Monterey, Tennessee Ice Storm Debris Cleanup

Eager to get "into the field" once again to update our chainsaw cutting skills before severe weather potentially hits our local area later this Spring, 6 CFC team members packed up and headed to Monterey, Tennessee last week to assist Samaritan's Purse in its debris cleanup activities following the ice storm damage suffered by that community in late February.  While most of our members were there 3 or 4 days, one of our members was able to stay and work for 10 days!  The majority of us were even "stranded" in Monterey ourselves on Wednesday evening, March 4, when another ice and snow storm literally encased our vehicles in ice in the parking lot, requiring Samaritan's Purse to declare Thursday a "no work" day - good thing as no one could chip through the ice encasing their vehicles until Friday morning when the sun helped us to even get into them, start our engines, and operate our heaters and window defrosters!

The Monterey, TN Samaritan's Purse CFC Team included: (seated, left to right) Boyd Martin, Buddy Williams; (standing, left to right) Kenny Adcock - a SP Program Manager, Tim Smith, Bob Thompson, Judy Wingert - a SP Volunteer Leader, John Calhoun, Lester Wingert - a SP Volunteer Leader.  (Not pictured: Henry Averyt.)

We were housed in the Fellowship Hall at First Baptist Church of Monterey, behind the sanctuary building.  All meals were provided by SP and chief cook Mona fed us quite well - scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, biscuits and gravy, cereals, fresh fruit, coffee and orange juice usually comprised breakfast.  And each of the three nights I was there we enjoyed baked chicken, barbecued pork and baked ham, all with traditional sides and salads.  Sandwich meats, PB&J, sliced cheese, bags of snacks and fresh fruits were available for make-your-own lunches.  Bottled water was abundant and especially needed when working in a cold, dry winter climate (despite the rain, snow and ice!)

The sign welcoming us to First Baptist Church. The Fellowship Hall - dining room, kitchen and gymnasium on the first floor; men's overnight quarters upstairs - our room was re-purposed for us from its intended use as an exercise room.  (The women serving this week were housed overnight in the classrooms in the sanctuary building.)

My "spot" in our room (shared with 10 others!). The SP Shower Trailer - Yay!!  Hot water on demand - although they had to shut it down Thursday night for fear the water lines would freeze!

The dining room - and gathering place before a meal.  We also enjoyed a movie on Ice Thursday entitled "Courageous."  If you haven't seen it, may I humbly recommend you do so. Entertainment was frequently provided by the cadets from International ALERT Academy located in Big Sandy, TX.  During our deployment to Augusta, GA last year we were introduced to these outstanding, disciplined, well-mannered, Christian young men who respond to disasters and assist in debris cleanup as part of their educational training.

Ice storm debris, as we learned on our deployment last year to Augusta, GA, is not anything like the aftermath of a tornado.  Branches (and sometimes, yes, whole trees) fall right where they are when the weight of the ice becomes too much.  Unless limbs fall on roofs or fences, or perhaps careen into a building, the debris simply lands and stays right where it falls.  And being winter time, there are no leaves to worry about that might hide "creatures" underneath them.  Other than tree trunks and big limbs themselves, when the smaller branches fall they make for twiggy pick-up-sticks.  We encountered much of the same at almost every property to which we were assigned.

Nevertheless, when the debris is on your property or any damage, however slight, has occurred to your home or outbuildings, the suffering a homeowner experiences can be significant.  Even simply the loss of sleep when they're consumed by worrying about the debris and how it is ever going to be removed can be defeating.  Fortunately, everyone we met in Monterey already seemed to know Jesus Christ and had placed their trust in Him.  And He called us and others to go to Monterey to meet and love these people, to make new friends, to share his Word and embrace one another in love.  Mission accomplished! Here are some images of the folks we served and the before and after pictures of their properties.

Before After

Before After

Before After

Before After

Before After (a bit muddier!)

Before After

Before After

Before After

Appreciation was expressed by the townspeople everywhere.

So that's our story...and we're sticking to it.  Sharing the joy of Christ through our witness and through our service wherever we travel - and hopefully leaving behind new disciples in the process.  All for His glory!   Don't forget to stay in touch with us by reading our blog at cuttersforchrist.bolgspot.com in your spare moments!

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

Well the ice and snow storm of February 2015 is not suppose to hit your own yard. Just as we were making plains to go to central Tenn. to assist them in ice damage removal it seems I have to clean debrief from my own yards. The big Cedar tree in Mom's yard took the power out. the rest is just laying in the yard.

Camp Sumatanga Called and We Responded!!!

On Wednesday, January 28, 2015 I received a call from Camp Sumatanga's development director, Rev. Mark Paris, asking if we might be able to help camp out with a critical and immediate need: firewood for the fireplaces at camp...enough to last the rest of this winter and perhaps even have some left over for the beginning of winter next year. What better place could we hope to find logs than in a forest, and the woods all through camp had plenty to offer us.  And as we have been fortunate not to have any severe storms to follow behind for some time now, many of us were eager to get out and rev up our chainsaws for some controlled, safe practice. By Tuesday, February 4, 2015, we were able to field a team of 13 cutters, pickers and tractor drivers, plus Abel and a new to us (but as yet unnamed?) skid steer owned by Dean Charles.  All braved the cold temperatures and responded to Camp Sumatanga's request.

The 13 members who participated in our Camp Sumatanga deployment on Tuesday were (front row, kneeling): Larry Taylor, Buddy Williams, Boyd Martin, Bob Suellentrop, Bob Thompson; (back row, standing): Ken Clements, Rev. Sam Williamson, Tim Smith, David Moser, Bob Nabors, Dean Charles, Ray Miller and Henry Averyt.

We took our working orders from camp maintenance acting supervisor Stephen DeMedics who showed us downed trees - some deep in the woods and others just off the roadways at Ropes Course, Pool Camp, behind Hillcrest Cabin and behind Cabin 3.  Some logs he wanted cut up into fireplace length (18 inches) and the long, straight trees he asked if we could simply cut into 18-foot sections yet bring them to a clearing (in Pool Camp) so that they could be cut into useable lumber by someone with a portable sawmill who was expected at camp the next day.

Here's one of the long trees lying deep in the woods and down a gorge that Larry Taylor had to section before Dean Charles' skid steer could haul it out using arbor straps and logging chains.

This is Dean's skid steer (as yet unnamed) which was new to us on this deployment.  But we thank God for it and for Dean's skill in driving it.  What a wonderful addition to the equipment armament of our disaster response ministry!

This is Abel - Asbury UMC's skid steer - which was piloted today by Bob Suellentrop.  We always say that the skid steers easily do the work of 5 men and we were thrilled to have both Dean's and Asbury's vehicles working with us on Tuesday.

Having two skid steers enabled us to divide into two sub-teams, thereby doubling our work capacity for the day while safely cutting in two different physical locations simultaneously.  That allowed us to cut A LOT of wood!

Here Tim Smith and Rev. Sam operate camp's power splitter.

Here Buddy Williams is sectioning several of the large-diameter trees we brought out of the woods and to the splitter station, preparing them to be split later.

And finally, here's a picture of the split wood crib awaiting its use in the various fireplaces at camp.  By the time the camp staff brings all the logs we cut in the woods to the splitter, and the logs are split and stacked in this crib, it should be full and camp should have firewood to easily last it through this winter and into the next.

We were blessed by the camp staff who prepared lunch for us consisting of hamburger steaks with optional white gravy, grilled green beans, white rice, a salad, a roll and sweet tea.  We are generally very happy to work for food and Tuesday was no exception.  We thank the camp staff for whatever impositions they may have suffered while preparing this great meal for us! As we wrapped up our day, Stephen declared that we were welcome to come back to camp anytime to run our saws in the woods - for practice as well as for the practical results of that practice - more firewood for camp!  Don't worry, Stephen, I'm sure we WILL take you up on that offer at some time in the future! Please watch your email for upcoming announcements of service opportunities as we learn of them.  We'll hope to see you out working with us sometime.

In His Service, Bob Bob Thompson