Suffolk, Va. – It is day 2 …and we began by going to a local “look & leave mission” conducted by the Suffolk Emergency Management.  Residents gathered on the lawn of the Parks and Recreation Department to hear instructions on how they would be escorted to see their home for the first time since the storm. (more…)

We were up early this morning – at 6:40 – to meet the Emergency Management Directors for the local post office. Turns out, the storms also wrecked havoc on the postal system, strewing mail all over the place. Confidential information was just lying in the road and streets and paper was everywhere. Immediately they dispatched the post master and a team of volunteers to sort the mail. They filled four large mail carts by the time they were done. (more…)

After a short night of sleep, our day began with a guided tour through the devastated area with Karry, a young lady from Cragfont Baptist Church. As we went through each area, Karry greeted residents on the roads giving tips on how to navigate around the debris and over the many of the roads that were still not accessible. (more…)

Our U.S. Disaster Relief Team began responding to the Midwest Tornadoes early Wednesday morning, gathering information from various churches, national disaster relief agencies and contacts with our FEMA relationships.

I called Cragfont Baptist Church in Castalian Springs, Tenn., and talked to Ron, their church administrator who has been working around the clock over the past 24 hours. 

“What is your greatest need?” I asked.  (more…)