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W h a t ‘ s N E W ?
Click here for all Updates
Check out the photos of our new “home” in Bridge City, TX
House Dedications
(Do you have photos to share with us for positing here?)
We are making an effort to update
our web page every Saturday.
Please check regularly.
Formerly Bethel Volunteer Ministry and Project REHAB
Fuller Center Disaster ReBuilders
We’re moving to Texas!
Email address: NEW DisasterReBuilders@fullercenter.org
The Bethel Free Health Clinic, Inc. has now located to 1650 Carrol Drive in Biloxi. The clinic’s new telephone number is (228) 594-3640. The clinic will continue to use the same email address of bethelkatclinic@gmail.com. Visit the clinic’s new website at www.bethelfreeclinic.org.
Please know, dear friends,
that the people
of the Mississippi Gulf Coast
humbly thank you for
your compassion,
your prayers,
your support . . .
the hope you bring to all of us
in His name.
“Eyes of Hope” is the song playing as you view this page. The song is being performed by Gary Pederson, a member of GraceFlock. Gary wrote “Eyes of Hope” on the back of an offering envelope during a communion service at Bethel Lutheran Church in late September 2005.
This photo was taken by
Judy Bultman in Waveland, Mississippi shortly after Katrina’s landfall.
The message of “this cross” is clear to those with faith.
Fuller Center Disaster ReBuilders, Inc.
3810 Martin Luther King Dr.
Orange, TX 77632
Telephone: 409-670-0544
Effects of Hurricane Ike in Texas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hurricane Ike made landfall over Galveston Island (Houston/Galveston area of Texas) on 13-Sep-2008 at 2:10 CDT. The effects of Hurricane Ike in Texas include deaths, damage, and impacts to the price and availability of oil and gas. Hurricane Ike caused extensive damage in Texas, with sustained winds of 110 mph (175 km/h), a 21.5-ft (6.5 m) storm surge, and widespread coastal flooding.
More than 14,000 people had failed to evacuate, partly due to fears of multi-hour traffic jams as during Hurricane Rita, but over 940 were rescued from rising waters, and nearly 2,000 rescued afterward. As of December 27, 2008, the 37 people are known to have lost their lives in Texas attributed to Ike while dozens are still missing.
The storm had come ashore hours before daybreak with 110-mph (175 km/h) winds and towering waves, pushing boats ashore, smashing many houses, flooding thousands of homes, knocking out windows in Houston's skyscrapers, uprooting trees, and cutting electric power to more than millions of customers (estimates range from 2.8 million to 4.5 million customers) for weeks or months.
Some people survived by punching holes in attics, climbing to rooftops or trees, using nearby boats, or floating on debris until reaching solid ground. Afterward, an estimated 100,000 homes had been flooded in Texas, and numerous boats washed ashore. Galveston was declared uninhabitable, and Houston imposed a week-long nighttime curfew due to limited electric power.
Damage was widespread and severe across Orange County. Storm surge almost completely flooded Bridge City, breached the levee at the City of Orange, and travelled up the Neches River to flood Rose City.
The City of Orange received winds at hurricane force. Mayor Brown Claybar estimated about a third of the city of 19,000 people was flooded, anywhere from 6 inches (15 cm) to 6 feet (2 m). Many dead fish littered streets and properties.
Bridge City Mayor Kirk Roccaforte estimated that only 14 homes in the city were unaffected by the surge. Three people were found dead in Orange County on September 29.
Thanks to Alan Park for the research!
For many Hurricane Katrina is a distant memory—for others, especially the survivors, it was just yesterday. For all though, Katrina was a life-changing experience.
As Donna, Heather and Faith faithfully reminded us of each week, 231 Mississippians died during Katrina. Few of us knew anyone who died, but most of us knew Sam and Evelyn Reyer, loyal Bethel Lutheran Church members, who lost their son and daughter-in-law in the storm. This brought the loss of life much closer to home. However all of us experienced the emotional impact of the storm through knowing the many survivors that we worked with. I remember “Chainsaw Bob”, an experienced Army veteran, saying that the emotional impact on the victims was worse than war. In the final analysis, your willingness to sit and listen to the survivors tell their stories and be comforted by you was probably more important than all the drywall you hung.
It’s comforting to look at the material progress that has been made and say that we’ve mostly recovered. But we know it doesn’t take much to penetrate the emotional armor that the survivors have built around their wounds. We must continue to hold those who struggle with the emotional aspects in our prayers.
As Katrina was a life-changing experience for our beloved Mississippi family, so it was for many of the volunteers. I feel safe saying that none of us have witnessed a more powerful pouring of God’s love into a community. It was the compassion and generosity of people like you that made the recovery possible for the individuals and families. Of course, you didn’t just open your wallets, you tore yourself away from the TV, your job and your family and you traveled to Mississippi. All could see and witness the power of God’s love from your service!
On last year’s anniversary of Katrina, we were all sitting in apprehension of another great storm, Hurricane Gustav. It was followed within days by Hurricane Ike. They were no Katrina, but to the victims of Gustav and Ike that didn’t matter. They need our help also and answer that call we must.