Upcomming Trips

Adult leaders knowledgeable in construction, feeding volunteers, driving, or helping to organize trips are needed for our two scheduled spring break trips. Trips will be largely populated by college and high school students which can be problematic with the self sufficiency required by our new partner arrangements. Please consider taking one of these two weeks to serve with the volunteers who continue to flock to the disaster for spring break rather than hang out on the beach. These will be some of the most impressive young people you could meet.

March 8 - March 14, University of Buffalo Student Christian Fellowship will be making their third annual trip. We had 45 people last year and maybe more this year. I had the pleasure of spending the week with this group last year and I don't exaggerate when I tell you they are the future leaders of our church, our country and our world. I do confess, they make me feel old ;-)

March 22-29 (or 28th) is the week that most all schools around the Columbus area are on spring break. My family will be leading a team down that week and we invite you to join us. High school students are invite to attend with a youth leader from their church, or a recommendation from their youth minister. Middle school students are invited to attend with a parent or responsible relative. Of course anyone else who would like to go this week will be indispensable to our efforts.

We also need funding to cover these trips. Our account balance is at $2,600. These trips will cost much more than that when we consider the cost of rentals, food, board, and fuel. Please appeal to your churches to help support these teams so that Servants Unite can continue to provide a cost free opportunity to sample the mission experience. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit and 100% of our funding goes directly to connecting volunteers to disaster victims in His name.

Flooding and Tornado Info

This past week, Tornadoes, large and many, destroyed lives and property. Hardest hit was Tennessee. Nearly 60 deaths were recorded. One storm stayed on the ground for 50 miles cutting a swath 1/4 mile wide. Servants Unite will not be mounting a response to these storms as they are almost without exception handled well by local governments, churches, and organizations who are equipped for that spotty, yet still devastating scale disaster. Some churches in effected areas are mounting an effort, however. You can find some listed on our partner organization's site, www.hilltoprescue.org. Also, there, you'll find statistics for their work in California wildfire relief late last year.

I'll continue to monitor the situation and will post updates as they happen.

Ohio has seen nearly every kind of extreme weather as well. Flooding earlier in the week for the areas where we assisted last summer was less severe than it was then. Local officials are actually expecting to work in other counties who still have flooding concerns as the swell of water flows out to Lake Erie and the Ohio River. You can see current weather advisories for our state here:

Ohio North
Ohio South

If you live in effected areas or can travel there to help determine the need for assistance, please contact me immediately as I'm laid up with the flu, probably for another few days yet. My contact info is to the right. County EMA office contact information is here.

Your prayers for all those effected and the work the Lord has on our plate are valuable. Though we weep for the victims of disasters, we give thanks for the opportunities we've had to serve and witness to victims and volunteers and to show God's love for them giving Him the glory. We pray for discernment and the human relationships to continue to develop that will allow us to be in the right place at the right time for His plan. Amen.