January 12 ushered in an unparalleled awareness of the power of natural disasters to deliver devastation. An estimated 230,000 people lost their lives as a result of Haiti’s magnitude 7 earthquake and provided a backdrop for shocking scenes of destruction that even seasoned aid workers found unbelievable. And for Haiti, the poorest nation in our hemisphere, their dire poverty was brought to the world stage in new ways as we watched a global response that brought out the best in both the emergency workers and the people of Haiti themselves.

More than 2.5 million dollars of medical equipment and supplies has been provided by Hope Force along with critically-needed orthopaedic surgeries and workers for many different medical facilities. We now have a commitment to provide shelter for a village we have identified through our work in this nation: Sous Savanne is in the region closest to the epicenter of the earthquake and is suffering from a dire lack of shelter and support for its 2,100 inhabitants. We have a goal of providing disaster relief tents for 300 families in this village. Fund raising efforts have brought in some positive responses but we still have a long way to go.

In the midst of our heart-felt commitment to Haiti, our own hometown of Nashville, Tennessee experienced what some are calling a “500-year flood” this month that has changed the face of our city in a dramatic fashion. Torrential rains May 1^st and 2^nd brought almost 20 inches of rain to some areas. Nineteen people lost their lives in Tennessee and the damage to property and business is so vast that it will be weeks before a final tally is completed.

Local Hope Force Reservists are involved with their own property recovery – and extending help to their neighbors. Other Reservists are working alongside our staff in mobile feeding/hydration sites, offering emotional and spiritual care, and coming in to the home office to assist in many ways. We are working with VOAD, The Salvation Army, Red Cross and many local churches and organizations.  The greatest need is to procure additional tools to multiply our efforts, as we are taking a lead in the recovery efforts in some of the most devastated areas. We have put out an SOS to our Hope Force Reservists across the nation, and we have individuals and groups already scheduled to come from Washington, D.C., central Pennsylvania and New Hampshire.

Please pray with us for provision of funding and workers to help clean out and restore the Christian school and church attended by one of our Hope Force Reservists, Melissa Thomas in the town of Antioch. This dramatic footage was taken at the height of the storm showing one of the main buildings from the school being swept away down the highway. “My husband was near the school helping stranded motorists get off the road as it was flooding and did not see the building float away,” Melissa explains. “I saw the drama unfolding on television and called him. The building is a total loss, one of our concrete buildings was completely underwater on the first floor and all of our sheds and sports equipment are a total loss.”

Hope Force is contributing every resource at our disposal to help this wonderful school, which serves around 750 young people, get back on its feet and fully functional. Please take the time to watch this brief (four-minute) video which gives a compelling visual snapshot of what Middle Tennessee is experiencing as a result of this unprecedented disaster in our area.

Hope Force spent more than three years in Gulf Coast communities assisting in the recovery efforts as well as rebuilding homes and lives after Hurricane Katrina. We are now in a position to bring these years of experience to benefit our “neighbors” in Nashville and its environs. During the current response effort, Hope Force is focusing on families or individuals who did not have insurance coverage to provide for adequate housing. Staff members are standing ready to consult with local residents who have lost homes and would benefit from consultation services that will help provide the best means possible of rebuilding, when their home is not fully insured.

Hope Force has established a fund to facilitate assistance efforts for those affected by the flooding in Central Tennessee. If you would like to contribute, please note "Nashville Floods" when you make a gift. 

If you have not gone through the Hope Force Training Intensive seminar to become a Reservist, you can join us on a pathway of service by attending the upcoming Fort Worth, Texas training event May 20 – 22. Hope Force Reservist training focuses on preparing an individual for the demanding role of a disaster responder. Beginning Thursday evening and running through Saturday afternoon, participants will be challenged by live speakers, video messages, group discussion and a study of the scriptures to prepare each person to bring compassionate and appropriate assistance to those suffering from disaster or loss. Click here to learn more about Hope Force Reservist Training.