CALGARY—At 9:46 p.m. on May 4, 2007 a category EF5 tornado, one of the most powerful ever—with winds over 335 kilometres per hour and hail stones the size of baseballs—wiped out over 95 percent of Greensburg, Kansas.
These destructive forces were responsible for the deaths of 10 people. Forty businesses were either damaged or destroyed, 350 houses were wiped out and 300 were severely damaged.
During the storm, houses were lifted off their foundations and ripped apart. Some had roofs, windows and siding damaged. Side walls of other homes and some businesses were torn away, leaving the insides exposed to the rain that continued for three days. What the tornado and hail didn’t destroy the rain did.
After the tornado swept through the town, all that was left in most cases was the clothing on the people’s backs. Everything else was scattered, not only over the surrounding city blocks but, quite literally, strewn across the countryside, never to be found again. A forty-barrel oil tank was driven in by the storm from seven miles south of town; trees were stripped of leaves, limbs and bark.
The week of February 10 through 16, Canadian Baptist Builders and disaster relief volunteers worked together with South Central Kansas Tornado Recovery Organization, helping to rebuild the town of
We had the privilege of working on five separate homes, doing everything from pouring cement footings, sidewalks and driveways, to roofing, framing, painting and electrical wiring. We also installed sheetrock and did tile work and general cleanup.
To say that emotions ran high during that week is an understatement. We worked out in the cold, in wind, dust and dirt, but that didn’t seem to make a difference to anyone.
Our lives were blessed by the contact we had with the future occupants of the homes we rebuilt. We spent time with them over coffee, listening to their experiences of that fateful evening. Their joy and gratitude encouraged us to work harder and aspire to do a better job.
Imagine just eight minutes in your life—about the time it takes to eat a sandwich or read a few pages of a novel. That’s all the time the tornado took to devastate the lives of these people.
Throughout the week, tears flowed, friendships developed, hugs abounded and a true bond was established with the people we served and with our group members as we shared how God was changing each of us.
Our accommodations were dorm style, with up to eight individuals in a room sleeping on thin foam mattresses, using portable showers; our meals were served cafeteria-style. This was luxury compared to what the local residents had in the aftermath of the tornado. They faced adversity and steadfastly vowed to rebuild their lives here.
We left on Saturday with a mix of joy and sadness, wishing that we could have stayed a bit longer to enable us to finish what we started. But it is a process that will take time. Estimates are that it will be at least two to three years before the town is rebuilt, so there will be many more opportunities to lend a helping hand and heart.
I encourage you, if you are sensing God’s call to participate in a disaster relief mission trip, to take the time out of your busy lives and experience this at least once. I guarantee that upon your return, you will not only have a whole new perspective on what is important in life, but a renewed sense of purpose.
My thanks, love and admiration go out to all those involved in organizing this trip and to those in
For information regarding future ministry trips contact Darla Ponath about Canadian Disaster Relief teams and Ken Ponath about Canadian Baptist Builders. They can be reached at the CCSB office: 1-888-442-2272 or 403-932-5688.