In August of 2020, Hurricane Laura swept through Lake Charles, Louisiana and damaged the Denison's home so badly that they had to move into a camper on their property. Almost three years later they were still living in the camper when ReachGlobal Crisis Response began sending volunteers to work on their home. Carol and Fred were very excited to get to move back into their house, and they really connected with our staff and teams who were working on the house.

As happens so often, another crisis hit while the Denisons were still recovering from Hurricane Laura. Fred died of an apparent heart attack last April. Teams and staff continued to support and encourage the family, and fixed the home so that Carol was able to move in last year. And as excited as we were to finish the house for her, it meant that our staff wasn't able to see Carol every day.

This month, a returning team from Kansas reached out to Carol to set up a reunion meal. They were one of the last teams to minister to Fred, and they had fostered a sweet relationship with the family while serving before. At the reunion Carol’s daughter, Cathy, shared how much this team meant to her dad as Fred connected with the fellow farmers, ranchers, and hunters who were on the team. She expressed her heartfelt gratitude for the love they poured out onto her parents through their service, conversations, and prayers. 

We love seeing how God puts together just the right team at just the right time to serve just the right family. We never would’ve guessed that Fred would pass away after this team was able to serve at his home, but God knew. We can trust that He allowed them to meet to encourage Fred and Carol’s hearts for that week knowing what was coming. 

This Kansas team is a blessing to the Denisons and we’d love for your church to come be a blessing to the families still waiting for help. If you’d like to put together a team for 2024-2025, please email respond@efca.org for more information or for available dates.