Army of Mormon relief workers helping Houston recover

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - In the flood slammed west side neighborhood of Thornwood, where the term "apocalyptic" is no exaggeration, you will see plenty of yellow shirts and relentless, hard working bodies within them.

"There's a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood when you go out and serve someone you don't even know," said Andrew Morford, a Spring Branch resident helping coordinate the relief effort for the Church of Latter-day Saints.

You see, when trouble strikes, Latter-day Saints run toward the heartache and never away from it. Here in Hurricane Harvey swamped Houston, church members have deployed in force - a virtual army of Mormons "gutting and mucking" for their deeply distressed fellow man.
 
"We have another at least 11,000 coming this weekend. We are going to be targeting many of these homes. It's a race against time. Mold is fighting against us," said Morford.

That's more than 1,000 10-person clean up crews.

LDS Missionaries Sisters Tucker and Spencer have been toiling for others nearly non-stop since the storm struck and find in this catastrophe the gift of "walking their talk" of faith and resilience.

"When we are knocked down, when we face storms, when the floorboards of our lives may be torn up, we can recover and we can recuperate. Restoration can occur and beautiful things can happen," said Spencer.

Turns outs, the "take aways" run both ways, as the fortitude of Texans in need of relief, has inspired those seeking to deliver it.

"They responded so optimistically with hope and the strength to move forward and that's something I really hope I can emulate in my life," said Tucker.