He is in the Hurricane

His way is in the whirlwind and in storm. Nahum1:3

Hurricane Isaac is certainly bringing back a lot of memories of Katrina. We appreciate your prayers for our partners, family and friends in the area that Isaac impacted—even while we continue to recover from the devastation that Katrina brought.

You know, recovery from Katrina has been much like the work of neighborhood revitalization. It’s a slow process, fraught with ongoing challenges caused from underlying structural damage.

Yet the work also contains many bright stories of repair and restoration, bringing hope and encouragement to not only those who live them out, but to us all.

At a time like this, as Isaac has eerily replayed a haunting tune, we certainly thank God for His protection and pray that He will once again redeem good from all the harm. But we also count our blessings for progress made and lessons learned. This time we were not blind to the dangers until it was almost too late; this time we know how to act and react. This time we approach this storm with a deeper trust in God, who has shown us His faithfulness again and again.

We are also very grateful for all you who stand with Desire Street Ministries in the slow but rewarding process of neighborhood revitalization. Together with you and our local ministry partners, we are making a difference in impoverished neighborhoods across five states … and though we would never have planned it, God even used Katrina to broaden the impact of Desire Street.