God is truly moving here in KY. We are working with several homeowners who have been very traumatized by the events of last July. We would ask that you pray specifically for the Craig and Holly. They were 8 months away from paying off their home. They took pride in their property with beautiful flower beds and landscaping. They bred huskies and loved their dogs.
The night of the flood they had their family over playing cards and having a great time. They heard the rain. They check the level of the creek. They continued their card games. In a matter of 10-15 minutes water was at their door. Their neighbor called to them. He was running for a rope to help them get to safety, but when he got back their home was gone. All five of them rode in their home down the creek until they hit a bridge and the home shattered. They were tossed in different directions.
Craig was suspended in a tree by his calf for hours, the force of the water ripping his clothes off of his body and pummeling him with debris. One helicopter attempted to rescue him and was unable. They had to leave him. Thankfully, the second helicopter was able to free him and take him to safety.
Meanwhile, Holly was knocked unconscious and woke in the water. She was able to grab onto a tree and climb to safety. Unfortunately, while in that tree she suffered a heart attack. Amazingly enough and through God’s hand she survived and was rescued and treated.
The family went 17 hours not knowing who was still alive and who had been lost. They were eventually reunited. This family has bought a single-wide used trailer and is trying to make needed repairs to make it usable. They are dealing with PTSD, depression, and anxiety on many levels. The cool thing is that Craig and Holly came to know Jesus about 3 months ago.
In September, we had a team at Craig & Holly’s who were continuing to finish up the repairs on their home. The team had many opportunities to talk with Bud and Sue. One of the conversations, Craig shared with a volunteer team member that while he was hanging in the tree, Psalm 23 kept being replayed in his mind. Craig learned this Psalm when he was a child at Camp Nathaniel, a Christian camp nearby and it was the only thing that kept going through his mind that night. As Craig continued to talk with the volunteer team member, the volunteer shared Psalm 100. The volunteer was able to encourage Craig that he is God’s child, that God loves him, and that God spared their lives for a reason.
In Holly’s own words spoken about a specific week she connected with some amazing women, “the guys were here this week to work, but the women were here for healing.” It is clear that we are here for more than construction. The lasting impact on their lives is hard to watch as they try to adjust to their new normal. Please pray for this family and for our staff and volunteers as we walk alongside them during this time. Please pray for opportunity to help them grow and understand the blessing of a relationship with the heavenly Father.