Hurricane Ian Update from Mission to North America

Dear PCA Family and Friends:

Ian became a high-end Category 4 hurricane early on September 28, 2022, as it progressed towards the west coast of FL. Ian remained at Category 4 strength as it made landfall in Southwest FL, tying as the 5th-strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in the contiguous US. After making landfall Ian rapidly weakened to a tropical storm before moving back out into Atlantic, where the storm has re-intensified to a hurricane. Ian is now expected to make a second US landfall in SC later today. Please pray for our PCA family in harm’s way.
MNA Disaster Response deployed an assessment team this morning, September 30, to make contact with SW FL Pastors and Diaconates to determine how best we can provide help. Early reporting indicates that many PCA families and pastors are affected. Ian has caused tremendous damage mostly from flooding due to extreme storm surge and rainfall. Some church physical plants have extensive roof damage. In particular, the cities of Fort Myers and Naples were impacted strongly. It appears that the recovery efforts will be lengthy and arduous. In addition, MNA Disaster Response has deployed the Gulf Coast Presbytery First Responder Team which will reach SW Florida on Monday to begin stabilizing homes, undertaking tree removal, blue tarping, and conducting additional assessment. Please pray for these dear brothers in Christ.

MNA Disaster Response (MNADR) began preparing to respond for this event when landfall became imminent. Staff and volunteers began preparing equipment and supplies at both our Dallas Depot and our Rome GA Warehouse. Later today a first load of relief supplies and equipment will leave our Rome GA warehouse for SW FL. Pray for open roadways. Once the assessment teams complete their work we will know better where to establish short and long-term recovery sites.

Your Help Is Requested. Pray for your disaster response team, for Godly wisdom and unction. You can provide immediate help in the following ways:

Pray — Most of all, pray! Pray for those affected by this historic storm. Pray for us, your disaster response team, for Godly wisdom and unction. Pray for skilled volunteers who can mobilize safely in the days ahead. now. And pray for the financial resources that allow us to respond now as your ambassadors, pray for opportunities to assist our church family and to meet new people and demonstrate the Love of Christ.

Give — Perhaps the best way you can help is to give a financial gift to support this vital work. Financial gifts will be used to facilitate the movement of mission critical assets which is already underway. Please prayerfully consider giving generously. Resources are needed to establish and operate volunteer hosting sites. To provide financial grants administered through PCA Diaconates to families with needs; to help satisfy catastrophic insurance deductibles for PCA members and to repair PCA owned physical plants, to mobilize first-responder teams and long-term recovery teams. To provide bridge-funding for church staff, and to equip local congregations to reach out with the Love of Christ to their neighbors.

Go — As soon as possible we will begin mobilizing highly skilled and equipped teams. This will be arduous work for healthy, experienced individuals only. We will first concentrate on stabilizing homes, chainsaw work, tarping and roofing, debris removal, ripping out sheetrock and contaminated insulation and flooring (what we refer to as gutting and mucking). As soon as possible we will deploy Sheds of Hope, if needed. If you can organize and mobilize chainsaw, tarping, and debris cleanup teams, we need your help. Teams of 6-8 healthy/hardy volunteers work best. Teams should be equipped with their own tools. Do not self-deploy!

ALL VOLUNTEERS MUST REGISTER AS A MNA DR VOLUNTEER AND COMPLETE A BACKGROUND SCREENING. WHEN VOLUNTEER STAGING SITES ARE IN PLACE MNADR WILL BEGIN MOBILIZING. WE WILL CONTACT REGISTERED VOLUNTEERS TO SCHEDULE THEM FOR SERVICE.

To donate to this urgent need electronically and safely: Click here.
To mail your gift, please mark your gift for Ian Relief and send to:
Mission to North America – PO Box 890233 – Charlotte, NC 28289-0233
To register as a MNA Disaster Response Volunteer: Click here.
Text a gift to Ian Relief: Text MNA 1944 to 76959 and follow the prompts
To donate relief kits please navigate to: Click here.