By Baptist Message staff
NAPLES, Florida (LBM) – New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary student Sophia Roark recently saw God at work among residents impacted by Hurricane Ian during her first ever disaster relief trip.
Roark served on a mud-out team Oct. 17-20 in Naples, Florida, with fellow NOBTS student Jordan Matthews and a team from Paramount Baptist Church, Amarillo, Texas. While there, Roark and Matthews helped complete three jobs and visited with one homeowner who just the day before had accepted Christ during a visit from another DR team.
“The woman I met lost a lot in her home, but was changed forever after she found Jesus,” Roark told the Baptist Message. “To meet her and to hear her story, was so uplifting and encouraging. Just to see how God was at work amongst all that devastation left me wanting to go on another disaster relief trip.
“Both of us were tired from the work, but after we got back to Louisiana, we were refreshed and can’t wait to serve again,” she said. “I have such a deeper respect for all those who serve during times of a disaster, like a hurricane.”
The NOBTS students are among 106 Louisiana Baptist DR team members who have ministered in Naples since Oct. 3. Assisting Louisiana were DR teams from the Texas Baptist Men and the Ohio Baptist Convention and an estimated 300 members of First Baptist Church, Naples, which has hosted the three state conventions.
During that time, more than 105,000 meals have been prepared for residents, and another 4,000 meals have been cooked for Southern Baptist DR team members working out of FBC Naples, according to LBDR Strategist Stan Statham. Additionally, 373 mud-out jobs have been completed.
More importantly, teams have seen 26 professions of faith and 263 Bibles distributed.
Statham said he expects work to wrap up this weekend.
“Pray for Fort Myers and other areas hit hard by the hurricane,” Statham said. “This has been a great partnership between these three conventions, and we have enjoyed working together to spread the light of Jesus.”
For more information on giving to relief efforts, visit https://louisianabaptists.org/about/teams/missions-ministry/disaster-relief/.
