Baptist Disaster Relief crews help after storm
A metro-area couple who once served as disaster relief volunteers found themselves on the receiving end of such aid on Friday.
Flavita Hoffman said she was grateful for the help of Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief crews as they worked to clear downed trees and branches from the home and property she owns with her husband Mark.
The couple was among several metro-are are siden ts who received help Friday from Baptist disaster relief crews offering aid in the aftermath of a recent ice storm.
Hoffman said she couldn't open her back door and she
could barely open her front door due to downed trees and branches. She said her property included 22 oak trees that were more than 100 years old. In addition to the downed tree limbs on her own property, branches from one of her trees fell over on a neighbor's property, preventing him from using his vehicle.
Hoffman said she was glad to see the Baptist crew members helping clear her neighbor's property as well as her own. She was also glad that trees and tree limbs didn't fall onto her roof.
“I just knew God was in control and He would protect me,” she said.
Richard Brown served as crew chief of the 10 Baptist
volunteers helping the Hoffmans.
He said they had received about 35 work orders by midday Friday, but he anticipated more request coming in as homeowners without electricity regained power and began to make online requests for assistance.
Brown said Oklahoma Baptist crews were working to help homeowners in the Enid and Lawton areas as well as the metro area.
He said Baptist dis aster relief crews f rom other states were expected to arrive soon to join the effort to help Oklahomans trying to recover from the storm.
He said the chainsaw crews were volunteers who help homeowners clear tree limbs as a free service. He said it was part of their Christian witness.
“That's really what I'm all about, reaching people for Jesus,” Brown said.
Meanwhile, the Hoffmans served as Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief chaplains in places like New Orleans, Louisiana; Houston, Texas; and Moore, after the last two tornadoes. Flavita Hoffman said Mark Hoffman also served on the chainsaw crew similar to the one that worked on the couple's property on Friday.
She said they operated by the motto “Be a rainbow in someone else's cloud” and during those times they offered comfort, prayer and tangible aid to disaster survivors. Friday, it was their turn. “I'm on the other side — this is different,” she said. “We're so grateful.”
For more information about Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief, go to okdisasterhelp. org.