Salvation Army Major Phil Swyers witnessed firsthand the devastation caused by the horrific floods in Texas this past July, recounting the pain, suffering, and miracles he has personally seen.
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While much of the media has moved on, the people of Central Texas have been forced to continue picking up the pieces after facing the unthinkable — more than 115 people dead, property destroyed, and hearts and minds left traumatized.
Swyers, who has served for decades with The Salvation Army, told CBN News the area is “still in a state of recovery.”
“Our community suffered so many lost lives,” he said. “People are grieving … the deaths that have taken place, but, also, the homes that have been damaged, some of them all the way down to the foundation.”
Swyers said his operations have shifted from emergency response to providing cash assistance and addressing other needs. Soon, the situation will again shift into more long-term plans for assistance.
Many people cannot comprehend the extent of the needs on the ground, and, with media attention more sparse now, the tragedy is widely overlooked.
When the floods first occurred, Swyers recalled how The Salvation Army arrived to comfort people and provide food, drinks, and resources. Additionally, spiritual and pastoral care was given.
“We had pastors on the ground and folks who, even before disasters take place, are trained in how to comfort people and share the love of Jesus with individuals, especially in tragedies like this,” he said. “Just reassuring them and God’s love and providential care through prayer.”
Swyers spoke about the immeasurable pain that comes from losing everything and trying to cope with the aftermath. As people struggle with that trauma, he said The Salvation Army is there to remind them there is a God who loves them and deeply cares.
One of the most traumatic elements of the floods was the 27 children and counselors killed at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp. The horrific ordeal left the nation mourning and created a complex and painful dynamic for the communities directly impacted.
“While the waters have receded, there still is a lot of emotional scars of people who still are are just trying to get through the day,” Swyers said. “We are just trying to help them and share the love of Jesus — to let them know that and remind them that we can get through today, that Jesus is with us, and that there is hope for tomorrow.”
He said The Salvation Army is looking ahead over the next few years when they will come alongside these families and others in the community to help rebuild. And part of that restructuring is reminding people that God deeply loves them and has a plan for their lives.
“We know … not only mentally, but in our heart, that even in this devastation, God can be found,” Swyers said. “There’s stories that would just take your breath of how God has been there in people’s lives, and they testify that only God could have got them through this situation.”
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