Dear Friends,
Irma may be history, but her effects will go on for years, and I want to let you know how proud Steve and I are to be your pastors and for the ways that you are responding
. Trinity has
already made a difference offering hope and healing in our community and, through our United Methodist connection, across the entire state of Florida.
I am aware that Trinity folks offered safety and shelter to other Trinity folks the weekend of the storm. Others offered shelter when the storm had passed and homes were damaged or unreachable due to flood waters. The day after the storm there were groups of people who were out with their chainsaws helping their neighbors, some of whom they didn't know before.
And some were helping people on the other side of town. I received a call from Rev. Mary Mitchell, pastor of Bartley Temple Unit
ed Methodist saying a
single mother
in her congregation
had a large limb down in
her yard
and needed assistance. Just a few hours later much to her appreciation, "Chainsaw Aaron" (Rev. Aaron Rousseau) along with Kelly and Adam Ping had cleared the limb.
Trinity is also a reception and distribution spot for supplies and flood buckets. Last week we received a large delivery of flood buckets from the Alabama United Methodists and those buckets were distributed to
several areas south where there is significant damage.
Wednesday afternoon, the children from our CHEERS ministry were helping to load supplies again headed out to help those in need. What a beautiful sight to see those children working together to make a difference for those in need. Yesterday, Aaron and Ted Grueser drove a ren
tal truck full of buckets
to three churches in the Brooksville/Springhill area.
And your financial generosity is overwhelming. Our mission box offering to UMCOR (
United Methodist Committee on Relief
) was the largest we have seen in our tenure at
nearly
$18,000. Your generous hearts will enable healing and recovery for months to come.
Now for a few specific ways you can offer yourselves in the next few weeks:
- We've been asked by Bishop Carter to receive an offering this week for a Hurricane Irma Fund specifically for the Florida Conference to provide relief here in our conference. I encourage you to consider giving to this fund this week.
- If you are willing and able to drive a vehicle (either your own or one of Trinity's) to deliver flood buckets or supplies to another area of Florida, contact Jordyn Cowart or Ted Grueser.
- If you would like to be a part of a recovery team to use your clean up and construction skills either locally or out of town, please contact Jordyn Cowart or Ted Grueser.
- If you are able to help load or unload supplies and flood buckets on an as needed basis, again contact Jordyn Cowart or Ted Grueser.
- If you are able to do further clean-up of our Trinity property (sticks, moss, and small branches), please contact Susan Kovi.
Thank you all again for being such a wonderful witness to our community. You are truly a church who is big-hearted, Christ-minded, Spirit-led and bound by love.
Looking forward to seeing you Sunday for our second week in theSkim Series as we take a closer look at our Bible, what it is,
and how it shapes our lives.
Grateful to be one of your pastors,
