Dear friends,
Here is what we know so far:
1) Blue Hole Rd. is pretty much underwater, and due to the difficulty folks will have in getting to the church, we are cancelling ALL activities tomorrow.
2) Mary and Savannah Stephens were caught in the water on I-24. They were able to get out of their car, jump the median and hike up to Haywood Lane where they were rescued by Mike and Susan Rainey. They are shaken but fine, and we give God thanks for keeping them safe.
3) Melanie and Scott Bethel’s house was flooded.
4) Janice Crittenden had flooding in her basement.
5) Almost all of our neighbors on Benzing Rd. have experienced serious flooding and will have significant damage. We hosted a couple of families at the church but power is out at the church, so we sent them to the Red Cross shelter at David Lipscomb.
6) The Apollo Apartments on Richards Rd. have been evacuated and are flooded. This is a low income housing complex which means that a number of poor folks are suddenly homeless.
So what next?
We are a church that knows something about flooding. It’s part of our story, and many of you know first hand the effects of that on one’s life. I have already told some of the families on Benzing to call us when it’s time for cleanup, believing that loving our neighbors is absolutely central to walking in the way of Jesus. I have contacted Jason Brock at the Conference office to ask for Flood Buckets for our neighbors, and we will likely need folks to help distribute these buckets. We will also need folks to help with cleaning and all the work necessary to help folks recover from floods.
I will work to keep you informed as more information develops.
Most of all, pray a lot!
See you soon,
Jay
