Texans on Mission volunteers keep hope afloat

RISING STAR—Homes were under water, but the hands of Texans on Mission volunteers kept hope afloat in Rising Star, a small town north of Brownwood.

Resident David Grissom experienced the heaviness of the effects of a May 3 flood as water began to fill his home. Grissom said he was in shock at the amount of water surrounding the house.

“We experienced about knee-deep water on the front porch and 8 inches of water in the house,” he said. “This has never happened before, and I’ve been here 20 years.”

A record 9 inches of rain impacted 90 percent of Rising Star’s downtown, flooding businesses, causing road damage and making parts of the town impassable.

Grissom’s wife Alexis recounted the events from that night and expressed the same shock.

“The kids’ room got the worst of it,” she said. “Water was pouring in from the corners. It was tearing all of it up.”

As the water engulfed their home, David Grissom fought to get his family to safety and preserve what he could of their belongings.

“I thought I’d have to kick the window out to get out. I couldn’t get the front door to open,” he said. “I made about five or six trips into the house getting stuff out. Last trip, I didn’t think I was going to make it back out.”

The flood ruined most of their possessions. They salvaged some furniture but had to throw away much of their clothing, furniture and family keepsakes.

Texans on Mission minister to ‘stressed’ couple

The couple used one word to describe the feeling of the aftermath as they stood in the middle of their bedroom: “Stressed.”

Texans on Mission volunteers swiftly responded to the community, offering disaster relief the day after the flood.

Volunteers from Greenwood Baptist Church in Weatherford, and Wylie Baptist and Beltway Park Baptist churches in Abilene worked to replace damaged areas of the home, while the Grissoms removed items lost to the flood.

While they felt the grief of the situation, uncovering items lost one by one, Alexis Grissom said efforts from volunteers did not go unnoticed.

“We really appreciate it. I know it doesn’t seem like it, because I’m stressed out, but we really do appreciate it very much,” she said.

Helping people in Christ’s name

Nine pairs of helping hands carried ruined items to a trash site outside the Grissom home and removed soaked drywall and carpeting for replacement.

Alan Broxon, a member of Beltway Park Baptist Church, explained the scope of their work.

“They had water damage two to four feet up the wall,” said Broxon. “We’re cutting sheetrock out, removing the insulation, and then we’re going to spray for mold. It’s in every room. It’s in the living room. It’s in the dining room. It’s in the kitchen.

“If they had a contractor come in and do it, then that would cost them a lot more than they might be able to afford.

“But it’s just helping people. And Texans enjoy helping Texans.”

After canvassing the town the day after the flood, Texans on Mission volunteers already had 15 work requests from affected families.

Clyde McMinn, Texans on Mission team leader for the Rising Star relief effort, expects volunteers to remain in the area for another week-and-a-half, providing aid to those impacted. He said an Amarillo-area Texans on Mission relief team will join the current team May 13.

Randy Stovall, a member of Wylie Baptist Church, reflected on the opportunity to bring hope to the families affected by the flood. He said doing the hard work translates into a sense of belief for citizens that things will be OK.

“When I help, I’ve always felt like you’re giving somebody some hope,” Stovall said. “Yeah, you’re doing physical stuff. You’re cutting, you’re cleaning, you’re doing all of that, but really, you’re giving them hope. And that’s what they really need.”

Guy White, another member of Wylie Baptist Church, said responding to disasters is a calling, one that requires compassion to help families persevere.

“People that come out and do this have such a good heart, and I love working with a group of men that have the same heart,” White said. “We love on [the families] and help them get through their tragedy.”