The Rev. Dr. Benjamin F. Gutiérrez, who served the Presbyterian Church as a mission co-worker, along with his wife, Ernestina “Tina,” in Ecuador; as joint field secretary, associate for mission design, and liaison with Latin America and the Caribbean; and as area coordinator for South America, passed away November 2 in Texas at age 87.
While the community of Sutherland Springs, Texas grapples with yesterday’s mass shooting at First Baptist Church, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is responding. Mission Presbytery has requested PDA’s presence to meet with church leaders and determine the best way to minister during this time.
It’s called the Golden Triangle, a region about an hour and a half east of Houston. Most people had never heard of it until Hurricane Harvey. The communities in the triangle made national news when flooding cut off many residents from immediate help. Like many Texans impacted by Harvey, some homes saw minimal damage, while others had several feet of water. In the nearly three weeks since Harvey, residents have worked fast and furiously to try to return to some sense of normalcy. Churches in the area have become distribution centers for supplies such as water, diapers, food, cleaning materials and other necessities while trying to get worship and other church activities back on track.
Traveling around the area, one may wonder if there was any damage at all from Hurricane Harvey. Crews have worked overtime to remove debris from the main roadways in the city, but travel 20 minutes to the south or east and you can see the evidence for miles. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance leaders joined local church leaders over the weekend to assess the damage left by several days of Harvey’s heavy rain.
As the Board of Pensions continues to pray for the victims of Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath, and those laboring tirelessly to help them, the agency [along with its sister agencies in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and business partners] today offered the following information in hopes that it may help during this difficult time.
Mientras partes de Texas continúan lidiando con las lluvias torrenciales, inundaciones y daños causados por el viento de la tormenta tropical de esta semana, el pueblo presbiteriano está haciendo donaciones a través del Programa Presbiteriano de Asistencia en Desastres (PDA) para ayudar con las necesidades de emergencia.
The high water from Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey may be subsiding, but the long-term threat in Texas is far from over. In the Houston area, emergency crews are still going door-to-door looking for people who may still be in their homes. As the water recedes the threat of mold and contaminated water supplies from local chemical plants and refineries continues to complicate recovery efforts.
As parts of Texas continue to deal with heavy rain, flooding and wind damage from this week’s hurricane-turned-tropical storm, Presbyterians are making donations through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) to help with emergency needs.
Hurricane Harvey may have been downgraded, but the torrential rains are still pounding parts of Texas. Historic flooding has forced rivers and streams from their banks, submerged homes, churches, businesses and roads, stranding thousands of people.
