God's Protection

Good Evening!

Thank you for your prayers.  On Tuesday before I left Grand Rapids I had asked for your prayers for our team as we came together, as we had our first meeting and that we would work well together.  It has only been three days but it seems like we have known each other forever and that we have worked well together for a long time. What a great group of people that God had planned to bring together.  Why am I surprised?

One of our team members was unable to join us as he had planned.  He fell from his deck last weekend, hit his head and needed stitches.  Please keep him in your prayers as he heals. 

In the last three days with walking the neighborhoods and with the people that have come into the walk in center we have made contact with around 500 households that were affected by the tornado.  We have completed surveys from about 5% of these families.

Please pray that we will have more families come into the walk in center tomorrow.  We know many of the people were working when we were in their neighborhoods the last few days.  We hope and pray that they feel comfortable with the process and come to share where they are currently with their home  and what needs to be completed. 

While in the neighborhoods it is hard to see how one house can be totally destroyed and a house a half a block away was not affected at all.  To see how the tornado shifted and the winds around it changed peoples lives significantly.  When we look at the damage we are so thankful that the community did not have any deaths as a result of the tornado.

It has been so great to hear about how neighbors who have basements called or went to get their neighbors who did not have basements to bring them to their homes so they could be safe.  Neighbors helping neighbors.

As I thought of how different people have shared their experience of the tornado I thought of Deuteronomy 31"6 and how God assures us that He will not leave us or forsake us.  So this evening I read how Moses was preparing the Israelites because he was in his last days.  He wanted to encourage them that the Lord would be with them.  That He (the Lord) had chosen them and would protect them.  The Lord said he will destroy the people that are living in the land that they are to live.  Moses said, "Be strong and courageous!  Do not be afraid of them!  The Lord your God will go ahead of you.  He will neither fail you nor forsake you."

I have asked people if they saw the tornado and they said no, that it was dark.  They said they could feel it but not see it.  I am thankful that God was with the people and that He protected them from seeing what was coming.

Another person shared that God was with her and protected her.  She said she was reciting Psalm 91. What an amazing testimony!  In the NLT the Theme for Psalm 91 is: "God's protection in the midst of danger.  God doesn't promise a world free from danger, but he does promise his help whenever we face danger."  If you have a chance read Psalm 91.  What an amazing Psalm!

Thank you for your continued prayers for the people in Coal City and for our team.