(Digital Editor's Note: This article was published first in the July 2023 print edition of The Stand.)
From the south comes the storm ... Job 37:9 (NASB)
Sadly, the people of Mississippi can attest to the truth of the verse above. On Friday, March 24, multiple deadly tornadoes swept through the state, coming from the south across the Louisiana-Mississippi state line. The destruction began around 8 p.m. when an EF4 tornado with recorded winds of 170 mph stormed eastward, killing 25 people in its 60-mile assault across the state.
Damage reports quickly poured in, with thousands of properties damaged or destroyed in 12 counties statewide. Many of those homes and businesses were left with only a slab of concrete or mound of dirt to show for lifetimes of labor.
Neighbor to neighbor
Yes, tornadoes are often deadly and unpredictable, but one thing remains constant after such storms: the faithfulness of God’s people to offer help and hope.
In Amory, Mississippi, neighbors helped neighbors. People crawled out of their storm shelters and safe spaces and began offering aid to those around them. Within hours, multiple Christian aid organizations from across the nation began pouring into Mississippi to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those in need.
Among the first Christian groups to arrive ready to offer immediate cleanup and relief assistance were Rapid Response Teams from Samaritan’s Purse (SP).
Since 1998, SP has sent disaster relief teams to areas in America adversely impacted by natural disasters. Be it floods, fires, hurricanes, or tornadoes, SP sends volunteers to offer immediate relief in times of calamity.
With eight complete units of volunteers and equipment, SP has deployed relief teams to 247 locations in 39 states over the last 25 years. In that time, more than 174,000 volunteers have helped over 50,000 families.
Seniors as servants
On March 31, staff members of The Stand witnessed SP’s inspiring relief efforts. We watched in awe as volunteers clad in bright orange T-shirts worked on clearing the debris from several properties along a rural road eight miles southwest of Amory.
Using various heavy-duty pieces of machinery, they removed uprooted ancient trees, overturned cars, and entire walls of homes. After larger pieces of debris were piled high, other volunteers moved in to rake, sift, and clean each homesite by hand.
As we visited onsite with SP volunteer chaplains Rick and Gay Carter, we asked this husband-wife team how SP is able to quickly deploy such a large, finely-tuned volunteer team to disaster sites.
Rick explained the process for volunteers: “Samaritan’s Purse sends out an alert to us that they are assessing an affected area, and we are told to be on standby. Then, we get a text that says, ‘We’re going. Give us your availability.’”
“We’re not always available,” Rick added. “But if we are, they let us know when and where to report. And that’s the process that brought us here to Amory.”
Gay discussed why they (and many others) repeatedly volunteer to help with the ministry’s rapid response relief efforts.
Going with the gospel
“We had worked with this ministry for years,” explained Gay. “But around 2012, we started working as trained chaplains because much of the work done by volunteers cannot be carried forward by those we minister to after we leave. The spiritual portion of what we do through SP can always be carried with them.”
“Take this family as an example,” added Rick, pointing to surrounding wreckage. “I don’t know their situation here. They may or may not be able to move back to this property, but they can always take the Lord with them.”
At his words, we all grew silent and winced as a large portion of an antique cherry dining table, likely a family heirloom, was dumped onto a mound of garbage.
“Though this family may have survived,” Gay said, “so much of what they have worked for in life is gone forever. But Jesus cannot be taken from them.”
“Over the years, we have seen so much devastation,” said Rick. “But one day, I was sitting on a bench with a woman as we watched her damaged home being taken down to the studs.”
He continued his story, explaining how he gained her permission to ask a very personal question: “Is Jesus enough?”
The lady answered, “Yes. Jesus is enough.”
At this point, Rick paused and spoke through tears: “And that’s why we do what we do.” At age 77, he urges other seniors not to be afraid of stepping out in faith to serve others and honor Christ. The Carters estimate that they’ve been on some 50 SP projects.
Whether it’s riding atop bulldozers, wielding shovels and rakes, passing out bottles of water, or simply listening to the heart cries of those who have lost so much, the Carters and other SP volunteers will continue to come from across the nation to share the love of Jesus with those in need.
These volunteers believe it does not matter if the enemy comes in like a flood or as a whirlwind from the south, for the Lord will lift up a standard against him. And SP intends to be that Christ-filled standard of hope and help.
