When floodwaters swept across Hunt, Kerrville, and the surrounding Hill Country this summer, devastation followed in their wake. Homes were destroyed, families displaced, and entire neighborhoods left in shock. Roads were impassable, debris piled high, and families stood in front of houses they no longer recognized. While the community reeled from loss, help arrived quickly. Within twenty-four hours, CrossBridge Church partnered with Acts of Mercy, a disaster-relief organization that responds immediately to crises. On July 5, a team of thirteen volunteers was sent to the Hill Country. What began as one trip has since become a mission that continues week after week.
Since that day, CrossBridge, alongside eighteen other San Antonio churches, has sent more than forty-five teams to help. Early efforts focused on clearing debris, tearing out damaged walls, and even search-and-rescue along the river. Today the focus has shifted to rebuilding homes and restoring lives. Yet through it all, prayer and presence have remained central. Volunteers listen to families’ stories, kneel beside them in prayer, and remind them they are not alone.
Leaders say the greatest need is not only physical. “Someone who will listen to their story and pray with them,” they explain. Families grieving losses are leaning on faith to carry them through. Volunteers describe it as holy ground: pulling up a chair in a half-gutted home, bowing heads together, and lifting broken hearts in prayer.
One story in particular captures the impact. Two months after the floods, a larger team returned to visit families they had helped in the early days. Their only mission was to pray. The impact was immediate. Many families wept as they felt seen, remembered, and cared for. In neighborhoods marked by grief, volunteers witnessed hope beginning to take root again. “Seeing Jesus step into that place of hurt and bring people back together has been inspiring,” one team member said.
Another team member recalls meeting a family who had lost nearly everything. Their house had been gutted, their yard filled with debris, and the grief of losing a neighbor hung heavy. When the team came to pray, the family insisted on serving the volunteers water and snacks as if to say, “We still have something to give.” That moment reminded everyone present that gratitude is not dependent on circumstances but on the strength of community and faith.
The work has also transformed the volunteers themselves. Many who stepped into the field for the first time did not know what to expect. They returned home humbled, deeply moved by the resilience of the families they served. “Our volunteers continue to go back week after week because of the way they get to be part of the gospel of restoring hope,” leaders explained. What begins as an act of service often becomes a calling, as volunteers discover the blessing of walking with others in their time of need. Some have rearranged work schedules or family commitments so they can continue serving, unwilling to let go of the opportunity to make a difference.
Gratitude has become a theme for both those receiving help and those giving it. Residents show it in embraces, words of thanks, or by telling volunteers, “This is your town now too.” Volunteers find gratitude in the privilege of serving, of being trusted with people’s deepest hurts. “It’s not the work that we’re doing,” one leader said, “it’s the silent words of we’re with you and for you and we aren’t leaving.”
CrossBridge continues to send teams every Thursday and Friday. They invite anyone who feels called to join them in rebuilding homes, restoring hope, and reminding families they are not forgotten. For those unable to go, prayer is equally vital. Pray for healing, for strength, and for peace in communities that are still grieving. The church also welcomes financial support and donations of supplies that can help families on their long road to restoration.
For the leaders and volunteers of CrossBridge, this ministry has left a permanent mark on their hearts. “My heart will be forever marked by the way I’ve seen community come together to love our neighbors,” one reflected. “It’s one thing to see it all on the news, it’s another to stand there with others in their deepest time of brokenness.” That experience has shaped not only individuals but the entire church community.
The lesson they carry home week after week is simple but profound: joy truly does come in the morning. Joy is being restored. Community is being restored. And, in time, what was broken will be better than before.
Our teams keep returning, driven by the joy of helping hope rise again.
More than nails and boards, it’s the heartbeat that whispers we’re with you.