An American pastor has described how he and several partners miraculously delivered 23 tons of rice to Christians sheltering in churches in Gaza.
Pastor William Devlin, the missions pastor of Infinity Bible Church in the South Bronx, New York, declared that he believed the Lord would provide the means to deliver the rice.
Having traveled to Gaza more than 30 times to provide aid, he collaborated with Samaritan’s Purse, the charitable Order of St. John of Jerusalem Hospitallers, and the Israel Defense Forces to facilitate the delivery.
“I knew that they could do it for the glory of God, and they did,” Devlin told The Christian Post.
He explained that the effort began after he joined the Hospitallers last April. The order had previously sent 23 tons of rice to Ashdod, Israel, to aid those displaced by the Hezbollah attacks.
After Hamas invaded on October 7, 2023, Hezbollah launched numerous rocket attacks into northern Israel, forcing many residents to flee their homes and struggle for necessities.
Last September, a leader from the order contacted Devlin to discuss delivering rice to Gaza. Given his ministry work in the region, they sought his help in sending 23 tons of rice from Thailand to the Holy Family Catholic Church and St. Porphyria Greek Orthodox Church in northern Gaza.
According to Devlin, over 225 families have been seeking shelter in churches in Gaza since October 2023. Israel has vowed to eliminate the Hamas terror group that controls the region and to secure the release of over 250 individuals taken hostage on October 7.
“The order paid for the cost of the rice and the packaging, and they also paid for the shipping. I think the total cost that a donor invested was around $35,000,” Devlin explained. “I think the rice was about $27,000. And to ship it from Bangkok, Thailand, to Ashdod, Israel, was another $7,000.”
Devlin compared the logistics of getting the rice into Gaza to a scene from “Mission Impossible.” He reached out to over 30 faith-based nonprofits and spoke with more than 50 individuals within those organizations, all of whom turned him down.
In light of the objections from the nonprofits, Devlin recalled the Bible verse from Luke 18:27, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” He faced several challenges until last November when he connected with the Rev. Franklin Graham's humanitarian relief organization, Samaritan’s Purse.
Devlin and his organization, REDEEM!, had previously collaborated with Samaritan’s Purse. A representative informed him that the organization had a team in Gaza since October 2023, delivering humanitarian supplies. They also had established contacts with the IDF and the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories, which is a unit within the IDF monitoring Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip.
Thanks to these connections, Samaritan’s Purse could support Devlin's efforts, enabling the rice delivery to Ashdod on November 11, 2024.
“It was really a God thing,” he remarked. “Because 35 organizations and some 50 people within them said the rice would never get to the intended place. Well, guess what? The rice was delivered to the two churches untouched.”
