Tornadoes… Hurricanes… Floods… Earthquakes… Fires… Most of us have found ourselves watching the nightly news, moved by the heartbreaking calamities around the world… and wanting desperately to respond in some tangible way. The statistics by the World Health Organization and International Red Cross confirm what we already know: disasters are on a dramatic increase, especially over the past 20+ years. We often hear, “I would love to do something, but I don’t know what to do or how to get involved!” At Hope Force International (HFI), our calling is simple: to equip willing responders and mobilize them onto pathways of service. Not all will be doctors and nurses, or even first responders such as firemen and paramedics, but everyone is needed. In our training, we emphasize “the ministry of presence”—walking sensitively and appropriately alongside those affected by crisis or disaster. Experts tell us that every disaster is a local event, and depending upon the magnitude, a plea for outside assistance will take place when the local response is overwhelmed. It is often during times like this that our HFI Reservists will be called upon to serve. Early last year on February 6th, a series of unseasonable tornadoes struck five southern states, causing at least 52 deaths, 150 injuries, and considerable property damage. As in many other disasters acros the nation, Hope Force International quickly responded to one of the hardest hit counties in middle Tennessee, offering hundreds of volunteer hours of services, including spiritual and emotional care. One can only imagine the range of emotions when responders and victims came to grips with a disaster of this magnitude. Betty Lynn Duley, one of our Hope Force Reservists, shared a bit of her meaningful experience: “…No words can actually convey the destruction, the loss of life and property in this tight-knit, rural community where families have known each other for generations. One could see the shock and brokenness of loss…. An elderly gentleman drove up and stopped at our canteen. Upon our offer of hot coffee and comforting conversation, he started to sob. Everything was gone—his home and all he had built there over a life-time had been blown away and destroyed by the winds. No pictures, no evidence of a family history, no favorite coffee cup or gift—all gone. An empty lot was all that memorialized where his home had stood….” The reason Betty Lynn was able to respond is quite simple: she prepared herself in advance through training, becoming part of a dedicated team of volunteer responders. This area of devastation was highly restricted to the public, where even the media were not given access. Click to Read More