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Disaster Assistance

OCtober 13, 2023
The Crisis in Israel/Palestine and Gaza

Hearts around the world are grieving after learning of the horrendous attacks in Israel at the hands of the Hamas terrorists that happened on Saturday, October 7. Our hearts grieve with all those who lost loved ones and experienced the trauma of the attacks. The ensuing response by the military of Israel on the territory of Gaza was not surprising, but the impact on civilians, men, women and children including the Christian body of Christ in Gaza City is heart-wrenching. There is a looming humanitarian crisis for the people in Gaza as well as danger for the Israeli military.

All of our global mission partners and friends in Israel/Palestine have asked us to pray!

-Pray for peace and the de-escalation of violence
-Pray for wisdom and discernment of global leaders to seek non-violent responses
-Pray for supernatural protection of the innocent, for our brothers and sisters in Christ in Gaza and Israel/Palestine and the region
 – Pray for the families and friends of the Israelis who have lost loved ones.
– Pray for so many people who are now dealing with the trauma caused by this horrible situation and for ministries to be available to provide much-needed trauma counseling.
– Pray for the violence to not expand to the West Bank and other areas of Israel as well as neighboring countries.
-Prayers for our partners who are organizing emergency responses to help with relief and needs that are expected.
-Prayers for grace and wisdom in our thoughts, words and actions on such difficult days
especially those with differing options. As followers of Jesus, may we speak with love and grace and be a light for our communities.

FPC has several amazing and long-standing global anchor partners in Israel/Palestine including the Palestinian Bible Society/PBS, Bethlehem Bible College/BBC, and Musalaha, The Arab Israeli Bible Society, located in Nazareth is also a close friend of FPC. Strategic Resource Group (SRG) supports amazing ministries serving in Israel/Palestine and as we learn more from them, we will update this page.

We have been in close communication with our partners and friends checking on them, letting them know that they are in our hearts and prayers, and inquiring how we here in Houston can respond. We also have received reflections and prayer requests from many of our friends there. We have links to these reflections below if you are interested. If you would like to respond financially to help our partners respond to the needs once the immediate danger is over, you may give directly to our partners listed below or to FPC with a designated gift with the notation Holy Land War Response.

Palestinian Bible Society (PBS):
PBS is a global anchor partner whom FPC has worked with since 2000. They are committed to sharing the love and Gospel of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, West Bank and the Gaza Strip. PBS partners with all the different Christian churches and denominations, collaborating whenever possible. PBS is also involved with different community development organizations and Christian relief groups. Ministry programs reach adults, children, and women, as well as crisis and emergency responses. FPC supports the wide range of their ministries as well as coming alongside the Jenin team and supporting their community center that will serve young adults and families by providing an alternative response to the difficulties there.

Gifts to PBS emergency response may be made to FPC with a designation of Holy Land War Response notation.

http://www.pbs-web.com/

Bethlehem Bible College (BBC):
BBC has been a partner with FPC since the late 1990s. BBC is a Christian evangelical university college, that works in the service of, with and through the Palestinian community and aims to prepare potential leaders for the country and the world. The college has grown significantly over the years, expanding its variety of programs and is able to reach challenging areas including Gaza through their online studies program. BBC has the Shepherd’s Society, one of their ministries, that provides a channel for the global family to encourage and financially support those struggling in the Palestinian community as a response to our call to love our neighbors.

Gifts to BBC can be made directly online on the website or mailed to the US office of BBC:
Bethlehem Bible Co.
614-C South Bus. IH-35
New Braunfels, TX 78130

http://bethbc.edu

Musalaha:
Musalaha has been a long-standing partner since the early 2000s. Musalaha is a faith-based organization that teaches, trains and facilitates reconciliation mainly between Israelis and Palestinians from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, and also international groups, based on biblical principles of reconciliation. The transformation of hearts through the ministries of Musalaha with youth, women, students and families is amazing. The ministry of reconciliation will be needed now more than ever after such difficult days of hurt and suffering.

Gifts to Musalaha may be sent to :
MUSALAHA.US
PO Box 238
Medina, WA 90839

www.musalaha.org

or

The Outreach Foundation

381 Riverside Drive
Suite 110
Franklin, TN 37064

Friends of FPC – In addition to our partners listed above, we have many friends and ministries we have known and worked with who are serving a broader population in Israel.

Arab Israeli Bible Society:
https://aibible.org

The Israeli Bible Society:
https://biblesocietyinisrael.com

FirstFruits – Israel Centre for Economic Advancement:
https://www.israelfirstfruits.org

Reflections on the situation:
www.comeandsee.com

September 8, 2023
Response to Devastating Earthquakes in Morocco and Flooding in Libya

The world is groaning as disasters continue to impact regions of the globe. Morocco suffered a 6.8-magnitude earthquake on September 8 that shook the High Atlas mountains, with the epicenter of the earthquake 44.7 miles southwest of Marrakech, a city of some 840,000 people and a popular tourist destination. The devastation was immense, and the death toll nearing 3000 as of September 14. Then, just three days later, catastrophic flooding occurred in eastern Libya following heavy rains from Storm Daniel, resulting in the collapse of two dams and flooding that destroyed entire villages, towns, and communities, such as the town of Derna on the coast. The death toll stands at more than 11,000, with 9,000 people missing and at least 30,000 displaced as of September 16.

As we share in the sorrow, please pray for the survivors of the earthquake and flooding, for those grieving the loss of friends and family, for the responders and search and rescue teams, for the country leaders, for the ministries serving through this crisis, for the needed relief supplies to be available, and for the generosity of the world to help. 

Below are details about how you can contribute to help with this immense recovery effort:

FPC Houston:
To give through FPC, please make your check payable to First Presbyterian Church of Houston with the note “North Africa Relief” on the memo line. Checks can be deposited in an offering box outside of worship, given to an usher, or mailed to the church:

FPC Houston
5300 Main St.
Houston, TX 77004
Attn: Finance

Strategic Resource Group (SRG):

Gifts can be made  to Strategic Resource Group with the memo line “SRG’s Morocco and Libya Relief Fund” and mailed to the following address:

Strategic Resource Group
P.O. Box 1809
Easton, MD 21601

Gifts can also be made to SRG through the National Christian Foundation (NCF) if you already give through NCF.

August 30, 2023
Responding to Damage Caused by Hurricane Idalia in Florida

Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida early on Wednesday, August 30, as a strong Category 3 storm with wind speeds of 125 mph. Hurricane Idalia roared through the Sunshine State’s Big Bend region. It was the most powerful storm to hit the area in more than a century. The storm continued into Georgia with Category 1 storm winds.

Samaritan’s Purse responded immediately, deploying staff members, two disaster relief teams, and support equipment, to two locations in Florida –  Taylor County and Pasco County. Wind damage and storm surge impacted this area. Samaritan’s Purse has teams working in both Florida and Georgia with storm cleanup and repair of homes. If you would like to help our neighbors to the east who were impacted by Idalia, please give directly to the Samaritan’s Purse website

March 28, 2023
Responding to the Tornado that Devastated Mississippi Communities

Our hearts go out to our neighbors in Mississippi who have endured unimaginable destruction from the EF 4 monster wedge tornado that hit during the night and stayed on the ground for an hour, traveling over 50 miles with a width of 3/4 mile. Entire towns and communities like Rolling Fork, MS were wiped out. At this point, the death toll is at 26 but the injuries and loss of homes and personal property are astronomical. FPC partner, Samaritan’s Purse, is on the ground in Mississippi and responding. Please consider a gift directly to Samaritan’s Purse. 

February 7, 2023
FPC Response to the Devastating Turkey-Syria Earthquake

The impact of the devastating earthquake that struck on Monday, February 6 near Gaziantep, Turkey is overwhelming and truly catastrophic. Unfortunately, on February 20, another 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit southeastern Turkey near the Syrian border. The earthquakes have left a trail of death and destruction in cities across southern Turkey and northern Syria. The death toll is nearing 50,000 as of February 22. Earthquake survivors need food, water, shelter, medical care, and warmth as it is still winter.

Please continue to pray for the survivors of the earthquakes, for those grieving the loss of friends and family, for the responders and search and rescue teams, for the country leaders, for the ministries serving through this crisis, for the needed relief supplies to be available, and for the generosity of the world to help.

The most expedient way to give is direct to FPC’s global partners that serve in the regions impacted, ensuring that the funds get there as quickly as possible. If you would like to give through FPC, please note that gifts designated for earthquake relief will be directed to the Strategic Resource Group (SRG). Contributions to Outreach Foundation, Millennium Relief and Development (MRDS) or Every Shelter can be made directly to those partners via the links provided below.

If you would like to give to this immense recovery effort, please read more about how the following four FPC global partners are responding:

Every Shelter:
One of FPC’s newer mission partners, Every Shelter is responding to the crisis in Turkey/Syria with their shelter flooring product, Emergency Floor which was originally funded through FPC’s Project Flourish. In 2020 Every Shelter moved the manufacturing of their Emergency Floors to Turkey to more affordably and effectively respond to aid displaced Syrians. They have begun production of 1,500 tiles (760m2) per week until they run out of funds to do so. Their partners in Turkey will distribute them to families in need as a part of their relief ministry efforts there. You can give directly to Every Shelter for the emergency flooring project, via the Every Shelter Emergency Floor web page

SRG:
With 24 ministry partners in Turkey and more in Lebanon and Syria, SRG ministry partners are responding with urgency.  Several FPC global partners also partner with SRG including Jossour-Bridges of Hope and KDEC, and friend of FPC, HORIZONS, and First Hope Association (FHA) in Turkey. FHC is uniquely capable of responding to natural disasters with multiple mobile hygiene trailers equipped with toilets, showers, washing machines, and a mobile cooking unit. As of day two, FHA reports that they are now in Antakya with three of their trailers with another is on its way.

To support the earthquake relief efforts of SRG, gifts can be made to FPC. To designate your gift to earthquake relief efforts, please type “earthquake” in the memo field. Gifts can also be made to SRG through National Christian Foundation (NCF) if you already give through their organization. 

MRDS:
Millennium Relief and Development is a long-time partner of FPC we have directed gifts to for other global disasters. Millennium’s local partner in Turkey, First Hope Association/ilkUmutDernegi (in Turkish), is on the ground, joining search and rescue efforts and mobilizing their emergency vehicles to provide essential services to the displaced. MRDS partners with First Hope Association and has described them as “like-minded” Turks with a long track record in relief efforts. You can give directly to MRDS via the MRDS website and mail a gift to the following address: 

Millennium RDS, Inc.
5233 Bellaire Blvd. Ste B-358
Bellaire, TX 77401

Outreach Foundation:

The Outreach Foundation’s mission is to engage followers of Christ for work in the world.  They come alongside churches and leaders of the global church to help build the capacity of the global church, especially where the church is vulnerable or growing rapidly.  The Outreach Foundation has partnerships that are deeply relational in the regions hardest hit by the earthquake.   If you would like to support the churches in the region and provide much-needed help, gifts can be made directly to the Outreach Foundation website or you can send a gift to the following address: 

The Outreach Foundation
381 Riverside Drive, Suite 465
Franklin, TN 37064

Please designate your gift to: Middle East Earthquake Relief Emergency Appeal.

The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Psalms 9:9