Baptists care for disaster’s youngest victims

Posted: 5/11/07

Baptists care for disaster’s youngest victims

By Barbara Bedrick

Texas Baptist Communications

CACTUS—When a tornado hit Cactus, calls poured in from across the state to offer help. Among them was First Baptist Church in Borger, which sent cases of bottled water, disposable baby diapers and other supplies to the devastated Panhandle community.

“It’s good to see how God can put into people’s hearts to help,” said Delilah Rosales, a pastor’s daughter. “It’s a big, big blessing.”

For Alexandra Garcia, one of the biggest blessings came in the form of the Texas Baptist Men emergency child care unit, which set up at the Cactus Community Center in the aftermath of the disaster.

“We had a lot of people needing help to clean out houses, and it was depressing seeing people without houses. So, we needed to help those who needed it,” Garcia said. “But with kids, we can’t do that … because there is glass, nails and broken things. So the child care unit helped a lot of people out.”

The 24-foot mobile child care unit, equipped with tiny chairs, a module stuffed with toys, puzzles and books, a miniature kitchen, riding trucks, a sandbox, a miniature bounce house and baby cribs can be set up in about three hours.

Seventeen Texas Baptist volunteers from the Panhandle and South Texas staffed the TBM child care unit. In Cactus, they ministered to nearly 90 children and their families while parents cleaned up homes, applied for Red Cross assistance and went back to work.

“We’re a licensed day care,” said TBM Executive Director Leo Smith. “It’s kind of a struggle because I don’t think people understand how to use the child care unit and how it functions. Our volunteers are licensed day care workers, and we do background checks on each one.”

Parents are required to sign in, licensed day care workers take photographs of children and trained staff ensure that state standards are met. Christian workers care for the children while their parents apply for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency or other entities, or while they are cleaning their homes and businesses.

Lety Lara’s family is rebuilding after the tornado destroyed their trailer home. She, her daughters and an infant grandson rushed to safety next door in a brick house before the storm hit.

“We were all praying, and our jaws locked down, and you couldn’t breathe or anything,” Lara recalled. “Our ears felt like they were going to pop. After that, we heard debris hitting the house we were in.”

She emerged to find her home in shambles, suffered an “anxiety attack” and burst into tears. But she was grateful her family was safe, and she was thankful for the help the Texas Baptist child care unit provided.

Across town, Pastor Jose Rosales from Vida Cristiana Mission and his wife, Adelina, rushed to safety in the church. About a dozen other residents also sought shelter.

“Many children were inside crying, and everyone was praying for God to take care of them,” Rosales remembered.

Later, emergency officials evacuated Cactus.

“Some parents had lost their children, and it was scary,” Mrs. Rosales recalled. “That night in the church, people saw how God protects us. Maybe it will open the hearts of some people who have hearts of stone.” 

As clean-up efforts began, the Rosales family distributed tarps, delivered sandwiches and reminded residents the church was there to help.

“We told them to have faith in God—that we all need to be faithful for the lives he allowed us to keep and to give them hope that they are not alone,” Mrs. Rosales said.  

Many found hope in the TBM child care unit. Volunteers like Barbara Cook say it helps give them the opportunity to share their faith with families as they minister to them.

“It’s just a way to share the word of the Lord because it is ministering to real people’s needs and healing of the spirit and soul when they’ve been in such a tragedy,” said Cook, TBM child care unit director. “We have a real opportunity to show our Lord’s love to children and to families and plant those seeds.”