As volunteers cleaned up an Abbotsford, BC family’s flood-damaged home in early January, chaplains from the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chatted with George,* the homeowner.
“Life seems pretty temporal at times,” said one of the chaplains. “We have a little booklet [Steps to Peace With God] that talks about spiritual things; would you like to go through it?”
George said yes and motioned the chaplains into his garage, where they could escape the cold winter wind. He seemed hesitant at first, but as they gently, compassionately proclaimed the Gospel, George opened up and shared how he had a Christian background, but had fallen away from faith in Christ.
Sensing a God-given opportunity, one of the chaplains explained how he could regain that faith and restore his walk with “our great God and Savior” (Titus 2:3, ESV). Touched by the Holy Spirit, George said yes to Jesus and rededicated his life.
This was just one of many spiritual interactions the chaplains had in Abbotsford and Merritt, two BC communities that were hard-hit by catastrophic rain and flooding in late November.
Into these situations, we send crisis-trained chaplains to offer prayer, emotional and spiritual support to people in crisis, first responders, and volunteers helping with recovery. Sometimes, that support is simply the silent ministry of presence. Other times, the Lord creates opportunities to gently, respectfully share our faith in Christ.
Support from Canadians like you made it possible to send a total of 37 chaplains for one-week deployments in the two cities. Between late November and mid-January, they prayed with more than 1,500 people and God used them to bring nine people to faith in His Son.
And George’s story, one of those nine, wasn’t finished yet.
A meaningful time of ministry
The next day, chaplains visited George again and this time his wife, Luanne,* was home. God created another opportunity to share the Good News, and Luanne, like her husband, responded to the Holy Spirit’s prompting to turn to Christ in repentance and faith.
Right after, George confessed that he had anger issues and needed help. He was also struggling to forgive his father, who had been domineering toward him. The chaplains prayed for both issues as part of a time of meaningful ministry. They also agreed to stay in contact and help George and Luanne connect with a church in the area.
We thank God for how He worked so powerfully through our chaplains and through partners like you. Please pray for the residents of Abbotsford and Merritt as they continue recovering from the flooding.
*Names changed to protect privacy.
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