The following is a letter of update provided by Pastor Don Bergstrom, Houston First Church of God regarding their experience and situation following Hurricane Ike.
Dear Church Family and Friends,
Houstonians who stayed in town will never forget the night of September 12, 2008. We went to bed (well, some went to bed) not knowing what the morning would bring. Hurricane Ike was coming, and all we could do was wait…and pray. Around 1:00 a.m. our power went out (and would remain out for the next ten days, but we were just one of some 8 million homes from the Gulf Coast to Canada that would experience power outages due to Ike). The sound of wind that rattled our house through the night is permanently etched in my memory! I’ve been through a few earthquakes. They hit and then it’s over. I now know that hurricanes hit - and continue hammering! I wondered throughout the night if it would ever end.
When morning finally began to dawn and the winds had somewhat subsided, I bravely ventured out into the pounding rain. A few neighbors were also standing in their garages, peering out at piles of branches, roofing materials, a huge piece of sheet metal that blew in from who knows where, and more. With no power, we couldn’t turn on the news to find out if it was over and, if so, what kind of devastation was waiting for us.
The Coopers, a new family in our church from AL, spent the night with us. Eighteen year old Anthony and I headed out in his Chevy truck on Saturday around 8:00 a.m. Fences were down, broken trees were blocking some streets, traffic lights were dark, shingles were scattered everywhere, signs that once advertised local business were shattered, and power poles with dangling wires were blocking the feeder road north of our church.
When we arrived at the church, I was relieved to see that our building was still standing and that all windows were intact! I was also blessed to learn that others from our church family had already been here! Our front sign and tower were damaged, the front banner gone, our side playground and canopy were thrashed, the back playground was covered with broken trees and limbs, our “back 40” was completely covered with broken trees and limbs, our portable classrooms had trees on them that had punctured the roofs, our lawn mower shed basically no longer had a roof, and the overhangs covering our front and back doors were damaged. Once inside the building, I discovered water leaks where I don’t remember seeing leaks before, and with our lack of electricity, I knew that day care food in our refrigerators and freezers would soon begin to spoil (oh, that probably happened to you, too. Sorry).
By Monday morning volunteers began showing up, ready to do anything! Oh, what a blessing! Some of those willing workers attend our Spanish-speaking congregation! Soon one could hear the sound of chain saws, ladders clanging as roof damage was being assessed and addressed, and the most blessed sound of all was to hear Sister Dulci Doty singing songs of praise to our Lord as she raked leaves into huge piles on the playground!
Speaking of praise, our God certainly protected us from what could have been a much greater disaster! He also sent you to help bring our church back to a place where we can once again meet. Many went to others in the church to clear yards, bring food and words of encouragement, and more! Now that communication is being restored, I am thrilled to hear that you were contacting friends in the church family just to see if they were okay! One of my greatest frustrations was not having a phone or internet to stay in touch with more of you!
Last Sunday some of the saints gathered in various homes to worship – just as they did in the 1st century church! And by Wednesday evening, September 24, we were able to gather in our own building for an evening of praise and prayer! Hallelujah!
Where do we go from here? Stay tuned, and remain prayerful! By the grace of God, we will all recover! If you still need assistance of any kind, please let our church staff know! We will do everything possible to help! Be assured that you are in our prayers and on the Father’s mind! This storm did not take Him by surprise, and Romans 8:28 is still in effect!
Thank you for your prayers, helping hands, random and deliberate acts of kindness, words of encouragement, commendable faith and continued financial support!
Sincerely,
Pastor Don Bergstrom
Houston First Church of God
Church of God Ministries is accepting donations for the Hurricane Relief Fund. To contribute online, click here to give with your credit card. You can also send checks made payable to “Church of God Ministries” to Church of God Ministries, PO Box 2420, Anderson, IN 46018-2420. Please write “Hurricane Relief, Project 45.04506” on the memo line.
Your gracious donation to the Hurricane Relief fund will be used to support this crisis through the replenishment of those funds initially advanced that provided an immediate assistance to those affected by this situation. Additional monies received above and beyond the initial disbursement and designated for this specific situation will be forwarded on to provide additional assistance to those in need.
CGM maintains small, but limited Hurricane and Disaster Relief Funds in order to provide an immediate response to disasters and crisis. Replenishment of these funds is necessary so CGM can continue to respond to future disasters in an expeditious manner.