How To Help Afghanistan & Louisiana


If your heart has been hurting over the events in Afghanistan or Louisiana over the past weeks, you are not alone. It can be hard to hear the news reports or see the scenes of suffering, desperation, and death. Below are some suggestions for how you can pray, serve, and give in ways that help our international and Louisiana neighbors in need.

Pray

Scripture tells us that prayer is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal (Mark 11:22-25). We know that God sees, hears, knows, and acts. We can trust Him.

"Then the Lord said, 'I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.'" (Exodus 3:7-8) Here are a few ways you can pray specifically for Afghanistan and Louisiana right now.

Afghanistan


Prayer For Afghanistan

  • Pray for deliverance from evil, protection for the weak, and refuge for the displaced.
  • Pray that churches across the world would welcome refugees in love and friendship, and specifically that we would do that well at Bayou City.
  • Pray for Houston Welcomes Refugees, our local refugee ministry partner, as they seek to care for and support all refugees including Afghans coming into Houston.
  • Pray for our partners in the Middle East—that they would have wisdom in how to care for the people in the country where they minister and for protection.

How to Serve in Afghanistan

There are a few different ways you can serve with Houston Welcomes Refugees, our local ministry partner that works specifically with refugees.

  • Volunteer Welcome Teams partner with a refugee family during their first six months in Houston. Welcome Teams connect refugees with critical resources and community, act as a support system, and honor and esteem refugees with the gift of friendship.
  • Refugee Move In Teams: Volunteer Move-In Teams are responsible for turning an empty apartment into an inviting home for the refugee family. They Unpack Welcome Kits, deliver groceries and a hot meal, and leave notes of welcome and encouragement All this is done in a one to two hour window during lunch.
  • Make Welcome Kits: Refugees arrive to the United States with very little and have to quickly to begin their lives over again. Welcome Kits are filled with household items that provide refugees the starting essentials needed in their new homes. The hope is that these kits would honor refugees arriving in Houston, welcoming them with dignity, while also meeting a very tangible need.

Louisiana


Prayer For Louisiana

  • Pray for those affected by the disaster
  • Pray for the infrastructure (power, roads, etc.) in Eastern Louisiana to be fixed quickly so those in need can be reached.
  • There is a huge need for Gas to be transported into the area, pray for this to happen. If you are in the oil and gas industry and have connections for this to happen contact Ryan Hall at [email protected].
  • Pray for the organizations and leaders that will be putting together plans, ideas, and strategies to help those in need.

How to serve Louisiana

When the power and infrastructure become more accessible, there will become more ways for us to serve.

  • If you are interested in being a part of a team of people from Bayou City Fellowship to go and serve in Eastern Louisiana when they are ready for it, contact Glenanne Robinson at [email protected].
  • If you would like to individually go and serve there are couple of organizations that would be great to go through:
    • Samaritan's Purse (Houma & Greater New Orleans): Volunteer teams will assist homeowners with mud-outs, clearing trees and debris, and tarping damaged roofs. Register Here
    • Mercy Chefs (Metairie, LA): Volunteers will help prepare and serve hot meals to victims, volunteers, & first responders. Register Here
  • Bayou City Fellowship’s Disaster Response Team works with other local churches through Houston Responds. They have many resources during times of need.
  • Houston Responds has family resources to help us prepare during hurricane season. Use this link to help your family be prepared in the future.

Overall


  • Pray the Gospel of Jesus will reach the desperate people of Afghanistan and those in need in Louisiana.
  • Please also pray for Bayou City Fellowship leadership as we navigate how to steward our resources and mobilize our people.

Join The Bayou City Disaster Response Team: If you would like to help play a part in mobilizing our church to help those in times of need. This is a great ministry for you. Use the link above or click the button below to join.

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