I traveled to Mexico in June where I preached the Gospel to thousands in the city of Villahermosa—eight months after Samaritan’s Purse went there to help tens of thousands of people recover from devastating floods. Not only have we helped many families return to their homes, but hundreds of churches throughout the area have been strengthened as they have reached out to their neighbors in the Name of Jesus Christ.

In the wake of the floods, Samaritan’s Purse quickly responded to bring relief to suffering people in the state of Tabasco. A DC-3 cargo plane airlifted four community water filters into Villahermosa to furnish clean water for over 12,000 people. Working with churches in the area, we provided tons of food and other emergency aid—plus a boat to deliver the supplies through streets that stayed flooded for weeks. When the filthy water finally receded, we trained and equipped local Christians to clean and repair over 3,000 houses throughout the flood zone.

Samaritan’s Purse was part of a rescue mission—spiritually as well as physically. One church partner after another told us how men, women, and children had come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ through our combined relief effort.

A pastor named Hector described how he was stranded on the second floor of his flooded house when he saw a wooden bed frame floating by. He grabbed it and tied on empty plastic bottles to form a makeshift boat that he and his church used to carry 80 people to safety. Even more important, he has seen more than 300 souls saved as survivors have flocked to his church in the months since the flood.

“I was amazed by the love and support that Samaritan’s Purse provided along with the food and water,” said one church worker. “The supplies helped everyone in the community, even people that didn’t attend church, and they started coming to church because they were touched by the hand of God.”

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