“It was truly a wonderful occasion to be able dedicate a home that had risen from ashes, on the weekend of Easter,” said the Rev. Gill Keyworth, Disaster Relief Co-Coordinator for the Diocese of Texas.

The house was funded jointly by the Shepherd’s from their FEMA grant in addition to grants from The Episcopal Diocese of Texas, Episcopal Relief and Development, Calvary Episcopal Church Bastrop and Austin Disaster Relief Network. Mennonite Disaster Services built the home in just 8 weeks with volunteers from across the USA and Canada.

Of the 1670 homes destroyed by the 2011 Labor Day fires in Bastrop County 264 have been recognized as both not insured and owned by low income families. Many homeowners who had insurance are already rebuilding. Some are doing the construction themselves while others have building contractors. Of those doing the construction themselves some are running out of money before the home is complete.
 

Thousands of people have already been to Bastrop to volunteer their time with the cleanup. Many hundreds of college students were welcomed during Spring break. Clearing of debris continued and many new fences and sheds were built.

BCLTRT is working hard to complete case management, acquire building grants and welcome volunteer help. There are many projects and rebuilds underway as the team helps many families complete their homes. 
 

To sign up for volunteer accommodation visit www.umcswtx.org/faith-village-registration. To find out more about the work of the Bastrop County Long Term Recovery team visit www.bcltrt.org 

The center will provide temporary housing and support for faith-based volunteer groups who are undertaking long-term recovery projects in Bastrop County building houses and restoring devastated habitat.

Work groups of all ages from across the country are responding to requests for assistance after the Labor Day fires took the area by storm, consuming 34,000 acres and more than 1,600 homes with total insured losses reaching $325 million.

The village is headquartered at the old First Baptist Church building on Hudgins Street. The venerable brick and mortar building has accommodations enough to sleep up to 40 volunteers at a time and provide facilities for them to cook, shower and rest after each day’s work.

The Bastrop County Long Term Recovery Team has been offering support and participating in the successful launch of the center, according to group’s president Michelle Smith.

“These diverse volunteer groups need a place to rest after their labors, a place where they can get spiritual and emotional recharge and fellowship, as well as a shower and a hot meal,” Smith said at the dedication ceremony.

The village came about through the cooperation of national and local churches and their denominations, each with a hand in making the center possible, including First Baptist Church in Smithville, First Presbyterian Church in Smithville, Calvary Episcopal Church in Bastrop and First United Methodist Church in Smithville.

Faith Village is a joint effort of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, the United Methodist Church, Southwest Texas Conference and the Presbyterian Church USA, Mission Presbytery.

The volunteer teams will provide their own transportation to and from Bastrop County and will pay a small fee to defray housing and food costs.

Teams are being booked by a central reservation system that was set up by the United Methodist Church, said Eugene Hileman, disaster response coordinator, southwest Texas district.

Read the rest at Smithvilletimes.com

Before I say anything else, I wish to thank the Diocese and the people of this Diocese, for the outpouring of love and support shown to us in response to the wildfire.  In the first week, while the fires were still burning, Bishop Doyle made a visit to Bastrop, and soon after Bishop Harrison came to be with us on a Sunday morning.  The Diocese provided emergency funds for my Discretionary Fund and for me, and Canon Normand had clerical shirts shipped to my office.  When the fires broke out, I was flying home from attending a wedding in California and arrived in Bastrop as a fire evacuee with nothing in my suitcase except spike heels and a little black dress—not quite the uniform the moment required.  Bishop Doyle also sent the Diocesan Disaster Coordinators, Archdeacon Russ Oechsel and Deacon Gill Keyworth, to orient me to what I could expect in the coming months and to offer their help and support.  In late-September the Bishop assigned Gill to spend several days each week in Bastrop to work on fire response, primarily navigating the complicated political process of fire relief and recovery, freeing me to fulfill my duties as rector, including providing pastoral care, discretionary funds and other resources to survivors both within and beyond the congregation and our day school. 

And because of you, the people and congregations of the Diocese of Texas, we had resources to offer.  You responded with a breathtaking generosity of spirit, sending us abundant prayers, gift cards, checks, lunch boxes, toiletries, clothing, and much more.  I thank you with all my heart and apologize for not being able to accept all of your offers to help.  It’s impossible to describe the volume of communication in those first days and weeks.  While I was on the cell phone with one person, a dozen emails would arrive and four messages would be placed on my desk to return calls received on the office lines.  Meanwhile we were trying to reach everyone in our community who lived in evacuated areas to learn where they were staying and what they needed.  A few of our evacuated parishioners were staying in motels but most were with other families of the church or with friends who opened their homes.  Several of our evacuees kept themselves busy helping to set up community shelters and distribution centers or volunteering in the office to help with phones and the mail that began arriving even before the fires were fully under control.  I am proud of the many members of Calvary who took people into their homes or offered their varied gifts and time to Bastrop during and after the fires, serving wherever they were needed, including a volunteer fireman whose own home burned early in the ordeal.

We were for the first two weeks responding to a disaster that was still unfolding.  Looking out the window of my downtown office on those first days, I could see roiling columns of smoke at the end of the streets in Bastrop’s historic district, and in the mornings, yellow clouds of ash would descend on the town.  The flow of information about what had burned and what hadn’t was unreliable.  People were told one day that their homes had burned, only to be told the next that they still stood.  People who thought their houses were out of danger sometime learned otherwise; my husband, Chris, and I were among them.  The fire had already passed us by on Monday, but in the early hours of Tuesday morning, it doubled back for one more lick, and our house earned the unhappy distinction of being the westernmost casualty of the fires. 

Throughout each day people streamed into our church office on Main Street in Bastrop, looking for information, offering to help, asking for help—sometimes just small favors like to borrow a charger that worked on their cell phone.  People came in to mourn destroyed houses and lost pets, to wait and wonder what would be left when the wildfires were controlled, if they could be controlled.  Nothing was certain except our vulnerability in the face of nature and our dependence upon God and one another.  We gathered for worship on Tuesday, the third evening of the fire, and we heard the words of scripture and the liturgy with new ears.  We understood the Beatitudes not as rules for Christian behavior but as soothing words of hope from a loving parent to confused and hurting children.  Like many others in the church that evening, I stood before God undefended, and to borrow words from Leonard Cohen, with “my heart in the shape of a begging bowl,” and I received grace upon grace into that emptiness.  We found a place of joy that evening in the middle of what could easily have been mistaken for hell.

Calvary may be the only Episcopal Church in Bastrop County, but we now know ourselves to be part of a much greater communion of Episcopalians.  We received contributions for fire relief from churches in Dioceses across the state and the country, sometimes in astonishing amounts.  I promise you that we have been faithful stewards of the resources entrusted to us.  We held a free garage sale for fire survivors to distribute clothing and household goods, and for months continued to provide supplies to people coming through our doors, including Christmas decorations that you sent to us in December.  We renovated space on our campus for the use of a network of professional counselors who offered their services to Bastrop.  We fed almost 500 people at Thanksgiving, many of them fire survivors still living in FEMA housing.  We gave out gift cards over several months to scores of people to help with food, shoes, clothing, and gas for their cars; and I signed many checks to people who for the first time in their lives could not provide shelter and basic necessities to their families and for whom asking for help was a dark spiritual journey.  Through God’s grace, they came to understand that money can be the medium of a holy exchange between God’s people, a sacrament revealing the inward and spiritual grace of God’s mercy and care.

Through Gill’s making critical connections in the Bastrop community meetings and through Russ’s continued efforts, and of course with the support of our Bishops, the Episcopal community is playing a significant role in the rebuilding and reforesting efforts that are finally getting underway in Bastrop County.  With a grant from ERD, together with funds collected by the Diocese for wildfire response and with funds from my Rector’s Discretionary Fund, the Episcopal community is partnering with the Presbyterian, Baptist, and Methodist Churches to renovate a building in the nearby town of Smithville and to operate it as a facility to house up to 40 volunteers at a time from groups eager to come to the area to build homes and help plant seedlings to replenish the forest.  It’s called Faith Village, and we have brochures available in the Exhibit Hall with information on how to reserve space for mission trips from your congregations.  Episcopal funds are also paying the salary of a construction Site Leader and perhaps also a Volunteer Coordinator, and very importantly, helping to buy the materials needed to rebuild the homes of the uninsured and underinsured with volunteer labor. 

I wish I could say the day has been won, but we have only just begun the recovery efforts for the economically disadvantaged in Bastrop County.  Many more dollars are needed to buy construction materials for the hundreds of houses that need to be built.  Given the heart of the people in the Episcopal churches in this Diocese, we are confident the money will come. 

So, with the people of Calvary and of Bastrop, I praise God for your faithful witness to Christ’s church in the world.  You have made a difference.  Thank you.

Many homes likes this one remain in piles of rubble

Thousand of acres of forest have been blackened

Diocesan officials announced today that a coordinated effort to help Bastrop County families recover from last September’s wildfires has begun. Volunteers and donations are needed to help rebuilding efforts.  EDOT’s Texas Episcopal Disaster Relief and Development (TEDRD) is working with the United Methodist Committee on Relief and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to start “Faith Village,” a housing center for volunteers located in Smithville, Texas. Located in Smithville, Texas, Faith Village will house around 40 volunteers in a building donated by Smithville Baptist Church.

The Rev. Gill Keyworth, Diocesan Emergency Response Coordinator, is collaborating with local groups and the Bastrop County Long Term Recovery Committee to create a strategic plan for relief efforts. Keyworth, a deacon at Emmanuel, Houston, has spent three days a week for the past few months in Bastrop. For her, the goal is teamwork.

“We’re not worrying about whether we are Lutherans or Episcopalians or Presbyterians. Everyone is working together,” Keyworth said.

In September of 2011, Texans watched as 1670 homes and 35,000 acres of land burned in Bastrop County. Today, new construction is beginning, but there are still stark reminders of the past. What was once a beautiful, forested escape is now a landscape of blackened, leaf-less trees, rising up from a gray, barren ground.

A monstrous pile of rubble sits on the south side of Highway 71, constantly emptied and refilled with the stone and brick remains of homes. Around the county, crews work constantly to grind the dead trees into mulch, a process that will take years to complete. But behind the dark exterior, hope abounds. In just four months since Texas’ most devastating fire season, Bastrop County volunteers have pushed to organize a rebuilding movement.

The Episcopal Diocese of Texas immediately responded in the days after the fire. EDOT raised more than $100,000, including $17,000 in gift cards for fire victims. Those funds were instrumental in helping families that had lost everything with essential needs.

Now, the mission has shifted focus to rebuilding homes, and faith-based organizations across Bastrop County are teaming up to begin the effort. When volunteers arrive, they will report to a central construction coordinator, who will use construction foremen to oversee specific projects. TEDRD has hired Gary Davis to act as one construction foreman. Davis previously served as the construction manager for Texas Episcopal Disaster Relief in Galveston following Hurricane Ike. His wife, Gena, is the vicar of Grace, Houston.

Faith Village is now open for registration here. Currently, much of the work still revolves around clean up. Many homes still lie in debris on the slabs where they once stood. Some items like pottery or metal objects can be seen lying amid broken the stone and brick.

Once the clean-up nears completion, construction projects will begin in earnest. TEDRD will use a grant from Episcopal Relief & Development as well as foundation grants to begin the relief project, but much more funding is needed to help an estimated 400 families that need assistance. Visit the Wildfire Relief Page to learn more about how to help.

Church Provides Support for Community

The Rev. Lisa Hines was in California when she learned her home was in the pathway of a fire. She flew home not knowing whether her home was still standing.

“I never went home,” Hines said. By the time she returned, her husband, Chris, had already evacuated, leaving almost everything behind.

As rector of Calvary, Bastrop, Hines spent the next few days ensuring the safety of her parishioners. At one point the fire came so close to the downtown area of Bastrop that Hines packed the Eucharistic vessels into her car, in case she had to evacuate. After several weeks, the fire was officially declared extinguished on October 10. The church and downtown survived, but 43 families from Calvary Church and School lost their homes, including the Hines family.

“In some ways it gave me a little advantage because I was one of them,” Hines said. “By virtue of showing up I had great moral authority.”

“A lot of times we use the phrase ‘I know how you feel,’ but Lisa could honestly say it,” Keyworth said.

Hines sold the property where her old home once stood and is moving closer to the church. Many other families from Calvary are still searching for permanent housing. Some are living in FEMA trailers; some are renting and others are staying with family. Many have had to move several times since the fire.

Over the Christmas holidays, Hines helped some families that couldn’t afford presents for their children. But even the families that were financially stable struggled with the emotional toll the fire had taken.

“It is a continuing source of stress throughout the community,” Hines said. “There is no question about that. Christmas was a hard time for families. Christmas is one of those times that strings the years together. It helps you remember all of the other Christmases when you pull those mementos out, and now there is this big gap.”

Though most fire victims have resolved to stay in Bastrop, Hines said at least five families decided to leave the area altogether. Calvary has been able to help many families get back on their feet including one parishioner whose son needs a heart transplant. Hines helped him with a down payment for his home.

“We’ve helped as many non-parishioners as parishioners,” Hines said. “But our biggest needs now are volunteers and money for construction materials. The long-term recovery of Bastrop depends on recreating a tax-base for the county because that is what runs the public school system.”

To learn more about how to help Bastrop County recover, visit www.epicenter.org/wildfire-relief/.

“Case Management” in the context of disaster recovery is not an attempt to manage or direct the lives of affected families. It is helping them develop and pursue a recovery plan—a plan that may not put them back where they were before, but lead them to a sustainable “new normal” living situation—and connect them with resources to implement that plan.

Next week there will be training for case management and if you are interested then please sign up. Click here to download registration information.

This is a wonderful opportunity to do rewarding community service.

Many thanks, and best wishes for a very happy New Year!

We still need your help cleaning up Bastrop County!

Please contact us at 501.827.8086 or visit us at 107 Longhorn Street in Bastrop to see what YOU can do to help. 

We are currently looking for volunteers for out in the field and in the office. Every little bit makes a big difference.

FEMA has received applications for assistance from 3057 people in the area. To date 4133 volunteers have worked through the Americorps volunteer center helping 854 homeowners. I give these numbers to illustrate the enormous task ahead. The volunteers are our number 1 asset and we will announce shortly how we as the Episcopal Church will respond long term although I know some groups have been here already helping with clean up. The clearing of sites continues and will do for the next few months. It is dirty hazardous work but soon the rebuilding of houses will begin.

We have heard from several churches that they want to plan a mission trip here next year. Warehouse space and accommodation are at a premium but we are all working together to solve this problem and I hope to have news soon.

For donations contact:

1. Jan at jjschwindt@gmail.com They are collecting furniture (dressers are especially in demand) and items for the kitchen area and everything you & I see when we open our kitchen cabinets and drawers. e.g. Dishware, cookware, bakeware, flatware, glassware, utensils, cutlery etc. as well as kitchen towels and hotpads. Delivery to a warehouse at 210 Hunters Crossing.
2. Bastrop Emergency Food Pantry 512-303-0033 at 806 Fayette St. Drop off is M-F 8am-3pm. They are needing canned and dried goods(nothing out of date)
3. If you have people experienced with using a chainsaw (and own one) they are particularly in need.

If you want more information please contact Gill Keyworth at gillkeyworth@aol.com

The Episcopal Wildfire Relief Fundraiser at Karbach Brewery raised $3,011 last Thursday. Organized by the Rev. James Derkits of St. Mark's Between the Bayous, the event featured three musical performances, food donated by Chapell Hill Sausage, and beer donated by Karbach Brewery.

The successful affair marked the first public event at Karbach Brewery, which recently opened in Northwest Houston. Derkits' own band, Tuesday's Casserole, opened up the show, followed by musician John Price, and then 3DM. Tuesday's Casserole features Derkits, the Rev. Kevin Schubert of St. George's, Austin, and the Rev. Billy Tweedie of the Episcopal Student Center in Waco. 3DM is led by the Rev. Patrick Hall of Holy Spirit, Houston.

"This will make a lasting difference in Diocese of Texas Outreach and in the rebuilding of Bastrop and other areas where the wildfires devastated the Texas," Derkits said. 

After the success of this event, there are preliminary plans for a future, similar event in November. Keep an eye on EDOT news for updates on where to donate and volunteer. Visit epicenter.org/texas-wildfires.

Click here to see more photos on Facebook.

In other words, they dance as part of a religious feast.  But in the movie, crafting the idol of a calf from the gold earrings of the Israelites releases every wild and wonton impulse of the people.  It’s as if the director of the movie didn’t think that making a gold calf to represent the Lord were in itself enough to justify God’s wrath.  Surely only great immorality by the people of Israel could call forth such anger.  Neither the movie maker nor the movie goer in 1957 could take seriously the idea of worshiping a statue fresh out of a mold.  Could anyone really be so silly to think they could make a god, just like that? 

The book of Exodus takes the sin of idolatry seriously, so seriously that it poses the real possibility that the Lord may respond to the sin by taking back all the promises he made to Israel and wiping out his people in the desert right then and there.  In the argument Moses has with God about how God will respond to the unfaithfulness of his people, we have the storyteller’s way of showing us both the gravity of the people’s error and the Lord’s willingness, in the end, to remain faithful to Israel.

The question for us when we read this text is whether or not we take idolatry seriously.  Let’s face it, when we read the Ten Commandments, don’t we tend to give ourselves a ride on the first two, the ones dealing with idolatry?  “You shall have no other gods before me.  Check.  You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.”  Check.  No problem.  It’s when we get a little further down the list that we get a little nervous, to commandments like “You shall not covet” and “You shall honor your father and mother.” 

But there’s a reason why the first two commandments address idolatry.  If we accept the usual definition of sin as what comes between us and God, then idolatry heads the list.  And if worshiping a golden calf is laughable to us, it’s only because our understanding and perception of the relationship of images to reality is different from that of the ancients.  But idolatry has never really gone out of style.  It remains the most dangerous temptation to lead us far from our creator.

What Christian and Jewish sciptures call idolatry isn’t limited to making golden idols.  It means ascribing independent reality to what we have in fact made.  It means projecting reality and substance onto things that don’t have them.  That definition can take us far from what we regard as primitive religious rites.  It includes any definition of God that is not open-ended, that isn’t humble enough to acknowledge our limited understanding, that doesn’t leave room for God to destroy or exceed our fantasies about him. 

But idolatry also includes allowing forces that we would never call “God” to push aside the call of God upon our lives.  An easy example from history is the worship of the Third Reich in the twentieth century.  Although the Third Reich publicly paid lip service to the God of Abraham and Christ, it actually created a god that would fulfill no purposes but those of the Reich.  It replaced God with the Furor.

Another, more subtle, example of modern idolatry is the way we regard market forces.  We talk about them as if they have a life of their own for which we cannot be held responsible, as if the market actually had a reality independent of the millions of individual human choices that comprise it.[1]  When we ignore our responsibility for our economic choices, market forces become dangerous, even demonic in their destructive power. 

Similarly, social class systems, in the modern world no less than in the ancient, are idolatrous insofar as we treat them as eternal truths instead of as projections of our own fears and prejudices.  We can protest that we don’t worship the market or social class systems, but anything that causes us to abdicate our responsibility to serve only God is an idol.  And if we allow the values of the market or a class system to rule us as if their reality were absolute, then we have just pushed God aside as the only absolute claim on our being. 

Let’s get back to the story of Moses and the Israelites in the desert.  The people demand from Aaron something that they can see and touch to contain the awesome reality of the Lord and to go before them on their journey.  While Moses is with them, they are willing to let Moses be a witness to the God they cannot see or control.  But when Moses stays so long hidden in the clouds of Mount Sinai, the people panic and demand an image, something they can treat with reverence and honor, something they can point to as proof of God’s presence with them.  On one level, it’s hard to see the harm in it—a little childish to us, maybe, something like a security blanket to hold onto in the wilderness. 

But as I have said, the danger of idolatry can’t be dismissed so easily.  Exodus speaks of the Lord as a jealous God, but it’s not God’s ego that is on the line.  It’s our connection to our creator, someone whose reality is not dependent on our own and upon whom we must depend.  Idolatry undermines that connection in many ways, some subtle, some not so subtle.  Once we allow something to stand in for God, whether it is a golden calf or our wealth or our privilege, we begin to forget that what we have made has no reality beyond us.  We become our own god, closing ourselves off from the love and energy that flow from the God who made us.  We become trapped in the “sterile closed circle of ourselves, our plans, our projects and expectations.”[2] In our attempt to manage reality, to spin it to suit our purposes, we risk weaving a fabric of our own that is so tightly made that the hand of God can barely begin to tear through to reach us.[3]   That is the tragedy, the damnation of idolatry. 

The wildfires have set all of us questioning the meaning of our experiences.  We want to understand why they happened on a level far beyond that of physical cause and effect.  We want a God who will answer that question for us.  If we knew why our plans have been so disrupted, our lives so turned upside down, then maybe we would feel more in control, or at least, would have the comfort of knowing someone is in control.  We don’t like too much mystery in the universe.  We think we’d sleep better if we could pin down the God who promises to be with us.  We could put him in a place of honor, say the right prayers, make the right sacrifices, dance the right dances, and all would be well. 

Or maybe we want a God who is a rigid set of moral rules, one who rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked according to those rules.  That, too, offers us an illusion of control over what happens.  We want a God who won’t rock our boats.

But a tidy, predictable God is not the God revealed to us through Christ.  The God we encounter in Christ is utterly free, free to love what is unlovable and sinful, free to create out of chaos without requiring our understanding, free to manifest himself in any way God chooses, even in the terrible suffering of an innocent man on the cross.  He calls us to freedom from idolatrous forces that turn us back on ourselves instead of opening us to the endless possibilities of God.  All idols fail us in the end.  After the fire, after the destruction of our plans and illusions of control, only God remains.  If we can bear to remain in God’s mysterious presence, open to receive what God offers without demanding guarantees, who knows?  We just may find that God will lead us through the wilderness.  Amen.

This is a wonderful opportunity. Please feel free to share this information with people outside of the Calvary parish and school communities. Please respond to office@cecbastrop.org if you can attend, as we will not offer the workshop without sufficient interest.

How to Have a Conversation After Disaster

10:00 am to 4:00 pm,  Saturday, October 22

Parish Hall, Calvary Episcopal Church

RSVP by Wednesday, October  19

512.303.7515 or office@cecbastrop.org

Wednesday, November 9 at 6:30 PM

Sponsored by St. Julian of Norwich Episcopal Church and Mr. Luis Morales, Communications Director, of the Texas State Department of Health and Human Services. All are invited to join St. Julian's at our worship location (Church of the Savior, 3402 Little Elm Trail, 78613) for a light supper, video presentation and conversation with Mr. Morales to discuss ways to prepare your family to be ready for natural disasters that effect central Texas like fires, tornadoes and hurricanes.  

For more information on the Texas Prepares program, please visit www.texasprepares.org.  To RSVP for the event or if you have questions, please email the Rev. Miles Brandon. There will be a $5 suggested donation for dinner, and to find a map to their location, please visit their website.

Musical perfomances by:

Tuesday's Casserole - Featuring Billy Tweedie, Kevin Schubert & James Derkits

John Price

3DM - Featuring Patrick Hall

Food and drink provided.

This event is limited to 120 people, but there will be a future event currently scheduled for November 17 at a location TBD.

We are asking for at least a $30 suggested donation.

Click here to register

The Rector of Calvary, Lisa Hines, writes in their newsletter “We have learned at Calvary that we are part of a Church that is far greater than we had imagined and that God’s mercy comes from notes and checks and gift cards from all over this country, ……… from the willing hands and hearts of our nearest neighbors. Our gratitude exceeds our loss and shapes our hearts for the future.” The parishioners here have been overwhelmed by the love and support that they have received from so many.

The Bastrop County Commissioners County Court approved the Bastrop County Complex Fire Recovery Plan. That is good news because now organizations can move ahead together within guidelines.

A Long Term Recovery committee has been formed and the Episcopal Diocese of Texas will work within this group and contribute to the recovery process.

Some organizations have left the area and others are here in their place. As time moves on the focus and needs are changing. I have been asked by churches how they can best help. At the moment work on site sifting, sorting and clearance is continuing.

If you have a church group that wants to volunteer this month then contact Megan Helton, mwoodsh@gmail.com. She leads the AmeriCorps group that is working out of Calvary Baptist Church, 3001 Hwy 150, Bastrop. They are there 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday thru Saturday. All volunteers need to register there and are then assigned a property. If you have a group trained in tree clearance then they want to hear from you. The work is dirty and hazardous and appropriate clothing and masks need to be worn.

Many have furniture and large appliances to donate but at this time storage is an issue here. When we have news about that I will forward that information. No clothing is being accepted and donated food is being collected by the Food Bank.

I am in Bastrop Tuesday thru Thursday each week. Please direct any questions concerning the above to my email address which is gillkeyworth@aol.com.

The Rev Gill Keyworth, Deacon

Disaster Relief Coordinator for the Episcopal Diocese of Texas with The Ven. Russ Oechsel

This has been an incredible team effort from all of the churches and individuals within the Diocese of Texas. Combined with monetary donations directly to Calvary, Bastrop, and the direct donations of goods and gift cards to other organizations, it is believed that EDOT churches and individuals have donated more than $75,000 in the aftermath of the fires.

Great work everyone!

To make a donation, click here.

Location: Calvary Baptist Church, 3001 Loop 150 E., Bastrop, TX 78602

Hours: Monday-Saturday 9-6, Wednesday 9-5 and closed Sundays (please contact VRC during business hours to coordinate volunteer efforts in advance for this day)

Phone: 512.332.2607

Website: www.bastroprelief.org

The economic impact of more than 2,000 wildfires across East Texas in the past 10 months is approaching $3.4 billion, according to economists with the Texas Forest Service.

That includes $97 million in raw timber value.

The Forest Service says 2,151 wildfires have destroyed 175 million cubic feet of timber since the start of the wildfire season last November.

That could have yielded $1.6 billion in paper, furniture and homes.

Along with the heavy toll on people and property, these fires have significantly damaged the forestland - and the forest sector as a whole - in East Texas," Chris Edgar, a forest resource analyst with Texas Forest Service, said in a statement. "It's a tremendous loss for the East Texas timber industry."

The largest fire of the season - a two-week burn in Cass and Marion counties - destroyed 17.3 million cubic feet of timber earlier this month. It also destroyed 66 homes.

Closer to Houston, the blaze that roared through Grimes, Waller and Montgomery counties earlier this month destroyed 73 homes and 20.8 million cubic feet of timber, with a value of $12.8 million.

Mark Gwin in his firegear

Mark Gwin is the publisher of the Bastrop Advertiser; member of Calvary Episcopal Church, Bastrop, and volunteer firefighter

This has been a long lesson in humility and hope. That it is not a story of futility and despair, I give thanks to my family, friends, coworkers and community, who have taken a devastating event and made it inspirational. 

My family and I fled from our home on a Sunday afternoon while a gentle dusting of ash fell and the sun glowed red overhead in the thick plume of smoke that covered the sky. Since that day I’ve known moments of grief, but have yet to be lost in it because in every instant I’ve been uplifted by the bravery and kindness of others.

My wife, whose office was destroyed by the Wilderness Ridge Fire in 2008, has wisdom born of experience, and I try to heed her words. “It’s not about letting go, it’s about letting in.”  Opening to the new world in which I find myself, I am starting to learn how dependent I am upon the kindness of others.

The Fire

I’ve been a volunteer fire fighter for five years now, and I’ve never felt as helpless as I did Sunday night watching as the fire, whipped by a vengeful wind, had its way across the Lost Pines. It made the Wilderness Ridge fire look like a birthday candle. As afternoon turned to evening, our response group was focused on structure protection along Hwy 71 at Green Acres Loop. I was immersed in that small corner of the world and couldn’t comprehend how bad the fire was. It was on the trip back from refueling an engine at La Cabana that the truth sunk in. I could see for miles, and the angry red glow on the skyline wasn’t just in front of us – it was south and north, encompassing a full 120 degrees of vision. It was too big to comprehend – even the flames across the highway were too big, too furious, too powerful to brook any sense of being able to put a stop to the fire anytime soon.

I was the first firefighter with Heart of the Pines to lose his home. By Monday morning, when our department was cut loose for rehab, another firefighter’s home was already gone. Our firefighters headed home late Monday morning to catch what rest they could before heading back out. There was no rest to be had, and a short time later they evacuated as the fire closed in on Cottletown Road, along which most of our department lived.  By the end of that day, there were only a few firefighters left who still had a place to call home.  Here’s the crazy, heart-wrenching thing – they were demobilized, released from duty because operations realized what kind of loss our department was experiencing. But not a single one of them stopped.

It might have been too late for their homes, they might have lost their own homes because they were spending their time saving the homes of others, but as long as there were still homes to be saved, they weren’t about to throw in the towel.  They’re fighting the fire still.  The feds can come roaring in on the tail end of the disaster and tell us we “don’t exist,” but there are no finer firefighters anywhere than the women and men of Bastrop County’s volunteer fire departments. Every department, every person, gave and gave and is still giving, doing what they can.  And not without a sense of humor either – the best joke I’ve heard yet was from a firefighter: “We may have lost the Lost Pines, but we got ourselves the Black Forest.”

The Community

If this story were just about the firefighters, it would be something of a tragedy, the brave hero who gave it his all and at best walked away with an empty victory. There can be no doubt that it was drought, fire and wind who wielded power with impunity over the course of those first few days. But this is a community of quiet heroes as well, and they earned the victory for us all with their unflagging support for both the firefighters and the evacuees.  Volunteers are pitching in whenever, wherever; whether it is providing firefighters with food or drink or beginning – and sustaining – the relief efforts to help families get back on their feet. It wasn’t just donations pouring in by the truckload, it was the volunteers organizing and helping to distribute the items to those in need. People opened their hearts, homes and wallets to keep our community going in this difficult time.

My favorite quote is from a Red Cross worker who, coming to the Smithville Recreation Center and seeing the organization and efforts already under way, said, “I’ve never been to a community where we weren’t needed because the locals already had it all going.”

As a personal recipient of more kindness and generosity than I can comprehend or am even comfortable with, I try to remember my wife’s words about “letting it in.” The love is staggering and helps more than I know how to say. It makes it silly to feel sorry for myself, because the loss of our home pales in comparison to the outpouring of love. I can never give back even the half of all that has been given me, but I suppose that is the truth and the beauty of the human condition. Human kindness is grace made flesh.

The Paper

During a disaster of this magnitude, it’s almost as surreal to be working at a newspaper as it is to be out fighting the fires. We’re here to try to disseminate rumors from truth, to offer the hard facts but also collect and share the wonderful stories of bravery and kindness that are too numerous to count.  I’m a volunteer firefighter, but I’m a paid newspaper man, and I acutely feel the responsibility of our newspapers to be the best they can be, particularly in times like these.  So on Tuesday morning I headed back to work, where I learned I have the great blessing of working with some of the finest people anywhere.

I wasn’t the only one who lost my home, and I also wasn’t the only one showing up to work on Tuesday morning. Ginny Pickering was there to open the doors of The Bastrop Advertiser at 8 a.m. even though she, her husband, and her son’s family had all been displaced by the fire and were pretty sure their home had burned. The same can be said of Bastrop’s Assistant Editor Terry Hagerty, who had to abandon his car to the fire because he was too busy taking photographs of our firefighters in action as the blaze began. His home is also gone, but he hasn’t stopped covering the fire for a minute. Between pictures and interviews, he has managed to catch a few hours of sleep at one of the shelters. Our editor Cyndi Wright, Smithville Times Assistant Editor Denis McGinness and reporter Eric Betts have been working non-stop for almost two weeks now, trying to gather the information and bring it to our readers in a way that is meaningful. And I believe that their work and dedication shows through in each issue of the paper, and for their efforts I give my thanks, because no publisher could have asked for half of what they have done, and no publisher could have been prouder of the result.

A prayer

I loved my home, perhaps too much or perhaps not enough. I built it with my own hands over the course of two years for my family. My sons were born there, their height at each birthday was marked on the cedar post in the center of the living room. So much is gone: my journals, the videotapes of the boys, the last letter my grandfather ever wrote me.  But so much is left.

In the Lord’s Prayer, the only material thing we ask for is our daily bread. My family has been given that and so much more.  So I offer thanks.

Thanks that so many found safety in the face of such a ferocious and fast-moving fire.

Thanks for the women and men who fought the fire and all the other responders.

Thanks for the abundant generosity of the community. We are good people, backing up our good intentions with diligent work.

I pray that we grow in kindness, wisdom and generosity. And that, having seen what we are capable of, we nurture it and develop it over the years as we rebuild our community.

Rain and time will restore the earth. Love and work will restore our community.

For more information on the wildfires, visit our blog. Or to donate, click here.

The exact figure of total donations is not known, but combined donations of all the churches and individuals in the Diocese of Texas is believed to have topped $50,000. 

We've received dozens of reports from churches responding to the fires with cash and gift card donations ranging from several hundred to several thousand dollars. Additionally, many churches have driven truckloads of donations of needed items to the fire areas. 

We continue to be amazed with the generosity of the Episcopal family across Texas and beyond. Donations through the Diocesan website alone have topped $12,000 so far. 

To donate now, click here.

Bastrop Volunteer Reception Center: phone (501) 593-7901
3001 Loop 150 E (in Calvary Baptist Church), Bastrop, TX 78602
Hours: Monday - Saturday 9am - 7pm except Wednesday 9am - 5pm & Sunday closed

Additionally, Montgomery County has a website to sign up for volunteer opportunities in response to the Riley Road Fire. Visit helpourcounty.org.

65 firefighters and county officials from the tri-county area around Camp Allen attended the Appreciation Lunch in the new Tellepsen dining room. Many of the firefighters in the area are volunteers, often relying on other jobs for their main source of income. Two Camp Allen staffers double as firefighters for the area.

"The luncheon was one of those rare times when you like to see fire trucks and police cars around the Camp Allen Conference Center," Dehan said.

To learn more about Camp Allen and upcoming events, click here.

Hines noted that the distribution center is "only accepting supplies that will be of help in the clean-up, like shovels, hard hats, sifters, rakes, gloves, etc. and household cleaning supplies."

She also notes that Calvary is working to get counseling services started for the community. Since the start of the disaster, Hines recognized that mental care was going to be of high importance following such tragedy.

Read Hines' letter below:

The Episcopal Diocese of Texas and individual churches have been collecting donations of goods and money for fire victims since September 5th. The communications office has been flooded with emails and newsletters calling for donations from churches across the diocese.

“We have seen an outpouring of support from our congregations for victims of the wildfires and for the responders,” said the Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, Bishop of Texas. “This generosity, set against the backdrop of very hard economic times for many people, reflects the spirit of abundance with which we are blessed, even in the face of great challenge. I am a grateful bishop and deeply moved by the response. We can all be grateful that more lives were not lost and we will stand with our brothers and sisters who have lost so much as they begin to rebuild.” 

St. Alban's, Austin, announced that they raised more than $5,000, mostly in the form of gift cards for the fire victims. Good Shepherd, Tomball, which sits not too far from the Riley Road Fire, collected more than $2,300 in donations, while St. Martin's Preschool, Houston, made a generous contribution of $1,000 to EDOT fire fund. 

Many congregations have been donating directly to Calvary Episcopal in Bastrop, which has 40 families who have lost their homes. 

To donate now, click here.

Other churches opened their doors as donation centers. The Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, Austin, was one of the first donation centers to start collecting needed items for Bastrop. St. Matthew's in Henderson, raised funds and donations for the volunteer fire fighters in East Texas who rely on their own finances to travel to and fight fires.

St. Luke's on the Lake, Austin, acted as a relief center for fire fighters and victims alike while the Steiner Ranch Fire burned just miles away. Media trucks filled the church's parking lot to report on the nearby fire and its aftermath. St. Luke's continues to raise funds for those victims as well as the victims in Bastrop. 

Emmanuel and Epiphany, Houston also set up donation centers, collecting goods from other Episcopal churches and individuals in the area. Many Houston churches have sent donations and volunteers to the Bastrop and Riley Road fires in north Houston. On his visit to Bastrop September 10, Bishop Andy Doyle ran into members of Holy Apostles, Katy, who were working with victims. St. Mark's, Bay City has also delivered truckloads of goods to Bastrop.

At this point, donation centers are reportedly full of clothes and other items. People are encouraged make monetary donations or donations of gift cards as the victims of these fires seek to get back on their feet.

Watch a video detailing the fires here.

To donate now, click here.

Or to send a check by mail, do so here:

Texas Wildfire

Episcopal Diocese of Texas

P.O. Box 4346, Dept. #199

Houston, Texas 77210-4346

At last report, the fire in Bastrop is 70 percent contained, but alert is still high as temperatures continue to soar. Kesselus estimated that before the fire is completely destroyed, it will take out 2,000 homes. 

"I heard one reporter say 'Its hell on earth here,' and I'd say thats correct," Kesselus said. "But we have almost no loss of life, lots of people have insurance, and life is not hopeless."

Kesselus serves on the Bastrop city council and noted that if the fire has come just a little bit closer to the main area of town, the entire city could have been destroyed.

"If the wind had shifted just a little bit, a town of 70,000 people would have been wiped out," he said. "Everyone is pulling together. The federal people are here, and they are a big help. We have wonderful fire fighters, and everything you would imagine Americans would do, we are doing."

Keyworth encouraged the donations of gift cards or cash. Emmanuel will continue to collect donations until September 23. She and Archdeacon Russ Oechsel will be making trips to both major fire areas over the next week. 

To donate now online, click here. For more information about donations, contact Gill Keyworth at 713.805.2050.

Residents have 60 days from Friday, when President Barack Obama officially deemed the fire a disaster, to register for assistance that could reach as much as $30,000 for each property owner. FEMA may accept some claims, or parts of claims, and reject others, but it will consider only claims of those who register by the deadline.

“Registering with FEMA is required for federal aid, even if the person has registered with another disaster relief organization such as the American Red Cross, local officials or churches,” officials said in a statement. Registrants with FEMA must use the name that appears on their Social Security card.”

Applicants will be asked to provide:

• Social Security number

• Address of the damaged home or apartment

• Description of the damage

• Information about insurance coverage

• A current contact telephone number

• An address where you can get mail

• Bank account and routing numbers if you want direct deposit of any financial assistance.

People can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov, via smart phone at m.fema.gov or by calling 800-621-3362 or TTY at 800-462-7585. 711-Relay or Video Relay Services users can call 800-621-3362.

The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time seven days a week until further notice, officials said.

FEMA has set up a page for Bastrop County victims on its website that includes links to individual assistance information, safety tips and more.

You can drop off items at ECHOS (Building “E” on the south side of the campus) starting Monday, September 12 through Thursday September 15, 2011 each day between 8am and 2pm.

On Saturday, September 17, 2011 the Church of the Epiphany will be holding a collection drive from 9am –Noon in front of the Parish Hall which is the building closest to the intersection of Bissonnet and South Gessner.

All collected donations will then be delivered to the Bastrop relief agencies on Monday, September 19, 2011.

CLOTHING IS NO LONGER BEING ACCEPTED. THEY HAVE MORE THAN THEY NEED. ADDITIONS TO THE LIST ARE IN BOLD BELOW.

The list of requested items includes the following:

For more information, please contact:

Bishop Andy Doyle visited Bastrop over the weekend, meeting with the Rev. Lisa Hines of Calvary, Bastrop along with Mayor Terry Orr, and County Judge Ronnie McDonald. 

With Mayor Orr as a guide, Bishop Doyle toured the area with Hines, viewing some of the devastated neighborhoods as well as the volunteer distribution and call center.

"I appreciate you coming here, I really do," Orr told Bishop Doyle. "We need folks to know whats really going on up here."

As the extent of the disaster continues to be revealed, Bishop Doyle renewed the diocesan push for donations. 

"We talked to Episcopalians out in San Diego," Doyle said. "They are used to fighting these fires. They told us one of the biggest things we can do is donate money, so that is what we have been focusing on."

Click here to donate now.

It is estimated that the Bastrop area has lost more than 1200 homes, including 30 from the congregation at Calvary Episcopal Church and School. Hines and her husband the Rev. Chris Hines lost their home as well.

"At this point, I haven't really dealt with it at all," Hines said about losing her possessions. "Occasionally things come to mind. I'm an artist, so a lifetime of art and writing is gone. But mostly I'm ok. It's almost a feeling of relief. When you have something, you spend so much time holding onto it and organizing it and wondering whether you should keep it or not. But now I just realized, I'm not in the mood to accumulate right now. I just want a few changes of clothing.

As the group toured the call center in Bastrop, they ran into volunteers from the Church of Holy Apostles, Katy. Wilma McCoul, Wynn Brown and Judy Heald were volunteering with Victim Relief Ministries. Most of the churches in the Diocese of Texas have organized donation drives, and some have become centers for distribution. 

"We've gotten folks from all over our Diocese send everything thats been asked for," Doyle said.

To view more photos from Bishop Doyle's trip click here.

Camp Allen was never directly threatened, but evacuated last week as roads leading into and out of the complex began to close. 

The Episcopal Diocese of Texas has collected more than $4,000 in less than one week in response to the fires burning across the state. 

Officials and victims have repeatedly told the Diocese that the biggest need for families right now is money. When Bishop Andy Doyle visited Bastrop on Saturday, he re-affirmed the Diocesan commitment to raise funds as he visited with Bastrop Mayor Terry Orr. 

"We talked to Episcopalians out in San Diego," Doyle said. "They are used to fighting these fires. They told us one of the biggest things we can do is donate money, so that is what we have been focusing on."

Click here to donate now

Individual churches within the diocese are also collecting donations of goods and gift cards to deliver as well. Click here to see updates on those efforts.

In the process, they received feedback from the center that they are in need of the following: baby food,formula,diapers, wipes and baby clothes. Other items that are in high demand are trash bags, Clorox, ammonia, and cleaning supplies, allergy medicines, toiletries and personal hygiene items and towels.”

If you are interested in donating any of these items, you can deliver them to Emmanuel's office located at 15015 Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77079. Contact deacon Gill Keyworth at 713.805.2050.

Training for volunteers who are intending to participate in relief efforts for the wildfires burning across the diocese will be held at San Francisco de Asis in Austin Wednesday, September 14. Topics will address self-care for volunteers, guidance on how to help those traumatized by the disasters and information specific to fire disasters. The address of the church is 7000 Woodhue Dr.  Austin, TX  78745.

General information about the training follows:

• Training will begin at 4:00 p.m.
• A break will be held for a meal provided by the church at approximately 6:00 p.m.
• Training will resume following supper and finish by 9:00 p.m.
• Training information will be offered in Spanish  
• If you are able to participate please RSVP to Deacon Victoria Mason

"We are learning how little we need to feel secure in the world, but we are learning the hard way," wrote Hines in her email. "The Episcopal community has embraced us but are not certain how best to help. If you are in a position to help, please see our website for specific ways to help the relief efforts (www.cecbastrop.org)."

In the midst of disaster, Hines offered her community with possible ways to help each other. She asked if people had a spare car, spare computer, or spare living space. And she sought those from her parish that are still in need of assistance.

"I am also putting our most vulnerable families in touch with a coalition of 60 Austin churches called Austin Disaster And Relief Network (ADRN) which shepherds families back to stability," she wrote. "If you know of someone who needs this kind of assistance, please call their hotline at 331-2600 or email michelle@adrntex.org."

Hines is working with Weaving Wellness of Austin to organize counseling and mental health care for the community over the next six months. 

The fires continue to burn around the state, but Hines offered hope. "We can in our life and work glorfiy God even from the ashes."

"The smoke is rolling in. All the guests have left. We've moved all the animals off the property for their safety. The staff is outside now, watering down the buildings and closing up, preparing to shut down the camp until Monday," according to Kathy, an employee who asked that her last name be withheld.

"I'm kind of nervous," added the employee, who estimated the fire to be about three to five miles away from the 36-year-old campground, retreat and conference center in Navasota. "I'd hate for something to happen to Camp Allen, it's such a wonderful place.

"The phones have been ringing all morning with people who've come here and love our facility. They tell us they're praying for us and hoping for the best," she added.

Although the camp "does not appear to be in jeopardy unless the winds should shift from the northeast direction … many of the staffers who live in the surrounding areas have been evacuated and the fate of their homes is not known," according to a statement posted on the diocesan website.
 

Prayers, as well as offers of financial assistance and other aid poured into diocesan offices in Houston, even as large wildfires continued in various locations throughout the state and the death toll rose from two to four.

 "We are grateful for the response we've had to the wildfires, even as we continue to pray for the hundreds of firefighters who labor under extreme conditions trying to contain the damage," said the Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle in a Sept. 8 statement.
 

"We have had a number of parishioners lose their homes and we know the devastation around Bastrop, in northern Austin and in East Texas will require our continued support and relief efforts," he added. "We have teams ready to offer pastoral care once the immediate situation is contained."

He cited local congregations like St. Luke's on the Lake in Austin, where parishioners quickly mobilized to respond to the needs of those displaced, offering shelter, meals and other assistance, particularly to those affected by the Steiner Ranch fire.

One of three dozen fires in the state, it charred 162 acres, destroyed 24 homes, and damaged 30 others. Officials said at a Sept. 7 press conference that the fire was about 75 percent contained and that they hoped for full containment by Sept. 8.

St. Luke's parish administrator Nancy Phillips said in a statement posted on the diocesan website that as far as she knew, "no St. Luke's members lost their homes or suffered severe damage."

Meanwhile, Steiner Ranch area residents were allowed to return to their homes. The church is planning to host a Sept. 11 communitywide gathering, facilitated by a counselor, so those affected by the fire will have an opportunity to talk about their experiences, according to Phillips.
 

Doyle also praised the efforts of Calvary Church in Bastrop, about 30 miles east of Austin, where another major fire had been burning for five days. Officials said that fire killed two people, displaced about 5,000, destroyed some 1,400 homes and scorched approximately 35,000 acres of land throughout the county. It was about 30 percent contained on Sept. 8.

The Rev. Lisa Hines "continues to do heavy duty in Bastrop along with the former rector of Calvary Church, the Rev. Ken Kesselus," Doyle said. At least 30 families from Calvary, or about 30 percent of the congregation, have lost their homes, he added. Hines, who has served as Calvary's rector for about a year, also lost her home.

A list of items needed, both for firefighters and for the displaced, is available on the diocesan website. News and other information was being regularly updated, according to diocesan communication director Carol Barnwell.

"In East Texas, where small volunteer fire departments have lost much of their state funding this year, firefighters are in need of funds to fuel their personal vehicles, used to get to and from blazes. There will be huge needs in the near future – funds and Lowes, Home Depot and Walmart-type gift cards are most needed currently," she added in an email to ENS.

Doyle praised both lay and clergy for their leadership. "We are grateful for their witness to God's love and care in the midst of the devastation of the wildfire," he said in a statement posted on the diocesan website. "They have offered to us all a vision of God's hand at work in the world around us and we see in their selfless actions a glimpse of God's kingdom where neighbor cares for neighbor. 
 

"We are not yet out of the storm," he added. "We have yet to see the full containment of the fire in Bastrop, which now spreads over 36,000 acres. We still have several fires that are not contained in central Texas, including the one in Magnolia which is affecting parishioners and families in west Houston. The fires continue to burn and so we continue to monitor and help everywhere we can.
 

"What we know is that as a community of faith our work of building up from the ashes is yet to be undertaken. The grieving and shock will give way in the weeks to come to clarity of vision for rebuilding our communities. The Episcopal Church has a strong heritage of engaging in disaster relief and we, in the Diocese of Texas, will not shy away from coming to the aid of our neighbors. We are already working on response teams who are ready to come and help with pastoral care and the rebuilding efforts."

-- The Rev. Pat McCaughan is a correspondent for the Episcopal News Service. She is based in Los Angeles.

Click here to see more photos.

“Water, food and hot meals seem to be under control at both locations,” Barham said.

“The real need is fuel for volunteer fire fighters who are using their personal vehicles,” she said, explaining that the area’s small voluntary fire departments experienced previous budget cuts and their available funds are exhausted due to the the impact of current wild fires. St. Matthew’s has donated $500 for gasoline so far and will provide meals for 50 volunteers on Saturday. 

Rusk County evacuees are being housed at the Expo Center and the Civic Center in Henderson. While some have lost homes, further evaluation continues as the fires are extinguished. “One is out but a new one has started,” Barham said.

They need funds for gasoline, saline solution, baby wipes and new tube socks for firefighters. Donations can be dropped off at the church, 214 College Street, Henderson, 75654.

Earlier this morning, most of the staff began a voluntary evacuation as fires continued to spread just miles from the camp. Animals and vehicles were also evacuated. 

The Church of the Holy Apostles, Katy, will be accepting donations of water, baby wipes, new underwear and socks, and Walmart gift cards until 5:00 p.m. Thursday. These items will be delivered on Friday morning. They ask that items be delivered to the church office located at 1225 West Grand Parkway South, Katy, Texas 77494. Contact Polly Stratton for more information.

Emmanuel, Houston, will take donations throughout next week. They are asking for diapers, water, baby wipes, new underwear and socks, and Walmart gift cards as well. They ask that donations be delivered to the church office at 15015 Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77079. Contact deacon Gill Keyworth for more information at 713.805.2050. Keyworth is a diocesan emergency response coordinator in addition to her duties as deacon at Emmanuel.  

And you can always send a monetary donation here. (*this link may be temporarily down check back later today*).

The Camp Allen staff appreciates the emails and prayers of support.  Many of the staffers who live in the surrounding areas have been evacuated and the fate of their homes is not known. The fire fighters and local volunteers continue to work non-stop on these fires which began on Monday.

“If you woke up at our lake this morning, you would witness a beautiful morning," said Camp Allen President George Dehan. "but just a few miles away there is a huge plume of smoke rising in the sunrise.” 

As a Texan I am proud of the valiant efforts made by our public servants, especially those fire and police personnel, who in these last days have given their very best to protect families' homes and livelihoods. We as a community of families throughout the Episcopal Diocese of Texas are grateful beyond measure for their leadership and tireless efforts these past few days.

As the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, I am most proud of the clergy and laity at St. Luke’s on the Lake, Austin which found itself at the hub of the Steiner Ranch fire and at Calvary, Bastrop, which is at the center of the fight of the largest fire. The Rev. Mike Wyckoff and the Rev. Parker Jameson along with their congregation at St. Luke's have been offering support to those evacuated and those fighting the fire. Prayer, pastoral support, food, and supplies are being given at St. Luke’s as they continue to respond to the community needs near the Steiner Ranch fire.  

The Rev. Lisa Hines and her husband, the Rev. Chris Hines, along with the Rev. Ken Kesselus have joined the families of Calvary, Bastrop, to do the same. They have been in touch with the many families affected by the fire and have created a hub of care even as the flames threatened the downtown area. The Hines family lost their home as they were undertaking their pastoral work and now join the 15 church families, and the some 600 families from the area that are now homeless. The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Texas should be proud of their leadership (along with the leadership of the many Austin Churches who are responding). We are grateful for their witness to God’s love and care in the midst of the devastation of the wildfires. They have offered to us all a vision of God’s hand at work in the world around us and we see in their selfless actions a glimpse of God’s kingdom where neighbor cares for neighbor. 

We are not yet out of the storm. We have yet to see the full containment of the fire in Bastrop which now spreads over 36,000 acres. We still have several fires that are not contained in central Texas; including the one in Magnolia which is affecting parishioners and families in west Houston. The fires continue to burn and so we continue to monitor and help everywhere we can.

What we know is that as a community of faith our work of building up from the ashes is yet to be undertaken. The grieving and shock will give way in the weeks to come to clarity of vision for rebuilding our communities. The Episcopal Church has a strong heritage of engaging in disaster relief and we, in the Diocese of Texas, will not shy away from coming to the aid of our neighbors. We are already working on response teams who are ready to come and help with pastoral care and the rebuilding efforts.  

I pray you will join us in prayer for those who have lost so much; for their comfort, and for their strength to meet the challenge of life in the days ahead. I pray also that you will give to the relief of these families in need. And, as the opportunities present themselves you will join with us in helping our neighbors.

Make a donation here. Read the updates here.

To make a contribution, click here. Be sure to select "Texas Wildfires" from the drop down menu on the payment page. 

Thanks for all your help. We'll keep you posted with updates.

At last report the Bastrop fire is between 20 and 30 percent contained. Hines is asking for specific items like new underwear, mens pants, canned fruit, and pet food. A full list can be found here as well as directions on how to donate to the Bastrop Christian Ministerial Alliance.

Last night Calvary held a worship service featuring readings from Job, the Psalms and the Beatitudes, which the congregation "heard with new ears," according to Hines. 

"This is a catastrophic situation for the community of Bastrop," Bishop Harrison said. "We are going to be responding to this disaster for a long time. It is important to be guided by expressed needs if we are going to be most effective. We've had magnificent leadership from the Rev. Lisa Hines. I hope everyone will hold her and the entire community in their thoughts and prayers."

From the Rev. Lisa Hines via Calvary's website:

The fires in Bastrop County continue to devastate the community.  Many of us at Calvary have lost our homes; many more are displaced and waiting to learn whether their homes are also lost. So far, the Bastrop downtown area (in which the church is located) is not directly threatened, although the air is murky with smoke and ash. We appreciate all the calls of concern and your offers to help. In addition to your prayers, you may help in the following ways:

Monetary Contributions: Donations can be sent directly to Calvary Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 721  Bastrop, TX  78602  

Donations of Goods: Calvary is working with other member churches of the Bastrop Christian Ministerial Alliance to collect needed items for the 5000 people who have been displaced. 

Toiletries and towels are needed for people staying in shelters. Please take them to the BCOC (Bastrop Christian Outreach Center) at 1096 Hwy 71 West.

Furniture, clothing, nonperishable food items, household goods are being collected for eventual distribution to the more than 500 families who have lost their homes. They can be taken to the Warehouse located at 704 Hwy 71 West.

      Specific Items needed:

       Volunteers to organize & distribute

       Depends

       Underwear/socks (New only)

       Cleaning Supplies

       Peanut Butter & Jelly

       Bread

       Canned Fruit

       Can Openers

       Disposable plates/utensils

       Toiletries

       Trash bags

       Ice Chests

       School supplies

       Kids/babies toys

       Cat Food

       Flea/tick collars

       Cat litter w/pans

       Misc pet food

       Animal food w/bowls 

If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, please call the Donation Hotlines: 512-332-8807 or 512-332-8977.

Please hold us in your prayers in this time of uncertainty.

In God’s peace,

Lisa +

The Rev. Lisa S. Hines

Rector, Calvary Episcopal Church

The most important news we have to report is that, as far as we know right now, no St. Luke's members lost their homes or suffered severe damage (although several were a little too close for comfort).  Thank you, God.

"Many thanks for the incredible generosity of time, personal presence, and supplies from a wide range of individuals, families, and businesses during the past 72 hours," said the Rev. Parker Jameson. "Persons too many to name contributed ideas, leadership, followership, and sheer muscle to create St. Luke's on the Lake a welcoming place of refuge and information while residents of Steiner Ranch waited for news of their homes and then began the process of getting their normal lives restarted. With the firefighters getting the fire more and more contained, our role here has wound down. Continue to pray for all involved. Thank you. Well done, St. Luke's on the Lake Episcopal Church."

What we're doing now:

• We do NOT need any more donations for this effort, but as people continue to drop off supplies at St. Luke's, we are shuttling extras to support the people affected by the Bastrop County fire. 

• We have partnered with Austin Christian Fellowship to serve dinner in the hardest hit area of Steiner Ranch once again this evening.  St. Luke's is providing the food [leftover from last night's community dinner]; ACF is preparing it in their kitchen and delivering it. So many thanks to all who brought food last night--it continues to bless those in need!

• The Steiner Ranch Homeowner's Association is asking area churches to help staff a donation distribution center tomorrow and Thursday.  If you are available, please call them at 512.266.7553 to see whether they need help.

• This Sunday from 5-6:30p St. Luke's is hosting a community de-briefing facilitated by trained counselor Patti Peacock. All those affected in any way by the fire, including volunteers from St. Luke's, are invited to participate, to work through this experience together.

"Small But Fast"

Lake Travis Fire and Rescue personnel noted that St. Luke's on the Lake was "first on the scene" in responding to the Steiner Ranch fire situation.  One member of St. Luke's observed, "We're small, but we're fast." 

Beginning Sunday evening right after the evacuation began, St. Luke's opened up the church and began to offer a safe place for people to gather, get information, and rest. The church provided breakfast, lunch, snacks, hot coffee and cold drinks to residents, emergency management officials, media and anyone else in need of respite Monday and Tuesday. St. Luke's provided clean restrooms, comfortable chairs and a safe haven for people to wait and watch. The church provided a key gathering point for emergency planning personnel and served as a practical operations hub for the situation.

"A Godsend"

St. Luke's also served 250 hot dinners Tuesday evening and delivered even more to the hardest-hit area in Steiner Ranch for emergency personnel, relief workers and families sifting through the debris of their homes and otherwise dealing with loss and destruction. 

”Thank you very much for providing the free dinners to the residents of Steiner Ranch," posted one woman on St. Luke's Facebook page. "I was soooo tired upon coming home and the last thing I felt like doing was cooking. The meal you provided was truly a Godsend and my family and I were so revived by it. It was delicious and very, very kind of you all to do that for everyone. MUCH appreciated by us!" 

Being a Family

Junior Warden Allen Griswold, who launched and directed this effort with tremendous support from the Men and Women of St. Luke's, other volunteers and staff, commented, "The response from St. Luke's was incredible. We did what we were supposed to do. We fed people and took care of them. We rose to the occasion. Everybody does what they do best at St. Luke's on the Lake, and that's be a family."

"Jesus Lives Here"

While speaking to a Steiner Ranch resident who brought her three-year-old daughter to St. Luke's for dinner last night, St. Luke's learned that the little girl had participated in Vacation Bible School at the church last summer. When family drove into the St. Luke's parking lot on Tuesday, the three-year-old exclaimed, "Jesus lives here!"  Amen.

[Episcopal News Service] The wildfire raging about 30 miles east of Austin, Texas, had already claimed her home, so the Rev. Lisa Hines was taking no chances Sept. 6. She carefully packed Eucharistic vessels from Calvary Church, Bastrop, into her car, in case a speedy getaway became necessary.

"Our lost-houses count has gone way up from yesterday, including my own, and continues to rise by the minute," Hines said during a Sept. 6 telephone interview from the downtown historic church.

"I know for certain that 15 homes are lost, but I suspect there are many more and that many more have been displaced and are waiting to see if their homes are lost," added Hines, whose husband, Chris, is the son of former Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop John Hines.

"We are hearing now of fire nearing downtown, so the mood isn't good, but no one as yet has told us to evacuate," added Hines, Calvary's rector for one year.

Still, she said the church was about "offering hope" even in the midst of devastating fire, in the midst of uncertainty.

"You find hope in the community, because people are calling from all over wanting to know what they can do to help us," she said. "Those of us who are all in the same boat, are supporting each other. No one is feeling isolated or without possibilities -- that's the hope. 

"It's sad, it's very sad. It's grim, but no lives (here in Bastrop) have been lost and that's good news," she added.

Calvary joined other churches partnering to gather household and personal items for people displaced by the blazes burning unchecked in Bastrop for a third day.

Plus, Hines was planning a 7 p.m. worship service. "We're going to gather tonight, and sing 'A Mighty Fortress is Our God' and some of those wonderful evening hymns we never get to sing and just pray together," she said. "I imagine we'll do a little crying together because we're still in the middle of it. We're not on the other side of it yet."

The fires near Bastrop were among numerous blazes reported throughout the drought-besieged state. Wind and lack of rainfall hampered efforts of firefighters to contain the blaze, which destroyed more than 1,000 homes and scorched an estimated 3.6 million square acres of land, an area the size of the state of Connecticut. The fire reportedly has killed at least two people and displaced thousands of others.

Bishop Andy Doyle of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas said the diocese is mobilizing to offer aid in dozens of ways. "Our folks are under a lot of stress out there, across the diocese," he said. "Anything they need, we are looking for ways to help them."

Luke Blount, a diocesan communications officer, agreed. "We always have fires, but this is the worst it's ever been, I think," he said in a Sept. 6 telephone interview.

Episcopalians were among those evacuated throughout the diocese and among those offering aid and assistance and also fighting the fires, he added.

A diocesan spokesperson said that John Alexander Jr., son of Bishop J. Neil Alexander of the Diocese of Atlanta, was among the firefighters battling the blaze.

Near Houston, a fire in Grimes County shut down roads near Camp Allen, a popular Episcopal retreat center and meeting site, resulting in the cancellation of an executive board meeting because officials "didn't want to take any chances."

Several congregations converted parish halls into temporary storage for personal items and furniture for the displaced, and even shelters for the homeless.

Volunteers at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Austin were overwhelmed with donations for fire victims, according to the Rev. Jim Stockton, rector.

"We're filling up our parish hall with donations of all sort—furniture, household goods, clothing, nonperishable foods and toiletries—and we'll transport those to the distribution centers," he said during a Sept. 6 telephone interview.

Mary Miner, parish secretary at St. Luke's on the Lake in Austin, said the church has been serving as "an information hub" and resource center for local police and fire officials, and a gathering spot for residents displaced by the fire. The church is located near Steiner Ranch, a neighborhood that has lost at least 25 homes in the fire, she said.

"Some people look like they're in shock. Some are anxious; a lot are very calm," Miner said. "We're in a waiting-and-seeing mode. We've been reading the people and what they need at the time.

"We've had a lot of dogs, too, which has been fun," she added.

Local restaurants pitched in and donated food, she said. "We had a lot of people sheltered here; we were giving them food and water, spiritual support. Right now, they're letting some of the residents back into Steiner Ranch, but they still don't have power. We are serving a free dinner tonight between 5 and 8 p.m. for anyone who can't or doesn't want to cook," she added.

"Everything has gone smoothly, considering the chaos that's ensued because of the fire," she said. "It's been a blessing for us to be able to help. I think the church should be able to be relied upon in crisis situations."

Elsewhere across the state the fires, some of which had been burning for nearly a week, were more contained.

Barbara Duffield of the Diocese of West Texas said that although "we have wildfires in the area, to my knowledge no churches or parishioners have been affected.

"There have been structures burned, but not anything that belongs to us that we're aware of," she said.

"It is so dry, and we really need the rain, but that's not happened yet," she added.

Winds had calmed in the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, helping firefighters contain an enormous fire in Palo Pinto County known as the 101 Ranch Fire that burned an estimated 39 homes.

"No Episcopal church, school or camp has been harmed," said Katie Sherrod, diocesan communications director, who said the fire was 85 percent contained.

Bishop C. Wallis Ohl called for "the prayers of the whole church, especially for the firefighters, who have had no respite all summer from these fires; for all the people who are suffering from these fires, especially the landowners, the livestock, indeed, the wildlife. All of God's creation is suffering. Pray for rain."

Attempts to reach the dioceses of Dallas, Northwest Texas and Rio Grande, which includes about 12 Texas congregations as well as churches in New Mexico, were unsuccessful.

-- The Rev. Pat McCaughan is a correspondent for the Episcopal News Service. She is based in Los Angeles.

Visit our Preparedness Page or click here for a helpful resource from Texas A&M on a "Grab and Go Box."

 1. gently used womens and mens clothing, (including shoes)
 2. clothing for small children. (this includes disposable diapers)
 3. Items for a new born. This particular mom has lost everything for her son expected to be born in Oct.

Also can goods and other non-perishable foods would be helpful for the families that are housing those who have been displaced.

Please direct questions to the church office. 281-351-5757

As fires are raging across the state, parishes in Diocese of Texas are working to help tame the blazes and care for the homeless. At last report, over 1,000 homes have been destroyed and thousands of families have been evacuated as drought stricken forests and high winds fuel the flames.  

One of the worst fires is burning just outside the town of Bastrop, east of Austin. Calvary Episcopal in Bastrop first acted a shelter for some families, but was then evacuated as the fires approached downtown. 

"As of yesterday when I spoke to the Rev. Lisa Hines (rector of Calvary), 12 parishioners had lost their homes," said the Bishop of Texas, the Rt. Rev. Andy Doyle. 

On the west side of Austin, St. Luke's on the Lake is acting as a resource center for a fire that has destroyed much of Steiner Ranch, a nearby neighborhood that has lost at least 25 homes. St. Luke's is gathering food, water, and supplies for families that are currently displaced, and the media are currently using the church as a broadcast point for their coverage of the fire. The church plans to host a dinner for residents of Steiner Ranch this evening from 5-8 p.m.

"At this point, we have plenty of bottled water, Gatorade, and food, but want to be prepared in case residents are allowed to return to their homes today," said parish administrator Nancy Phillips. The church can be reached 512.266.2455. 

The Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, Austin, is also acting as a donation center. Their Thrift Shop is collecting donations of clothing, housewares, and toiletries. ECR can be reached at 512.459.0027. 

Closer to Houston, a fire in Grimes County has shut down several roads near Camp Allen, the diocesan conference and retreat center. Though the fire is still a safe distance from the complex, Bishop Doyle and Bishop Suffragan Dena Harrison have decided to cancel the planned executive board meeting scheduled at Camp Allen this week.

"Our folks are under a lot of stress out there, across the diocese," Bishop Doyle said. "Anything they need, we are looking to help them."

In other areas around the diocese, several parishioners of Good Shepherd, Tomball have had to evacuate from fires northwest of Houston, and parishes in northeast Texas have also felt the effects of fires. In Longview, St. Michael and All Angels' as well as Trinity Episcopal have reported smoke-filled skies from fires burning near Gladewater.

"Most of us woke up this morning with ash-covered cars," said Donna Armstrong, Trinity's parish administrator. "Its a little unnerving, but so far none of our parishioners have been directly affected."

Many Episcopalians are working in the field as firemen, battling the blazes, while others are preparing for the worst. 

To prepare your church and family for future disasters, visit our preparedness page or download our preparedness and planning guide.

MAKE A DONATION TO COMMUNITIES DESTROYED BY WILDFIRES

The Rev. Lisa Hines, rector of Calvary, Bastrop, has lost her home to the fires along with more than 15 other parishioners. 

"We are hearing now of a fire nearing downtown, so the mood here isn’t good" Hines said. "I’m going to grab the Eucharistic Vessels and put them in my car just in case." 

Her husband, the Rev. Chris Hines, is the son of the late Bishop John Hines, former Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church as well as former Bishop of Texas. Calvary has added information on their website about how to donate. Click here to learn more and view more photos.

Between 9am and 6 pm volunteers are present to receive donations personally. After hours donors may use the drop box at the back end of the parking lot at 2008 Justin Lane, or leave donations at the front door of the Parish Hall building.

As of Tuesday, people from across the Austin metro area as far as away as Pflugerville and Round Rock in the north and Buda to the south have donated thousands of clothing items, hundreds of personal care items, thousands of toiletries, dozens of pillows and comforters, an entire truckload of paper items such as bathroom tissue, paper towels, and paper plates, countless toys, books, kitchen items, and hundreds if not thousands of pounds of non-perishable foods. But there is still a need.

Dozens of volunteers from ECR and from the Austin Disaster Relief Network are sorting, stacking, and preparing the donations for delivery to the distribution centers primarily in Bastrop and also in northwest Austin.

"I'm blessed and grateful for the huge outpouring of compassion from strangers and friends alike, and for service that we here at ECR can provide in connecting the good will of many here in Austin with those who most need it," said the Rev. Jim Stockton, rector of ECR.  

ECR can be reached at 512-459-0027.

The Thrift Shop at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, 2008 Justin Lane, Austin, TX is accepting donations of clothing, housewares, and toiletries for victims of the Austin-area wildfires. The donation center is open from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. After hours, people can use the drop box at the back end of the parking lot at 2008 Justin Lane, or leave donations at the front door of either the Thrift Shop building or the Parish Hall building. ECR can be reached at 512.459.0027.

St. David's, St. Mark's, and St. Alban's, Austin, are gathering gift cards (HEB, Home Depot, Target) to be sent to the victims of the fires. St. David's can be reached at 512.610.3500. 

Calvary, Bastrop has teamed with the Bastrop Christian Ministerial Alliance to gather donations at the Bastrop Christian Outreach Center. Read more here.

Also, if you would like to make a monetary donation through the Diocese of Texas, click here.

So large in fact, astronauts in the International Space Station can see the fires from space.