Helping Out in the Face of Disaster

There is no way to describe how great it feels to help someone in need.

In 2010 I had the chance to travel with a group of men and women from Elmbrook Church where we worked with an organization called Samaritan’s Purse to help rebuild houses for people in New Orleans.

While I may claim to excel at caulking homes after that trip, the truth is the biggest life lesson I took away from that trip was helping others, and seeing their appreciative faces and receiving loving hugs was a far greater reward than I could ever receive on any vacation at a beach.

I haven’t had a chance to make another trek across country to help others in the wake of natural disasters. But I’ve received the updates about groups deploying to areas throughout the country – Missouri, the East Coast and Alabama to name a few.

So it warmed my heart when I saw this article in Today’s TMJ4 about a crew from Elmbrook Church heading to Oklahoma to assist in the recovery from a mile-wide tornado killed at least 91 people Monday.

The team originally was scheduled to leave Sunday for disaster relief in Texas but the storm threat made them delay their trip. Ultimately, their destination has changed.

“We had to go through Oklahoma City to get to Texas,” Waukesha resident Mary Ann Lee told Today’s TMJ4. “So, God was gracious.”

• See related: How to help Oklahoma tornado victims.