John Garcia
Robert Moore Jr.
Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, come over into Macedonia and help us,” Acts 16:6-9 KJV.
There is a mobilizing passage in a song well known in the African American heritage that states: If I can do my duty as a Christian oft,
If I can bring back beauty to a world up wrought,
If I can spread love’s message that the Master taught,
Then my living shall not be in vain!
This Christian mandate was realized when Hurricane Dorian struck the residents in the country of the Bahamas between August 24 to September 10, 2019. The hurricane left death, devastation, and much uncertainty about the future of its countrymen. One of the first people to reach out to the Atlantic Caribbean Union president, Peter Kerr, was Southeastern Conference president, Gregory O Mack. Mack commissioned Robert Moore, disaster relief director; David Peay, assistant to the president; and Prince Lewis, AYM director, to go survey the damage and assess the needs of the Bahamian people on September 17.
During the meeting with Peter Kerr and Eric Clarke, North Bahamas Conference president, they heard stories of hope, miracles, faith, protection, and the providence of God’s love during the storm. They ascertained that the destruction to the Abaco Island was going to be a very long-term recovery project. They agreed that their plan of action should be to help gather goods to send to the Grand Bahamas; that would help relieve the immediate needs there.
On the weekends of September 20 and September 27, within the Southeastern territory, seven containers were filled with new clothes, water, food, beds, mattresses, can goods, batteries, non-perishables, generators, diapers, and blankets. This disaster relief effort was led by the local Adventist Community Services staff, pastors, and general membership of the Southeastern Conference. The Florida church sites used for collection and packaging were Northside Church in Miami.; Pilgrim Spanish Church in Hialeah; Mt. Sinai Church in Orlando; Mt. Calvary Church in Tampa; Sinai French Church in Plantation; Ephesus Church in Jacksonville; and Ephesus Church in West Palm Beach.
In any disaster response scenario, you need people who are logistically knowledgeable in the area of shipping and receiving. If it were not for Daniel Perez, a former truck driver who lives in Tampa, who has a heart for hurting people, the shipping of the seven containers to the Bahamas would have been a lot more difficult. Perez took the lead in the shipping of the containers, and partnered with a trucking company, Bronco Trucking. Bronco dropped containers at all seven church locations, and went back to each church to pick them up, free of charge!
In any disaster response scenario, you need people who are logistically knowledgeable in the area of shipping and receiving. If it were not for Daniel Perez, a former truck driver who lives in Tampa, who has a heart for hurting people, the shipping of the seven containers to the Bahamas would have been a lot more difficult. Perez took the lead in the shipping of the containers, and partnered with a trucking company, Bronco Trucking. Bronco dropped containers at all seven church locations, and went back to each church to pick them up, free of charge!
Hurricane Dorian could have devastated them emotionally, physically, and spiritually like it did to the landmass of the Bahamas. Instead, it galvanized them together as fellow countrymen, human beings, and brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. When asked, they can answer in the affirmative that yes, they faithfully responded to the Macedonian Call!
Southeastern | April 2020
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