Samaritan's Purse teams are helping hurting homeowners in Jesus’ Name in tornado-devastated Ohio and Indiana.
Jenny Leiter was, at first, mesmerized by the approaching storm the evening of March 14. She said the roiling clouds and the streaks of lightning made for a spectacular show across the expanse of farm fields surrounding Lakeview, Ohio.
“It was really quite beautiful,” she said.
But then it turned terrifying, as tornado sirens started blaring and the wind picked up.
Jenny Leiter looks up through the hole in her roof, thankful for God’s protection during the storm.
One moment she was photographing from the front steps, and the next she was running inside. There’d been little warning of the violence of the approaching storm.
“That’s when the windows in my house started breaking out. The siren went off just a minute before that,” she said. “And then my whole house just started trembling under my feet and I couldn’t make it to the basement with my animals, so we went under the bed.
“Then the roof flew away. This all happened in a matter of seconds, but it felt like an eternity. I’ve never prayed so hard. I just wanted to see my grandchildren grow up.”
A volunteer cuts up the last of a large storm-damaged oak that threatened to fall on Jenny Leiter’s home.
Then, almost suddenly, it was calm again. When she finally stepped outside, it was raining hard. She remembers kneeling in that rain and thanking God.
An EF3 tornado ripped up hundreds of homes in her community that evening in Logan County. The storm had actually spawned multiple twisters, concentrating its destructive force in Ohio and in neighboring Indiana.
Offering Help and Comfort
Samaritan’s Purse has been on the ground since March 15, and we began deploying volunteer teams a day later in the two hard-hit states. Teams have been serving homeowners in Jesus’ Name, helping them remove debris and trees, tarp damaged roofs, all while reminding homeowners, in word and in deed, of the true hope found only in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jenny said the work of volunteers reminded her that God cares for her and that she’s not alone.
“I’m grateful He sent you guys here,” she said. “God is good. He’s always good. He’s always with us, even when we think we’re alone.”
Jenny Leiter shows one of our Site Leadership Team members the room where she hid as the tornado passed over.
Volunteers equipped with chainsaws and other tools visited her home early this week to take down and remove a badly damaged and dangerous tree.
Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains also working in the community were able to pray with Jenny and offer her comfort. Though she says she still jumps at sudden loud noises and can hardly bear returning to her bedroom, she is grateful to God for His protection and how He’s provided for her.
Serving Through Tears
More than 200 volunteers have served so far in Logan County, Ohio, and in the eastern Indiana towns of Selma and Winchester. Our teams have helped dozens of homeowners in the region and requests for assistance continue to grow.
Volunteer Cathy Douthwaite, along with her husband, Steve, live about half an hour from the hard-hit area. They heard about the needs and opportunities to serve through their church—and our base of operations—Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Bellefontaine.
Cathy Douthwaite, right, works joyfully in the cold hauling a cut tree to the street.
“Last night I cried on the way home because I look around and I just see total destruction here and then I’m going home to a nice warm home,” Cathy said. “My heart breaks for these people.
“They’re our neighbors and they have nothing to even hold on to. So, I’m just glad to be here. It’s been an awesome experience and a privilege just to come here and help. We want them to know that God is good.”
Please pray in the coming days and weeks for these hurting homeowners. Many homes sustained major damage; some were damaged beyond repair. Pray also for our volunteers and for the Billy Graham chaplains as they seek to minister to hurting families in the wake of their loss.
Volunteers tarp a damaged roof to protect the home from the elements and further damage.
