Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Greetings in our Lord Jesus Christ. Our friends in Honduras need our help.  In only 15 days Hurricane Eta and Hurricane Iota struck Honduras, leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. Homes were flooded and thousands of people are now in gymnasiums or other shelters, many without face masks or other protection from Covid-19. But – together – we can help. I am asking that churches in the Diocese join collect disaster relief supplies for our neighbors in such distress.

The Diocese of Dallas will send a 40-foot container (2,000 cubic feet) of supplies to Honduras on December 9^th.  Bishop Lloyd Allen (who graciously joined us via Zoom for our Diocesan Convention) has indicated these items are desperately needed:

Disposable Face Masks	Bed Linens (New or Used)
Hygiene Kits (toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo)	Pots and Pans
Diapers	Small Gas Stoves
Feminine personal hygiene supplies	Tools
Powdered Milk	Wheel Barrels
Non-perishable food	Flashlights and Batteries
Clothing and Shoes (All ages and sizes)	Blankets
Towels	Disinfectant cleaning supplies

 

I urge you and your parishes to strongly support this humanitarian effort for our brothers and sisters in Honduras. St. Luke’s in Dallas (5923 Royal Lane, Dallas, 75230) has graciously agreed to be the drop-off point for these supplies. I suggest:

1. Have parishioners bring goods to your church, compile them and arrange for them to be delivered to St. Luke’s.  
2. Those who are not comfortable shopping can order them online (Amazon) and have them delivered to St. Luke’s.
3. Or, parishioners can take goods to the drop-off.

The disaster relief supplies can be delivered to St. Luke’s beginning Friday, December 4 through Tuesday, December 8 between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Goods will be accepted by mail at any time. If you have any questions or need assistance to arrange delivery of the supplies, please contact The Venerable Rosemary Trei, Archdeacon of the Diocese ( ).

This is a season in which many of us are considering stewardship, and my prayer is that we are also considering how we are acting as stewards of all that God has entrusted to us. In his second letter to the church in Corinth, Paul wrote about the importance of supporting our brothers and sisters in Christ, saying “this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God.” (2 Corinthians 9:12)

I pray that we join hands as we reach out to our neighbors in their time of need.  This could be a great way to kick off the first and second Sundays of Advent!

Peace,

The Rt. Rev. Dr. George R. Sumner