Within days of the tornado storm system that hit Kentucky on Dec. 10 and 11 — including the “long track tornado” that experts believe was on the ground for over 200 miles — Youth-Reach Gulf Coast (YRGC) was on the scene.
“The disaster hit the news pretty immediately and we saw it was devastating,” said Operations Coordinator, Jackson Bentley. Much of the news focused on the damage in the town of Mayfield. The next day, our staff and residents went to Freedom Church and joined in praying with our faith community about the disaster. Soon after, a man came up and talked to us about how the storms affected his hometown.
Jackson says, “That was confirmation to us. We had peace about going. [Our Director of Administration] Caleb Davis came up with our new slogan: ‘Can’t not go.'”
As part of “The Chainsaw Army” local disaster relief ministry team, the YRGC leadership started calling around and making connections the very next day. They gathered supplies, quickly raised support for the mission and left. Jackson shared that the turnaround was quick. “It was a decision on Sunday, Monday plan, Tuesday go.”
Accustomed to responding to hurricanes, this was our first time assisting in Kentucky. Counselor Tony Jackson mentions that our team really had “to rely on the direction of the Lord.” The work was very different from the three relief trips we made in response to Hurricane Ida.
Hurricane damage results in devastation everywhere; tornado damage is intense, isolated and centralized along the path of the tornado. Our team discovered many buildings that were completely demolished by the twisters.
Additionally, as The Chainsaw Army repaired roofs, cleared debris and gave away supplies, they encountered many other partnering disaster relief units of hundreds of people from surrounding states. Because of this, our latest relief mission was much freer to be more relational. Tony says that, when trusting the Lord, “direction unfolds in front of you.” In a nearby community, we found Tamika, a woman whose roof had been damaged by debris from a candle factory.
Tamika, a single mom, was an integral part of holding her community together, and it was an honor to serve such a standout woman. “It was so cool to see how she supported and loved on her community, and it was an incredible opportunity to serve her and her neighbors.” (She eventually made the news!)
Through relief work, the Lord orchestrated the building of a web of relationships. Our residents were able to connect to the people, and several of them were ministering. A very evangelistic friend of YRGC and founder of Operation Lost Sheep, Jon Klover, was also on the mission, and it was a joy to see him in action. Jackson adds that this trip challenged some of the staff and residents, normally more comfortable with a chainsaw in hand, to be relational.
After two days of labor and ministry work, our team returned to campus a changed family. One of the residents had never been on a relief trip, so his eyes were opened to the needs of others in that experience, and the staff-resident relationship grew deeper.
We are grateful for the generosity of those who made this disaster relief mission possible! We want to serve those who support us; if your family or friends are impacted by a natural disaster, please let us know. Additionally, if you have a passion for relief work, connections, or tools that would help in disaster response, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us to let us know about your needs or resources. Thank you!
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