Arkansas Baptist Disaster Relief (ABDR) volunteers are extending the love of Christ to disaster survivors, offering help, healing and hope that is found in Jesus Christ, reported the Arkansas Baptist News.
Since the initial deployment to Georgia in response to Hurricane Helene, as of Oct. 16, ABDR has reported 31 professions of faith.
RELATED: For more stories on disaster relief efforts throughout the Southeast and beyond, click here.
One of those salvations was Timmy, a gentleman Ron and Carolyn Knowlton, ABDR chaplains, were given the opportunity to share the Gospel with.
While at a home damaged by the hurricane, the couple met the husband and wife who owned the home and the wife’s brother, Timmy, a terminally ill hospice patient. When Ron asked the wife if he could pray with Timmy, she gave approval but warned him Timmy may hurt his feelings.
Undeterred
Ron then went out on the home’s sundeck to see Timmy. Ron knelt beside his chair, told who he was, and asked Timmy if he could pray for him.
“He looked me dead in the eye and said, ‘I don’t mind at all,’ and bowed his head,” Ron said. “I began a prayer, praying that God intervene in his life. But as I was about to close in prayer, I don’t know why I did it, I never do this, I just reached up and touched him on the shoulder and said, ‘Lord, open our eyes that we know what you are trying to do here.’ And he began to weep, and I realized the Holy Spirit was working with him and it was certainly working with me.”
After the prayer, Ron began sharing the gospel with Timmy. One of the verses he shared was Romans 10:9, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Timmy surrendered his life to the Lord.
“That was very emotional for both Timmy and myself. We both cried by the time it was over,” Ron said. “God is working. He has used an army of volunteers down here in Valdosta.”
On Oct. 14, an ABDR team of six feeding volunteers left for Spruce Pine, North Carolina. They have been working with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention mass feeding unit.
Continue to pray for those impacted by the storm and those who are meeting and preparing to meet needs.
Ways to help
For more information on how you can help, check with your church, association or state Baptist convention to find out how they are contributing to this and other ongoing relief efforts in neighboring states, your state and beyond.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was was written by Mary Alford and originally published by the Arkansas Baptist News.
