Post Tornado...

Hi Everybody!!
This is the first chance I've had to write since the tornado hit (internet, tv and phones has been down at my in-laws and the libarary is in the middle of town which is off-limits right now). And if you havn't heard about it by now you must not watch tv!! (not that I'D personally know--like I said, no tv or internet!) Anyway, a tornado came through on Thursday and did a lot of damage in Enterprise. My clinic is about a mile from the high school that got hit. I got back from lunch at 1:10 and two of my co-workers were watching it rain--it was really coming down--I was dripping wet just running 20 feet from my car to the door! The rain suddenly let up some and I noticed that the clouds were starting to move. As we watched they started moving faster and then started swirling. Not two minutes later the tornado appeared and went behind the building out of our sight. So like brillent people we ran to the back of the clinic to watch it. We heard a sound (like they say) like a train and saw debris start spinning and flying in circles (turns out that was downtown) and that's about the time we ran inside. The phones and power were out so we went home about 3. However I couldn't go home b/c the road to my house was closed--you may have seen the pictures of the forest with the tops of the trees gone? They were all laying on the road we have to take to get to our house. So I went to my in-laws instead. All of us and everything we own is fine (we lost a trash can lid--that was it). However, from what I've heard 8 high schoolers lost their lives and 7-800 houses were damaged heavily or destroyed, along with a good portion of the high school. But as our preacher said yesterday. There's an earthly reality "life is tough!" and a heavenly reality--"God is good--ALWAYS!!" So you might ask in that tradgedy how can you say "God is good?" One of the familys in our church had a high schooler, Joshua, there. Usually the mom doesn't pick the kids up if school is closed--she lets them take the bus home (school closed at 1, the tornado came at 1:20) but she felt a small nudge telling her to get him. She went to the school and waited in a long line to get him called out and almost left rather than staying, but again she felt she needed to stay. Her son was called out of the hallway that collapsed and was sitting between two of the kids that died. They were even one of the few cars that made it out of the parking lot that was ripped to shreds. God is good!
Another family's house was damages--windows and doors blown off--but noone was injured. Their neighbors had a choice of going to the bathroom (like most people do) or the closet. They chose the closet. When the storm was gone the roof was gone and the bathroom was buried under a load of beams (they're still not sure where they came from...). Out of that many homes hurt only one other person died. God is good! Not that he's not good to the people who lost someone they loved or all of their possesions. God griefs with them--Jesus wept when Lazurus died--and he knew he would live again! And God knows what it's like to loose a loved one. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son that whoever believes in Him, will not perish but have everlasting live." He gave His Son for us--he grieved too. So even in grief, God is good. On Saturday a whole group of the high schoolers got together with some of the area pastors. 15 students came forward to accept Christ and be saved. Through this tradgedy God is building his kingdom. "But if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved." What a promise. "And we know that all things work together for good, to them that love God and are called according to His purpose." Many of the funerals are today, so keep praying for those that are grieving and heartbroken and for our community to gather around them and show them Christ's love and support.

So that's my take on the tornado that came through. What other excitement?? We joined Faith Independent Baptist Church last Sunday, and here's the pictures of the chuch. It's growing a lot so they are looking for a new building. They run 60-80 in the AM and that pretty much fills up the church. They bought a trailor that was behind the church and converted that into a Sunday school/Jr. Church room. So here's those pics.

Our house looks more like a home, though it's not decorated all the way yet. Here's a picture of my desk that I got for $30 at a permanent flea market (for lack of a better description) that's set up down the road from us.
And here's a pic of our living room. (I didn't show my closets, bedroom or kitchen b/c of my lack of good housekeeping skills :o)
















Well I think that's about it for now. Tracy--hope you're enjoying all of your snow :o) I can't believe it--I leave and MN FINALLY gets a good snow storm!! Even Kyylyn was excited to get out! Figures.

Oh and Toni, before I left you were sayiing you wanted to go to one of the Southern Baptist churches down here--we went to Hillcrest Baptist Church which has a membership of about 3,500 (that's about the size of the town I grew up in!!!) but anyway, they had the people all singing and swaying with their hands in the air and clapping and yelling out "Amen". It was rather interesting. So if you ever come down you can go there to see your good Souhern Church!

Alright, i'm really going now--hopefully I'll write sooner next time!

Sarah