Evan Moilan was our Campus Minister for several years. Wife Heather was one of our students and a member of ULC. Their current community of Bastrop, Texas was devestated by recent fires in Texas. Evan and family lost their car, but their home was okay. We received an offering for friends of Evan in their congregation and sent it ($450) to them. Below is their response:
Dear Gary and Friends at ULC,
On tuesday of this week, exactly one month after the Bastrop complex fire which took 1,600 homes in a community of 8,300 people. The eyes of Bastrop once again looked to the sky and saw smoke…a new fire had broken out. This one was quickly contained and destroyed only 350 acres with no structures or lives lost; but it was enough to shake our hearts and our confidence again. Yet even in those weak moments during this recovery which will last for years, God comes to us in Love outpoured. The generosity of so many has made it possible to sustain our hope and faith. Your generous offering came at just the right moment, and I can’t thank you enough.
Heather and I were fortunate in that our home and neighborhood were spared, we have been busy working to support the community and our friends wherever we can. Good Shepherd Lutheran in Bastrop regularly worships about 50 people and 7 families lost their homes. We are close with about 12 families outside of church and 3 still have homes, so there is plenty to do. I’ve posted some stories and pictures on www.evanmoilan.com that will allow you to see the level of destruction. Your generous gift will be put into gift cards and handed to uninsured or underinsured people in our community before you gather for worship on Sunday, it will truly make a difference. And it will add to the “Lutheran” response. While the fires were still burning, Lutheran Social Services of the South, the Gulf Coast Synod of the ELCA and countless congregations were already on the ground. In these weeks I have truly learned the power of community, and the power of a the church.
As always we give thanks to God for our family at ULC. We look forward to when we can offer that thanks in person.
God’s Peace,
Evan, Heather, and the people of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Bastrop
Leave a Reply