Devastating fire results in new lives, new home for Calvert couple

CALVERT—Bobby Samford believes the fire that destroyed his house resulted in his receiving a new home—now and for eternity.

Charles Cole, director of missions for FIRM Baptist Area, and Pastor John Sell of Trinity Baptist Church in Calvert install the steps to a new home volunteers built.

“Really and truly, I’d have to say the house burning was the best thing that ever happened to us,” he said. “It doesn’t make any sense, but God moves in strange ways.”

His marriage was in danger of failing, and he was abusing alcohol prior to the fire that claimed his house a little more than three years ago, Samford said.

Samford and his wife, Nellie, were on a list of 10 people for whom Sybil Smitherman—an “evangelism warrior” as her pastor Ralph Powers described her—regularly prayed would come to faith in Christ.

Smitherman invited the Samfords for dinner one night after the fire, and she invited her pastor to the same meal. Tony Moye, then pastor of First Baptist in Calvert, presented the plan of salvation, and the Samfords accepted readily.

Volunteers William Luster (left) and Cory Chopp from Chapel Hill Baptist Church in Franklin move lumber at a building site.

“Since my house has burned, my life has done a 180-degree turn,” Samford acknowledged. “I can’t put it into words, but what the Lord has done for me is just wonderful.”

After the Samfords made professions of faith in Christ, they became involved at First Baptist Church in Calvert, where Powers now is pastor.

“He’s a tough guy, but he and his wife have such a sweet spirit. All they want to do is talk about Jesus. And guess who’s bringing the most people to church?” Powers said.

Smitherman provided the Samfords a $10,000 loan to help rebuild their home—a loan she forgave before her death. However, that amount was not enough to begin the project. So, the family has been living in a small trailer since the fire.

Reagan Reeves, associate director of missions for FIRM Baptist Area, holds decking in place while Pastor John Sell of Trinity Baptist Church in Calvert nails it to the frame of a new home built by volunteers.

Members at First Baptist Church discussed the possibility of trying to help the family, but at an estimated cost of $80,000 to repair the house, the project never got off the ground.

When the Samfords joined the FIRM Baptist Area’s mission trip last year to minister to Mescalero Indians in New Mexico, people in other local churches learned their story.

Bob Meeker from First Baptist Church in Thorndale got the ball rolling when the group returned to Texas, Powers recalled.

“Bob Meeker started spreading the need all over the association, and we had a project, but we still didn’t have any money,” Powers reported.

Building a new house proved to be considerably less expensive that repairing the 120-year-old home that burned, and materials for a new home were estimated to cost $30,000. An anonymous donor offered $20,000 at simple interest so the Samfords could repay the loan in about four years.

The project has blessed far more people than the Samfords, however, Powers said.

Members of First Baptist Church in Calvert provide a meal for volunteer builders from throughout the area.

“The beautiful thing is how it has impacted our community. We’ve had lots of people come by this project. We’ve had people hand us money. We’ve had people come by to be a part of the building,” he said.

FIRM Area Director of Missions Charles Cole noted one man stopped to ask about the type of siding used. When told, he responded that another type of siding was better quality and more attractive. Cole agreed, but the budget wouldn’t handle the expense of the better siding.

“He said, ‘If you’ll use it, I’ll pay for half,’” Cole related. “He’s not a member of any of our churches, but it gave him a chance to be part of something in his community.”

The project also has benefited churches in the four associations that comprise FIRM Baptist Area, Cole said.

“So many of our churches talk about missions, give to missions, but they don’t do missions, or if they do, they go far off. Here, we see what the local church can do in its own community,” he said.

Powers agreed.

“The short and sweet of this is that Bobby and Nellie could never have done this on their own, and not one church could do it. But all the churches in combination with each other—the 84 churches of FIRM Baptist Area—were able to do this,” Powers said.

“They were able to provide the labor and skills … to do this at no charge, but just out of love and fellowship. It’s a blessing for that to happen.”