Church Shows Love to Families of Balloon Crash Victims

When members of Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Maxwell, Texas, heard reports about a hot air balloon crash near the church, they immediately wanted to do something to help.

The church donated use of its community center so the Red Cross could set up its headquarters to assist the families and emergency workers.

"We provided some food and water and then the American Red Cross also when they arrived on scene started providing food, water, all their earthly needs; blankets, something they could wrap around," the church's pastor Caleb Jeffers told CBN News in a phone interview.

Jeffers also shared why it was important for the church to reach out.

"We as the church community we are called to be part of community, we are members of the community out there and we knew that this was going to be something we could do," he said.

Jeffers added, "it was something really simple just to open our doors to folks we had never met before, people that were hurting and that's what our church community is about serving the needs of the community that we live in."

He also explained that the families and friends of the 16 victims will need the prayers of the Christian community for quite some time.  "The biggest thing we can do is continue to lift them up in prayer, he said.  

"Gather together in our own communities and remember that these folks are just like you and I and they're just impacted by a tragedy and that they will need to continue to be lifted up in prayer."   

Investigators are searching for answers after the worst hot air balloon accident in U.S. history claimed the lives of the 16 people on board the balloon.

The ballon crashed in a field near Lockhart in Caldwell County Texas, about 30 miles south of Austin., apparently hitting a power line before plummeting into a pature.

Friends and family of the victims are posting their heartbreak and grief on Faceook and other social media sites.

Joe Owens, 43, and is wife, Tresa, who lived near Katy, Texas, were among those killed in the crash.

Holly Smith Huckabee, of Katy also died.  According to her Facebook page, faith played a huge role in her life.

She often posted pictures of crosses and in March she shared a photo from the Newsboys Facebook page that has the inscription, "Jesus. The Way. The Truth. The Life."

"They were such wonderful people," Reuben Rivera wrote on Facebook. "Holly, Joe and Tresa will be sorely missed. My heart and prayers goes out to both families as they go through this."

Newlyweds Matt and Sunday Rowan of San Antonio had been married less than six months. Sunday had bought the balloon flight for her husband as a birthday gift last year.

Joshua Rowan, Matt's brother told NBC News about his brother and sister-in-law.

"They're going to be incredibly missed.  They made a difference in so many people's lives," he said.