May 3rd had been a typical day for Wesley and his wife. They retired and put their grandchildren to bed around 10:30. They were rudely awakened at 11 o’clock by a ringing phone. Their daughter was on the line, warning her parents to look out for the approaching storm. However, there were no sirens to be heard, and according to the weather update, the storm had already passed Joplin, MO.
Suddenly they heard the wind pick up, and trees started crashing to the ground. They decided they had to make a quick dash to the storm shelter in the back corner of their yard. As they rushed out the back door, a tree thundered to the ground in front of them, blocking their path. They darted around to the front of the house only to find more trees blocking their escape route!
The only option left was to re-enter the house. They gathered in a back bedroom and hoped for the best. When the wind died down, they surveyed the damage and found a mess of twisted tree trunks, branches, and debris strewn across the yard. But one tree caught their attention—the large tree right next to the bedroom where they sheltered was standing tall amid the wreckage. God’s hand had kept it from crushing them in the bedroom where they huddled.
Wesley, his wife, and their grandchildren weren’t able to make it to the storm shelter located precisely away from trees as the shelter company had recommended. But God didn’t need a storm shelter to protect them because He controls the wind and the crashing trees. He kept this large tree from landing on the bedroom they were sheltering in, sparing them from injury!
Our Rapid Response team was able to help Wesley clean up the trees and debris on the property. A bevy of tornadoes across the central U.S. from April 25 to May 4 has destroyed many homes. Our teams have been working in seven locations helping homeowners clean up the destruction and cope with the damage.
Please pray that our teams would be blessed with safety as they endeavor to show Jesus to the people affected by these tornadoes.
To help provide cleanup and rebuilding for disaster survivors through Disaster Response Services USA, click the donate button to give a gift.
