Families in Poplar Bluff see the hand of God working after storms sliced through their small town.
Michelle Worley-Hurt was serving with Samaritan’s Purse in Kentucky when she heard about the deadly EF3 tornado that hit her hometown of Poplar Bluff, Missouri on March 14. She hurried to drive home, and when she arrived, she found the community she loves already doing what she’d expected. Local Christians, often through Samaritan’s Purse, are stepping up to help their neighbors in need.
“I know how people are being loved on, because I know how Samaritan’s Purse volunteers love on the homeowners they serve,” Worley-Hurt said. “I don’t want a storm here. … But I love that Samaritan’s Purse is here loving on them.”
Old Glory flies as a symbol of hope above the destruction in Poplar Bluff.
In response to the tornado that took one life in the community and left hundreds of buildings damaged or destroyed, Samaritan’s Purse quickly deployed staff and a Disaster Relief Unit to Missouri, thereby bringing all of Michelle’s “family” to one place. Her Samaritan’s Purse family met her neighbors and friends.
Residents like Angie Jackson are coming forward to serve others in Jesus’ Name.
“I just felt like I needed to do something for our community because God had blessed us and
kept us safe,” said Jackson, just one of many in Poplar Bluff who’ve joined Samaritan’s Purse volunteer teams. “I cooked meals for the first few days for people and I just felt like I needed to do something else. And when I saw Samaritan’s Purse’s truck at First Baptist, I was like, that’s what I’m doing.”
Samaritan’s Purse staff and volunteers responded quickly to tornado-stricken Poplar Bluff, Missouri.
That Old Freight Train Sound
Ronnie McComb and his wife had only just finished unpacking their moving boxes and were finally getting settled in their new home when the deadly storms moved through town, leaving a trail of destruction that tracked right over their house.
Finding flashlights, radios, and necessary storm supplies proved nearly impossible in the midst of unpacking, but they managed to make their way to their basement seeking shelter.
“We had, I would say, about six to seven minutes before we heard the hurling of the wind. It was quite eerie and frightening, and I had heard in the past about that old freight train sound, and for the first time, I heard it for myself,” McComb said.
A Samaritan’s Purse volunteer presents Ronnie McComb (right) with a Bible signed by the team that served him.
They listened to the wind rage and the debris toss from the safety of their basement, but it was gone as quickly as it had arrived. A tree had fallen, nearly blocking their exit from the basement. Peering through the darkness, Ronnie surveyed the damage, telling his wife she wouldn’t believe the devastation left behind. The backyard fit for grandkids was suddenly littered with tree limbs and debris to the point you could no longer see the concrete or pool cover beneath it.
“It could have been a lot worse, far worse, however, you get to see God’s grace even at a higher height than before,” McComb said. “And we know that He’s in full control and He has our best interest at heart and He sends His love through His people.”
Smiles on Each Face
For McComb, Samaritan’s Purse volunteers clad in orange T-shirts became that tangible expression of God’s love. He and his wife had been told help would be a long time coming as insurance claims poured in from their neighbors and the hundreds of families impacted, but then they got wind of Samaritan’s Purse.
“They literally came out the next day and it was quite the greeting from the crew,” McComb said. “They asked me what all did I need done and with a smile on their face they said they’re here, they’re willing, and they’re ready. To see the enthusiasm with each person involved, the prayers offered and the work itself, the unity of the group, the crew, it was overwhelming.”
He beamed ear-to-ear as he watched the team of volunteers work for two days to clean up the property. Some of the volunteers were fellow locals who left damage at their own property to help with his.
McComb (center) prays with the Samaritan’s Purse volunteer team that worked to removed fallen trees from his property.
“I’m a little bit at a loss for words here, because I just haven’t been in a position before where I needed this type of help and to see that it was basically immediate,” McComb said. “But that’s a response of how quick our Lord is and how His hand is long and it reaches and touches any situation.”
A Firm Foundation
Psalm 62:6 says, “He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.” From Ronnie’s front door you can see that the ground around his home was visibly shaken—massive trees have been uprooted leaving gaping holes in the earth—but when the ground shakes, God alone is our firm foundation.
“He is the grace that saw us through all of this,” McComb said. “He alone.”
Our host church, First Baptist, has a sign by its exit that says “You are now entering the mission field”—what a poignant reminder for our volunteers, the last thing they see before starting each day.
Volunteers circle up to pray before leaving First Baptist Church for a day of serving in Jesus’ Name.
“I want to just say thank you so much for using your abilities, your skills,” McComb said of Samaritan’s Purse volunteers. “I am instantly inspired to just simply do more, to reach every bit of capacity that is within me that God will allow. I know that as long as He keeps me as an instrument in this earth of His, that is what I am designed to do, to reach back, to reach out, to reach forward.”
