The Storm Came…Lives Changed

A tornado In Oklahoma? Not so unheard of. A tornado in Chickasha, OK?? The last time a tornado hit Chickasha was on May 3, 1999. That tornado skirted the town but on Tuesday, May 24^th, 2011 a tornado hit the east side of town. The entire state of Oklahoma was warned about the possibility of the tornado a few days before.

The day started calm & serene. You could see the clouds packing in but that is nothing unusual on a stormy day.

The sirens went off a few seconds before the tornado hit between 5:30 – 6:00pm. People were outside, at work, at home. School was out for the summer. It hit the east side of town, including, a mobile home park, a few apartment complexes, a church, a strip mall, gas station, several small businesses and several homes.

After a tornado rips through your life what do you do? Thank God no one was hurt. You know “things” can be replaced….You may question God as to why this happened. If you are lucky, you are standing looking at your house trying to understand. Realizing your belongings are all over the county. You slowly understand you need help. Not the kind of help that comes from friends after work or on the weekend, but the immediate emergency, need it now kind of help. Immediate shelter, food and clothing are a priority. Granted you may have that one pay check you can splurge with for dinner out or a new outfit for Sunday morning, but I don’t know any of us that can by a new house, a new car, new clothes for the kids……the whole bit.

So what do you do....?

·        Red Cross headquarters for Chickasha is currently set up at Bible Baptist Church. They are offering temporary housing for those dislocated by the tornado and meals are being provided by Salvation Army mobile unit. Please join us in prayer for all the families and businesses that have been affected by this storm.

·        Crossroads Community Church is asking that those with immediate needs to contact them.

·        Local Food Pantry

·        Your friends are always a source of kind words, baby sitter, a couch to sleep on, good meal or just a pair of ears to hear you.

·        Your family will not take no for an answer. They will do anything they can for you. Just ask them. It’s okay; this is a mother-nature induced need for help.

What do you do when you know a tornado is coming? Or, just want to be safe rather than sorry.  Click on the link below  for our local News Channel 9 safety tips.

http://www.news9.com/story/7515440/tornado-safety-tips

 Tuesday May 24, 2011, God proved Himself to be Jehovah – Nissi (My Protector). Two tornados made their way into the city limits of our small town. Though my step-daughter lost her home, and my youngest stepson’s place of work was destroyed, they both came through without a scratch. Our Father is truly the giver of all good things. In this blog I have been able to highlight a few of the earthly blessings He has given me, I want to take this moment to thank Him for one of the most precious - my family.…Ling

This was my stepdaughter’s home. The homes on either side of her's were destroyed.

This is where my stepson worked. He left just before the tornado hit. 

(Image rights belong to The Chickasha Leader)

When the tornado came into my little neck of the woods I had gone to the $ tree and Wal-Mart. Little did I know how close things came to the kids and I. Praise God for the protection and the calm state of mind he put around my family.  After we were released from Wal-Mart I thought we would see if anyone needed our help. By the time we made it to the hardest hit areas emergency crews were already in place. So we decided to check on the church. A 1/3 of the roof was ripped off. Within minutes a few others showed up to check things out at the church. It was very cool to see how many people came out to work without being told there was even a need. In a matter of hours everything that could be done was done. The next day they started getting the roof covered and succeeded in that. The women made sandwiches and pushed rakes.  It will be a few months before we will be able to get back in that building….Praise God you can have church in any building….Crutch

This is the Wal-Mart where my kids and I sought shelter.

(Image rights belong to The Huffington Post)

This is Grand Assembly of God, my church home.

We can’t wait to see what great and wonderful things God is going to bring out of this devastation. May God be with the people whose lives were, and continue to be, affected by this event.

Our love & prayers goes out to you all.

Ling Ling  and  Crutch