Ice Storm Postscript

I'm going to break from my usual content and use this post as a way to disseminate information about our post-ice storm situation here.

Sikeston is slowly digging out from the storm of the century. As of today (Friday, February 6) we're down to about 35% without power. Our law enforcement personnel, utility personnel, and city leaders have been stellar through all this; working long hours and sacrificing a lot. As with every other place affected by the storm last week, damage is extensive. We've lost the bulk of our tree cover, and downed trees and limbs have wreaked havoc for many houses and commercial structures.

As is always the case, the poor and elderly are suffering the most. Followers of Jesus need to answer the call to risk-taking mission and service in a profound way. I'm grateful for how the Christ-followers at First United Methodist of Sikeston have seen this event as God speaking to us about having a servant's heart. Our facility will now be a staging center for Volunteers in Mission work in our area. For the last week church folks have been preparing, delivering, and serving food daily to our local utility workers and the many out-of-town crews that are here. In addition, another group from our church has been preparing and serving a meal a day to our law enforcement personnel. Last Sunday many of our people gathered at the Sikeston High School Field House, a Red Cross warming center, to provide a worship service there. Through the storm we worked to locate and check on home bound persons, delivering them to warming centers, if needs be. This week church folks distributed emergency and help information in neighborhoods still without power. Now we're creating chain-saw and clean up crews to begin to work on the properties of the people who need it most. And many, many other congregations in our area are stepping up similar ways and in other ways as well. Followers of Jesus all over our region have chosen to see this as a call from God.

As bad as it has been here, it is infinitely worse in other places. In Kennett, Missouri, for example, 80% of the people are still without power. Western Kentucky counties have been particularly hard hit. Please pray for these people, and, where you can, help out with gifts and/or hands-on involvement. For those of you who are in United Methodist connections, our district disaster response coordinator is Jim Mills. (573-380-6699)

The river's been icy and scary lately, but it's still flowing with resolute determination. I'll see you around the next bend.