Georgiana Haselden survived the devastating floods of 2015 that demolished her home in Hemingway. Almost exactly one year later, she faced Hurricane Matthew’s impact to the same area.
Now, because of ongoing disaster relief survivor care ministry efforts in her town, Haselden faces future life crises with the living hope of Jesus Christ.
“Disaster relief is the whole package,” said Nancy Ramey, who, along with her husband, Jim, is a disaster relief chaplain trained in survivor care. “You can help people physically as much as possible, but when they have Christ, they are better able to handle the next crisis that comes along.”
Since March 2016, the Rameys have made weekly trips from their home in Greer to South Carolina’s hardest-hit coastal areas. They live in a camper from Tuesday to Friday and spend their days ministering to residents, following up on leads given to them by disaster relief response teams. The Rameys have built relationships with hurting individuals and families and have continued to provide emotional and spiritual care to them.
“Survivor care involves talking to people about physical needs and listening to their stories about damages,” said Ramey. “We find out where they are emotionally and spiritually. We also share the gospel, so that when they have the next disaster, they can pull on God’s strength and not just their own.”
The Rameys are intentional about connecting the folks they meet with a local church. If they encounter resistance to “church,” they invite people to a Bible study in a neutral location. With the help of Keith Lancaster, a South Carolina Baptist Convention church planter living on Pawleys Island, they have started Bible studies in Hemingway and Johnsonville.
“The studies we use are seven weeks long, have a fill-in-the-blank format, and include an invitation at the end,” said Ramey. “To these people, it’s their church.”
Haselden is a part of the Hemingway Bible study, which has been held on a front porch because the house is without electricity and not habitable. A few weeks ago, as she prepared for the next Bible study lesson, Haselden read about accepting Christ and decided she needed to make that decision. She told Ramey about her prayer and was baptized Feb. 9 at Center Baptist Church in Hemingway.
“My outlook is totally different now,” Haselden said. “From the first time the Rameys came, I felt comfortable talking with them. Before, I was a hermit and seldom went out. I wanted to go to church but could not be around crowds. When they asked about doing a Bible study, I knew it was what I needed, and I’m so glad I did it.”
The Johnsonville Bible study began in July 2016 to help disciple a couple in the community who prayed to receive Christ. Health issues prevented them from leaving their home, so the Rameys “brought church to them” by starting a Bible study in their home. A core group of five to seven people now meet for that study.
According to Randy Creamer, who heads up the state convention’s disaster relief work, there aren’t always follow-up stories because volunteer teams return home so quickly after serving. He said the Rameys’ ongoing survivor care efforts — and Haselden’s salvation — are the kinds of stories from the field that encourage him.
“[This] represents the tip of the iceberg in what God uses the volunteers to do on a spiritual level,” said Creamer. “It’s phenomenal to see Bible studies begin that result in professions of faith and believer’s baptism.”
The Rameys, who have served in disaster relief ministry for eight years, say they have no set ending time for their ministry. They work closely with volunteers and church teams that continue to serve the area and whose support Nancy Ramey says is critical to a suffering community.
“Months and years after a disaster, a community still needs help, and people are still hurting,” she said. “I would encourage volunteers to please continue to help and be willing to work. These are real people with real needs, and they just want their homes back.”
— Julia Bell writes for the South Carolina Baptist Convention.