June 18, 2001

TOGETHER:
Texas Baptist Men respond in wake of Houston floods
___"The Lord called me to serve when I was a boy. But I was shy and could never see myself preaching and couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. After I was grown and got involved with Texas Baptist Men, I finally found what the Lord was asking of me. I can wrestle an 18-wheeler down the road and run this fork-lift."
___I met Larry Burks from First Baptist Church in Plano as he moved food supplies around on one of the parking lots at the Texas Medical Center in Houston. He was one of the Texas Baptist Men who arrived in Houston June 10 as part of the strike team that goes

CHARLES WADE Executive Director BGCT Executive Board

in first to help take care of those most at risk and those who come to help in the wake of disasters.
___The medical center in Houston is the nerve center of some of the most famous hospitals in the world. Severe flooding had put patient care at risk, and our men were on their way. As of late last week, five disaster relief kitchens were operating in the Houston area to help provide meals for those most in need.
___Another volunteer layman is Tommy Dulin from First Baptist Church in Harlingen. He is one of the finest salesmen in the Valley. But when disasters threaten, he goes on special alert. He is the first one on the scene so he can direct the placing of the Texas Baptist Men units as they arrive from across the state in the earliest stages of the disaster. He coordinates with city officials, the American Red Cross and other local groups so that TBM help is most strategically placed.
___As the man in charge, he wears the white hat; his leaders wear blue hats, and the others wear yellow hats. Sometimes the men change hats, since some of the yellow hats are trained to be blue hats when needed. And all of them serve wherever placed, and they serve from "can to can't," from before sunrise to after sunset. Their wives and daughters and sons sometimes come right along with them.
___There will be scores of Texas Baptist men involved in this ministry before they are finished. The TBM builders will arrive right away to begin helping repair churches and other properties.
___The churches in Houston are responding. I called several pastors to check on their needs and found them all focused on helping others. Ed Young at Second Baptist in Houston has helped mobilize hundreds of volunteers from several churches to work among the homes in east Houston that were hardest hit. Josh Guajardo, minister of missions at Tallowood Baptist in Houston, is working with Milfred Minatrea, associate coordinator of church missions and evangelism at the BGCT, in providing emergency help for families.
___I flew over the flood area with Jim Furgerson, leader of TBM, and Mike Harwood, from First Baptist Church in Corsicana, another TBM volunteer who makes his plane and helicopter available for mission work. I could see some of the damage, but I knew on the ground the devastation and the smells that accompany flooded houses would be intense and overwhelming.
___More volunteers are needed. You can connect through TBM, Second and Tallowood churches, and Union Baptist Association, where Director of Missions Tom Billings is leading his staff to assess the damage to churches and families in the midst of losing everything in the association offices.
___A letter went out to all our pastors this week, asking them to lead their churches to pray for the people in Houston hurt by the flooding and to invite everyone to give relief offerings to assist the people and churches of Houston. You can give through the BGCT to help. We already have released disaster relief reserves and will forward on to TBM and the churches in Houston your financial support.
___We will not be able to do everything needed, but we must do what we can.
___Your support, added to other Texas Baptists as they give, will enable us to make a difference in lives in Jesus' name.
___We are loved.

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