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GALEN PERRETT- Editor                                                                                                                  APRIL 2011     
IN THIS ISSUE
Past Newsletter Issues
A Promise From God
Financial Support
Training Sessions
TBM Volunteers Given Award
Looking Back
Message From Dick Talley
Earthquake Response in Japan
Wildfire Response
Colorado City Tx Relief Effort
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DISASTER RELIEF STAFF

Click on an underlined name or title to contact them by e-mail
DR-LOGO-SM-TRANS
 
STATE OFFICE

Dick Talley
State Disaster Relief Director

Rae Jones
Administrative Assistant

VOLUNTEER STAFF

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TBM-DR AREA
DIRECTORS

1. North Texas
 Mark Boucher

2. East Texas
Charles Lawson

3. Coastal Texas
Tony Garcia

4. South Texas
Mark Clemmons

5. Central Texas
Cindy Wesch

6. West Texas
Leo Vega

7. Top of Texas
Joe Henard

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NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
 
God Promises to Bless Those Who Are Generous

Winston Churchill said that "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."

Good people will be generous to others and will be blessed for all they do.

Isaiah 32: 8


A curse will come upon those who close their eyes to poverty.  


Proverbs 28:27

 

I tell you, use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. In this way, your generosity stores up a reward for you in heaven.

 

Luke 16:9 

 

God is not unfair. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other Christians, as you still do. 

 

Hebrews 6:10 

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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.
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Plan to attend one or more of these Training Sessions  

 

CLICK HERE to see all of the information on these events and who to contact.

 

Two TBM Volunteers Honored With Award From EvenTell

award

The EvanTell 2011 Matthew 4:19 Award was given to Texas Baptist Men Ernie Rice and Gary Smith today at a luncheon held at the EvanTell offices in Dallas.  Texas Baptist Men, a disaster relief organization, and EvanTell, an organization that supports Evangelism through training and materials, have been in a strategic partnership for over two years.  Larry Moyer, CEO of EvanTell, presented the awards stating that the award has been presented annually since 1998.  The award was started in order to recognize individuals, both on the national stage as well as internationally, who use EvanTell methods to "make a significant impact" on the Kingdom of God by introducing people to the Kingdom.  Moyer cited that not only were Rice and Smith trainers in the EvanTell method but Master Certified Trainers who can train other trainers.  Moyer added that Texas Baptist Men now have eight certified trainers due to the efforts of the duo, and that the country of Chile now has two trainers as well.  It was observed that Rice and Smith have a combined experience of twenty eight years in disaster relief.

 


Looking Back

 In 1979 TBM started its agricultural missions program when they elected Bob Salley as its first vice president. While the agricultural ministry was grounded in compassion for hungry people, it was fundamentally different from other non-religious programs. Its purpose was evangelistic, and its founder's motivation was Christ centered. An experimental farm was started north of Waco to develop techniques for increasing crop yields in less space. It turned out to be highly successful, and eventually became a missions training center where missionaries and volunteers could learn the most efficient ways to maximize food production in areas where they would serve.

 
Dick Talley
A MESSAGE FROM DICK TALLEY

Japan Earthquake Response Assessment 
 
Texas Baptist Men representatives have returned from Japan after assessing  areas for possible response. Their efforts were hampered by many factors; shortage of fuel, nuclear threats and restricted travel.

"The on-going crisis at the nuclear power plant further complicates the situation," said one member of the TBM disaster relief assessment team that arrived in Tokyo March 12, and is now back home. "Presently our ability to respond in the immediate future to the tsunami is minimal because access to the coastal areas is severely curtailed, as the government continues to respond to the crises in the area. We concentrated our assessment on non-coastal areas where damage was caused by the earthquake."

Texas Baptist Men can best help at this time with a concerted prayer effort and monetary donations. 
THIN BLUE DIVIDER

Texas Baptist Men Deliver Food & Fuel In Japan


SENDAI, Japan - The first Texas Baptist disaster response team delivered a load of kerosene and food March 28 to three churches in one of the major cities affected by the March 11 earthquake.
    Yukata Takarada, pastor of Japanese Baptist Church in North Texas in Dallas and Texas Baptist disaster response team member, said the supplies should provide great help for families suffering in the region.
    "As we came here, we realized that to get gas, you must wait in a long line," Takarada said. "The same for kerosene. After consulting with Japan Baptist Convention leaders, it was determined that taking kerosene and some easily prepared food to the people in the Sendia area would meet an immediate need. It was received with great joy."
    The three-member advance team - Takarada and Texas Baptist Men veteran disaster relief leaders Gary Smith and John LaNoue - is spending a week in Japan assisting leaders of the Japan Baptist Convention in the relief effort there. The Texans and Japanese leaders discussed ways the faith groups can work together in the relief effort.

radiation symbol


    In addition to providing kerosene and food, the Texas team also brought Geiger counters with them to help people know how much radiation they are being exposed to.
    The Texas team witnessed the tremendous damage done by the earthquake and tsunami. Team members saw a car that was pushed through the wall of a school. They saw buildings rendered into rubble. Much of the debris remains untouched, and in many places, a strong stench perseveres.
    "We had a successful time of going to some of the churches in the Japan Baptist Convention and help them see the possibilities," Smith said. They don't have a lot of experience dealing with this sort of thing."
    The team heard numerous stories of harrowing heroics and tragic death. One woman told the story of her parents death from the perspective of people who watched it happen from on top of a hill. The people on the hill called to her parents and tried to warn them, but her parents could not drive fast enough out of the tsunamis' path. One of the parents has been found dead and the other is presumed to have died.
    The Texans met an 81-year-old pastor who is trying to revitalize a church that has dwindled down to one lone member. Despite its size, the pastor remains confident that God will faithfully grow the congregation.
    Then there was the pastor who was inside his house when the earthquake struck. The family rushed outside, but the son was too afraid to move. Instead, he crouched beneath a table, trembling in fear. The pastor ran back into the shaking building, held his hand and used his body to protect his son from anything that might fall. Both the pastor and his son survived, an image that reminded Takarada of Christ's love for humanity.
    "This father's love reminds me the of the love God demonstrated toward us: He himself gave up His life in order to deliver us from the final judgment. Because Jesus voluntarily came down to this troublesome world knowing that people would reject him, because He willingly gave up His life to die on the cross on behalf of us sinners, we now have peace in God and no matter what might trouble our hearts. We don't worry for tomorrow," Takarada wrote.
    "Even today, Jesus is with us holding our hands saying 'Son, I am with you always.' My prayer is that people who are in trouble out of this tragic event to come to know that Jesus is searching for them and calling them out saying 'Where are you?' If anyone says, 'I am here Jesus. I am scared,' then I am very sure that Jesus will approach those who are crying out to him and stretches His hand out and hold his hand and say, 'Do not be troubled, my son, because I am here with you and I will never leave you nor forsake you."

THIN BLUE DIVIDER 

Raging Wildfires Destroy Over One Million Acres Statewide


The wildfires across Texas have kept Texas Baptist Men busy feeding and helping in cleanup. As of April 19th, the fire was considered only 25% contained.
    Arlen White, Unit Director for West Central Texas Specialty Feeding responded at FBC Aspermont. The special feeding unit, with ten volunteers prepared 1002 high calorie meals in five days for the multi-state firefighter battling the Swenson fires. The volunteers were mentioned on the Abiline KXTS evening news. Click here to see the video.
    Joe Stephens, Unit Director for the
TBMDR Permian Basin Feeding Unit responded in the Fort Davis area. For four days this feeding unit team worked with the Salvation Army preparing 2415 meals, with 17 volunteers helping families affected by fires in the area.
    Other units responding in Fort Davis include Joe Henard with Heavy Equipment (Skidsteer) from Paramount BA , Wes Martin and the Lubbock BA Cleanout Team, and Butch Moore with Heavy Equipment (Skidsteer) from Second Baptist La Grange. Carolyn Hoosier and the Tarrant Co. Feeding Unit went to FBC Graham.
THIN BLUE DIVIDER

A Recap of TBM Efforts In The Colorado City Texas Disaster Relief Effort


From: Russell Schieck


Thank you so much for all your prayers concerning our recent disaster relief call-out to Colorado City Texas. I ask you to forgive me for not always reporting back the amazing things we see God do. Though many times things slip by unnoticed I believe coincidence is merely God doing something anonymously. Though some may look at the strange set of circumstances that led me to being the unit leader on this particular event, as being merely coincidental, I assure you that God was using them in His overall plans and purposes.

     In Psalm 5:4 the Bible tells us He is not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness and that no evil dwells with Him; though He is able to take some of the most tragic events of our life and bring good out of them -  Romans 8:28.

     Normally Gary Axton would be taking our unit out in such cases but with his mother-in-law on Hospice he was unable to leave. Also with Butch Moore coming I was sure he would be the blue hat (unit leader). I was surprised when asked to assume this responsibility. The blue hat has the responsibility of dealing with the logistics of the unit's activity. Making sure of lodging and feeding needs of the team are met as well as the person who is the liaison between the unit and the community.This includes the homeowners, the churches, the media, and any other entities such as municipal or civic organizations. 

     I would like to thank Colorado City and Mitchell County for their valuable assistance in providing resources that aided us so greatly in us helping their citizensWhen we arrived on Friday we discovered the first family we were to help was at a wedding rehearsal for their son who was to be married the following day. On our way to Colorado City I received a call from a husband and wife who were to be our chaplains during our time there. I was unaware that we would have chaplains until their call and found God was already making provision that we didn't know we even needed. I told the chaplains about the family we would be working with and of the situation of having a wedding at the same time we would be sifting through the ashes of their home.  

     We met with the homeowner Saturday morning and began to sift and sort through the debris in areas of the home where valuables had been kept. There must of been some 30 cars of friends, family, and people from the community that stopped to help.  One elderly gentleman who stopped by said that he was unable to physically help but left money for the family.  Another lady stopped by and left money for the family saying she felt extremely grateful and blessed because the fire had stopped 100 yards from her own home.

     We parked our disaster relief trailer on the side of the road in hopes that anyone needing assistance would become aware of our presence in the area. There was a man who asked for assistance after seeing our trailer. Turns out he was there helping his uncle but that he lived in Lubbock and attends one of the churches that supports our unit. Also a TV reporter stopped by asking if we would be working there on Sunday so she could get an interview. I told her since the dump was closed on Sunday we would be working on Monday in the same area .

     Here is an interview done with a local TV station in Abilene:

CLICK HERE 

     About noon on Saturday the family notified us they had found all they had hoped to find and instructed us to stop sifting and sorting and proceed with cleaning up the debris. We lost use of the dump truck, and the dump also, when it closed at 1 pm. We spent the rest of the afternoon continuing to clean up the lot so we would be able to finish on Monday.

   It is now that I need to tell you how amazing the churches are and how good they took care of us. First we need to tell you about the fantastic place we had to stay. We stayed at The Samaritan House. It is a hospitality house that provides a place for families to stay that come to visit their loved ones in prison. Each room was adopted and decorated by a church, family, or other group. In addition to lodging they also provided meals and laundry during visitation times on the weekend. The churches or their members provided our team of ten with meals during the remainder of our stay in Colorado City. We also ate lunch with the Rotary Club on Wednesday and by the time we finished lunch with the Lions Club on Thursday I could not eat another thing. I was able to speak to the Lions Club about our work in Colorado City and also about Texas Baptist Men.

     I really enjoyed  working with the pastors from First Baptist, Oak Street Baptist, and also Calvary Baptist Churches. I was so impressed by their love for their community and how well they worked together. It was also encouraging to see how well they worked with the city and the county. Everyone pulled together meeting the needs of those affected by the fires. I believe there were 13 homes destroyed or damaged by the fire. Our chaplains were able to visit with each of these homeowners. Our team worked in clearing 4 lots/houses that were completely destroyed by the fire. The county provided assistance to the other homeowners. In addition we cleared a tree that had fallen on a house but that is another story.

     The second property we worked on had two houses on it. The first had a couple who had recently moved in back in October. He is in the military reserves and had spent time serving our country in the Middle East. He had recently bought his wife a wedding ring and it was in the house when it burnt down. They had asked us to look for it and by the time we had finished sifting and sorting the whole house we didn't even fill an 8 ounce styrofoam cup with their belongings. Though we did find several of his military service medals most of their belongings were destroyed. When it came time to present them with a Bible, Butch thanked them for allowing us the opportunity to serve them since they sacrificed so much for us in their service to our country.

     The other house was part of a family estate that was unoccupied and uninsured. The owners treated our team so well providing drinks and snacks for our team each day we were there.

     While working on this property one of our men used the chain saw off our unit to cut down trees that had been completely destroyed and also pruned the dead parts off the other trees. The pastor from Oak Street Baptist saw we had chainsaws and asked if we would be interested in cutting down a tree from a house in town.

     When we arrived in Colorado City on Friday we passed by a bridge that had a large number of stuffed animals on it. They had been placed there in honor of a young girl that has been missing since December 27, 2010. The tree we were asked to cut down was on the house of the mother of the missing girl. The story of the missing girl has attracted a lot of media attention and a lot of information about the family has been made public. Our team spent a lot of time praying about this situation, and felt we needed to show this family the love of Jesus Christ. Though the details surrounding the girl's disappearance are confusing, we knew only of the certainty of God's love for this family. We eventually were able to remove the tree off of the house; we continue to pray for all those involved, trusting God to bring something good out of this tragic situation.

    We continually thank God for your prayers for our teams as they serve in various communities that experience a variety of tragic events. As the previous stories illustrate you may never know how God is answering your prayers. We encourage you to keep praying as God brings answers to those of us that are called to be His ambassadors in such situations. I want to share one more personal story of how your prayers helped me.

    Like I said earlier the responsibility for media interviews is given to the blue hat. Many of you may know my testimony and others may not. Before becoming a Christian I was a drug dealer and ran around with a lot of dangerous people. They had threatened to kill me several times. Where this interview would be shown was Abilene. In Abilene are some of the people I would prefer would forget I even exist. I had two days to think about all of this before doing the interview. I realized there could be many who would see the interview that might have wondered what ever happened to Russell Schieck. I assume they thought I was dead or in prison. I told you earlier that God often orchestrates events in such a way as to bring Him glory. He wanted to show off His work in my life. How He had brought beauty from the ashes of a life completely destroyed. May He use that interview to bring hope to the hopeless, forgiveness to the guilty, and life to those who are dead! To Him be the glory now and forever Amen.


"Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart."

Psalm 37:4
 
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