Congo
Lake Charles, Louisiana is one of the active sites Constance has partnered with during the past 3 years. Hurricanes Laura and Delta made direct hits to the area only six weeks apart from each other during 2020. ReachGlobal came alongside Lake Charles Bible Church, helping organize the long-term rebuilding efforts and sending short-term teams to serve. It seemed like Lake Charles was on the mend when 16 inches of rain fell on May 17, 2021 and re-flooded much of the area.
Last year, God worked through Constance to send teams on three trips to help rebuild homes and build encouraging relationships in Jesus’ Name. Lives were changed both for trip participants as well as for those they were there to serve. Thanks to support from Constance’s community, $3,000 was allocated for construction projects and $400 grants were made available for trip participants.
Our 2023 trips, including one in July with High School Ministry, will continue the restorative work that’s inevitably going to be needed for some time, both with building construction and otherwise. As part of our Global 2023 Fund, we hope to continue to remove some of the financial barriers toward participation in short-term missions by providing $400 grants to anyone going on one of our Crisis Response or International trips in 2023.
In September of 2022, Hurricane Ian proved to be the most devastating hurricane to strike Florida in almost a century. Many lives were lost, and 97 percent of structures along the coast of Fort Myers became rubble. In cooperation with ReachGlobal's Crisis Response, Constance sent a team to help with rebuilding projects and whatever else might be helpful. Constance will maintain connections made with Fort Myers partners and keep our people updated on how we can be involved.
Please pray with us about these needs and how else you might help, whether through participating in a trip, giving a financial gift to the Global 2023 Fund, or another way God puts on your heart.
In February of 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine with deadly force, destroying communities and forcing countless millions to flee their lives as they knew them. Many of these refugees crossed right over the border into Poland.
While refugees were flooding into the area, ReachGlobal’s ministry partners and local church leaders provided temporary housing for the Ukrainian refugees, sometimes living alongside them and ministering 24/7. Since then, Constance has sent several teams to provide reinforcements for this overwhelmed community. These teams were able to expedite the construction of homes, a garage for the church, and paint a coffee house used for ministry. Relationships were also built, and the potential for long-term ministry continues.
The ministry in Poland is providing jobs for some of the Ukrainian refugees through a new coffee house ministry and also getting a food truck up and running. The church there in Poland needs help with expenses for some maintenance and repairs. Early in 2023, food was being provided weekly for up to 300 Ukrainian refugees and all expenses in the region have skyrocketed due to the war. Constance aims to raise over $7,000 towards these expenses and we have a trip planned to work alongside the church there in September 2023 offering $400 scholarships to all interested participants.
New coffee house ministry in Poland
The war in Ukraine has also had effects that have reached our own doorstep. Though we wish the circumstances that brought them here were different, we are honored by the Ukrainian, Georgian, Belarusian, and Russian refugees affected by the war in Ukraine that have chosen to connect with Constance. We want to be of service however God calls, here as well as abroad. There are many opportunities for you to get involved to walk alongside these families as well. If you would like to learn more, fill out our Missions Interest Form.