“Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)

Considering the weather events across New Zealand, I wanted to open this month’s article with a scripture from Isaiah 41:10, as a reminder of who our father God is and what he does with our fear and dismay.

Cyclone Gabrielle impacted us all one way or another, some not directly but via family, friends, and work. My prayer is that this scripture provides us with the comfort and resilience we all need.

I extend a huge ka pai to NZMWF members all over Aotearoa for volunteering their mahi and time to help those in need, especially in our most impacted areas Hawkes Bay and Gisborne. There is help and support available so if you or your family and friends are in need, please see the details and information below.

The last few weeks have seen the North Island experiencing devastating flooding, a whirlwind cyclone, and an earthquake hitting our Capital city and now we have the summer sun. The imbalance of the weather - with the North Island being impacted by heavy rain and the South Island not seeing any rain at all - is just mind-blowing.

Sadly, we have lost lives during this period and many people are still unaccounted for as some parts of the country are still without any source of communication.

As a public servant working in an organisation committed to helping people affected by disasters, I am reminded of why I love my job. We are a supporting agency reaching out to those in need. We pray that we can provide a starting point for rebuilding their lives in some way.

What saddens me in this role is knowing some people take advantage of devasting circumstances and take from people who have had to leave their homes and businesses. We are better than that; we are Aotearoa, New Zealand where we lend a helping hand to our fellow neighbours when they are in need. Let’s continue to support those who need help because that is what we are known for.

Help Available

Many community groups have received government funding to support those most affected.

Visit the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) website for information on the Community Support Fund and Provider Support Fund: www.msd.govt.nz

Hardship payments and Civil Defence payments are available and a dedicated Helpline 0800 400 100 is available for affected areas: Auckland, Tairawhiti, Waikato or Waitomo, East Coast, Hawkes Bay, and Gisborne.

Civil Defence Centres (CDC) are open in affected areas for those needing somewhere to stay.

We pray that God will continue to watch over our people who have been affected. As they start to evaluate and rebuild what was devastatingly taken away, we as a nation will continue to support them in prayer and in donations of goods and money to help them to recover.

God Bless Aotearoa, New Zealand. Let’s hope the worst is all behind us.