Editor’s Note: If you want to help those affected by the fires, you can give through Charisma’s nonprofit partner, Christian Life Missions. One hundred percent of your donation will go to those affected. We have already sent $5,000 to Bill Johnson and Bethel Church since they know where the needs are. Send a check to Fire Disaster Fund, Christian Life Missions, 600 Rinehart Rd. Lake Mary, Florida 32746. Or give through PayPal at christianlifemissions.org. or call 407-333-0600 during business hours to give by phone.
Kristine Coffman and her husband, Drew, lost their home and nearly all their other possessions in Redding, California’s recent Carr Fire. Not long afterward, the Bethel staffer posted on her blog, later featured on charismamag.com, “While I have felt fear, there has been this unshakable hope that the story is not quite over, but just beginning.”
Only a few weeks after the devastating fire, that word came to life as friends from Bethel helped the Coffmans “ash out” (sift through the ashes) of their home. Kristine’s recent Facebook post describes God’s miraculous gift:
Getting ready to get on a plane and have a much needed get away with my hubs. While most the week I was excited for my trip today as I got ready to leave I was surprised to find myself overwhelmed with grief. It’ll be the first time we leave on a trip and will be coming back to our city but not going back to our home. The reality is still so shocking. While I may have shared a few tears today … ok, a lot of tears.
As we drive to the airport I’m reminded by this beautiful cross. When Bethel came and did an ash out (basically digging through our house to see if anything made it through the fire) one of the only things that was left was this cross. The crazy thing about it is that as someone who cares about interior design, I’m conscious of every decorative piece in my house and I’m 1,000 % sure that I never owned this cross and nobody knows where it came from. The wind could’ve flown it into our house … the house itself could’ve melted into this perfect shape … I’m not sure I’ll ever know where it came from. Although my heart is heavy and grieving I’m filled with such hope that this story isn’t over and that God will make beauty out of these ashes.
The dangers of the Carr Fire may be past, but the cleanup and rebuilding have barely begun. Please continue to pray for the Coffmans and others affected by this tragedy and ask the Lord to continue to reveal Himself in fresh ways. {eoa}
If God leads you to support this family in their rebuilding efforts, check out their GoFundMe page, created by a friend: gofundme.com/HelpCoffmansRebuild
Janet Perez Eckles 
Shawn Akers 
Abby Trivett