This is the third in a series of articles as part of the Bishop’s Appeal for Disaster Recovery for ongoing work needed for survivors of the June 2016 West Virginia flooding. Visit wvumc.org/disaster-recovery to learn more about how you can participate in our continuing efforts.
On June 23, 2016, storms brought terrible floods to much of West Virginia. More than 1,200 homes were severely damaged as a result of these storms and people lost their lives.
I praise God for your response to this catastrophic event! Your prayers, work teams, and financial gifts have made and continue to make a difference and your help is still needed. Yes, we are still working in flood recovery efforts. Our promise was and is that “We’re still here for as long as it takes!”
On Mother’s Day, May 12, 2019, or at a time of your choosing, I invite you to contribute to our second conference appeal so that we can bring to completion our flood recovery efforts. Please consider a gift in honor of the mother and mothers who raised, supported, nurtured and loved you to support the last of our recovery efforts. Mothers are at many times in our lives those persons who hang in there with us “for as long as it takes” in order that we might discover, and at some points in our lives, even recover, our hopes, dreams, and joy.
The West Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church is leading the way in completing the recovery process. We plan to fulfill our promise to be active in recovery efforts for as long as it takes to bring the work to completion. Your generosity of prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness continue to bring new life and hope to the families of West Virginia who thought they had lost everything. Our commitment is to continue to walk with each one of these families so that they may be restored to wholeness and experience a recovered and resurrected life where they have what they need, not only to survive, but to experience joy.
On this Mother’s Day, I invite you to pray about what generous gift you might be able to give in order to enable the completion of the flood recovery efforts which make tangible the healing, reconciling, loving, life-giving and life-changing presence of Christ for the people of West Virginia and the world.
Peace,
Sandra Steiner Ball
Resident Bishop, West Virginia Conference
View stories about ongoing recovery and how you can participate at this link.