Shawnee, OK
May 21st - 27th, 2023
SHAWNEE, Okla. – A supercell that spawned deadly tornadoes tore across Oklahoma on April 20th, 2023 leaving widespread damage and many lives affected.
Our latest Calvary Relief trip was to Shawnee, Oklahoma! Although our team was scheduled to go to Ft. Lauderdale, FL, at the last minute, we got a call from Samaritan's Purse saying that deployment was ending early and they no longer needed us there, but they needed help in Shawnee, OK. We had NOT planned to go to Oklahoma at all - but God was definitely redirecting us there.
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Each time we deploy, we do not know what God has in store for us. We do know He has a plan and come away excited to see the many ways He uses us and grows our faith. This trip we had four Calvary Relief first-timers. Each came away with a new awareness and understanding that God is in control, has a plan for us, and is directing our path.
"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps" Proverbs 16:9
The very first day God showed us we were supposed to be there. After completing a job, we present the homeowner with a new Bible. Each of us had personally signed it. The homeowner, a young woman, came outside looking very despondent. After we presented it to her and the rest of the team started to leave, one of us had the chance to talk with her to see if she had a home church. She said that she hadn't been to church since she was a child with her grandmother and didn't even know what kind of church it was.
When asked if she wanted to know more about having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, she agreed and listened intently and then sincerely asked Jesus into her life! Later, after she went inside and opened her new Bible, she rushed back outside with a smile on her face saying she didn't realize we had come from all over to be there for her. It touched our hearts that God had brought us there and used us in this lady's life to know Jesus.
We had so many opportunities to share God's love & hope - in addition to the many homeowners, we met a gentleman on the plane who said he would treasure us sharing with him & praying for him, met a guy in the coffee shop who had been to a Billy Graham crusade in Scotland when he was 12 and even tho he went forward then, he had slipped away and was happy for us to share about Jesus and rededicate his life.
Five (5) people accepted Jesus as their Lord & Savior this last week and 30 since SP got there last month. God works powerfully in the midst of these disasters to change people's lives! So thankful we could be part of it.
"Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8