September News and Updates
URA Guatemala
At the beginning of September, the URA team, along with partners from Beltway Park Baptist Church, had the opportunity to visit the URA Guatemala team and bring much needed resources!
URA has been serving in Guatemala since the eruption of volcano Fuego in 2018, and has since stablished its own non-profit: URA Guatemala. URA Guatemala works as the local hub for United Rescue Alliance. Like URA in Abilene, URA Guatemala provides emergency preparedness and disaster response trainings to its community, and provides aid through resources such as food and water, Watts of Love lights, and medical assistance. Additionally, when disasters happen in Guatemala, the URA team is there to help.
The team went into the week determined to be flexible and let the Lord lead their trip. During the trip, they helped put the finishing touches on the Community Center which will be an education hub for the town of Escuintla. The Community Center will focus on all facets of education from basic hygiene to preparedness training. The community members of Escuintla have spent the last 5 years trying to recoup and recover from the effects of Volcano Fuego so a centralized hub of community resources and training is excitedly anticipated!
The URA team had the opportunity to meet with local Guatemalans and give out Watts of Love lights, incredibly powerful handheld solar lights that allow households without electricity to not only stay safe, but to continue working and doing school work into the night (smiling woman pictured above is holding her new solar light and seeing just how bright it gets!).
URA was also blessed to distribute Lechem bread, a type of bread that was developed in response to URA’s passion to fight malnutrition in Guatemala. The creator of the bread is a Guatemalan Chef that has worked in Michelin Star restaurants across the world. This bread not only has great flavor, but it is made with whole grains, all natural ingredients, and no added sugar!
Additionally, the team had the opportunity to distribute solar powered audio Bibles that make the Word of God available to those who cant read! For those who can read, and children who are learning to read, Spanish versions of the Willy Nilly children’s books that teach children about bravery, adventure, friendship, and hope were given out!
The URA America team is so grateful for the passion that URA Guatemala puts into everything they do and loved being able to spend the week with them!
Team Retreat
Every September, United Rescue Alliance hosts a team retreat! This year, the team gathered in Abilene to get to know new team members, worship and pray about future activities, and build community! Over the three days, all team members shared about how their past year has been and set goals for next year. Gerald Parson, CEO of Life Languages International, presented on the different Languages and how they can be used to maximize team connectivity. Community is a priority at URA so setting aside time every year to gather as a team is highly valued!
Meet the Team!
Meet Kailey Quiett or "KQ''! KQ joined the URA team serving as the Emergency Management Coordinator. She graduated from Lee University in the Spring of this year with a Bachelor's Degree in Disaster and Healthcare Missions Management. She interned with URA the past year and has continued to build her relationship with the organization as she moves into this new season working full-time.
KQ is from the piney woods of East Texas and is the oldest of 2. KQ is passionate about bringing heaven to earth and she feels like URA is doing just that through an attitude of servitude, preparedness, and raising up leaders of leaders. In her free time, KQ loves to hike, rock climb, and explore God's creation. She is thankful for this opportunity to be a part of this mission and cannot wait to get started building the Kingdom!
Big Country VOAD
Towards the end of the month, United Rescue Alliance hosted the Big Country Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) quarterly meeting. During the meeting, the URA team had the opportunity to share about the preparedness trainings that URA provides such as COOP, CERT, Preparedness Peace, and MESSH.
Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP) walks organizations through the step by step process of creating a COOP so that when disaster strikes, their business and employees won’t miss a beat.
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training educates volunteers and community members about basic life saving skills and disaster preparedness. Team members are able to use their new knowledge and skills to volunteer during disasters and assist emergency response organizations and first responders.
The Preparedness Peace training consists of six weekly trainings for churches and groups. Each week covers a different topic such as the basic essentials for home and family preparedness, vital document storage, how to ensure your family has clean and safe drinking water, and evacuation plans. By the end of the training you, your church or group, and your family, will be confident in your ability to prepare for and survive a disaster.
URA’s MESSH framework is a training that encourages first responders and response organizations to consider the mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health of both first responders, and disaster survivors. MESSH shapes the way that first responders approach, treat, and interact with disaster survivors, and themselves.
Join Us for Worship!
Every Tuesday night at 6:30pm, URA hosts a night of worship and prayer at the Camp Barkeley Worship Center. All are welcome and invited!
