We have been busy over the past year and in addition to the deployments listed below we also responded to Hurricane Florence at Wilmington NC last October and a couple 1 day trips around the Birmingham area. CFC Responds in Lee County, AL

It's been a while since we've provided our readers with an update concerning our activities.  But we have been busy.  We've undertaken several "neighbor-in-need" projects around our Birmingham hometown area since we last corresponded with you and our teams took two trips with our out-of-area travel partner, Samaritan's Purse, in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael.  We spent a week in Albany, GA last October and another week in Panama City, FL this past January.  Two weeks ago one of our teams also spent a week in Lee County, AL with Samaritan's Purse in the aftermath of the EF4 tornado that coursed through Beauregard and Smith's Station.  Team member Jim Pressler joined our Lee County team on Tuesday of that week and filed the following report upon returning home.  I've attached some representative photos to Jim's report from among the many that were forwarded to me by Buddy Williams, Jim Pressler, John Fillebaum and Henry Averyt.

Our 7-man CFC team in Lee County from March 17-22, 2019 consisted of (kneeling, left to right) Henry Averyt, John Fillebaum, Buddy Williams, (standing, left to right) Ken Clements, Van Phillips, Jim Pressler and Boyd Martin. And, of course, Abel (not pictured), the Asbury UMC skid steer!

"Tuesday March 19 "Worked 3 properties in Smith's Station.  The first was Sharon's.  She had a tree company cut a lot in her backyard but they did not have the ability to move it to the front.  There was a huge pile that was a mess.  Most of the work was moving the pile to the front.  The road was rather narrow, and we completely filled up her whole front yard.  Then two guys from the pickup company came by and asked us to move our pile down the road because of the power lines.  Buddy, driving Abel, moved some of it but not all.  Moved a flattened storage shed.  Only a little cutting.  Dropped one hag.  [A hag is the remaining bare tree left standing after the tornado snaps off the top of the tree several feet high off the ground.]  As we finished the second property owners returned home so we could start on that property.  The three properties adjacent to Sharon are owned by Shirley, two of which Shirley had been renting out.  Only the rental properties required work.  We did get some sawing.  I got to use the 28" on a big oak.  Shirley's own house did not require work.

"Wednesday, March 20 "We were sent to Lee County Road 39 in Beauregard.  You have to have wrist bands to get in.  This is one of the worst areas hit by the tornado.  CR 38 is actually THE worst area.  We worked two adjacent properties.  Both were locations of mobile homes but all that remained were twisted frames.  There is nothing left there.  We had a group of day volunteer workers with us who were searching the area for valuables.  Rose, from Samaritan's Purse, was Boyd's assistant and took charge of the day workers.  At lunch she delivered a very powerful testimonial.  There is a small creek (ditch) at the back of the property and the SP program manager, Alonzo, wanted the creek cleared to prevent flooding.  In addition to cutting, Buddy had a lot of construction material to move.  Alonzo also wanted us to move the trailers' frames.  One trailer frame was in four sections, so not a problem.  Alonzo wanted the other one cut up and brought us a metal cutting saw.  After we destroyed the saw blade from excessive use, Buddy took the frame pieces and bent them around a stump (with the help of Abel) to get them in small enough sections.

"Thursday, March 21 "Back to CR 39.  Thus far we've been assigned to work this week on properties where we were told nine deaths occurred.  Today we learned that we've been assigned to properties where two more died, bringing the total of those who died - who we've come to "know" and serve - to eleven of the twenty-three persons who lost their lives in this tornado.  We had a lot of help today - big equipment!  Scott Bridge Company sent an excavator, two skid steers and a track hoe.  The City of Hanceville sent a bulldozer and two tree pickup trucks.  Buddy estimated the property to be eight acres.  All of the equipment would haul the debris to the road to be picked up by the contract company.  The excavator was unbelievable - it could pick up whole trees and set them down for us to cut.  He even picked up several huge root balls.  We completed our work about 3:30 although the hauling company still had work to do.  We went by the memorial and saw the crosses for the eleven who died on the properties we worked.

"Friday, March 22 "A short day.  We went to Robert and Shirley Ingram's property in Smith's Station.  Originally we were told that there were three trees there - one monster and two grandfathers.  Turned out to actually be one very large tree in a pond.  It was a challenging task - we had to cut the base free and then a couple of sections that were on land.  Then Buddy and Abel began dragging the remaining part out of the pond.  We would cut a section and then drag some more, cut that section and drag again, over and over until we had it all.  The homeowner was very appreciative.  Shirley is a potter and they gave us all coffee cups she made. Additionally, the neighbor, who raises bees, gave everyone honey!  As we finished we got a call to go back to Shirley, the property owner we served on Tuesday, but it turned out we were not needed there again after all.  So we returned to the SP lighthouse church which served as our dormitory and cafeteria throughout our stay, Providence Baptist Church in Opelika, packed up and went home."

Thank you, Jim Pressler, for taking the time to file this report and for sharing our CFC involvements in Lee County with our readers!

Chainsaw Training Courses Offered in April and May Our Baptist colleagues in disaster response have announced three chainsaw training courses that they are offering in April and May.  Many of our readers have asked how they might become certified in chainsaw operation and safety.  Your attendance at and successful completion of one of these courses would certainly earn you that certification. The 2-day training opportunities are scheduled as follows: April 12-13, 2019, North Jefferson Baptist Association, Morris, AL April 26-27, 2019, DeKalb Baptist Association, Rainsville, AL May 16-17, 2019, Colbert-Lauderdale Baptist Association, Florence, AL For more information on these programs and to register for one of them go to https://www.alsbom-gm.org/ and click on "Course Offerings." When you receive your course completion certificate please upload a copy of it to me!

Do check our blog at cuttersforchrist.bolgspot.com where you may find additional information about our activities reported there from time to time.

Thank you for your continued interest in our faith-based coalition disaster response ministry.  As the work gloves and steel-toed boots of Jesus, we minister to the survivors of severe storms, restoring hope in His name by sharing His peace, His joy and His love with those we serve through the assistance we are able to provide.  The people who survive disasters of all sorts - tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, floods - ALWAYS need your prayers.  Won't you take a quiet moment right now and lift them up?  We know God will hear you. And WE pray that our Lord Jesus Christ will continue to bless each and every one of you reading this report.

In His Service, Bob