Texas Flood Survivors Share Stories of Survival and Faith Amidst Devastation

Devastating Flooding in Texas

• 🌊 Catastrophic flooding has devastated areas in Texas, leading to widespread destruction and loss.
• 🏠 Hundreds of homes were destroyed by the July 4th flood, with families losing nearly everything.

Personal Stories of Survival

• 💡 Collene Lucas recounts her harrowing experience racing home to rescue her husband from their rising home, wading through waist-deep water.
• 🙏 She describes her belief that she was walking on water and credits prayer and rescuers for saving her husband's life.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Pastor Mike Oaks and his family were forced to flee their home as floodwaters rushed in, navigating waist-high water to reach higher ground.
• 🏠 They returned to rescue other family members through a window, narrowly escaping the rising waters.

Faith and Community Response

• 🤝 In the aftermath, churches, pastors, and volunteers united to provide aid and support to survivors.
• 🕊️ A special church service in San Antonio offered a space for prayer, lament, and finding a path back to hope and trust.
• ❤️ Operation Blessing volunteers are actively involved in the cleanup, helping survivors salvage what they can and begin the restoration process.

The Role of Faith and Compassion

• ❓ Survivors grapple with the question of 'why' they survived, finding comfort in their faith and the belief that God is with them.
• 🌟 The irreplaceable nature of human life is emphasized, contrasting it with material possessions that can be replaced.
• 💪 Operation Blessing's motto, "When disasters strike, what do we do? We strike back with love and compassion," guides their tangible, long-term support for those affected.

How to Help Disaster Relief Efforts

• 📞 Donations can be made by calling 1-800-700-7000 and specifying the Operation Blessing Disaster Relief Fund.
• ✉️ Checks can be mailed to CBN Center, Virginia Beach, Virginia, 23463, with "disaster relief" in the memo line.
• 📱 Text OBDR to 71777 or visit cbn.com's giving page to designate gifts for disaster relief.