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STATE OFFICEDick TalleyState Disaster Relief DirectorRae JonesAdministrative AssistantVOLUNTEER STAFF
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Tsunami Facts
1. There have been 32 tsunamis between the years 365 and 2005 that have killed over 2000 people each.
2. Maremoto is the Spanish term for tsunami.
3. More than 80% of the world's tsunamis were caused by earthquakes, and over 60% of these were observed in the Pacific.
4. Most of the large earthquakes in the Pacific occur as tectonic plates move along the "Pacific Ring of Fire".
5. The most destructive Pacific-wide tsunami of recent history was generated by a massive earthquake off the coast of Chile in May of 1960. Over 1000 people lost their lives there, and another 283 in Japan and the Philippines.
6. Many countries have developed Evacuation Maps, for coastal towns that may be affected by a future tsunami. They show areas subject to flooding, and areas of refuge.
7. Some countries, including Japan, have built special buildings and elevated structures for those fleeing to seek protection from a tsunami.
8. In 1964, an Alaskan earthquake generated a tsunami with waves between 10 and 20 feet high along parts of the California, Oregon, and Washington coasts. This tsunami caused more than $84 million in damage in Alaska and 123 fatalities in Alaska, Oregon, and California.
9. Although tsunamis are rare along the Atlantic coastline, a severe earthquake on November 18, 1929, in the Grand Banks of Newfoundland generated a tsunami that caused considerable damage and loss of life at Placentia Bay, Newfoundland.
10. In 1946, a tsunami with waves of 20 to 32 feet crashed into Hilo, Hawaii, flooding the downtown area and killing 159 people.
11. The Tsunami Warning Centers in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Palmer, Alaska, monitor disturbances that trigger tsunamis. When a tsunami is recorded, it is tracked and a tsunami warning is issued to the threatened area.
12. Most deaths during a tsunami are a result of drowning. Associated risks include flooding, polluted water supplies, and damaged gas lines.
13. Since 1945, more people have been killed as a result of tsunamis than as a direct result of an earthquake's ground shaking.
14. Tsunamis can cross an entire ocean without any significant energy loss.
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Cookie Crumbs
VOLUNTEERS ASKED TO COME CLEAN!
Thanks to the many volunteers who joined us for the "Sweep Off" on August 4th. Help was needed to sweep the new TBM-DR building addition foundation clean from debris.
LET US HEAR FROM YOU
If you have suggestions, comments or ideas for future issues of the Newsletter, click on the link below and let our Editor hear from you.
TBM-DR Newsletter Editor
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Faith
Martin Luther defined faith as "a living, daring confidence in God's grace." I assure you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, "Move from here to there," and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.Matthew 17:20
There are three things that will endure - faith, hope, and love.1 Corinthians 13:13
You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like Him.Galatians 3:26-27
We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in the same way, no matter who we are or what we have done.Romans 3:22
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Financial Support
TBM appreciates your prayers and support of our Disaster Relief ministry. Without your financial support we would not be able to help so many hurting people in their hour of need. You may mail a gift to TBM at 5351 Catron, Dallas, Tx 75227 or give by credit card through our website at: www.texasbaptistmen.org. If you have any questions about a financial gift please call Mickey Lenamon at 214-828-5177. |
Looking Back
Mission To Brazil
In January 1881, a pioneering Texas Baptist couple, William Buck Bagby and his wife, Anne Luther, set sail southward to invest their lives in Brazil.
They were preparing to share their faith in a country where no Baptist church exited. Preaching salvation by grace through faith, apart from human works or priestly sacraments, the Bagbys met strong opposition, including stoning.
The courageous Texans joined missionaries Z.C. and Kate Crawford Taylor, and together with a former Catholic, priest who had converted to the Baptist faith, established the First Baptist church of Brazil in Salvador in 1882.
The Bagbys served the people of Brazil for 60 years building churches and schools. Five of their children followed them as missionaries, four in Brazil and one in Argentina.
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DOUBLE WHAMMY LEAVES
DEL RIO WITH SERIOUS FLOODING PROBLEM
As reported by Ralph Rogers
Hurricane Alex, followed by a Tropical Storm 2, brought severe flooding along the Texas/Mexico border on both sides of the Rio Grande River. Portions of Del Rio, Texas and Acuna, Mexico were affected.
The First Baptist Church Del Rio requested our help for homeowners in a flooded community in Del Rio. The church also has a very active ministry, and outreach, to the people south of the border.
 When Jeff Johnson, the pastor of the FBC Del Rio, and Ernie Rice went out on the Fire Chief's 2 1/2 ton truck to tour the flooded community, it created a "buzz' in the neighborhood. And, when they got stuck in the muddy water, and had to be towed, they became "celebrities" as everyone watched.
The LaGrange mudout team responded. Roy "Butch" Moore was the Unit Director. With less than twelve volunteers, four homes were serviced. The impact on the community was amazing...far beyond the actual work completed!
Acuna, Mexico (left) and Del Rio (right) with the Rio Grande River between them.  |
While the team went to work, the whole community observed us, including the local Sheriff. In a public meeting, in front of the whole community, Pastor Jeff was asked by the Sheriff to tell everyone, "Who are these people?" Jeff replied," They are Texas Baptist Men." The Sheriff then said, "I didn't mean WHAT are they, but WHO they are." Pastor Jeff said that that was a Biblical question. The Sheriff then answered his own question by drawing an imaginary heart on his chest. For the next fifteen minutes, Pastor Jeff then had an opportunity to explain the Gospel to the entire crowd. The Sheriff then asked if Ernie Rice would come and address a meeting set for the flooded community. It is hard to overstate the impact, and the doors opened to this pastor and his church, as a result of their work in the community, and by inviting TBM to help.
The First Baptist Church Del Rio is heavily involved in community affairs. Pastor Jeff sits on a number of boards and committees. He was already positioned as spokesman for the faith-based community in the Emergency Operations Center meetings, hosted by the Sheriff.
The First Baptist church Del Rio, thus far this year, has hosted over 800 people who are on mission either in Del Rio, Acuna or the interior of Mexico. They have a refrigerated trailer converted into a shower unit to support the teams sleeping in the church. They are presently completing men's and women's shower rooms containing eight shower stalls for each.
 Moises Reyes (Moses in Spanish) is the church's staff missions coordinator, and is also pastor of a church in Acuna, Mexico. The church in Acuna, Beth-Israel, had begun a feeding program, with the temporary help of another organization. As the other organization left, they were able to arrange for new food supplies to be delivered. TBM's Specialty Feeding Unit in San Antonio donated commercial burners, pots, ladles and stir paddles. 120 sets of pots and pans, and other equipment were provided by The Ministry Resource Center in Stockdale, Texas, and by the Del Rio/Uvalde Baptist Association..
Food and equipment arrived in time to fix the evening meal. The church has been feeding 250 to 300 meals each day. They have asked us if we could provide training in mass feeding. They also want to start an emergency response unit.
New Clean Out Trailer at LaGrange  |
In the twelve days the team was there, the Acuna church fed over 250 people each day for a total of 3000 meals. They delivered 90 boxes of bananas per day. Over 800 people enjoyed this treat, and over 10,000 bottles of water were also made available. The food was provided by Cornerstone Ranch, a nearby faith-based food distribution center ministering to communities on both sides of the border.
One of the goals of TBM is to simply be a people resource of support for the local church...getting people involved in God's work. The desired result is that the local community, and those directly helped, will feel a strong connection, and a spiritual relationship, with the sponsoring church, rather than just with TBM. The First Baptist Church Del Rio was already taking advantage of those "relationship" opportunities, and is interacting with the community in many ways.
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Timing is Everything...
Especially God's Timing!
From Roy E. "Butch" Moore
When our TBM clean-out unit was in Del Rio, a long-haired, tattooed biker stopped his motorcycle to talk to us as we were cleaning out another home. He said his name was Michael, and he requested our help. He had moved everything out of his 3-room cinder-block home, but it still had about two inches of mud in it left over from the four feet of flooding.
We were happy to assess the job, but we had a problem; there was no running water at his place, and our power washers require a source of running water. We knew that his home needed power washing and sanitizing, so we put every effort into solving this problem. A 250-gallon water tank had been left behind at First Baptist Del Rio, our host church. We borrowed the water tank, and purchased adapters to reduce the outlet to garden-hose size so that we could hook it up to our power washer. After filling the tank at the local fire station, three of us from the team took our makeshift clean-out unit to Michael's home, and we successfully power washed it and disinfected it.
We always present a Bible to each homeowner, and Michael was no different. Each of us three guys signed the leather-bound Bible, presented it to Michael, and gathered around him and prayed for him. Michael became very emotional. He told us that he liked to have parties at his house for his biker friends, always furnishing plenty of beer and barbecue. But after the flood, he had called his motorcycle buddies to ask them to help him restore his house to a usable condition. He told us, "All they wanted to know was how much I was going to pay them. You guys don't even know me, and you did all this for free." We were able to share our Christian testimony with him, and I smiled as I said, "Maybe you should try getting your friends from church instead of with a steak and a beer."
The three of us TBM guys were very moved by this experience. We knew that meeting Michael; going out of our way to solve his problem; shoveling mud; and giving him our love and a Bible, were all part of God's plan for our trip to Del Rio. We just didn't know that we hadn't heard the last of it.
About a week later, I got a call telling me that Michael had had a massive heart attack and died. I was stunned. I called the pastor at Del Rio. He asked me to tell him in detail about our encounter with Michael, so that he could inform Michael's grieving family.
Of course, we have no way of knowing the impact that our words and actions had on this man. However, there is no doubt in my mind that part of our purpose in going to the flood-devastated homes of Del Rio was so that we would be there to witness to Michael a week before he died.
In fact, it might have been our only purpose.
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 A Message From Dick Talley
NEW BUILDING EXPANSION
Look at us go! The construction crew has added another 3,500 square feet of concrete just in front of the new building and have finished the work on the roof. It is so exciting to see the progress of our expansion building. Our Retiree Builder's are scheduled to come help soon. Please be in prayer for the construction crews as they work in this intense Texas heat!
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Tsunami...The Killer Wave
Tsunami is a Japanese word. "Tsu" means harbor, and "nami" means wave. Tsunamis can be caused by a number of actions that result in a rapid displacement of water. Volcanic eruptions, large underwater landslides and earthquakes are the most common causes. The displaced water mass moves across the ocean similar to ripples in a pond. A tsunami is actually a series of large sea waves, up to a mile apart. The first wave may not be the most destructive.
Signs a tsunami may be approaching include:
· A large earthquake occurs near a body of water, or as a sea floor earthquake.
· If the water along the shore recedes dramatically and exposes areas not normally seen, this draw-down can extend as much as half a mile into the sea. One of the concerns related to the potential effect of tsunami draw-down is when receding waters uncover cooling water intakes for nuclear power plants, that could be problem.
· If there is a loud roar similar to that of an airplane or a freight train.
Earthquake activity around the Pacific Ocean "Ring-of-Fire" account for 60% of the tsunamis.  |
There are both international and regional tsunami warning systems. They consist of a network of sensors to detect tsunamis, plus a communications system to provide warnings for evacuation of coastal areas. The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration and FEMA have initiated a program to predict tsunamis more accurately. As a tsunami travels across the ocean, a network of sensitive recorders on the sea floor measures pressure changes in the overhead water, sending the information to buoys, which in turn, relay the data to satellites for immediate transmission to warning centers.
Tsunamis are often referred to as a "tidal wave". Although they actually have nothing to do with the tides, which are driven by gravitational forces between the earth and the moon.
Ocean buoys collect and send tsunami information by satellite to warning centers  |
Traveling at speeds of up to 600 mph in the deep ocean, they will often slow to 30-40 mph as they reach shallower areas and the shore. They also gain force as they reach the shore. The waves may be only three to six feet high in the open ocean, and not even be noticed by ships at sea, but will drastically gain height as they get closer to land. Tsunami waves coming ashore have been measured from 30 to 100 feet high, and as fast as 100 mph.
In 1992 Nicaragua was devastated by a powerful tsunami.  | This enormous energy can lift giant boulders, flip vehicles, turn over railroad cars and demolish structures of all types. Super-large tsunamis are called "megatsunamis". They are also referred to as "iminami" or "wave of purification".
In 2004, in the Indian Ocean, a tsunami generated by the most powerful underwater earthquake in decades (9.0 magnitude) killed 283,000 and made millions homeless. Powerful shock waves went in all directions. Within hours these killer waves slammed into the coastline of eleven Indian Ocean countries, destroying properties from Thailand to Africa.
Tsunamis can occur all over the world, but are most prevalent around the Pacific Ocean according to the NOAA.
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Del Rio is a border city, and the county seat of Val Verde County. It is connected with Ciudad Acuna, just across the Rio Grande, via the Lake Amistad Dam International Crossing, and the Del Rio/Ciudad Acuna International Bridge.
