May 1, 2000

Baptist volunteers serve Marshall
after twister tears through territory
___By Orville Scott
___Texas Baptist Communications
___MARSHALL--Arriving to survey tornado damage to Fairview Baptist Church early last Monday morning, Wayne Hunt and Don Nichols were thanking God for miraculous intervention.
___In the midst of destruction on all sides, "it appeared God stretched out his hand and

DISASTER RELIEF VOLUNTEERS Ronald Jones of Harleton Baptist Church and Carolyn Jones of Maston Baptist Church in Diana serve a young girl from the mobile kitchen set up in Marshall after a tornado swept through the area Easter Sunday. (Photo by Orville Scott)

protected his house and the people," the church leaders agreed.
___"Services were to begin at 5:45, but the storm struck at 5:10; so there was nobody here," they explained.
___As they surveyed the damaged, Hunt and Nichols were amazed to see a small army of East Texas Baptist disaster relief volunteers--both men and women--drive in with a field kitchen and other equipment.
___The twister, which wrought massive destruction to a forest across the road from the church, as well as to homes along a four-mile stretch, lifted just enough to clear the church before descending on nearby businesses near the junction of Highway 59 and Interstate 20.
___"It's miraculous that nobody was even injured," said Randy Babin, director of missions for Soda Lake Baptist Association. "It was the hand of God."
___The same reaction came from Carlton Burris, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Marshall, who saw the tornado headed for his parsonage. "It sounded like a freight train," he recalled.
___He and his wife, Nancy, knelt praying in an inner hallway as the storm dropped five large pines on the house. He was showered with glass, but no one was injured.
___"I'm still amazed," Burris said. "For about a minute, there was total chaos, with the house shaking, trees falling, glass shattering and golf-ball size hail. Then it was suddenly quite as a mouse, and we were praising the Lord."
___Setting up in one of the hardest-hit areas, East Texas Baptist disaster relief volunteers served about 1,000 meals the first two days after the storm.
___Baptist Student Ministries volunteers from East Texas Baptist University joined with others to clear debris from around Fairview Church and assist homeowners.
___Besides roof and steeple damage to its main building, Fairview's utility building was demolished when a large oak fell across it.
___Nichols estimated damage will exceed $20,000.
___

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