Devastated by the Storm!!

There are so many things that we take for granted. Living in the Pacific Northwest, weather is one of them. We get rain, that's for sure, and occasional flooding. But when it comes to natural disasters that can level a whole city we have been very fortunate. They say one is coming for us, but for now we have been blessed.

So, when we hear about these disasters that happen all around the world it is hard to imagine the gravity of what it means. Sometimes I think it's like something from a movie. We will talk to our friends and co-workers about it, "Can you believe what happened?", and then we just continue with our day. It becomes a topic of conversation, but then we never actually do anything about it.

Then it happens in an area where we have friends. When you have family and friends that are affected by one of these natural disasters it becomes a lot more real.

Last summer my wife and I journeyed over to the small island of Fiji and met some amazing people. Just over a week ago a Cyclone hit that island and left its impression on much of the area where we visited. This storm has been dubbed Cyclone Winston and had winds that set new records. If this storm had taken place in the Alantic it would have been considered a category 5 hurricane. Needless to say it was enough to devastate cities and towns all across the small island.

Our dear friends Tomasi & Serina's home after the storm

This is an excerpt from the email I received from our friends:

One week ago, Fiji was hit with what they say is the worst storm on record in the southern hemisphere: a category 5 cyclone called Winston.  The death toll is currently at 42.  Many have lost everything, as their homes were ripped up and blown away by the 220 mph winds.

Because of this storm there are now children without parents, people finding shelter in caves, entire villages flattened, churches and schools demolished.  62,000 people are in evacuation centers. Everyone knows someone who has been affected. 

OUR HOUSEHOLD, AND ALL OF THE ISLAND ENCOUNTERS STAFF AND TEAM ARE FINE.  We have sustained damage to the farm and sailboat but we are all okay. The clean up and rebuilding in Fiji will take a long time, and we hope to do what we can to help.


So what do we do when something like this happens? How can we help? For most of us it would not be feasible to drop everything and go over there. So what do we do? There are ways you can help those affected by this Cyclone without even leaving the comfort of your own home. First of all pray. Pray for the people of Fiji and also that Island Encounter's will be able to effectively minister the Love of God to those who are hurting.

Also, Ray & Laura Pittman with Island Encounters are on the ground ready to help, but there are costs that come along with that. If you want to help in the clean up and rebuilding of these homes and villages follow the below link to give a tax deductible donation to Island Encounters through the Pioneers website.

CLICK HERE to make a tax deductible gift through Pioneers to help with cyclone relief! Your donation will help Island Encounters to re-build houses, and give food and supplies to those most in need. ENTER ACCT #150864H

Here are some more pictures of storm damage in Fiji

 

Titus 3:4-5

Titus 3:4-5 – But when the kindness and Love of God our savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

           If you have accepted Christ as Savior you have been saved. There is nothing you could ever do to earn this salvation. It is all because of God; because He Loves us. In Romans we see two sides of God. There is “sternness to those who fell and kindness to you, as long as you continue in His kindness” (Romans 11:22). In this verse we see God’s kindness and His Love.

           It is due to the Love that He has for us, that He shows us His kindness through salvation. When you receive salvation you are able to see God’s Love and His kindness. Without God we would never be saved. We cannot measure up; we cannot earn righteousness. In fact, if God did not show us mercy we would receive death. That is what we deserve.

           Instead, when we call on Him, we receive salvation. This comes to us through God’s grace and mercy. He washes us and renews us and we are born anew in Him. This is what it all comes down to; this is the bottom line. God’s desire is for everyone to be saved and come to know Him. He wants to show you mercy; He wants to show you His Love and kindness. If you have not made a decision to follow Him, don’t wait any longer. Turn to God and let Him save you and make you new by His Holy Spirit.

John 5:24

John 5:24 - I tell you the truth, whoever hears my Word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. Recently I watched a movie called “Warm Bodies”. This movie tells the story of a zombie. It starts out like a typical zombie story, with the zombies preying on the people that are alive. They chase them in an attempt to take their life from them and turn them into zombies as well. As the movie progresses we see this zombie starting to fall in love with a human girl. With love growing in his heart it actually begins to bring him back to life which makes me think of this verse.

"Love brings us from death to life"

 This is the true and most amazing miracle that God ever performs. Bringing a dead soul to life in Christ. Before we knew Christ we were dead, even though our bodies were alive. Kind of like zombies, going around from one thing to the next, no sense of purpose; basically just wandering. And, like zombies, all you were doing was trying to pull those with life down to your level, stealing the life from them.
When we are born into the natural we are born into sin and death. We can’t help it, that’s just the way it is, since this is a fallen world. Then we hear the Words of Jesus. He speaks straight from the Father through those who have already received Him. So you hear His Word, which is powerful, and you have a choice to make. You can choose to believe the Words of Jesus or you can continue to live life as a “zombie”, with no sense of purpose. If you believe, you will enter life, and not just now, but forever, because your new life is eternal. This is the true miracle. We often ask for miracles that we can see, because in our minds that is cool. Which it is, don’t get me wrong, but we need to believe for the miracle of true life and salvation. That is the most awesome miracle, because it takes place in our true selves; our spirits. Salvation brings a person from death to life through the Love of God. In the romantic zombie flick “Warm Bodies” you see love bringing life to the zombies, so also the Love of God brings life to us. Love brings us from death to life.