Missionaries continue to do some work this week but many members have returned to their normal routine so work crews are slowing down until the weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, there will be many crews out, including thousands of volunteers coming from other Texas stakes outside the Houston area. The missionaries will continue to help during the weekdays with things like canvasing affected areas with fliers to let residents know about Helping Hands resources, unloading supplies, etc. We have also released a modified schedule that get missionaries back to the work of salvation during the weeks.
The missionaries who were displaced from their apartments due to the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs have now returned to their apartments as it appears that the risk of high water has subsided, mainly due to controlled release of water from the dams. Here is an interesting article that explains in some detail the issue with the reservoirs for those who might like to understand the situation with these reservoirs. The flood control system in Houston was designed in the 1940s and did not anticipate water of this magnitude. The apartments where the missionaries live are not close to these flooded neighborhoods. We evacuated them in the event of the reservoir dams being breached. That risk seems to have passed.
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/harvey/2017/09/02/flood-waters-recede-houston-homeowners-find-nature-blame
A silver lining of this storm is summed up in what one man named 'Tex' told some sister missionaries today. Tex was out helping people on his own and he worked side by side with missionaries. After a few hours he said to the sisters, "I've had Mormon missionaries knock on my door many times and I've always turned them away, but from now on my door is always open to the missionaries." They set an appointment to teach Tex and his family next week. Similar opportunities to share the message of hope and peace the restored gospel brings will be abundant going forward.
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| Missionaries helped unload a Chinook helicopter |
