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OUT OF CHAOS, HOPE
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Hurricane Florence satellite image. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
And hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has given to us. —Romans 5:5
LOUISVILLE – As news comes in of the devastating effects of Hurricane Florence in North Carolina and South Carolina, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is organizing a response that will help sustain life and restore hope in the coming days. “Our hearts break and rise up in prayer for the people along the Atlantic coast and the inland areas of the Carolinas,” says the Rev. Dr. Laurie Kraus, PDA director. “Right now, we need the church’s prayers and financial assistance.”
Hurricane Florence made landfall Friday morning about 7:30 a.m. Eastern time near Wrightsville, North Carolina, bearing sustained 90 mph winds. Although downgraded from recent days to a Category 1 storm, over the next 48 hours it’s expected to drop up to 30 inches of rain and create storm surges up to 11 feet in some areas in North Carolina. More than 500,000 homes and businesses are currently without power, a number that is certain to rise over the next several days as its projected to head westward toward South Carolina before turning north next week.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has been in communication with mid councils and pastors in the area to provide resources and guidance. Kraus and her colleagues in the Presbyterian Mission Agency and throughout the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are working with our partners to meet immediate needs and support long-term recovery.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is the emergency response and refugee program of the denomination, committed to the long-term journey of recovery of communities adversely affected by a crisis or catastrophic event. It is funded by the One Great Hour of Sharing and has designated funds for responding to specific disasters.
To support recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Florence, click here. You’ll be taken to the PC(USA) website to donate securely and quickly.
If you prefer to mail a check, you may send it to:
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
P.O. Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA, 15264-3700
You may also call Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (EST), at 1-800-872-3283 and donate by phone.
Visit pda.pcusa.org for continuing updates.
LOUISVILLE – As news comes in of the devastating effects of Hurricane Florence in North Carolina and South Carolina, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is organizing a response that will help sustain life and restore hope in the coming days. “Our hearts break and rise up in prayer for the people along the Atlantic coast and the inland areas of the Carolinas,” says the Rev. Dr. Laurie Kraus, PDA director. “Right now, we need the church’s prayers and financial assistance.”
Hurricane Florence made landfall Friday morning about 7:30 a.m. Eastern time near Wrightsville, North Carolina, bearing sustained 90 mph winds. Although downgraded from recent days to a Category 1 storm, over the next 48 hours it’s expected to drop up to 30 inches of rain and create storm surges up to 11 feet in some areas in North Carolina. More than 500,000 homes and businesses are currently without power, a number that is certain to rise over the next several days as its projected to head westward toward South Carolina before turning north next week.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has been in communication with mid councils and pastors in the area to provide resources and guidance. Kraus and her colleagues in the Presbyterian Mission Agency and throughout the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are working with our partners to meet immediate needs and support long-term recovery.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is the emergency response and refugee program of the denomination, committed to the long-term journey of recovery of communities adversely affected by a crisis or catastrophic event. It is funded by the One Great Hour of Sharing and has designated funds for responding to specific disasters.
To support recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Florence, click here. You’ll be taken to the PC(USA) website to donate securely and quickly.
If you prefer to mail a check, you may send it to:
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
P.O. Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA, 15264-3700
You may also call Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (EST), at 1-800-872-3283 and donate by phone.
Visit pda.pcusa.org for continuing updates.
“Let no one despise your youth but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” – 1 Timothy 4:12
PMK: Ask our six-year-old daughter, Aurélie, what this stands for, and proudly she will say, “Presbyterian Missionary Kid.” She came up with that acronym, and surprised many — including her parents — when that showed up on a hand-drawn name tag for the Presbyterian Women Churchwide Gathering in early August. One lucky Louisville taxi driver also received an informative discussion about Presbyterian Women from this youngest mission co-worker.
June through August was our family’s first time for extended interpretation, which included visits to churches of all sizes and gatherings, like the 223rd General Assembly in St. Louis. Our journey focused on the Midwest, with more visits to California, western North Carolina and Colorado.
These visits and gatherings must have firmed up this identity for our daughter, as had the earliest years of mission service for our family. She might not be able to tell you exactly what her mother and father are doing, but she can tell you about who she is and what she likes and doesn’t like. After hearing her parents repeat the same presentation at church after church, after about the 10th, she wanted to introduce herself. We know it sounds like we’re gushing over our daughter; however, we want to express our gratitude to the many church members who hosted us and welcomed us graciously, and in turn made way for our daughter to speak up in the first place.
In the spirit of Robert Fulghum’s book, “All I Really Needed to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten,” Aurélie reminds us to slow down, breathe deeply, and enjoy the journey called life — especially during a full schedule of church visits and gatherings, and parents who work in God’s amazing world that is also fraught with complexity and complications. Here is a bit of what we have learned and re-learned from Aurélie:
Take time to swim. As we are inundated by responsibilities, the demands of work and travel can overtake the time to play together as a family. Along the way, we try to refresh ourselves and our bodies and our spirits. Juan and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary with a visit to and swim in the Russian River Valley, in Sonoma, California, where we got engaged.
In late March, my partners and I hosted a Philippine consultation to discuss the national and regional networks of churches and organizations that address forced migration in the Philippines. These new planning and implementing roles kept me busy and gave me a deeper appreciation for my colleagues from Migrante International and the Churches Witnessing with Migrants (CWWM).
Although the geographical scope of my work is mostly Southeast Asia, I have had two occasions this year to travel to South Asia. In January, I traveled to Sri Lanka to learn about how our church partners are seeking to address modern-day slavery in the supply chains of various industries. One of the projects that impressed me was teaching Sri Lankan handloom weaving to women who otherwise might work abroad. I learned about two new organizations adding to an ever-growing network of those that address migration and human trafficking, the LIFE project and Selyn, a Fair Trade Handloom company.
In late April, I traveled to Kathmandu, Nepal, with a PC(USA) regional colleague from South Asia to learn about the United Mission to Nepal (UMN). Like many overseas Filipino workers, Nepali women often become human trafficking victims when they work in Persian Gulf countries. To address the countrywide concerns of Nepali migrant workers, UMN emphasizes community-based prevention and education, while holding government officials and law enforcement accountable too. Revisiting a local bookstore before leaving Kathmandu, I found a book called “The Nepali Diaspora: Migrants, Ministry and Mission,” which I look forward to reading and learning from in the coming months.
In late May, our partner church, the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, celebrated its 70th founding anniversary as a denomination at the 11th Quadrennial General Assembly in Cagayan De Oro, located in the southern region called Mindanao. Juan experienced the rare opportunity to visit Iligan City, close to where the Marawi City siege took place between the Philippine armed forces and ISIS-inspired militants in May 2017. Iligan City is the temporary location of the historical Dansalan College, which boasts its reputation as a Christian school in a city mostly populated with Muslims. This same Dansalan College was destroyed within weeks of the Marawi City siege. The school president invited teachers to share their testimonies of those earliest days, as well as their desires for the school to reopen and to serve as a beacon of hope for the community. During initial discussions, several people mentioned that maybe Juan could provide trauma-centered training for the school staff, administrators and students. Should Juan stay involved with this school’s rebuilding efforts, he will accompany these same people through their balance between work and play. Play can help an overwhelmed family like ours, and maybe even begin the healing of trauma for this school and community.
Make new friends but keep the old. With an ever-growing memory and imagination, Aurélie will now remember the people and churches we visited. She wants to stay connected to the people and churches (and especially the pets!) we met. Many of our friends’ children’s have become her friends. She is looking for pen-pals.
It’s not easy to say goodbye. During one of our last church visits, we hung out in the church library and ran across “The Goodbye Book” by Todd Barr. More correctly, this book found us, instead of us finding the book — much like that other book that “found” me in Kathmandu. After saying too many goodbyes to old and new friends in many churches, as well as cousins in California, this book came at the best time for us. As parents, we might not have known all the right words to say, and Todd Barr’s words and illustrations helped us.
Aurélie’s desire to connect and reconnect with you has been nurtured over these almost three years in mission service. She learned it from her parents, but she learned it from you as the church — it’s what you do best and why we’re grateful to God for these relationships. We are especially connected because of God’s work in the world. We’re grateful for the many ways that you support us and especially our daughter, the youngest mission co-worker, through your prayers, care packages and letters, and your financial gifts that enable us to serve alongside our partners in the Philippines and throughout Asia. Please consider adding your support.
Cathy, Juan, and Aurélie
PMK: Ask our six-year-old daughter, Aurélie, what this stands for, and proudly she will say, “Presbyterian Missionary Kid.” She came up with that acronym, and surprised many — including her parents — when that showed up on a hand-drawn name tag for the Presbyterian Women Churchwide Gathering in early August. One lucky Louisville taxi driver also received an informative discussion about Presbyterian Women from this youngest mission co-worker.
June through August was our family’s first time for extended interpretation, which included visits to churches of all sizes and gatherings, like the 223rd General Assembly in St. Louis. Our journey focused on the Midwest, with more visits to California, western North Carolina and Colorado.
These visits and gatherings must have firmed up this identity for our daughter, as had the earliest years of mission service for our family. She might not be able to tell you exactly what her mother and father are doing, but she can tell you about who she is and what she likes and doesn’t like. After hearing her parents repeat the same presentation at church after church, after about the 10th, she wanted to introduce herself. We know it sounds like we’re gushing over our daughter; however, we want to express our gratitude to the many church members who hosted us and welcomed us graciously, and in turn made way for our daughter to speak up in the first place.
In the spirit of Robert Fulghum’s book, “All I Really Needed to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten,” Aurélie reminds us to slow down, breathe deeply, and enjoy the journey called life — especially during a full schedule of church visits and gatherings, and parents who work in God’s amazing world that is also fraught with complexity and complications. Here is a bit of what we have learned and re-learned from Aurélie:
Take time to swim. As we are inundated by responsibilities, the demands of work and travel can overtake the time to play together as a family. Along the way, we try to refresh ourselves and our bodies and our spirits. Juan and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary with a visit to and swim in the Russian River Valley, in Sonoma, California, where we got engaged.
In late March, my partners and I hosted a Philippine consultation to discuss the national and regional networks of churches and organizations that address forced migration in the Philippines. These new planning and implementing roles kept me busy and gave me a deeper appreciation for my colleagues from Migrante International and the Churches Witnessing with Migrants (CWWM).
Although the geographical scope of my work is mostly Southeast Asia, I have had two occasions this year to travel to South Asia. In January, I traveled to Sri Lanka to learn about how our church partners are seeking to address modern-day slavery in the supply chains of various industries. One of the projects that impressed me was teaching Sri Lankan handloom weaving to women who otherwise might work abroad. I learned about two new organizations adding to an ever-growing network of those that address migration and human trafficking, the LIFE project and Selyn, a Fair Trade Handloom company.
In late April, I traveled to Kathmandu, Nepal, with a PC(USA) regional colleague from South Asia to learn about the United Mission to Nepal (UMN). Like many overseas Filipino workers, Nepali women often become human trafficking victims when they work in Persian Gulf countries. To address the countrywide concerns of Nepali migrant workers, UMN emphasizes community-based prevention and education, while holding government officials and law enforcement accountable too. Revisiting a local bookstore before leaving Kathmandu, I found a book called “The Nepali Diaspora: Migrants, Ministry and Mission,” which I look forward to reading and learning from in the coming months.
In late May, our partner church, the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, celebrated its 70th founding anniversary as a denomination at the 11th Quadrennial General Assembly in Cagayan De Oro, located in the southern region called Mindanao. Juan experienced the rare opportunity to visit Iligan City, close to where the Marawi City siege took place between the Philippine armed forces and ISIS-inspired militants in May 2017. Iligan City is the temporary location of the historical Dansalan College, which boasts its reputation as a Christian school in a city mostly populated with Muslims. This same Dansalan College was destroyed within weeks of the Marawi City siege. The school president invited teachers to share their testimonies of those earliest days, as well as their desires for the school to reopen and to serve as a beacon of hope for the community. During initial discussions, several people mentioned that maybe Juan could provide trauma-centered training for the school staff, administrators and students. Should Juan stay involved with this school’s rebuilding efforts, he will accompany these same people through their balance between work and play. Play can help an overwhelmed family like ours, and maybe even begin the healing of trauma for this school and community.
Make new friends but keep the old. With an ever-growing memory and imagination, Aurélie will now remember the people and churches we visited. She wants to stay connected to the people and churches (and especially the pets!) we met. Many of our friends’ children’s have become her friends. She is looking for pen-pals.
It’s not easy to say goodbye. During one of our last church visits, we hung out in the church library and ran across “The Goodbye Book” by Todd Barr. More correctly, this book found us, instead of us finding the book — much like that other book that “found” me in Kathmandu. After saying too many goodbyes to old and new friends in many churches, as well as cousins in California, this book came at the best time for us. As parents, we might not have known all the right words to say, and Todd Barr’s words and illustrations helped us.
Aurélie’s desire to connect and reconnect with you has been nurtured over these almost three years in mission service. She learned it from her parents, but she learned it from you as the church — it’s what you do best and why we’re grateful to God for these relationships. We are especially connected because of God’s work in the world. We’re grateful for the many ways that you support us and especially our daughter, the youngest mission co-worker, through your prayers, care packages and letters, and your financial gifts that enable us to serve alongside our partners in the Philippines and throughout Asia. Please consider adding your support.
Cathy, Juan, and Aurélie
Because the beloved community is what God intends for us, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is engaging in an ongoing campaign to share a wealth of antiracism resources with the greater church. As part of the Facing Racism campaign, books, worship suggestions, studies, training sessions and other resources are posted here to assist in equipping congregations in their work against racism.
This month, we offer a variety of antiracism resources from Presbyterian-related organizations, including NEXT Church, Presbyterian Women and Covenant Network of Presbyterians.
Call to action: Plan an educational event with your congregation using resources related to this month's featured resources.
Let us know if your congregation is hosting an event focusing on antiracism, diversity or racial justice. Please submit your event information by clicking here so we can feature it on the Facing Racism web page.
May God bless your witness as you share these antiracism resources on your website, in e-newsletters and on social media, and as you help equip Presbyterians to engage in issues of racism. Thank you for joining together in the efforts of the Church to become the community of faith God calls us to be.
Yours in Christ,
PC(USA) Communications Directors
This month, we offer a variety of antiracism resources from Presbyterian-related organizations, including NEXT Church, Presbyterian Women and Covenant Network of Presbyterians.
Call to action: Plan an educational event with your congregation using resources related to this month's featured resources.
Let us know if your congregation is hosting an event focusing on antiracism, diversity or racial justice. Please submit your event information by clicking here so we can feature it on the Facing Racism web page.
May God bless your witness as you share these antiracism resources on your website, in e-newsletters and on social media, and as you help equip Presbyterians to engage in issues of racism. Thank you for joining together in the efforts of the Church to become the community of faith God calls us to be.
Yours in Christ,
PC(USA) Communications Directors