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Billy Graham Rapid Response Team
World News

Billy Graham team in Nice to pray after terror attack

by Hannah Tooley

The Rapid Response Team chaplains have made their way to the popular tourist destination after more than 80 people were killed by a man driving a lorry into crowds on Bastille Day on 14th July.

Ten children were killed during celebrations along the sea front.

Chuck Bender is the Chaplin Coordinator at the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team and told Premier prayers are needed for forgiveness because people are angry and confused.

He said: "Pray for a healing, forgiveness.

"I know that's difficult, but that's the process of trauma.

"[We need to] take those steps and pray for the chaplains here that they'll have wisdom and clarity and can come alongside these folks and be able after all to share the Gospel."

Billy Graham Rapid Response Team

He added: "People are suffering from what we call post-traumatic stress.

"They're angry, they're confused, they question God, why would a good God have something like this happen to them?

"We want to reassure them that God does love them, He cares about them and that he's there to love and help them."

He told Premier how they are operating: "We come alongside of them, we carry candles, lighters, Kleenex [tissues] and a bottle of water.

"As they're mourning we ask them if they'd like to light a candle, or they'd like a drink of water, and just stand there and grieve with them.

"[We ask] would you like to pray? And of course they respond with a yes."

The trip to Nice is the fifth time in the last nine months that the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team has sent chaplains into areas hit by disaster.

In November the team travelled to Paris following the terrorist attacks, in January they responded to the flooding in Shipley, West Yorkshire and Inverurie, Aberdeenshire and in March the team visited Brussels after terror attacks.

Listen to Premier's Hannah Tooley speak to Chuck Bender here:

 
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