Dear Stan,

On behalf of Peace River Presbytery, I extend our thanks to you, and the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance office, for the help and support you have offered to Peace River as we continue our recovery work and ministry. Over and over this past year I have heard people say that now they understand what it means to be a connectional church. Without the PDA office, the PDA response team members from out of the area who came to help us, the support of the whole PCUSA through OGHS, the Moderator’s visit and presence with us, the support of the Worldwide Ministry Division and the office of General Assembly, we would not have been able to respond to both congregational and human need as we have.

Our local Hurricane Recovery task force, under the dedicated leadership of three PDA team members who are in Peace River: Bruce Wismer (Pine Shores), Jim Kirk (Moorings), and Larry Graham-Johnson (our Peace River staff’s Hurricane Re-building Coordinator), would have had a lot of good intentions, but we would not have been of much practical help to the congregations and people so devastated by last years storms. Thank you for approving our grant request to help fund the Hurricane Re-building Coordinator’s position through 2006. We have a long way to go, but that caring connectional partnership has made a big difference.

• Last week our Hurricane Recovery Task Force led a 5 hour workshop attended by deacons and elders from 9 of our churches on Preparing for a Storm without getting Blown Away.
• Next month they will lead a workshop for all the business managers and property committees in our Presbytery around the same topic, but from a property management point of view.
• In June and July we will host, supervise and deploy 700 people from 20 plus work/mission trips who have come to Peace River to help us in our recovery work.
• In July Bruce Wismer and Jim Kirk are gathering representatives from all 6 Florida Presbyteries to look at what we have learned and how can we continue to work together as Presbyterians in faithful and effective ways.

Again, that would not have happened without the training and structure that PDA has provided. I wish you well in the next chapter of your life; and again offer my deepest gratitude for all the support you have offered to Peace River Presbytery on behalf of the whole PCUSA.

Faithfully yours,

Graham Hart
General Presbyter, Peace River Presbytery