A Hurricane Harvey Remnant

Last week CFC co-founder Boyd Martin received a call for help from a homeowner in Docena, Alabama who had been impacted by Tropical Storm Harvey - the residual winds of Hurricane Harvey - that came through Birmingham in late August / early September.  Upon inspection, he concluded that it was a job that fell within our team capabilities and scope of service, but one that would require some careful planning.  There was no way the skid steer would be able to assist in the limited space where they would be working; and the site was even further compromised by the presence of a neighboring house and a chain-link fence nearby.

The upper story of this tree was brought down during the storm.  Others before us cleared away the canopy debris that fell.  Our assignment was to remove the remaining 20' tall "totem" and move the pieces into which we cut it to the fence line where the city agreed to then pick them up and haul away.

Boyd felt a small team could best accomplish the task and elected to call a few of the CFC regulars to field a team of just three cutters and one safety officer.  The team of four - consisting of Boyd, Buddy Williams, Tim Smith and Henry Averyt - convened at the job site at 8 am on Friday morning, November 17.  They worked diligently, sacrificing several chainsaw chains as they encountered nails, spikes and chain links that had become embedded in the tree over its many years of growth.  They were eventually able to bring down the tree to a level about three feet off the ground where the diameter of the tree was measured at 43-1/2"!

This photo of Buddy in front of the tree along the fence line may give you some perspective of the size of this matchstick!  Also note the device attached to Buddy's trailer hitch.  He calls it "Abelette," a portable winch that worked to help guide the tree down right where they wanted it to fall before they cut it up in movable-sized pieces.

The tree was bucked into sections which were then laid against the chain link fence for the city to remove.  Job done and job site departed - all by 12:00 noon. Our disaster response ministry has been blessed by a quiet storm season thus far but we remain prepared and at the ready to serve when needed.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

In His Service, Bob Bob Thompson Cutters for Christ Disaster Response Ministry Deployment/Team Coordinator _________________________________________________________

The latest news letter from our CFC member Chris Williams and family

News from the Williams family, OMS missionaries to Colombia. View this email in your browser

Williams Family Update November 2017 Greetings from Colombia, They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, so we would like to share some photos with you in this update. We praise God for you and always give thanks for family, friends and partners in the ministry. May you and your family experience blessing, joy and peace in this special season. Love, Chris, Heather, Kenley, Madison and James Williams Chris traveled to Apartado, Colombia to teach Missions and Culture in the Bible institute. The majority of the students are  pastors or key leaders in the churches of the region, which has been adversely affected by the violence of Colombia's decades-long civil war. The Bible institute is an option that enables pastors and leaders the opportunity to study without the large (and often impossible) barrier of relocation and expenses associated with formal study in the One Mission Society founded seminary in Medellín. We take the courses to the students and their class fees are very low, making this a great way to train pastors for the local church. The Bible institute has three locations in Colombia which enables the students from various regions of Colombia to study without extensive travel. Kenley, James and Madison participated in a missions conference at their school. Madison represented Saudi Arabia, Kenley represented Japan and James participated by playing guitar in the band for the assembly. After the general assembly, parents visited the classrooms where the students presented all they had learned about the governance, society, culture, traditions and religions of a their assigned country. It was one of the best missions conferences we have ever attended!

Jaider is a student at the Seminary in Medellín and a recipient of one of the ten scholarships provided through One Mission Society. He and his beautiful family left their town to come to Medellín for the sole purpose of attending the seminary. They followed the leading of God without the assurance of a job, place to live or a scholarship to pay for his education. They lived for two years in a Sunday School classroom in one of our churches while Jaider worked nights and studied in the daytime. We learned of Jaider and his family's extreme faith and were able to provide a scholarship for his education. They have since moved to an apartment on campus and Jaider no longer works nights. Please pray with us for our seminary students and that God would provide more resources for additional scholarships at the seminary.  The family traveled to Bogota to apply for our visa renewal. The process is arduous and lengthy, but we are happy that we have visas for two more years. Madison really knows how to travel...LIGHTS OUT! Chris had the privilege to preach in an evangelistic service as part of the national day of missions celebration in the Interamerican church of Colombia. The church in El Bagre seats around 500 people and there were people standing at every window and filling the street outside. El Bagre is another area that has been adversely affected by violence and it is not often that a gringo comes to speak in their community.  Heather continues making progress teaching the children of the public school in Niquia. She teaches English and Bible to the children in this challenging area of the city. Word is out and everyone wants to learn...even Jorge and his chicken. Please join us in praying: for a movement of Colombian missionaries led by the Spirit that impacts other nations  for a teenage girl that Heather is currently mentoring for Karen - the only evangelical Christian in the school in which Heather serves for our family to thrive in whatever situation in which we live Thank you for your prayers and your support. It is your prayers, encouragement and financial partnership that make this ministry possible. We pray that God will bless you richly and that you will experience his peace every day of your life.  Contact Us Magic Jack   (205) 687-1861 cwilliams@onemissionsociety.org   Follow Us   www.facebook.com/chrisheather.williams.3   One Mission Society www.onemissionsociety.org (317) 888-3333 941 Fry Rd · PO Box A Greenwood, IN 46142  Missionary # 802473

View Bio / Online Giving Copyright © 2017 Chris and Heather Williams, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you expressed interest in our ministry. Our mailing address is: Chris and Heather Williams 7256 Self Rd Pinson, AL 35126 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences

Christ's Hands

In World War II, bombs destroyed a church in Strasbourg, France. As parishioners cleared the rubble,
they discovered a statue of Jesus that was now missing both hands.

A visiting sculptor later offered to make repairs, but church members declined, saying Christ "has no hands to minister to the needy or feed the hungry or enrich the poor - except our hands. He inspires, We perform."

St. Teresa of Avila wrote:

Christ has no body but yours;
no hands, no feet on earth but yours.
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good.
Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours.

As you may have noticed in our logo, and the shirts we wear we have the words
"Serving as His gloves and Boots in Disaster Relief"

We are all called to be the hands and feet of Jesus. During this time of storms let's all use what we have to help those that are in need of a fresh touch and word from Christ.

Buddy

The latest update from our own Cutters For Christ Missionary The Chris Williams' family

Nothing Keeps The Team From Its Urban Ministry Workday Commitment

Ever wonder what it might feel like if you were struck by something weighing 6 tons?  Team member Tim Smith found out the answer to that question this morning at about 8:30 am while en route to our workday assignment at the Urban Ministry campus in Midfield. When they transport the workhorse Asbury UMC skid steer, know as Abel, between its storage location and a work site, the Asbury team caravans with a lead vehicle blazing the trail, then the skid steer on its trailer pulled by a truck, and finally a third vehicle brings up the rear to watch and make sure nothing untoward happens to the tow vehicle and its cargo.  A very fine, safety-conscious system.  This morning Tim Smith was in the lead, Boyd Martin was in his pick-up truck hauling the skid steer trailer and Henry Averyt brought up the rear. A car traveling in front of Tim had been riding its brakes off and on for a while but then suddenly slammed on its brakes for no apparent reason and in order to avoid colliding with that car, Tim was compelled to do the same.  As he veered a bit left to avoid that braking car - but he couldn't go too far left or he'd be heading into oncoming traffic - the braking car in front of him just as surprisingly as it had braked, now quickly accelerated and sped off.  Tim's vehicle never touched that first-braking-then-accelerating car, but the chain of events that ensued was already set in motion and the sound of Boyd's truck's screeching brakes behind him (and his quick peek in his rear-view mirror) confirmed for Tim that the 12,000-pound load behind him would quickly be upon him.  And even though Boyd attempted to swerve to the right to avoid Tim there just wasn't enough room to avoid the inevitable.  Boyd's left front bumper connected with Tim's right rear bumper, and that was that.

Fortunately, no one was injured and both vehicles were still able to be driven (after pulling Boyd's bumper out a bit so it wouldn't cut his left front tire).  Equally fortunate, as the accident occurred near the construction occurring on Highway 150 in Hoover just northwest of South Shades Crest Road, Henry in his chase vehicle - which was not involved in the accident in any way - drove ahead just a bit and found a state trooper there and brought him back to the accident site to write up a report so an insurance claim could be filed. And you know, the Lord really does work in mysterious ways because after doing whatever state troopers do when surveying an accident site and then driving off, the officer - State Trooper Elkins - came back to Tim, Boyd and Henry and (1.) told them that he'd email his report to them so they wouldn't have to wait for it or pay a fee to obtain it; and then (2.) he took two $20 bills from his wallet and gave it to them saying he had been "led to give this gift to Cutters for Christ."  What a blessing out of tragedy! After composing themselves - and calling ahead to the rest of us who by now had gathered at our work site at our 9 am start time in Midfield and were wondering about their whereabouts - they then proceeded on their way and met the rest of us at the Urban Ministry campus in Midfield about 30 minutes later.

The team members participating in our workday assignment today were (standing, left to right) John Boettner, Tim Smith, Bob Nabors, Buddy Williams, Bob Suellentrop, Rev. Sam Williamson, Urban Ministry representative Danny Jones, (kneeling, left to right) Bob Thompson, Henry Averyt, Jim Pressler and Boyd Martin. Not pictured: John Calhoun and Abel!

Our assignment was to cut up and remove the tree that had been blown over during the June 22 "Fairfield Tornado."  None of us could actually identify what type of tree it was (!??!) but it was big - both in length and girth - and a relatively soft wood.  At its base, its diameter was 33".  It had a multi-branches canopy and was probably 50' tall when it was standing, but now way lying across the back corner of the Urban Ministry property attached to a root ball half in and half out of the ground.

Before During

Here's a short (30-second) video of several of our team members in action.  See the sights and listen to the sounds we see and hear as we work!

After (and yes, those buildings were always behind the debris but unseen in the "Before" image above)

But as is typical in our work when we undertake a Neighbor-In-Need project like this one, there is always some incidental, incremental debris clean-up to undertake, as well.  And this deployment was no different.

Before After

Before After

Our work was completed around 11:30 am.  We celebrated the conclusion of our work by eating brownies baked by Peggy Thompson (to replace the brownies made by Nancy Miller the last time we deployed but finished so early that most participants went home before lunchtime and, therefore, didn't get a chance to partake of this always appreciated team treat).  Thank you, Peggy and Nancy, for tantalizing our sweet teeth and for once again contributing unneeded but really great-tasting calories to our bodies!  (Keep them coming!!!) And as if the brownies weren't enough, for just a bit more camaraderie together before heading home today several participants once again elected to stop off at Bob Sykes Bar-B-Que in Bessemer for lunch.  Well, it was on our way home, after all.  (Any excuse to stop in and dine at Boyd's favorite restaurant in the world!)

All in all we enjoyed great weather (middle 80's with a slight breeze and sunny skies), performing a task we enjoyed and of which we made relatively quick work (with Jim able to use his pole saw and Buddy even able to break out and use the Stihl 461 28" bar chainsaw at the base of that big tree), and the fellowship of our mission colleagues.

While our physical safety record remains at 100% since our inception in 2013 - 1,638 days without a work site injury or accident thus far - our days of vehicle safety will reset tomorrow once again for the second time.  (Bob Thompson and Ken Clements experienced an inadvertent fender-bender - the same right rear (Ken) and left front (Bob) damage as Tim's and Boyd's - while deployed together and working on tornado debris clean-up in Sheffield, Alabama on September 1, 2015, 724 days ago.) As of this writing, both Tim and Boyd report that they - and Abel - made it home safely and that they will begin the process of securing repair estimates first thing tomorrow!  They both probably could use your prayers.  We hope they'll be siting down when those estimates come in and that their insurance companies will take pity on them, treat them kindly and quickly restore their vehicles.

Remember to check our blog occasionally at http://cuttersforchrist.blogspot.com/.  And feel free to leave us a note or two there from time to time.

In His Service, Bob Bob Thompson Cutters for Christ Disaster Response Ministry Deployment/Team Coordinator