Hurricane Florence dropped an estimated 8 trillion gallons of water on the state of North Carolina alone. As many of you have seen from the reporting, the devastation is widespread and quite severe. Our first response is to be in prayer for all those who are suffering and for the men and women who are working to meet needs, rescuing those still trapped, and working to restore power and utilities.
In the book of Romans, we read, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” While we mourn with those who have suffered over the past week, mourning is not enough. We must be willing to put hands and feet to our prayers.
First Baptist is partnering with Baptists on Mission, an organization that is affiliated with the Baptist State Convention of NC. They specialize in disaster recovery and have the infrastructure to meet specific needs during times like this. Currently, they are focused on immediate needs such as food and clean drinking water. As the water recedes, they will shift their efforts toward clearing debris, mud-out, and rebuilding efforts. You can follow the progress through their website.
The greatest need right now is for monetary donations. You can make those donation by sending checks directly to: NCBM, PO Box 1107, Cary, NC 27512 (Memo line: Disaster Relief Hurricane Florence) or by donating online. (Baptists on Mission is a 501c3 non-profit organization.)
First Baptist will also be exploring the possibility of sending a team of volunteers to help with cleanup and recovery efforts in the following weeks. If you would be interested in participating in a trip to NC, please contact our associate pastor, Steven Norris.