DeSOTO—Texas Baptist Men chainsaw teams came to the aid of a disabled homeowner in DeSoto after an insurance company told the homeowner he had to remove all limbs over his roof by the end of November or his insurance would be canceled.
“There were probably eight red oak trees around the house,” said Dan Sell, coordinator of Ellis County’s TBM disaster relief team. “After 50 some years, the limbs were high above the roof line, but an aerial view almost hid the roof.
“We are a new chainsaw unit,” Sell continued. “We have the ability to do ground work, but we needed a manlift and climbers. So, I contacted Wendell Romans with Collin County asking for their manlift,”
Romans, who is also statewide TBM chainsaw coordinator, “not only said ‘yes,’ but also volunteered to personally help with the lift,” Sell said. “Of course, I said ‘yes’ and ‘thank you.’“
Sell then contacted David Meyers, state coordinator for climbers, and he put out an email request for climbers. Three volunteers responded within 12 hours.
A small group from Ellis County started the work Nov. 24, Sell said. Then a large group worked Nov. 27 for “a good 8 hours,” and a smaller crew wrapped up things Nov. 28—in time to save the homeowner’s insurance.
Mission accomplished in three workdays, Sell said. The team presented a Bible to the homeowner, his son and daughter. They also shared the good news with two neighbors.
“So much thanks to the many hands and feet of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Sell said.
And, in a note, he added a prayer request: “We still have a need for our own manlift, keep praying!”
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“The bottom line is, it was a real TBM team effort. That’s the real story,” Sell said.







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