By David Dawson
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

FRANKLIN — More than a year after a series of tornadoes ripped through parts of Middle Tennessee, many people in the affected areas are still hurting. 

And Tennessee Baptists are still helping.

Undaunted by the enormity of the workload, Tennessee Baptist disaster relief teams have remained in action, continuing to assist those in need. And there’s still a long way to the finish line. 

“The truth is, for many people, the recovery is just beginning — and our efforts are ongoing,” said Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. 

“Given the distance the storm track covered, you knew that it was going to take some time for residents to recover from what happened. So, we were prepared for it to be a long process.”  [Read more…]

By Jane Rodgers
Correspondent, Southern Baptist TEXAN

ALEXANDRIA, La. — Pummeled first by the category 4 Hurricane Laura on Aug. 27, then inundated by torrential rains from Hurricane Delta only six weeks later, Louisiana endured a double hit prompting a multi-state response by Southern Baptist disaster relief volunteers — including DR teams from the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention — that is bearing fruit.

DR crews serving in the Bayou State after Hurricane Laura paused work as Delta churned its way inland. Volunteers returned to the field Oct. 11, as a SBTC DR administrative team assumed responsibility from Louisiana Baptist DR for coordinating SBDR recovery efforts based at Philadelphia Baptist in Alexandria.

Volunteers from Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas and Louisiana reestablished operations in Alexandria, with additional teams from Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Alaska and Texas’ Jacksonville College expected to rotate in, said Wally Leyerle, SBTC DR associate and incident leader. Leyerle told the Texan much of the work based in Alexandria is a continuation of Laura recovery efforts and was expected to wrap up on Oct. 31.

Divine appointments

For volunteers like Tennessee’s Karen and Tommy Wilson, the deployment has brought unexpected blessings. The couple returned to Alexandria after serving two weeks there following Laura and spending a week at home in Martin, awaiting Delta. They are members of First Baptist Church, Dresden. [Read more…]

By Lonnie Wilkey
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

MOUNT JULIET — In September Wes Jones celebrated his fifth anniversary as disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.

To say the former Southern Baptist missionary (along with his wife Pam) and director of missions in Iowa has been busy over those five years would be an understatement.

The humorous part is that during the interview process for the position he was told that there were not that many callouts. Most of his time would be spent training DR volunteers and having them prepared when needed. “I was told things would be pretty mellow,” he recalled with a grin.

Instead, “hectic” best describes the last five years of Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief. 

When Hurricanes Laura and Sally struck in late  August and early September, it marked the 78th and 79th DR responses by Tennessee volunteers over the past five years. “What an adventure it has been.” [Read more…]

Editor’s note: The story was updated on Sept. 21.

By Lonnie Wilkey
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

WINNFIELD, La. — Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers are in action, ministering in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura.

Volunteers began arriving over Labor Day weekend, with the first team stationed at First Baptist Church, Winnfield, La.

On Sept. 19, the Tennessee Baptist DR operations moved to Philadelphia Baptist Church Horseshoe Drive, Alexandria, La.  The DR operation in this area included teams from Weakley County Baptist Association and Brainerd Hills Baptist Church, Chattanooga.

Through Sept. 17, Tennessee DR volunteers responding to Hurricane Laura had compiled more than 3,000 work hours, and completed more than 60 chain saw jobs.

There have been 267 professions of faith during the response efforts from all DR teams (Tennessee and others), noted Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.

“That’s the number that is most important to us,” Jones said.

Though Winnfield is 125 miles north of where Laura came ashore in Lake Charles, it was still a Category 2 hurricane when it hit the area, said Gary Brooks, a DR volunteer from Knox County Baptist Association and a member of Glenwood Baptist Church, Powell.

Brooks, who is serving as the team’s “Blue Cap” told the Baptist and Reflector on Sept. 9 that the team has been working in Dodson, about 10 miles from Winnfield. “This place is absolutely torn up,” he said. “If you drive down any street, every second or third house has a tree in the middle of it.” [Read more…]