Because of Your Support, Millie Knows Jesus!

Because of Your Support, Millie Knows Jesus!

Ohio Disaster Relief Chaplain Sarah Jo Wright led Millie to the Lord during a deployment to Guam. 

By John Heading, OSBDR state director

When you land at Guam’s airport the locals greet you with “Hafa Adai!,” pronounced “half a day” and means. “Hi” or “Hello.” The island’s Chamorro people are the friendliest people you will ever meet, and they were excited to see that help had finally arrived.

In August and September, Ohio Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (OSBDR) served on three teams with volunteers from four other states rotating through Guam at the invitation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The mission was for SBDR volunteers to repair houses damaged by Typhoon Mawar, a devastating storm with hurricane force winds that struck the island in May 2023.

During their time in Guam, the Ohio DR volunteers were able to help people, including the pastor of Guam Christian Life Fellowship, a Southern Baptist church. However, one person left an impression on the workers. Her name is Millie. 

“Hafa Adai!,” pronounced “half a day” and means. “Hi” or “Hello”

The SBDR assessment team had an appointment with Millie at 8:30 am one morning, but when they arrived, they learned that Millie had been in the emergency room all night with her daughter. 

However, Millie got up and the team was able to assess the damage to her home. While the assessors did their work, Wanda Temple, North Carolina DR, spent time with Millie, gave her a Bible, and prayed with her. 

After the initial contact with Millie, another team from Ohio DR rotated into Guam, and one of their first jobs was her home. The project was to build a bedroom outside under a metal roof. The team went to work and completed the room in days with the help of Missouri DR volunteers

Sarah Jo Wright, an Ohio DR chaplain, was able to share the gospel with Millie, and she trusted Jesus as her Savior. That was the day Millie was set free, but it was also the day she had to go pick up her husband’s death certificate. He passed away three weeks earlier. 

Millie suffered great pain after a typhoon, her daughter’s ER visit, and her husband’s passing. Today she has hope and strength in Christ. The mission FEMA planned was for emergency home repair; The mission God intended was for a soul to find life in Him. 

Thank you for your support of Ohio Disaster Relief through the Ray Roberts State Missions Offering.  Because of your support, Millie knows Jesus!!

Disaster Relief volunteers from five states work to help the residents of Guam recover from a typhoon.