From July 4th to 5th, heavy rainfall resulted in catastrophic flash flooding in the Hill Country area in central Texas. Concerns remain for additional heavy rains and flooding from Hill Country to north Texas.  The sudden floods resulted in more than 80 lives lost and search and rescue is ongoing.  PDA is in communication with the Synod of the Sun Presbyterian Disaster Network and Mission Presbytery to coordinate a response and assess the needs, including Emotional and Spiritual Care.

A robust response from the Synod of the Sun

The Rev. Kathy Lee Cornell, the Synod of the Sun’s disaster response manager, said the floodwaters have impacted both Mission and Tres Rios presbyteries. “We have developed this network which is doing what it was designed to do: to be caring and responsive and to walk alongside our partners,” she said.

Mission Presbytery issued this prayer:

Good and Gracious God,
We come before you with humble hearts, overwhelmed by the catastrophic floods in parts of our Mission Presbytery and beyond.
We thank you for the lives saved in the midst of this devastation.
We grieve with those who have lost their loved ones. Comfort and console them, O God!
We pray for those who have lost their homes, businesses, and cherished belongings.
Hear our prayers, O Lord!
As the community prepares to rebuild, we pray for strength and resilience.
Grant us all a generous heart, so that we may rally the resources needed to rebuild our flooded communities.
We trust in your faithfulness, dear God, even in the midst of devastation.
Bless all who work for relief and restoration. And may your peace, which passes understanding, guard the hearts and minds of those who suffer.
May our response reflect your love for all people and all creation, and thus bring honor and glory to your holy name.
We pray all these in the name of Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord!  Amen!