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Monday, May 20, 2013
Billy Graham Rapid Response Team Chaplains Deployed to Moore, Okla Following Tornado Tragedy with 51 Dead
By Jeremy Reynalds
Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service
MOORE, OKLA. (ANS) -- Crisis-trained chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team are being deployed to Moore, Okla., the suburb of Oklahoma City that sustained a direct hit from a massive two-mile wide tornado earlier today.
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Moore devastation. |
A CNN report said rescue workers raced against time and darknessMonday night looking for survivors after a powerful tornado blasted an area outside of Oklahoma City, leveling homes and leaving at least 51 people dead.
At least 20 of the dead were children, including at least seven from Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, which lay directly in the path of the monster storm's wall of wind.
Seventy-five students and staff members had been huddled at the school when the tornado hit, CNN affiliate KFOR reported.
"Our hearts are breaking for all of those in the path of this horrific tornado. Words can't do justice to the pain that is being experienced in and around Moore," said Jack Munday, international director of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, speaking in a news release.
He added, "Please pray continuously for all of those who lost loved ones, and for those who may still be trapped amidst the rubble."
The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team is deploying in coordination with Samaritan's Purse, headed by Franklin Graham, who is also president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Together the two ministries will seek to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of those impacted by the storm.
About the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team: The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team is a nationwide network of Christian chaplains across 48 states that are specifically trained to deal with crisis situations. Since the ministry was launched in 2002, it has responded to more than 155 natural and man-made disasters, including hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires and shootings.
For more information on the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, visit www.billygraham.org/rrt.
| Jeremy Reynalds is Senior Correspondent for the ASSIST News Service, a freelance writer and also the founder and CEO of Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter,http://www.joyjunction.org He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. His newest book is "A Sheltered Life." Additional details on "A Sheltered Life" are available at http://www.ashelteredlife.net. Reynalds lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information contact: Jeremy Reynalds atjeremyreynalds@comcast.net. |
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Dear Moms in Prayer sisters,
Our hearts are heavy for the losses experienced by so many. We thank God that His grace is sufficient, that He is our strength, our hope, our anchor and sure foundation. Please join together in praying for the following:
We rejoice with Moore Area Coordinator Sherry Langston, that her home was spared and after six hours she was reunited with her daughter!
We rejoice with Edmond Area Coordinator Jill Bailey, that her husband’s school was spared. Johnny serves as a principal in Moore and has the difficult task of sharing the news of lost lives with family members. Please pray for Johnny to have words of wisdom and comfort for these families. Pray for energy and stamina for the hard days ahead.
Our Oklahoma Outreach Coordinator Marsha Martin is currently involved in relief efforts. Please be praying for all those serving others.
Click here to link to the Oklahoma prayer sheet. Thank you for agreeing together in prayer for those affected by the storm.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea.
Psalm 46:1-2 (ESV)
May the Lord bless you and keep you,
Kendra Rock, Oklahoma State Coordinator
Jan Sutterfield, Southwest Regional Director
Sharon Gamble, USA National Director
"My niece Mary*'s school in Moore was Plaza Towers. The tornado hit it but Janie* (their mom) had just left with all three of my brother's kids. Tornado in her rearview mirror. They are safe. Praying for the families of Moore."
One relief partner reported, "We just sent 2 semi-truckloads to a partner church in Moore. I thought that would last a good while, but as soon as we got there we realized this will be gone in no time!"
The damage left by the F4 tornado that swept through Oklahoma is unimaginable. The debris field continues as far as the eye can see. And everywhere survivors are trying to salvage what they can, grieve what they lost, and just make it through the day.
Since tornadoes started hitting the Midwest a few days ago, the on-going prayer needs have been constant. Even now, tornadoes are still threatening the area. In the midst, Somebody Cares is seeing God's hand moving through the Net that Works!
We are telling churches and families on the ground that we are in it for the long-haul. As one pastor in Moore said, "this is an opportunity for the Church to rise up".
Will you join us in showing him and others we ARE rising up to support the many churches and families of Oklahoma and Texas?
The first 72 hours of response are critical. That is why we are mobilizing help urgently now! Please Join Us!
Sincerely,
Somebody Cares America
PO Box 925308
Houston, TX 77292
713-621-1498
www.somebodycares.org
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin: We Need Prayers
(Tuesday, May 21, 2013)
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin said Tuesday that her state will rebuild, and she asked for prayers to aid the rescue and recovery.
"Will we be back? Absolutely. Oklahoma has gone through this a couple times, and we’re resilient, strong, courageous people," Fallin said.
The Associated Press reported Tuesday that at least 24 people - seven of them children - were killed during Monday’s tornadoes, which whipped through the suburban-Oklahoma City region. More than 120 people, including about 50 children, are hospitalized because of the tornadoes, according to The AP.
This is the fourth tornado to strike the area since 1998.
"We will rebuild, and we will regain our strength," Fallin said a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will travel to the area to view the damage on Wednesday.
President Obama pledged Tuesday that his administration and the nation will help Oklahoma recover and rebuild after what he called "one of the most destructive tornadoes in history." Speaking from the White House, Obama told those affected by the destruction that while they "face a long road ahead," Americans will be by their side.
"You will not travel that path alone. Your country will travel with you, fueled by our faith in the almighty and our faith in one another," he said.
(Sources: Politico, The Hill, ABC News)
As the Lord leads, please pray:
Tornados-Kansas, Oklahoma and Iowa 2013
Governor, Mary Fallin
- Search and Rescue from other states called in
- Don’t self-deploy!
- Stay away from nearby damage
- Traffic backed up (main highways and back roads)
- Downed power lines, communication is difficult
- St Andrews Church, Abundant Life – Reunification center for parents to meet up with children
- Emergency declaration signed for 21 counties in OK
- 80 National Guard members called out
- ARD, SA working to provide food and water
- 5 schools damaged in these storms
Gary Burton, Fire Chief
- No mutual aid response needed at this point
Police Chief
- Perimeter set up – stay out
- Safety issues: gas lines, power lines
- Search and rescue efforts continuing through night
City Manager, OK City
- Water treatment plant lost power but not damaged. May be a few hours until turned back on. Water is safe, use sparingly while recovering from outage.
Death Toll: 24
Zip Codes: 73160
Meet the Need: 73160 OK Filter
OKVOAD: Website
Oklahoma Tornadoes and Beyond: 5 Ways to Get Involved in Disaster R...
Posted: 20 May 2013 03:47 PM PDT
I've spoken in Moore and spent some time there. It is not a rural area, but it is a developed area and this major tornado has brought remarkable damage.
Right now, Christians and churches are praying, but they are also asking, what can we do to help? Well, having worked at the North American Mission Board (the third largest volunteer disaster relief agency, right behind the Red Cross and Salvation Army), and having assisted in disaster relief work personally, I've leaned a few things that might be helpful.
Here are five helpful things (edited from an earlier blog post) to remember when thinking about disaster relief.
In other words, they are already on site making The Weather Channel look late.
4. By giving to agencies already in place, you minimize inefficiency and get resources to the areas of need. For example, Southern Baptists have assigned disaster relief coordination to the North American Mission Board. The NAMB disaster relief site explains, "When you give to Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, 100% of what you give goes directly to disaster relief efforts so your donation goes further. We do not pay salaries or overhead out of those funds."
Giving directly can be helpful if you have friends and relationships in an impacted area, but it is almost always better stewardship to give through a disaster relief organization. During times of extreme devastation like the Japanese and Christmas Eve tsunamis, the Haitian earthquake or Katrina, relief opportunities pop up all over the place. It sometimes reminds me of "Whack-A-Mole." The problem is that some of them are bogus, set up on the fly by hucksters using a coffee shop wifi and their black-ops PayPal account. Others are rife with overhead expenses creating what amounts to an organization of jobs where much stays home and little relief is accomplished.
5. Avoid the temptation to load up a tractor-trailer with supplies unless you are connected with someone on the ground meeting a specific request. In the days and weeks following Katrina, so much bottled water was needed we could have exhausted aquifers all over the country. But often a supply trailer becomes a receptacle for "guilt giving" with the resultant broken furniture, dirty clothes and perishable food. It does no good to barrage disaster areas with more stuff that winds up being added to the debris piles. Disaster zones do not need junk brought into them. Again, contact with people on the ground is very helpful to inform what items need to be brought into the area.
I can assure you (as I've seen it myself), unsolicited donations end up in piles and needed materials are nowhere to be found. When it comes to disaster relief, don't follow your heart, follow the direction of those already engaged.
So, help by praying and giving, then get better prepared for next time when you might also get personally involved as needed.
More disasters are coming. They always do. Be prepared, not just for the disaster, but to serve the hurting in these critical times.
Phil
Pray! Coordinator
Emergency Report From Prayer Force One
Several years ago, when Joplin, MO was hit with a killer tornado, with your help, Prayer Force One arrived on the scene within 48 hours, filled to capacity with relief supplies. Today however, Prayer Force One has no need to go anywhere. Instead, our church, our home, and Prayer Force One were in the direct path of even worse killer tornadoes!
As all of you know by now two days of massive tornadoes have hit in the home base area of Prayer Force One. And while devastation is all around our home and church, I am very grateful to say that our family suffered no lasting damage. I do wish I could say the same for those all around us. The most horrific devastation is in Moore, Oklahoma, the area just west of us, (where I served as an Oklahoma State Senator during the Reagan era). This area has been absolutely devastated by a massive F-5 tornado. Our people have lost homes, and as of this writing, at 3:54 AM, there have been 24 confirmed deaths, with the death toll expected to rise.
Prayer Force One’s home church has now been turned into an emergency command center, and on a more personal note, even as I write, our son Corley Moore (shown with me in the second photo), a Moore, Oklahoma firefighter, is digging through debris in a search and rescue operation all through the wet night. In the photo just above, Corley, (the middle fireman) is seen lifting a little girl from the rubble of the Plaza Towers Elementary School. Most of what I have seen and heard so far has been heart-wrenching
WE NEED YOUR HELP.... NOW!
I have talked with our staff, and we feel the most effective thing that we can do at this time is to mount an all out nation-wide disaster relief fund-raising effort. The need is urgent and time is of the essence. Therefore, we are asking every friend of Prayer Force One, to send a financial donation, no matter how large or small. I can assure you that every penny sent will be used to aid victims of the tornado. Will you stand with Oklahoma in her hour of need? To make a financial donation, just click on our Prayer Force One logo below or send your donation by mail to:
Prayer Force One
Oklahoma Tornado Relief Fund
P.O. Box 270
Newalla, OK 74857
PLEASE FORWARD &/OR PLACE ON FACEBOOK
To further help in this effort, we are asking every individual, every church and every other Christian organization to join in this disaster relief effort. Please forward this email to all on your list and then POST and LIKE this effort on your Facebook page!
Together we can and must make a difference!!! Thank you for doing what you can. I know that the LORD will bless you for your love and generosity. We are counting on you!
P.S. Again, to make a donation, just click on ANY photo or logo above. God bless you!
Let us interceded for the people of Oklahoma City at the beginning of this Thursday, 3pm EDT
, conference call and options of Prayer Surge NOW! 5/25. Please read details of these two critical national conference call prayer gatherings below or visit www.prayersurgenow.net.
MOORE, Okla. (BP) -- Dozens were killed as a historic tornado moved through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, Okla., Mondayafternoon (May 20) prompting the North American Mission Board to direct all incoming disaster relief funds to the area.
By Tuesday morning the death toll was reported at 51 and climbing, but the medical examiner's office later revised that to at least 24 deaths including nine children, according to the Associated Press.
Many of the victims were children, after the tornado severely damaged two elementary schools. The search for survivors continued Tuesday, and it was unclear how many could still be trapped in rubble, dead or alive.
Southern Baptist Convention President Fred Luter expressed concern for the tragedy in the nation's heartland.
"On behalf of the Southern Baptist Convention, our prayers and thoughts are with the families and victims of the tragic tornado in Moore, Okla.," Luter said in a statement May 21. "Not only our prayers but disaster relief teams from across the SBC are there to assist in any way possible. May God give the citizens of Moore, Okla., comfort, strength and hope during this trying time."
More than 230 people were injured as the two-mile wide tornado stayed on the ground for 40 minutes, cutting a 17-mile path in a heavily populated area. An early estimate rated the tornado as an EF4, CNN said.
The North American Mission Board, in charge of the national Southern Baptist Disaster Relief operation, used Twitter Monday night to signal an exclusive allotment of funds.
"We are currently directing all donations to our disaster fund to Oklahoma City relief. #prayforoklahoma," NAMB tweeted with a link to a donation form.
Frank Page, president of the SBC's Executive Committee, told Baptist Press May 21 his prayers "go out to the dear people of Oklahoma during this tragic time." Read More
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