Arkansas, Mississippi, western Louisiana, and eastern Texas

• Category 4 Hurricane Laura made landfall in western Louisiana on August 27, 2020, causing extensive wind damage to property as well as major power outages

• We are saddened to report that an elderly sister passed away while being evacuated from a healthcare facility

• Another sister suffered a minor injury

• 3,992 publishers were temporarily displaced as a result of evacuations

• 10 homes of our brothers have been destroyed

• 95 homes and 4 Kingdom Halls sustained heavy damage

• 192 homes and 16 Kingdom Halls have been lightly damaged

• The United States branch has appointed a Disaster Relief Committee

• Circuit overseers and local elders continue to help publishers find safe lodging while they are displaced from their homes

• Brothers in surrounding areas made homes available for those evacuating, while all maintained safety protocols related to COVID-19. One brother who evacuated stated: “We see all of this as Jehovah’s blessing!”

By obeying direction and assisting others in times of need, our brothers and sisters in the areas affected by the hurricane “recommend [themselves] as God’s ministers.”—2 Corinthians 6:4.