“And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Esther 4:14
The reminder of Maria
When Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico on September 18, 2022, much of the island faced devastating flooding and the whole island lost power. It was nearly 5 years to the day after Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 16th, 2017. Although Fiona was not a Category 5 like Maria, it still brought severe winds and rain to the island causing damage reminiscent of what many faced in 2017.
Thirst Missions team arrives
With Fiona came a 100% loss of power, flooding, and devastation. The hurricane delayed the Thirst Missions team from City Chapel Church by only one day. Once they were able to fly in, they were on the ground to help immediately with hurricane relief.
As Duane Lanza, Thirst Missions Puerto Rico Director, describes, “this trip was a whole different experience.”
Work begins – the team grows
As the Thirst Missions team got to work, people from around the island took notice. Many caught the spark to serve and joined in. From youth in the area to people just driving around looking for ways to help, the team of five grew dramatically through the week. The team moved from house to house trying to impact as many families as possible. American celebrity, Julia Rose, even contacted Thirst Missions office in Minnesota to see how she and her boyfriend, Jake Paul, could help. She hopped in with the team on the ground in addition to donating materials.
Lives are changed
Duane asked the homeowner of a house filled with mud how the team could best serve her. She humbly asked just that her ruined couch be moved. Not only did the group remove the couch, but they also moved all of the furniture, cleaned out the house, and cleared the backyard, which had flooded from the storm. The homeowner was thankful to the point of tears that youth from the local church and Thirst Missions were there helping out.
THANK YOU, CITY CHAPEL CHURCH
With glory to God, thank you, City Chapel Church from Austin, Texas, for your ministry in Puerto Rico!
THE WORK CONTINUES…
This is just a small example of what God is doing in Puerto Rico through Thirst Missions. If you are interested in taking part in what scripture calls The Great Commission, consider registering today! Puerto Rico relief trips are available and there is still plenty of work to be done.
