Southern Baptists of Texas Disaster Relief Update March 8, 2012 Tornado Outbreak

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1 Southern Baptists of Texas Disaster Relief Update March 8, 2012 Tornado Outbreak Please continue to pray for the many people whose lives have been affected by the recent tornadoes. SBTC Disaster Relief has been in contact with the affected states and on conference calls with North American Mission Board and the state convention disaster relief directors. The report is that no out of state units are needed at this time and the responses will be completed in the next few days. You may ask, What can I do? 1. Pray for those whose lives are affected by disaster events 2. Get trained!! When disasters strike we always need volunteers trained and ready to respond. I am attaching the training schedule for the remainder of Get Ready! What will your family do in the event of disaster and what can your church do to provide ministry in the event of a disaster? SBTC Disaster Relief offers seminars on Family Disaster Planning and Preparation and Church Disaster Planning and Preparation 4. Please let us know how we can assist you in Disaster Training and Preparation Jim Richardson, Director jrichardson@sbtexas.com Kelley Edwards, Ministry Assistant kedwards@sbtexas.com

2 2012 Disaster Relief Training Training April 27, 2012 SENT Conference 1000 Airport Fwy Euless, TX May 19, Baker Street Atlanta, TX June 02, S 10TH ST Pflugerville, Texas September 15, South Hedgecoke Borger, Texas Phase 2 April 30- May 05, 2012 Dogwood Trails Camp and Retreat 9570 CR 4357, Larue, TX "Yahweh, You are my God; I will exalt You. I will praise Your name, for You have accomplished wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness," Isaiah 25:1 (HCSB).

3 God is never taken by surprise. Even when a powerful storm system strikes suddenly leaving a trail of destruction He is not surprised. He is there in the midst of the storm and still there when the storm has passed through. Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers see his faithfulness first hand as they move into communities in the midst of disaster, sharing His love, passing on His peace, relying on His strength, and seeing lives changed. God alone gives them the ability to reach out and comfort hurting people when all around them is in chaos. These stalwarts can be heard praising God even when as they face the challenges of a missing food delivery or an unexpected snowfall as happened In Kentucky this week. March Tornado Outbreak Alabama Mel Johnson, Disaster Relief director for the Alabama State Board of Missions, reported on Tuesday that recovery teams and chaplains have been assisting in several areas across the state. In the Limestone Association teams worked in areas south and east of Athens. One church in the association sustained damage during the storms. Madison association deployed three teams to assist homeowners in the area and one Baptist church which sustained roof damage. Chilton and Autauga Associations responded in rural communities south of Clanton where the primary work in the area was concluded by end of day Sunday. Teams near Tallapoosa Association responded providing chainsaw and chaplaincy ministries in the Alex City/Eagle Creek areas. Tommy Puckett, District 12 Coordinator, assisted Associational Missionary, Barry Cosper, with coordination and assessment. Work will continue using teams local to the area for a few more days. Geneva Association assisted one home owner with downed trees as well as local cleanup on Saturday. Johnson expects the Alabama teams to complete most of the work across the state tobe completed by the end of the week. Illinois By the end of the day Monday, Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers had completed nearly 60 chainsaw jobs in the Harrisburg, IL area. Disaster relief chaplains joined the chainsaw teams as they worked together to pray with, give comfort to, and share the Gospel with the town's residents. Non-local disaster relief volunteers returned home after completing work Monday. Local volunteers will respond to any additional requests received. Photo left: Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers remove a tree from a damaged home in Harrisburg, IL. Disaster Relief Unit Helps with Southern Illinois Tornado Cleanup

4 Indiana At in Henryville volunteers have sorted and stacked hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds of donations. The basement gym in the church looks more like a thrift store with clothes, water, paper products and other household items. Today fifty-five Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers were ministering in Henryville, IN. Photo right: DeAnna Downey (left) and Robin Jones (right) spent Tuesday registering volunteers who came to Henryville to assist homeowners today. Downey's husband Jim is the Disaster Relief director for the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana. (photo by Beth Bootz) Chris Troncin of Henryville, IN was talking with pastor Toby Jenkins of FBC Henryville when Josh Bonner, Pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Memphis, IN, and his wife Jennifer came into FBC with two tubs full of photos that a team had salvaged from Troncin's home. Josh and Jennifer took the photos to Bethel Baptist where they carefully laid them out to dry on tables and when those were filled they filled the pews in the sanctuary. Jenkins, who's church sits amid the devastation in Henryville and who has been ministering to the community almost non-stop since the storm, was overcome with emotion when the Bonner's appeared with the photos. For Troncin, the photos were treasures saved from the ruins of her home. Pray for these pastors and others who are working hard to help those around them see God in the midst of the devastation even as they cope with their own losses. Kentucky Photo left: some of Chris Troncin's photos drying on pews in the sanctuary of Bethel Baptist Church in Memphis, TN. (photo by Beth Bootz) Ind. church shelters 200 during Henryville tornado; feeding, chainsaw work under way Kentucky Baptist Disaster relief is ministering to the victims of Fridays devastating tornados. According to Coy Webb, Disaster Relief director for the Kentucky Baptist Convention, a feeding Unit, shower units, chainsaw/recovery units, a command/communication unit, chaplains, and a score of volunteers are on the ground. In addition to these Kentucky DR units and volunteers the North Carolina Baptist Convention is assisting Kentucky, working out of the Haven of Rest for Martin and Johnson Counties with assessors, chainsaw units and chaplains. Photo right: Todd Deaton (yellow cap), DR Volunteer and Editor of the KY Baptist Western Recorder, prays with a resident in West Liberty, KY on Tuesday. (photo courtesy of KY Baptist Convention) On Tuesday twenty-four KY Baptist DR units and teams were deployed to share the compassion of our Lord with those left hurting by the tornados that swept

5 through Kentucky last Friday. Teams are working in West Liberty, Debord, London and Louisa. Volunteers completed work in Crittenden, KY Tuesday and will probably finish up in London, KY on Wednesday. View a map of the places where SBDR teams are working in Kentucky. Volunteers Help Cleanup Effort In Crittenden Storm Victims Thankful For Volunteer Assistance After tornadoes, churches get busy ministering Faith-based groups help provide food, love to tornado victims North Carolina Over 100 local and trained volunteers responded to those affected by the Central and Western NC tornadoes. Volunteers worked out of in Murphy, NC and in the Charlotte area. Thirty or more projects have been completed and approximately 1,500 meals prepared or delivered. Gaylon Moss, Disaster Relief director for North Carolina, reported today that the Charlotte operation closed on Monday and he expects the Murphy operation to be complete by the end of the week. Moss and others are already making plans for rebuild efforts to follow the recovery operations. Baptist men helping tornado victims When Giving Hurts People across the country have been shipping boxes and driving up with truckloads of donations to help residents of communities hit by the tornadoes last week. In West Liberty, KY a large pile of donations was deposited in a parking lot and then covered by a blanket of snow rendering them unusable. In Henryville, IN the pile of donations threatened to completely overwhelm a weary volunteers trying to find room to organize things so that residents could find needed items. Photo left: Clothes waiting for sorting at FBC Henryville, IN. The urge to give is strong, the media bombards us with images of devastated communities and our hearts want to reach out to the people we see whose lives have been turned upside down. This is actually a good thing. God can use this desire to minister to hurting people in a time of need. We must however be wise in our giving. Today the American Red Cross asked people to hold off on sending additional supplies to Kentucky. The National Voluntary Organizations Assisting in Disaster (VOAD) says, "The best way to help is to identify a reputable organization and send them a cash donation." If you want to donate goods to organizations assisting with disaster response National VOAD warns, "Confirm what is needed BEFORE taking action!" Find out what is really needed and make sure the organization you want to give the items to has the ability to manage the things you want to give them.

6 There are organizations with the resources to handle large numbers of donations. The Salvation Army and Christian Appalachian Project in Western Kentucky are two organizations with storage space that allows them to manage donations until organizations in areas hit by the storms can determine what they need. Photo right: Paper products fill a room at FBC Henryville, IN. No one wants to make things more difficult for people who are struggling to live in the midst of disaster. Be wise stewards of the resources God has entrusted to you. Make sure you have identified a reputable non-profit before sending them money or goods, and check with an organization before you collect items to send them to be sure the items are needed and that the receiving organization has the capacity to manage the things you collect. Giving for Kentucky disaster victims should switch to cash, state agency says Japan Earthquake/Tsunami Anniversary Sunday, March 11, is the one-year anniversary of the massive earthquake and tsunami that wreaked havoc on the coastal region of Japan's Honshu island. Southern Baptist missionaries and Japan Baptist churches have joined forces with other partners to minister to the residents of the devastated region. Leaders in Japan and North America are urging Southern Baptist Churches to pause in remembrance on Sunday. A special media package highlighting the Southern Baptist work being done in Japan's Tohoku region. On this website, you'll find stories, photos and video highlighting different aspects of the disaster relief efforts and how your work is making a small crack in the big wall the Tohoku area has put up against Christianity. The anniversary of the tsunami is March 11 - a Sunday. We hope that pastors and Sunday school teachers will be able to highlight Japan and spend March 11 praying that the doors will swing open for the Gospel in Tohoku and the ground you tilled and seeds you planted will grow into a mighty harvest. Link to stories. Teams scheduled to travel to Japan February 29-March 11 Georgia Construction team March LA Construction Team March 26-April 7 Georgia Construction team April 8-19 Texas Baptist Men Feeding specialists April 9-21 Georgia Construction team 2012 Activity Reported to Date

7 Gospel Presentations 53 Chaplaincy Contacts 451 Ministry Contacts 134 Volunteer Days 429 Meals Prepared 17,500 Mudout Jobs 5 Chainsaw Jobs 72 Showers 110 Laundry Loads 42 Children Cared For 135