It's old news that a few F5 tornados hit central Oklahoma in mid-May, but what isn't becoming old news is the outpouring of support for those affected by the disaster.
I am incredibly humbled to work for a church that within minutes of the storm on May 20th opened its doors as a shelter that turned into one of the largest distribution centers in the metro. Our church building for two weeks was a place of refuge, a place of support and a place of relief for families and individuals affected as well as for volunteers coming in from all over the country to lend a hand.
Since the beginning of June, we relocated our disaster relief efforts to an old airport hangar now used as a gymnasium called the Optimist Gym. This sports organization has graciously allowed us to use their space as we continue to give support to the Moore and surrounding communities.
There is still much to be done, but I am so joyous that our efforts have reached over 700 families with the help of thousands of volunteers. It makes my heart happy to watch the church be the Church.
One of my favorite stories was this young man, William. He's from McKinney, Texas. William had been saving up for something big he wanted for quite a while, his mom, Ann, said. All his birthday and Christmas money had been stowed away for this prize, but as soon as William heard about the Moore tornado, he knew he had to do something. He used all his money to rent a U-Haul trailer and begin stocking it with supplies. His neighbors and church members saw what William was doing and they decided to partner with him. So William's efforts blew up! Not only did he and his mom bring a van load of supplies to donate, but so did two additional groups from his church. And those groups stayed to serve at Ground Zero.
Though I didn't get to meet William and Ann in person when they arrived, I know if Ann lived closer, we'd be best friends. The conversations she and I shared via email over the course of those few days of collecting and delivering supplies, I can tell she and her husband are believers raising a godly young man.
In an email to me, Ann wrote, "...we are completely blown away by what your church has been able to pull together. It was SO easy to jump right in and serve. What a refreshing and joy filled experience in such a horrible situation. God bless you all for obeying God's call to open your doors and invite the entire community in. I imagine your staff is exhausted and I am praying for endurace in this road set before you. He will bless every minute of your rest knowing you are loving HIs people with all that you have to give!"
We had hundreds of volunteers enter our doors each day. Though that has slowed some, most have gone back to their normal routines, we still have a core group of dedicated volunteers serving this community. Ministry is hard work, but I am honored to be called to it and part of this House at Journey Church.
If you're interested in serving in some way, please visit our disaster relief website, www.helpmoorerebuild.com.
