, and the President of World Help, an international, Christian humanitarian organization, discusses the devastation Hurricane Dorian left behind in the Bahamas, the great humanitarian need, and the resilience of the people despite the crisis they have been put through. This past week I was on the ground in the Bahamas helping…
Samaritan’s Purse has opened an emergency field hospital in Freeport in the Bahamas to provide vital medical help to those impacted by hurricane Dorian. They received more than 90 patients on their first full day of operation (Sept. 10). Distributions of emergency items (shelter plastic, water filters, and more) continue in the Abacos. Their DC-8…
FOREST, VA — World Help, an international Christian humanitarian organization, is sending 28 generators donated by Champion Power Equipment to the hurricane-stricken Bahamas. Tens of thousands of Hurricane Dorian survivors are currently without power, according to the United Nations. To help meet this immediate need, Dennis Trine, CEO and owner of Champion Power Equipment, has…
Vernon Brewe, founder of World Help, discusses the destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas, and the immediate desperate help needed immediately. “Bodies are floating all through the water in Marsh Harbour.” These are the words in an urgent text message I received recently. Most news reports say the death toll…
FOREST, VA — World Help, an international Christian humanitarian aid organization, has activated its crisis response program to provide aid to victims of Hurricane Dorian. Hurricane Dorian slammed into the Bahamas this Labor Day weekend as a devastating Category 5 storm. The destruction was unprecedented, and the flooding some of the worst the island nation…
LAREDO, TX – The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (RRT) is offering respite for immigrant families alongside Samaritan’s Purse at centers in Del Rio and Laredo, Texas. “They have nothing,” Billy Graham chaplain Barbra Grabowski said, explaining these immigrant families travel anywhere from 10 days to a month to get to this point. Many come…
SOUTH ASIA — While the Chennai state is plagued by drought, other parts of India, Nepal, and Bangladesh are enduring the annual monsoon season. Many are fleeing their homes and villages for safer ground due to the flooding, as South Asia’s monsoon season is devastating schools, homes and churches, displacing hundreds of thousands of people,…
EL PASO, TX — The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team is offering emotional and spiritual care in the aftermath of the deadly El Paso shooting that killed 22 and injured many more. Their Mobile Ministry Center, which is parked at the memorial site is providing a safe haven for the community. Their manager for emergency…
DAYTON, OH – The community of Dayton grieves at a makeshift memorial for nine people who were killed early Sunday by a gunman. Billy Graham Rapid Response chaplains are there to listen and provide emotional and spiritual care to hurting residents, including first responders and witnesses to the shooting. A grim reality is sinking in…
![“[Many] keep saying ‘El Paso Strong,’ and you are strong,” Wendy Pittman told several ladies near the Walmart where 22 innocent lives were taken and dozens more injured.](https://missionsbox.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/El-Paso-Strong-230x300.jpg)
EL PASO, TX – The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (RRT) is offering emotional and spiritual care in the aftermath of the deadly El Paso shooting that killed 22 and injured many more in Texas. “Only God can change a person’s heart,” RRT chaplain Joseph Morrison said. “We’ve got to keep pressing. Today could be…
GENEVA — The U.N. Economic and Social Council approved 40-2 a resolution that targets only Israel for alleged violations of womens rights, yet does not include other countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Pakistan, all notorious for often misogynistic policies and denying basic rights to women. The United States and Canada were the only…
CHARLOTTE, NC — Teams of crisis-trained chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (RRT) are on their way to El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, following a pair of shootings over the weekend. News reports say 20 people have died and 26 others were injured in El Paso. In Dayton, an additional nine people were killed and…
KATMANDU – As people in the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu are facing a crisis of having no water, the people in Nepal, Bangladesh, and the Indian State of Bihar are begging for relief from raging floodwaters that have displaced ten of thousands. The death toll keeps rising as new reports filter in. The…
Littered with broken trees and damaged buildings, the Mozambican city of Beira looks like a war zone following Cyclone Idai. Children help shift the detritus among ripped up telephone and power poles. This catastrophe has killed hundreds and displaced thousands across southern Africa. Sadly, the death toll is expected to rise. In Mozambique, at least…
BEIRA – Flying into Beira, Mozambique, was a harrowing sight: hundreds upon hundreds of houses tangled together, their roofs ripped off and walls collapsed. Floods dominated the low-lying plains; hundreds of people having been drowned beneath the murky water. The fury of Cyclone Idai. At just 14, Celina’s entire world has been torn apart –…
BEIRA – At just 14 years old, he’s now living in a school in Beira, Mozambique, after being forced to flee his home when it was torn apart by Cyclone Idai. He remembers the sounds of the angry wind whirling around their bamboo house, and the zinc roofing flying off as the storm took hold….
CUCUTA – Hundreds and even thousands of Venezuelan migrants cross into Colombia each day, leaving behind chaos and deprivation. They’re hoping to find safety and economic opportunity in their neighbor nation or other countries farther south, such as Ecuador and Peru. But the journey is demanding, dangerous, and filled with uncertainty. Who knows how they’ll…
CHARLOTTE, NC — Crisis-trained chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team are deploying to Jefferson City, MO, following a destructive EF-3 tornado that impacted an area of approximately three square miles, damaging more than 150 structures. The twister was one of more than a dozen that tore through the state earlier this week. “Chaplains with the Billy…
World Vison is warning that millions of children are at risk from cyclone Fani which has slammed into India’s eastern coastline, bringing torrential rains and winds of up to 200 km per hour. Thousands of people from areas along the coastline in India have been evacuated. Cyclone Fani is the first severe, cyclonic storm to…
CUCUTA, Colombia – Desperate families are fleeing into Colombia as neighboring Venezuela faces dire food shortages, power blackouts, and a collapsing national healthcare system. Not only are people dying from lack of nutrition and medical care, the rates of murder and suicide have also spiked. Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham brings this update on their…
Samaritan’s Purse is helping to meet the overwhelming physical and spiritual needs of thousands of migrants, Venezuelans in crisis who are daily entering Colombia. This may be the largest migrant crisis in Latin American history, and they’re offering relief from multiple locations—providing overnight shelter, hygiene kits, food, and primary medical care. As they serve, they…
After Cyclone Idai hit Mozambique, the situation on the ground is still dire. Catastrophic flooding and high winds left historic devastation across the east African nation. Tens of thousands of people remain displaced, food is scarce, clean water is limited, and reports of cholera and other waterborne illnesses are already making headlines. Some areas remain…
MOZAMBIQUE – About three weeks after Cyclone Idai hit Mozambique, the situation on the ground is still dire. Catastrophic flooding and high winds left historic devastation across the east African nation. Tens of thousands of people remain displaced, food is scarce, clean water is limited, and reports of cholera and other waterborne illnesses are already…
Samaritan’s Purse volunteers have been busy in Nebraska since March 22 assisting communities after catastrophic flooding struck the Midwest. They have been helping dozens of homeowners remove debris and damaged belongings and offering encouragement in Jesus’ Name. “You know it was a perfect storm really. Huge storm system came through, fell on frozen ground, fell…
FOREST, VA. — One organization is meeting the immediate needs of a community stricken by a recent disaster while simultaneously providing for the water needs of communities around the world. World Help, the Virginia-based international humanitarian organization, has activated its disaster response program to provide clean water to the victims of Cyclone Idai in Zimbabwe….
CHARLOTTE, NC — Crisis-trained chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team are on-site in Dodge County, Neb., one of many areas across the Midwest that has been inundated with an historic level of flooding. Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts called the disaster – which was caused by a combination of factors including a bomb cyclone, deeply frozen ground,…
Word and Deed: Serving God, Bridging Communities, Renewing LivesTHOMAS, ONTARIO – Word and Deed is a registered non-profit organization whose mission is based on the Bible directive found in Colossians 3:17 – “And whatever you do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father…
Kerala, India, now faces continued tragedy as water wells across the state appear to be drying up. According to the latest news from the flood-affected state, reported by the Times of India “A series of issues including soaring mercury levels, unprecedented dip in water level of rivers, sudden drying up of wells, and depletion of…
GFA (Gospel for Asia) shares example of reconciliation to mark International Day of Peace and inspire more peacemakers to prayer and action WILLS POINT, Texas—As political and religious divisions widen and deepen around the world, GFA (Gospel for Asia) hopes that a simple story of reconciliation and forgiveness will inspire more people to pray and…
This morning [Friday], Hurricane Florence reached the coast of North Carolina as a Category 1 storm, quickly flooding many coastal areas in North Carolina. Photo Source: NASA (with adaptations) Five deaths have been reported due to trees collapsing and other incidents. Thankfully most people had already evacuated and further evacuations and rescues are taking place…
With more than five confirmed deaths of leptospirosis, also known as “Rat Fever,” Kerala, India, suffers not only under the destruction of the floodwaters, but now a disease that is spreading across the state. Rat Fever is spread through contact with fluids from infected animals. With rotting carcasses and stagnant waters furthering the contamination, more…
As the people of Kerala recover in the aftermath of the worst flooding in nearly 100 years, the reality of devastation is beginning to sink in—and so is the need to repair, rebuild and start over again. Many flood survivors in this southern Indian state have lost all their belongings—including their means to earn a…
Dr. Daniel, director of Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported medical ministry in Asia, reflects on the flood situation in Kerala and his trips to rescue people who were stranded. “It is easy for me to sit back at home and watch the television and see the different things that are happening. But on the first day…
Indira is a mother of three who lost everything in the Kerala India Floods. Hear her heart-wrenching story and see what once was her home. Please continue praying for the recovery and rebuilding of these precious families. Give to the Disaster Relief Fund Help Disaster Relief teams serve survivors of flooding and other disasters. Donations…
GFA-supported workers rescue stranded, provide emergency supplies for India Flood victims. WILLS POINT, TEXAS —Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers are stepping up efforts to help with rescue and relief efforts in India’s flood-stricken Kerala state, as the death toll and number of displaced people in the worst flooding in nearly a century continue to climb. Though…
After hearing about the monsoon flooding in Kerala, India, the Mission Support Team serving at GFA’s headquarters in Wills Point, Texas, sprang to action to help spread awareness of the timely need. Many shifted their schedules to work long hours through the weekend to bring awareness to the devastation many are currently facing. After receiving…
Kerala, India, continues to face peril as the monsoon rains destroy homes, paddy fields and businesses. The death toll has risen, as reports are now estimating well over 100 lives have been lost, while some people are missing. Some houses are under 10 feet of water. Many people are still being rescued by helicopter after…
Kerala, India, is experiencing monsoon rains that have not been seen or experienced since 1924. Reports estimate that 70 to 100 lives have been taken due to the floodwaters. Many homes and businesses have been washed away by severe landslides and rivers overflowing because of the constant downpour. For the first time in its history,…
JAKARTA – The Indonesian island of Lombok was ravaged by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake on 05 August. CBS News reported today that the death toll has reached 426 and more than 350,000 people have been displaced. Indonesia’s national disaster agency estimates that the cost to repair the damage to infrastructure and property will exceed $340…
REDDING, CA – Witnesses to the devastation wrought by the Carr fire in Northern California have been describing the scene as apocalyptic. As of this morning, the fire is about 20 percent contained, but it has already consumed nearly 100,000 acres. Nearly 40,000 people have been evacuated. More than 500 buildings, including at least 300…
HAWAII – Christians on the big island of Hawaii, from the U.S. mainland, and other locations know “where they gonna go when the volcano blow,” to help those endangered or left homeless by the most recent eruptions of the islands’ famous Mt. Kilauea volcano. In an interview with CBN News, Makana Delovio, the pastor of…
Report revealing more than half of churchgoers don’t know of Jesus’ final directive spotlights importance of International Day for the Unreached call to reach those who have never heard gospel. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A new survey revealing that more than half of churchgoers don’t know of the Great Commission has spotlighted the importance of a…
By Greg Henshall from FEMA photo library – public domain via Wikimedia Commons WASHINGTON, DC – The Trump Administration has revised the language in FEMA Relief Fund rules to include local churches. The action follows a lawsuit filed by three Texas churches damaged during Hurricane Harvey. The three Houston-area churches filed a complaint in federal…
On Nov. 12, the deadliest earthquake of 2017, reaching a magnitude of 7.3, hit the border of Iran and Iraq. The death toll has topped 530, while 8,000 more people have been injured. “On Tuesday, Iranian officials called off rescue operations on the grounds there was little chance of finding more survivors from the quake,”…
K.P. Yohannan, founder and director of Gospel for Asia (GFA) in Wills Point, TX asked donors and supporters of the nonprofit to pray and do all they could for those in Hurricane Harvey’s path. Yohannan, pleaded with many to take time to pray. Now is the time to minister to the needs of the suffering…
Photo by National Weather Service In late April and early May, the states of Arkansas and Missouri were hit by heavy rain. This caused flooding. Per the Weather Channel, “Earlier this week, storms and heavy rainfall that began over the weekend triggered flooding that forced the closure of hundreds of roads in Missouri, Arkansas and…
