Reconstruction

I have so many pictures, it just gets so overwhelming, what to post without looking and feeling redundant. But last night, we were able to start and complete a project, so now I have pictures of an event that tells a story.

This family has a 13 year old with special needs. He lives at a school during the week, but comes home on the weekends. He and his older sister were in their home when the tornado struck. Mom had just driven up in the driveway when the force of the winds hit. She could NOT get her car door to open and watched as the roof sheared off the house and the walls started to fall away. To watch her tell the story with tears streaming down her face and she showed how she beat her dashboard screaming at God to save her children is something I won't ever forget. Her son received a bad cut on his foot, but otherwise they were unhurt. The house though, was basically gone. The kids were saved by a door that fell on top of the washer and dryer and protected them.

FEMA has now brought them a trailer to have until they can rebuild. The problem is that the son can not come home until there is a fence. He has been gone since the tornado (April 24) and they really want him home.

So, above, is Sam's Rover, with all the supplies to build a temporary fence for this family.



Scott was in charge, so here he is telling a lot of our youth group instructions.
And then the unloading began!
The poles had to be pounded 4 feet into the ground.
He can preach, pray and pound!!

Collin, with Andrew and Noah.

The stake driver was fun for the boys to use. They took turns as all wanted to use it.



Beauty from the Beast.
A friend sent a verse that I love.

The voice of the Lord twists the oaks
and strips the forest bare.
And in His temple all cry, GLORY!

Psalm 29:9

I find such beauty in these twisted trees.
There had to be a wrestling break with all these teen age boys!




Elliott, our youth guy, Clifton and Benton.
Little brother jumping into the picture. :)
And the project is done!
For all of you that have so graciously donated to the tornado relief fund, this is the kind of way we are spending the money. Buying supplies, working hard, and meeting the needs of people in our town.
Thank you for your prayers and your generosity in helping make this kind of work possible.

Aerial Tornado Shots

Monday morning I was on my way home from a WIC meeting at the church with Kaitlynn (who keeps the nursery once a month), when I got a phone call asking me if I wanted to see Yazoo from the air in 10 minutes. Well, of COURSE I did! Told them it might take me 15 because I had to go home and get my camera. They understood.

Steve had already flown Sam, Christopher and the pastor of 2nd Presbyterian, David Gilbert, and now it was my turn with Kaitlynn and Michelle Gilbert.

Another friend owns this little 4 seater Cessna and it was the perfect weather to fly a small plane in, clear and no wind!Everyone was excited before take off!

Mississippi is beautiful, especially from the air. This is the Delta, farmland from here to Texas.Crops AND catfish!
If you look closely at the colors, you can see the brown that was the tornadoes path through the green of the trees. 1.75 wide at its widest point.
The path went as far as I could see in either direction.
A closer look at the brown path.....

The path led right through this neighborhood where we have many friends.....Nobody was seriously hurt, but a few of the houses were very damaged.





Just so much damage....
The clubhouse at the golf course in Benton.
Hillcrest Baptist Church
A neighborhood off of Old HWY 16.
One corner of 4 points. Thankfully, this car dealership closed down months ago and the buildings and the lot were empty.
Downtown is unharmed and still beautiful. The church on the bottom facing down is the Methodist church. Our church is next to it going up in the photo, you can see the red brick tower. We have been involved in MANY churches over our years of seminaries, internships and jobs, but this sanctuary is by far the most beautiful and I am thankful it and the rest of downtown was spared.
One and a half miles down the road from where the tornado struck, is our home. I never knew we had so many trees until i saw it from the plane. Ours is the green roof on the right. We have almost 4 acres and so many beautiful trees. We only had one fall and feel very blessed.
After passing 4 points, the tornado continued down old HWY 16. The destruction here was the worst.
Highway 49 is on the left, this is the road in to Yazoo from Jackson. We call that first intersection 4 points. You can see the path going left to right. Everything in that path is destroyed.
Kaitlynn's best friend lives below. She and her mom and dad huddled in the hallway with bean bags on their heads. The back of the house was hit, a wall missing, several pieces of roof and LOTS of broken glass all over the house. Everything around them devastated, yet there their house stands. We are so thankful God spared them from injury and also spared their home.

Steve, our friend and pilot, did some drops for us and when we were almost back he did a few up and down drops and got us weightless for a few seconds. He had 3 squealing females in that tiny plane, but we loved it! I do not tend to get motion sick, but when he turned me sideways without warning when I was focusing through the camera lens with one eye shut,....ew...it got to me.
It was exciting to get to fly unexpectedly, but sobering to see all the damage from a different, more devastating angle.
I am thankful Steve asked the wives if they wanted a turn.
There is a more detailed post below with information about donations if you are interested.