By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org
Vickie Alexander, WMU director for Beech River Baptist Association, prepares “to-go boxes.”
LEXINGTON — Portions of Henderson and Decatur Counties sustained scattered damage from tornadoes that struck the state on the weekend of Dec. 10.
Residents of both counties, especially Decatur County, were not unscathed. Tornadoes took out the TVA lines that carried electricity into both counties.
Most of Henderson County had power restored within two days, but Decatur County was without power for six days and water for five days, said Stan Wafler, director of missions for Beech River Baptist Association.
Wafler learned of the gravity of the crisis while serving on a DR team from Beech River that was helping residents in Dresden who took a massive hit from the tornado.
“We needed to get water and food into Decatur County,” he said. All the bottled water in area stores had been given out or sold.
Phone calls were made and the association was given 288 cases of water on four pallets from a distributer in Jackson. David Adams, pastor of Southside Missionary Baptist Church in Parsons, secured a truck and trailer and he and Wafler picked up the water and delivered it to the fire department in Scotts Hill and the EMA office in Decaturville, Wafler said.
Meanwhile, Calvary Baptist Church in Parsons agreed to host the association’s ministry trailer which included a generator and to organize volunteers to provide meals in Decatur County.
Ricky Derryberry, deacon at Union Baptist Church, Chesterfield, works the grill.
While they were delivering water, Vickie Alexander, a part-time ministry assistant with Beech River and the association’s WMU director, helped secure the food so feeding operations could begin the following day, he added.
The association’s churches, residents and others donated money, supplies and labor for the effort, Wafler said. “About nine churches worked together providing volunteers, food, funds, shopping trips, and creative thinking to plan hot meals daily. I was so amazed at how God’s people were able to respond so quickly and cooperate smoothly.”
The volunteers prepared hot lunches from Tuesday through Thursday, from 350 the first day to about 650 on Thursday, Wafler said. Electricity was restored to the Decatur County on Thursday, Dec. 16.
“I cannot name every person who served or all the churches because I will leave someone out,” Wafler said.
David Adams, pastor of Southside Missionary Baptist Church, Parsons, grills burgers and hot dogs as part of the feeding efforts.
“This is why we are the Beech River Baptist Association! We build relationships so we can cooperate and be on mission to bless our communities and demonstrate that we truly are motivated by Christ’s love which is more powerful than any force or any disaster that may try to divide us. May the Lord be praised,” Wafler said.
Many of the Decatur County residents struggled with a multi-day power outage that left them scrambling to find alternate meal options in replace of spoiled food.
“There was a huge need and we wanted to help where we could assist,” Wafler noted.
Though the immediate crisis is over, the association plans to assist residents in Decatur and Henderson counties who sustained storm damage, Wafler said.
“When we are called upon, we will return to Dresden to help the people there, too,” he said. B&R
