The Katrina Catastrophe Solution

The Katrina Catastrophe Solution

“Please contact me. I have a home.”

Friends, Those seven words above solve the immediate crisis currently facing 1 million American citizens.

The key is simply this:

“If every church would simply bring one destitute family into their church community by offering them a home to live in with another member of their congregation the entire Katrina catastrophe could be resolved in days.

“Lord Jesus, please send us an endless Christian caravan outside of the Houston Astrodome and elsewhere with people willing to trust You and say to one family, “Come with me, we're going home.”

Pray for me. I am leaving California en route to find the very family Jesus has called my wife and I to rescue. Why? Because Jesus, seeming to speak of the sick, naked, hungry and thirsty, said, “I was a stranger and you invited me into your home …” Mt 25 (NLT) Jesus did not say “I was hungry, thirsty, sick , and naked and had lost all I owned … but because I was too far away and a stranger you donated $100 to your favorite charity so they would feed, clothe and shelter me. Yet I remained “imprisoned” for months waiting inside of a stadium ( with thousands more like me ) because we had no homes to go to.” Make no mistake we MUST give generously towards the emergency! Yes! Thank you for doing that much already. Surely God is pleased…but He requires much more of His church once the homeless have received bread and water.

Beloved, months from now they will still have no home of their own to return to! God forbid that I would ever allow that to happen to you…or to them.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, warehousing victims for 48 or 72 hours in an emergency storm shelter is a legitimate response, especially when the storm finally passes and the people are able to return to their own homes …but can we let people languish in this way for weeks (or even months?) when we have our own comfortable homes to offer them? God is watching His church for our response and, believe me, so is the world. Please don't relegate this wonderful opportunity for blessing by only writing a check to another ministry or charitable entity or government agency. Agencies can only do so much even with millions of your donated dollars.

Is there anymore you can do? If so, what? What can you really do?

I am praying that many Christian homes will open to this wonderful ministry opportunity …

We already have a team of ministry volunteers working with Katrina victims in Mississippi. The emergency goal is to feed and clothe them but our next responsibility is to provide homes for desperate families who will have nowhere to go once they are clothed and fed. This operation rescue ministry is called “Shepherd Family Ministry.” Operation Save America Director, Rev. Flip Benham said that our teams there would interview families (beginning today in Mississippi) who have lost everything they own.  Remember the state and federal governments were unable to respond quickly. Will the church of Jesus do likewise? 1 million people have lost EVERYTHING … BUT You can rescue one family.

If you would like to become a “Shepherd Family” by opening your home up to homeless family, please email Marilyn Carroll at : Marilynprolife@aol.com .  Her team will begin organizing the effort and the team in Mississippi will let her know of any families wanting to be provided for in this way. Pray the same can be done elsewhere by many other churches and ministries. This need is great but a Holy Spirit inspired church is up to the task. (We are looking for ministry leaders to help identify and screen families also at the Houston Astrodome, as well as in New Orleans and other areas in the region. Do you know someone who can do this?) Some of these families will need funds for clothing and travel to their Shepherd homes. Many homes will be local, many others will not. Contact OSA www.operationsaveamerica.org  for how you can specify your donations for this effort to be effective.

They desperately need Christian homes to welcome them immediately .

Please… Let's not be satisfied and well fed watching our TV's over time becoming numb to the images of needy people that we could be reaching for Jesus. They belong in our homes. He died for us and them so that they would never have to be shipped off to “refugee camps.” Thousands of these people are from wonderful churches and tens of thousands more need Jesus. Will you help someone in this significant way? Whatever we did or did not do for the least of these we did or did not do for Him.

Please join me in praying that many Christian homes will open to this ministry.

“Lord Jesus, please help the church be your church in this critical hour. May we see You in every suffering face. ”

Help us help them by forwarding this e-mail to every generous Christian family you know.

Pastor Chet

Pastor Chet Gallagher
Operation Save America  

Pastor Chet is also the Regional Office Director
Alpha USA Bay Area
And can be reached at:
Cell Phone: 408.712.1088
Msg: 408.225.6266
FAX: 408.365.7510
Office: 408.365.7500
5884 Eden Park Place
San Jose, CA 95138
BayArea@AlphaUSA.org