May 8, 2010: The Christian school and church attended by one of our Hope Force Reservists, Melissa Thomas sustained major damage during the Nashville floods.  This dramatic footage was taken at the height of the storm showing one of the main buildings from the school being swept away down the highway. “My husband was near the school helping stranded motorists get off the road as it was flooding and did not see the building float away,” Melissa explains. “I saw the drama unfolding on television and called him. The building is a total loss, one of our concrete buildings was completely underwater on the first floor and all of our sheds and sports equipment are a total loss.”

The church and school are combination ministries located about a mile apart. The Lighthouse Christian School has a tremendous outreach to 750 students who attend pre-school through grade 12. “We have no flood insurance,” said Melissa. “Although we’ve experienced tremendous loss we have received such a generous outpouring of assistance. Yes, funding is needed to help rebuild but equally important to us is that we don’t become so self-centered in the midst of our own need that we’re not always reaching out to the community. Many people have much greater needs than us.”

The nearby Antioch First Baptist Church just finished remodeling and has offered their facility for the school’s use, which is a significant provision. “Because of the connection with Hope Force, it has provided an expertise in flood response that we wouldn’t have had on our own,” Melissa said. “Our church made over 40 trips to Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina.  Even so, Hope Force staff members like Craig Snow have provided invaluable expertise to aid in our church’s recovery.”