Texans on Mission volunteer Bobby Bummel works with members of New Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in distributed TXM-cooked meals to Houston residents.
Terry White: 'I hope this gives them hope that someone cares'
The city of Houston is hot, and we’re not talking about the temperature. People are angry and frustrated.
Five days after Hurricane Beryl swept across southeast Texas, large parts of Houston remain dark. Traffic lights, restaurants, homes all lack power in many places. Internet service is sporadic.
It’s temperature hot, as well, with the typical 95 degrees and high Houston humidity.
An electricity of frustration fills the air like the oppressive heat. People are on edge. It’s like having your wallet stolen, replacing your driver’s license and credit cards only to have the wallet taken again.
Waking up before dawn each morning, a group of Texans on Mission and church volunteers are ushering in a refreshing breeze of hope. First they cooked 6,000 meals. The next day they did 7,500. Then 8,500. Soon, it’ll be 10,000 meals delivered across the city.
“A meal is more than just some food,” said David Wells, TXM disaster relief director. The ministry is cooking meals for Houstonians across the city. “It’s a gift. It’s a reminder people care about you. And when it’s prayed over by our volunteers and distributed by churches, each a way to show each person that God loves them.”
The TXM State Feeding Unit will continue breathing hope into Houston. The volunteers are working with the Salvation Army, which is distributing meals, and the National Baptist Convention of America and city leaders to identify distribution points.
Terry White, executive secretary and treasurer of NBCA’s Home Mission Board, is helping make sure the food is getting into often overlooked communities where suffering is at its worst.
On July 10, one of the meals cooked by TXM went to a woman who hadn’t eaten in two days. She had no electricity. She doesn’t drive. And her food spoiled.
“I hope this gives them hope that someone cares,” White said. “Trials and tribulations come, but they can count on the church. We are to be a beacon of hope. Hopefully that will resonate in their hearts and minds.”
New Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church distributed some of the meals. Pastor Ronald Smith wants people to know the congregation is there to minister to people in their time of need. It is a resource and asset to the community, he said. Without the church, it’s doubtful this neighborhood would have much assistance.
“It is our desire to become a united front when disasters hit,” Smith said. “This church can be a place people turn to for help. There’s many people here who are still without power, without food. We are here to provide as much as we can to those who need it the most.”
In other places across the region, TXM chainsaw teams are cutting up fallen trees and limbs. They’re making it possible for people to enter their homes again.
Each job they do saves the family they serve thousands of dollars they don’t have, Wells said. The teams prioritize the uninsured, elderly and impoverished.
“Disasters turn everyone’s life upside down,” he said. “But they’re especially difficult for people who were struggling before the storm. By removing the trees, we’re clearing the way for people to recover from the storms.”
But chainsaw ministry is about more than saving people money and getting trees out of the way, Wells continued. “The teams listen to what families are going through. They pray with people and encourage them.” And at the end of the project, the teams present a Bible to the family they serve.
“We serve because God loves us and the Bible tells us to love our neighbors,” Wells said. “That’s what we’re doing after Hurricane Beryl. We aim to transform home physically with our hard work and equipment. While there, aim to be vessels through which God transforms homes spiritually with the Gospel.”
Annette Pritchard, Texans on Mission volunteer from First Baptist Church Forney, works with Terry White, executive secretary and treasurer of the National Baptist Convention of Americas Home Mission Board, preparing food for Houston residents.