Supporting Celebration Church to Care in the Wake of Hurricane Ida
09/10/2021It has been a stressful time in Southeast Louisiana as they recover from the entrance of Hurricane Ida on August 29th. Saddleback Relief is partnering with Celebration Church to serve their members and local community in the aftermath of the hurricane which destroyed homes and left many without electricity. Together, we will help to shoulder the work ahead of rebuilding and caring for displaced families during this time.
Celebration Church itself saw 6 out of their 8 campuses severely damaged, yet many servant-hearted volunteers are working to distribute relief supplies and act as roof tarping teams to remedy damages. The church is already working to provide warm meals for the community, serving on average 18,000 hungry people a day!
As we’ve discovered in times past following hurricane disasters, people are so receptive during these times to the ministry and message of Jesus. One of Celebration’s favorite stories from years past about a Muslim lady who came through Celebration’s Relief Center to collect supplies. As she was leaving, one of our men offered to pray for her. She shared with him that she was a Muslim, but when he asked her again if she had any needs he could pray for, she shared that she’d been diagnosed with really critical health issue, and she was very anxious about the issue and the impending surgery to correct the issue. The man quickly prayed for her, praying that the Lord would relieve her of her anxiety, that the Lord would guide her physicians, and that the Lord would heal her in such a way that she would know that she had been healed by Jesus. A little over a week later she returned to the Relief Center, found the man who had prayed with her, and shared with him that the doctors could no longer find the health issue in her body (one doctor had said “it must be a miracle”). Then she proceeded to pray with that man to receive Jesus as her Savior.
“Her story was replicated many times over during that Disaster Relief season, and I’m sure we will have many similar stories in the days ahead,” says Lead Pastor Dennis Watson.
Hurricanes Katrina (2005), Gustav (2008), Isaac (2012) and Ida all occurred on August 29, and were all devastating to parts of the region. But the Lord has always brought Celebration Church back from those disasters and enabled them to reach great numbers of people with the Gospel through our disaster relief/compassion ministries. Pray that the Lord will use Saddleback Relief support and the Celebration Congregation again to make a great difference for good and for God during this challenging and stressful time.
Father God, you’ve brought them through before, will you bring us through again. Strengthen Celebration Church and their volunteers in your restoration project. May those who don’t know you be receptive to your love during this time. Father bring forward the resources and the hands they need in this time of rebuilding. We trust you, Amen.