My husband and I had been wanting to take our kids on a short-term mission trip because we felt like we had learned so much from the trips that we have been a part of growing up. When Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017, our kids were at an age (Rylee 15, Camden 11) that they were very interested in the stories of that disaster. We had many conversations about how blessed we are and how devastating that would be to live where the hurricane hit. As we were having these conversations with our kids, our church was putting together a short-term mission trip team to go down to Corpus Christi, TX for a week in March 2018.

We really felt that God was opening the door for our family to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those affected by Hurricane Harvey. We started meeting with our church team and praying that God would give us the opportunity to bless those we would encounter. Little did I know that I would be blessed far more than I would have ever thought.

My family was part of a 15-person team from our church, so the four of us ended up separating and working on multiple sites. My husband and son worked on home with a few other team members; I was on a team that did a bunch of exterior work on Bobbie’s house, she was a hoot. My daughter and her team worked on another home, Miss Aqua Ava's house. I was blessed to be able to help there one day during the week and had the opportunity to meet Miss Ava. She was a woman that loved bright colors, with a little sass but a whole lot of joy. Considering the situation she was in, I was not expecting someone so happy.

The team had been working on the living space of her trailer home and it looked great! We were painting and doing a bit of finishing work so that Ava would be able to live in this new clean space. Little did I know that she was still living in the part of the trailer that had not yet been touched. I stepped into the back of the home and was completely at a loss. What this sweet lady was living in, I would never have considered habitable. I had no frame of reference for what would happen if a hurricane hit my home. The devastation you see in a small space that someone is living in is vastly different from the views you see from a helicopter on TV. Needless to say, Aqua Ava was joyful in the struggle. Her happiness in the trials she was going through helped to remind me that God is always sovereign. Not just in the good, but in the bad. Not just in the easy, but in the hard. I was so blessed to meet Ava.

I’ve been on additional short-term mission trips since Match 2018, but I will never forget what I learned from Miss Aqua Ava. God bless you, Aqua Ava, you taught me to be, not just content, but joyful in the storm.

ReachGlobal Crisis Response is currently responding to hurricanes in Lake Charles, LA, Covington, LA, and Morehead City, NC. There are hundreds of homeowners just like Miss Ava living in devastating conditions, waiting for help and hope. Some of them have the joy of the Lord, but many are still in need of the hope of the Gospel. If God is calling you, your family, or your church to be a part of the His work in the mission field following crisis, email respond@efca.org for more information or to schedule a mission trip this summer or fall.