Hope Hill in La Grange, Texas, is home to 20 new residents displaced after Hurricane Harvey in 2017. After losing everything to the storm, the families were forced to find temporary shelter or stay with family members. Devastation ravaged the community with more than 60 inches of rain, leaving homes flooded and possessions destroyed.
The Samaritan’s Purse disaster relief team responded to the community’s deepest needs in the aftermath of the storm four years ago. But as the rest of the world returned to normal, many families were left still wondering where they would lay their heads or if they would ever have a place to call home again.
Franklin Graham and his team made up of mostly volunteers stepped up to the challenge and launched what would become a two-year project to create a new community on Hope Hill. The neighborhood includes 20 houses for displaced families situated well above the flood plain in southeast Texas. This is just one of multiple efforts to tangibly provide hope for storm-torn communities in Texas, the Florida Panhandle and the eastern Carolinas.
The 20th family received the keys to their fresh start in life during a special ceremony May 12.
.@SamaritansPurse rebuilt & dedicated the 20th & final home in La Grange, TX, with the help of hundreds of volunteers. All of these homes were for families who were displaced after Hurricane Harvey, & each one is paid in full as a reminder of how Jesus paid our debt of sin. pic.twitter.com/I8EayiqMeO
— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) May 14, 2021
Every home Samaritan’s Purse built in Hope Hill was provided as a gift, a free expression of God’s grace, through the faithful support, prayers and hard work of brothers and sisters in Christ, according to the organization’s website.
“This home is paid in full. It’s paid for by the body of Christ coming together,” said Edward Graham, son of Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham, to a recipient who moved into their new home in June 2020. “We want you to know that God loves you, and we love you, and we give you this home in Jesus’ name.”
The same is true for the 20th family, who moved into their new home only days ago.
“For years, we cried because of the house, because of all the problems. Today, we are crying because we’re happy,” Elena Jaimes said as she toured her brand-new home with husband and daughter, Leticia.
“They won’t have to worry about flooding anymore,” said Brent Graybeal, director of U.S. recovery and development for Samaritan’s Purse. “This is a new start for them. Many of the homeowners here are believers, and they have held onto their faith. They now have a brand-new community.”
He continued, “God has used Samaritan’s Purse in a mighty way, not only to relocate this neighborhood into new homes but also to share the hope of Jesus Christ with them.”
While Samaritan’s Purse headed the rebuild project, the construction was completed by teams of volunteers, many of whom were recipients of the very houses they helped to build. The organization also donated 41 vacant lots in the Hope Hill subdivision to the city of La Grange to use as they see best fit to bless the community.
“We thank God for bringing all this together. He has assembled the team that made this possible,” said Luther Harrison, vice president of North American Ministries for Samaritan’s Purse during the final dedication ceremony. “We have seen God meet every need that we had. We’re here to show that our hope comes from Jesus Christ.” {eoa}
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