Hope after the floods
23 October 2023
Hope after the floods
Pastor James and Adele Leach
In recent years, many people in Australia and New Zealand have been impacted by disasters such as droughts, floods, bushfires, earthquakes and the COVID-19 pandemic. Among towns particularly hard hit by floods in late 2022 were Forbes and Eugowra in Central West New South Wales. Almost a year on, Central West Lutheran Parish Pastor James Leach and his wife Adele share their reflections on serving in the relief effort there on behalf of the church.
...the intention the whole time, was bringing a little bit of hope. And that's what I kept saying to myself, it's not about changing the world; it's not about making it all go away for them. It's just bringing a little bit of hope ... The flow on effect of that is that these people received hope and they received God's love.
I was getting phone calls from Western Australia, from New Zealand, from Queensland offering prayer support [and] financial aid. When I rang up about the possibility of having a flood relief fund I was thinking we might be able to make $5,000-$6,000 [for] water and sandwiches for the community. And then a few days later, we've got $10,000 in that account; there's 20,000 in that account; there's 30,000 in that account! That was a real boost that I am supposed to be spending this time in this community; that this love isn't just from me and from my people, but it's from the people of God throughout Australia.
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