My first introduction to Samaritan's Purse was in the early 1990s, when our church collected boxes for Operation Christmas Child, a ministry that provides Christmas gifts to impoverished children worldwide. In the years since, my respect for the ministry has only grown.
Samaritan's Purse was among the first on the ground when deadly floods hit the Texas Hill Country. From the organization's website:
Our volunteer teams started work on Tuesday morning, July 8. Volunteers serve as the hands and feet of our Lord, helping homeowners with property cleanup and mud-outs. In all we do, we aim to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with hurting people. Our host church for this response is Kerrville Bible Church at 898 Harper Rd. A Disaster Relief Unit and support equipment, which deployed from our Southwest Ministry Center in north Texas, are stationed there.
My husband was on a Samaritan's Purse team that helped flood victims in Tennessee a few years back, and he got a first-hand look at their operation; it's first class all the way. When a disaster hits, they roll into town with massive tractor-trailers and a huge group of volunteers to begin work.
COO Edward Graham, son of Franklin Graham and the grandson of Billy Graham (he's a dead ringer for both), spoke with News Nation yesterday to give an update about the efforts in Texas. He described the situation on the ground, saying that people "don't know where to start at a time like this, and this is where Samaritan's Purse comes along, and we help muck out their homes. We cut back the drywall, we bring in a solution that prevents mold from growing."
Tonight, I spoke on @NewsNation to share how @SamaritansPurse is responding to the flooding in Kerr County Texas. The destruction in these communities is heartbreaking and the grief these families feel is beyond comprehension. In the midst of this disaster, @SamaritansPurse… pic.twitter.com/i2DxlfkGx0
— Edward Graham (@EdwardG1911) July 10, 2025
Rachel Boyd, communications coordinator for the organization, told PJ Media that Samaritan's Purse has received requests for help from 144 families in Texas. "As of Thursday, July 10th, we have had 173 volunteers who have logged 1,940 hours of work," she said.
But the construction work is only part of the recovery process because people are hurting, and many of them just need to talk to someone who cares. "And that's part of the grieving process," he said. "And we just come in and say, 'Hey, you're loved, you're not forgotten, you're not forsaken.'"
Graham said that some people at this point are still waiting for closure, to learn news of their loved ones. Many victims ask whether God has forsaken them. "And the answer is no," he said. "He loved us so much he sent His only son, Jesus, to die on a cross." Sharing the hope of Jesus Christ is at the heart of the ministry.
Boyd reported, "Even through this tragedy, our teams have been able to lead six people to saving faith in Jesus Christ so far." Praise God for that!
Graham described neighbors helping neighbors. "I heard incredible stories of neighbors. When they woke up, they told me they could hear the water gurgling under their bed, and their bed lifted up, and it rushed so quickly, then it was up to their shoulders, and so they move outside, they find their kayak, and this one house owner who can't even swim, she got her kayak, went to her neighbors and got her elderly neighbors out and up to higher ground to safety," he said.
"So when you hear horrible stories like this, there's also stories of heroes and people doing the right things, neighbors loving neighbors," he added.
"Everyone talked about rebuilding already. They're already talking about, you know, getting back. But this is a time for grief. There will be time for rebuilding, and Samaritan's Purse won't go until the job's done."
Despite all the horror and grief, he said, "Texas is resilient. There were so many people in there with heavy equipment, excavators, even mucking out homes with us that were just next-door neighbors. They were not sitting down on their laurels. It was typical of what you would expect as a great state of Texas."
He said that "many are still in shock, and so just pray for these families as they go through these various stages of grief and recovery."
"Prayer works," he said. "I've seen it in combat. I've seen it all over the world, near disasters like this, but it's also why we take our Billy Graham Rapid Response chaplains with us. They're there, trained in how to share hope in crisis, to listen and let these people know that they're loved."
Boyd said Samaritan's Purse plans to be on the ground until the end of July, but they "will stay as long as we have work orders to fulfill."
In addition to praying for the victims, you can donate to the recovery efforts here or sign up to volunteer here. If you're a victim in need of assistance, you can call 833-747-1234.
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