July 15, 2002

Floodwaters cover roads under U.S. Hwy. 281 in San Antonio.	Texas Baptist Men volunteers prepare a mobile field kitchen for use in flood relief ministries in San Antonio.

TEXAS BAPTIST MEN:
Out of the fire & into the flood
___By John Hall
___Staff Writer
___SAN ANTONIO--Texas Baptists are saturating Central Texas with food, aid and the gospel in the wake of severe flooding since July 1.
___Fresh on the heels of feeding firefighters in Colorado and Arizona, seven units of Texas Baptist Men totaling about 120 volunteers prepared and served more than 9,000 meals daily to evacuees from Abilene to Uvalde. Officials expect the meal count to steadily increase as the floodwaters continue to move through town after town.
___Two other Texas units were on standby as the floodwaters flowed downstream. If those two units are activited, it would be the first time all Texas Baptist Men disaster units have been sent out simultaneously.

Texas Baptist Men volunteers from Plains prepare hot meals at the Salvation Army's command post in Castle Rock, Colo. The meals were delivered to firefighters, forest service workers and others closer to the front lines of the Hayman fire. (Allen Spencer, Rocky Mountain Baptist Photo)

___Storms pounded the region with record rainfall, causing many lakes and rivers to overflow their banks and dams and pour into cities. More than 48,000 people were affected, and several cities were crippled, with 160 road closures reported in San Antonio alone. At the recommendation of Gov. Rick Perry, President George W. Bush declared 13 counties disaster areas. Perry has requested the designation for 17 more counties.
___Working in coordination with the Red Cross, the units strategically scattered across the flooded land, surrounded by water in one instance, in order to reach the pockets of need.
___"Every time I've gone to a disaster, the Texas Baptist Men have been fantastic," said Mark Fisher of Red Cross public affairs. "I can't say enough about them. They are as prepared as any emergency organization, including Red Cross and Salvation Army. They're smart. They're quick. They've built up the resources to go anywhere at a moment's notice."
___The flood relief project, one of the largest ever undertaken by Texas Baptist Men, has been problematic at times to coordinate, said Jered Sellers, leader for the project. Because of the distance between various relief sites, Sellers communicates with each unit via HAM radio.
___The scope of the project also caused some delays in positioning units and supplying them with food to cook. The wait was especially excruciating on July 4, according to one unit leader.
___"The guys had a tough day July 4," said Gary Smith, a unit leader from

Texas Baptist Men volunteers make dinner plans for service at McCreless Mall in San Antonio.

Midway Road Baptist Church in Dallas. "All day on the fourth when they could've been with their family, we were sitting around waiting for more information, trying to find out if this was a good spot. These guys are active people, so it was hard for them. But we know who's in control, who's leading, so we just follow the Lord."
___The units are feeding substantially fewer people than they are capable of aiding, but volunteers are keeping the food as fresh as possible for those who receive it. It is not the numbers that matter to the men, but the needs that are met.
___"I get a blessing out of going and helping people," said Thomas Cook of the Wichita -Archer-Clay unit, which is stationed in Kerville. "Knowing you're helping people, it doesn't matter if it's small numbers or large numbers."
___Whether serving one or thousands, Sellers said disasters provide a unique opportunity for ministry.
___"There's something about a disaster situation that softens their heart," he said. "God breaks down the walls in their heart, and the chance to minister to them is multiplied."
___To help meet this opportunity, San Antonio Baptist Association is coordinating the efforts of Baptist churches in the area, including enlisting volunteers and gathering donations for the needy as well as the cleaning process.
___Texas Baptist Men also is coordinating the mud-out process of cleaning homes.
___They will follow the flow of the floodwater toward the Gulf of Mexico, helping as they can, Sellers said.
___In what has been an unusually busy summer for Texas Baptist Men, two units were pulled from the Arizona wildfires to serve in Abilene and Brownwood. The large projects undertaken by Texas Baptist Men as well as a serious storm forming in the gulf have left a need for trained volunteers as well as financial gifts.
___"God's getting us ready for something," Sellers said. "God's preparing us to do his work through disaster relief. It's important people realize the importance of disaster relief in Texas and nationally. When God pulls at their heartstrings, they need to act now. When the next disaster comes, it will be too late. Lives can be changed forever simply doing the things Christ called us to do."
___Designated gifts to Texas Baptist Men disaster relief may be sent to Treasurer, Baptist General Convention of Texas, 333 N. Washington, Dallas 75246. Contact the Texas Baptist Men office at (214) 828-5356. For volunteer information or to make a donation through San Antonio Baptist Association, call (210) 525-9954.
___Texas Baptist Men volunteers prepare a mobile field kitchen for use in flood relief ministries in San Antonio.

Where Texas Baptist Men are serving
___Midland-Odessa unit, Adams First Community Center in Brownwood.
___Top O' Texas unit, Abilene.
___Main Texas unit, carrying a kitchen on an 18-wheeler, McCreless Mall in San Antonio.
___Bluebonnet unit, Sattler at the elementary school.
___Tyler unit, Uvalde.
___Tarrant unit, First Baptist Church of New Braunfels.
___Wichita-Archer Clay unit, Trinity Baptist Church in Kerrville.
___Two other units are on standby awaiting the southward movement of the flood. If they are called to action, it will be the first time all disaster relief units of Texas Baptist Men have been active at the same time.



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