Texas Churches Mourning Death of Schoolgirls; Over 110 Killed In Flooding

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

HUNT, USA (Worthy News) – Churches in the U.S. state of Texas were among those impacted by devastating flooding, with officials confirming that more than 110 people had died while more than 170 others remained missing Tuesday.

Most people were known to be missing in Kerr County as a result of the flooding in central Texas, according to Governor Greg Abbott, who cited “combined law enforcement efforts.”

At least a dozen others remained missing in other parts of the state, he said. Separately, officials confirmed that more than 110 people passed away.

As the extent of the devastation became clear, more details emerged about the dozens of Christian girls who passed away in a Christian summer camp or the area.

Blair Harber, 13, and Brooke Harber, 11, were among them. They were vacationing with their parents and grandparents on the Guadalupe River near the Texas settlement of Hunt, Texas.

The flash flood raised the river more than 22 feet (6.7 meters) in half an hour in the early morning hours of July 4, dislodging and carrying away their cabin, in which they were staying with their grandparents, Christians said.

They were reportedly discovered in Kerrville, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) from their cabin community, with their hands clasped together. Their grandparents, Charlene and Mike Harber, have yet to be found.

CATHOLIC SCHOOL

The two sisters attended St. Rita Catholic School in Dallas. Their aunt Jennifer said on a GoFundMe website page for donations for the Harber family that the girls’ parents, who were staying five cabins away from their children, awoke at around 3:30 a.m. local time on Friday to the sound of the storm. They were forced to break a window in their cabin to escape.

The girls’ father, RJ, then attempted to kayak to the girls’ cabin, but the water was too high and he was forced to turn around.

The family reported receiving text messages from the girls as their cabin was filled with water. However, those who knew them said the girls trusted Christ.

“Brooke texted my brother [her father], her grandmother, and grandfather on Annie’s side, saying ‘I love you’ at 3:30 a.m.,” the girls’ aunt wrote. “Blair and I had a conversation about God and heaven two weeks earlier. They had their rosaries with them.”

The two girls will have a joint funeral at St. Rita’s at a date that will be determined after their grandparents have also been found, according to the aunt’s message cited by the Catholic News Agency (CNA).

Notre Dame Catholic Church in Kerrville held a memorial Mass on Sunday for the girls and other flood victims.

Afterward, San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller said the Church is “listening to the cry of all those who suffer, and their cry is not falling on deaf ears.”

HOPE REMAINS

He said that “pain and sorrow and death do not have the last word”; instead, “goodness, truth, love, and care [do], and hope never dies.”

The Mass had already been scheduled as the installation Mass for the parish’s new pastor, Father Scott Janysek.

In his first homily as pastor at Notre Dame, Janysek said in a crisis, “There is only one community. Whether we’re Catholic or Protestant … at this time, boundaries do not exist. We are one community, and we are all hurting.”

“We are one Church,” Janysek continued.

Janysek spoke of the two young girls who drowned, saying: “We are connected to all the churches across our state. We hurt with them.”

Besides the two girls, Christian summer camp Camp Mystic said it is “grieving the loss of 27 campers and counselors following the catastrophic flooding on the Guadalupe River. Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly.”

It was earlier said that they have been in communication with local and state authorities, “who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls.”

DEEPLY GRATEFUL

“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from the community, first responders, and officials at every level.

We ask for your continued prayers, respect, and privacy for each of our families affected. May the Lord continue to wrap His presence around all of us,” the camp said.

Camp Mystic is a nondenominational Christian summer camp that helps girls aged eight to seventeen grow in their faith in Christ.

Established in 1926, Mystic is set on a 725-acre (293 hectares) campus consisting of two neighboring sites near the Texas settlement of Hunt on the banks of the Guadalupe River that burst its banks on July 4.

Speaking about the tragedy, Governor Abbott said “the emergency alert system” would be addressed during a special session of the state legislature later this month.

There has been concern that many residents were overwhelmed by the flooding, apparently without prior notice of the emerging tragedy.

Records show that two days before the flooding, a state inspector visited Camp Mystic and certified that it had an emergency plan in place and that its cabins and other buildings were safe.

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