Samaritan's Purse responded to a series of powerful tornadoes that struck Illinois in mid-June. We praise God that 10 people were saved during our response.
Powerful tornadoes hit communities across central Illinois on Wednesday, June 17. The cluster of twisters knocked down trees, toppled power lines, and sent debris flying into homes. While the storm engulfed much of the Midwest, residential areas in the Illinois towns of Effingham and Charleston were among the hardest hit.
As families picked up what was remaining of their homes, Samaritan’s Purse teams worked in the Land of Lincoln to help homeowners recover in Jesus’ Name.
Disaster Relief Unit #3 departed our warehouse in North Carolina on Thursday, June 18, for Illinois, where it supplied tools and equipment for our volunteers as they serve in Jesus’ Name.
One of our Disaster Relief Units—a tractor-trailer filled with tools and supplies to aid our response—arrived at Charleston First Church of God at 1225 Montgomery Drive in Charleston, Illinois, where we based our operations for this response.
Over the next three weeks, our army of dedicated volunteers helped homeowners remove debris, cut up and haul fallen trees from yards, and tarp damaged roofs—all the while sharing the hope of the Gospel. Rapid Response Team chaplains from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association were also on the ground in Illinois, sharing God’s love to hurting homeowners while our volunteers worked in the community. We praise God that 10 people accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior during this response.
Pray for reeling families and communities in Illinois: ask that they would continue to see God’s love in the wake of this storm.
