BLOOMINGTON, IN

 

Bloomington is home to about 80,000 residents, and half of these are college students.

Can you imagine that for a moment?

Do you think many of these young adults bring Jesus with them to their college campus? Do you think many find Jesus there? Do you think this town is a huge opportunity for  ministries of Christ to go and to be love, demonstrate Love, and be an encouragement to these young people?

Bloomington is known as the Gateway to Scenic South Indiana. It is ranked number 1 in many different categories (a list follows below) and it was named Bloomington by the original settlers who were so impressed by the haven of blooms present! 

This is a town of contrasts: rich, poor, young, old, employed, unemployed, and 

educated, uneducated, clean and drug/alcohol addicted.... (see the 2nd #1 listing below)

I am praying for a spirit of unity there, of continued blossoming and prosperity in all sectors, and manifestation of complete wholeness for the people, in body, soul and spirit. I pray for freedom from drug and alcohol addictions, for the deliverance in Christ that satisfies, for His love is better than wine. I pray for God's Girls Ministry's very first intern, Debbie, who is serving her family there, for getting refreshed in the Lord, for encouragement and for all her needs to be met according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.


Here is that list I was talking about.

• #1 on the list of "Top 101 cities with largest percentage of females in occupations: Community and social services occupations: (population 50,000+)"
• #1 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of people in hospitals or wards for drug/alcohol abuse (population 50,000+)"
• #1 on the list of "Top 101 cities with largest percentage of males in occupations: Life, physical, and social science occupations: (population 50,000+)"
• #1 on the list of "Top 101 cities with largest percentage of males in occupations: Community and social services occupations: (population 50,000+)"
• #1 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of people in college dormitories (includes college quarters off campus) (population 50,000+)"
• #1 on the list of "Top 101 cities with largest percentage of females in occupations: Life, physical, and social science occupations: (population 50,000+)"
• #2 on the list of "Top 100 cities with highest percentage of college students (pop. 50,000+)"
• #2 on the list of "Top 101 cities with largest percentage of females in occupations: Entertainers and performers, sports, and related workers (population 50,000+)"
• #2 on the list of "Top 101 cities with largest percentage of females working in industry: Educational services (population 50,000+)"
• #3 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the highest percentage of residents living in poverty in 2007"
• #4 on the list of "Top 100 cities with youngest residents (pop. 50,000+)"
  
  
  List from: http://www.city-data.com/city/Bloomington-Indiana.html#ixzz37kgqSKJq
  
  I say, RISE AND SHINE, BLOOMINGTON, AWAKE TO LOVE! BE UNIFIED AND WHOLE IN JESUS CHRIST'S NAME.
  
  

  BLOOMINGTON IS #1

  
  
  Love ya
  Carol
   

Dayton, Ohio GEM CITY

I lived most of my childhood growing up in northeast Ohio. That is where I met my husband of 30 years. We returned to visit Ohio every year for quite some time to camp and learn about God's beautiful Word, then visit family members and friends that still call Ohio "home."

Ohio is a beautiful state and rich in historical significance. I cannot help but reflect that for as long as I can remember, I could sense underlying every major city, there was a strong heaviness; a deep, sad sigh that manifests as oppression and depression on the faces of her people. Dayton was one of those cities. She was especially grim, gray and dirty, even more so than Youngstown and Cleveland.  Graffiti covered what once were prosperous businesses. She stood alone in stark contrast to the green trees and fields surrounding her.

When I looked at the history of Dayton yesterday and saw how she was nicknamed the "Gem City," and "Little Detroit," I began to fall in love with Dayton. She is called Little Detroit because of the vast industry that mimicked Detroit. She is home to huge proportions of aviation and aerospace technologies, and is very heavily invested in the healthcare (3rd best in the nation for quality) and education. She obviously believes education is the key for her people. She was voted as best place for college grads to come get employment a couple years ago. If you want to buy a good house for a cheap price (vs Virginia or New York) you will find that in Dayton.

Dayton montage found at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dayton,_Ohio#mediaviewer/File:Montage_dayton_1.jpg

We all know Detroit is a virtual wasteland now, eaten up by her policies and economic burdens. I do not want that to foreshadow Dayton's future. She is the GEM CITY, shining bright for Christ. Pray for Dayton, for prosperity as Gem City, to shine spiritually, socially, economically and physically: SOZO Wholeness manifested both on the streets and in the hearts of the people.

I have not returned to Ohio for several years so I look forward to entering her borders from the Ohio River side from West Virginia. We will be there Friday, July 25th. Please pray for the people God has ordained for us to minister to while we are there.

Love you
Carol

Stop 1 Charleston

God's Girls Ministry SOZO Tour Mission Trip is quickly approaching. I am taking one day at a time and still fundraising. ($400 to go!) We leave the morning of Thursday July 24th for Charleston, West Virginia. Yesterday I spent a few minutes looking up Charleston's history after being inspired by Connie to do so. I was intrigued by the industrial history of the city. It is based in Kanawha County. This Indian name means Canoe Way with a connotation meaning Transportation way. 

I also found it interesting that Charleston's industry began with the discovery of salt mines. While mining for salt, natural gas was found, and then coal. There is not much demand for salt from Charleston anymore, but the salt water brine is now a source for two chemicals that are in demand. One thing lead to the other...salt mines paved the way to the others.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. As He is the only way to The Father, so Charleston is the transportation way to our Mission, leading the way to more wholeness of Christ, (body, soul & spirit) to the streets of the midwest.

Charleston is a small city as state capital cities go, with 51,000 people making a life within the city limits. Of those, 64% do not claim to be followers of a religion of any kind. Now I do not know if some of these are the "no-religion, I- have- a -relationship -with -Jesus" folks. Still, 64% without  a home church, without experiencing the great love and grace and goodness of God, seems like a huge number to me. Most of the Christians there are Methodists or some other protestant religion. I am happy to bring God's simple message of unconditional love, grace, hope & healing to the city whether they go to church or not. Everyone needs what Jesus offers. He satisfies. His love is better than wine.

I see the importance of having a period of time without money concerns so I can focus more on the trip itself, the goodly encounters we will have and to  prepare with more praise, worship, focused Word studies, prayer and supplication. I want to prepare a blog entry in advance for each city to help me focus on the places we will be stopping. I would like to have all donations in by this Friday. Click here to add your's.


If you helped make this trip possible with your prayers and financial contributions, thank you. I hope you will follow our adventures along the way as I post updates from the road as often as possible.

Top left: Connie, first timer!
Top right:me

Bottom left: Lesa
Bottom right: Hayley, 15, also first timer

Love you
Carol

Homestretch

The Lord has been extremely gracious to us as a Team. The past couple days, from Nashville to Bristol, have been a transitional period. It was not planned this way. It is the way it unfolded for us. I have not taken many family pictures. I left that up to everyone else. I enjoyed the family time without distraction.

We met Missy's uncle and aunt and cousin and second cousin babies for a Thanksgiving type feast outside of Nashville. Only there was no turkey...It was all southern style home cooking with plenty of sugar and butter and loads of "YUM." I do not remember EVER getting together with family and laughing so hard, enjoying the interactions of all the family members and being drawn in like I was family, too. This whole family loves God, is dedicated to one another, and laughs and plays and obviously works hard, otherwise dinner would not have been served on time with all the lighthearted activity going on. The babies were the center of attention and amusement and interaction, as well as it should be; they are one and two. I would love to go back and re-create a fun, loving legacy like this. I hope those babies come to understand how special that kind of family interaction is. We prayed together. I got more out of it than I gave. It made me long more and more for my own home.

We said our farewells, reluctantly, on my end, I could not get enough of this family dynamic. We then traveled another 40 minutes to stay overnight at the other uncle, aunt and cousins' house.We were warmly welcomed again. I fell in love with the old family poodle, warts and all. Wonderful kind people, all. We ate breakfast with grandma and grandpa at the dining room table, card table abutted to it at the end, in the old "kid" section fashion. There were only adults there this morning.

We went into downtown Nashville for our last souveneir shopping and to see what else God would open up for us. Not much. Nothing at all. Not even at lunch. I did not get a chance to minister healing to anyone that day until we reached Bristol late last night at the hotel's Bistro. The food service man broke his foot hiking and was in a foot cast, limping hard. I laid hands on him and his foot started to quiver. He was so happy that I prayed for him, a huge ear to ear grin plastered all over his face as I ran to catch up with the others who had gone to the elevator already.

I don't know why they call it "HOMESTRETCH" more, for the last stretch of the journey home or for the longing, yearning desire to be home again in the arms of my loves, for they are equally strong.

I am thankful this last day or two has been a soft transition back to everyday life.

What most impressed me about this whole trip is that God is very present with me, that I do not have to force things to happen, that they unfold in a beautiful, natural way, that I can live two whole weeks out of a suitcase with 4 women in close quarters, with peace and kindness and continuing respect.

See you soon.

Where are We? Oh Yeah. Little Rock to Memphis

Point N Memphis June 20, 2013 Thursday

It happened. I freely admit it. I lost track of days, time and cities. Last night (really it was early this morning) I blogged or facebooked that I was in Memphis. Nope. I was in Little Rock, Arkansas. This was discovered when I read the sticker on the back of our hotel room door this morning. Obviously, this has happened to other travelers, or else the city name would not be prominently displayed before we wander outside. Could you imagine thinking you are in one town and asking for a taxi to take you to XYZ street and ending up in another town with a $200 fare?  Not pretty. Much better to have the city on the door. Its like having your name embroidered on your company shirt. In case you wander off the job and forget  where you belong.

It is much easier to forget where you are than you might think, especially when you stay at the same hotel chain. The rooms look alike. They even have the same art  prints hanging in the rooms. The same furnishings. The only distinguishing characteristics are the bed coverings and curtains and bed skirts.  Different colors. Same style. I bet touring musicians have this problem, too. The cities all look alike with the same stores and chain restaurants. The people look alike. But the "flavor" and spirit of the places vary.

So my apologies to those followers I may have confused. It was me. The cities are blending together into a conglomerate of oozy details, a blended ball of blur. I am not alone. It is happening to all of us. It only happened to me later than everyone else.

Today was another  drive day. Our second encounter of the morning came at the gas station in Little Rock, Arkansas. A beautiful woman drove up in a huge white GMC Denali. She spoke to me and we began a conversation which ended with me praying for her and her son.

Still image captured from the dash cam. Not too creepy I hope.

 She friended us on Facebook and promised to pray for us for the remainder of our trip. She went into her SUV and gave us a copy of a preaching CD from First Pentecost Church, which we happened to drive past going out of the city minutes later.

We listened to the music on it,"Its Only the Beginning," and heard the preacher talk about "Continuation of Going Forward." Very timely. And what a blessing to us. I got goosebumps listening to the music and the teaching. Thank you, Liz.


We also blessed our breakfast waitress earlier. 

At first we drove through beautiful mountains and hill country which made way to flat land and rice fields. This was a surprise. Arkansas has a $1 billion dollar rice industry. Its their number 2 commodity. I was equally excited to see wild asparagus growing alongside the road with elder bushes and even what appeared to be naturalized wheat.

We pulled into downtown Memphis this afternoon and explored on foot. We are staying on Main Street across from the city park area and several blocks from Beale.  Beale Street is the tourist attraction with the names of famous musicians memorialized in the sidewalk. Kinda like Hollywood and the stars idea. Only in Memphis its Country or Blues legends, Elvis or Jerry Lee Lewis' names in musical notes.

We met a young black man there who is missing his legs, actually only having a torso, sitting in a wheelchair near Starbucks.

His urine bag shared his seat with him, an empty bottle across his lap, a change cup in his hand.His story was heart wrenching. He lost his mom at age 15. Grandmother took care of him for awhile after his mom died. Then she died. His aunts and relatives in Memphis and Florida do not care for him or look out for him. He is homeless now.

 He was shot 8 times and lived. One bullet went in his eye and he still sees. His eyes were tender and strong but they bore an ache that exposed his soul when I  squatted to be able to look him in the eye at his level.We prayed for him. Gave him money.  I saw a vision of blue skies over him and heard the lyrics from an oldie folk song I can only remember the phrase sung in harmony, "Blue skiiiiieeess."  I could not find the song on You Tube for reference.

We encouraged him. Then a man who represented himself as a street minister to the homeless came over to us. He had a tall, thin build. He asked for donations to house the homeless, as he pulled a wallet out with unopened tracts in it that also exposed a few ones and a five. I could see the look of pain grow stronger on the other man's face. The fast talking thin man described different attractions there and told us 'Bucky' was a good guy and the pastor was working on a place for him out of the shelter, he put in the paperwork, he is on a waiting list. As he came closer to take group pictures, Lesa noticed his breathe smelled of alcohol. Not that alcohol on a minister's breath indicates anything bad or intrinsically wrong. But in this instance, we felt "slimed." I hope that fake minister doesn't call the man Bucky because he attracts more money on the street. I hope that the fake minister does not steal from him or threaten to. What could he do about it if so? We hurried back over to where he sat to make sure he was OK and not in any danger but by the time we got there, he had already moved on to somewhere else. Hopefully to go get some dinner.To get away from that other guy.

The flavor of Memphis?  Not so sweet. I felt watched, almost hunted while there. I did not like Beale Street. Main Street felt OK. It was more of a residential area and regular commercial district, with stores, restaurants, and 5000 people housed in upscale apartments.

French Quarter, New Orleans was better. At least the sin there was on the surface of the city. We saw the sin of Memphis was creepy, sneaky below it. We did not much feel the desire to eat on Beale Street after that encounter with the fake minister. But we all cried real tears over the legless man who sleeps in his chair near Starbucks so in case anything happens to him, the cameras will pick it up and justice can be served.

During dinner tonight we wrote out all the names of each person our lives impacted and intersected along the way so we would not forget them.

 So we could pray for them each again, and  to sort out the details from each city where God took us to bless His people, love them as they are, and encourage them. Including Ms. Ann, who wasn't our waitress tonight but who made us feel part of her friendly world. We ended up prophesying over her and blessing her and she gave us all hugs and let us take pictures.

She said she used to carry a cross on her clipboard. I said she carries the cross on her face, it shines.

You can't hide Jesus when you have peace and joy. He pokes out and shines through. No emblems are needed, no religious slogans. It is all there, in you, shining through. Like from Ms. Ann. Like from many of the other people we have encountered along the way, from Cary to Memphis.

Old and New Friends

Tuesday June 18, 2013 Location K to L Norman, Oklahoma to Cartersville, Missouri
then Cartersville to Fayetteville, Arkansas Point M Day 12

We took our time to check out from the hotel in Norman this morning to get some more much needed rest before heading out on to I-35 North to Missouri. We passed the Home of Toby Keith sign and the roadside view of the tornado destruction in Moore after Oklahoma City. We all agree that any photograph taken does not come close to describing, depicting or representing the devastation suffered by the people who survive tornadoes of these magnitudes. Or any magnitude, for that matter.

Oklahoma was rolling hill country the whole way into Missouri. I drove so Lesa could do some writing on her laptop. Every three miles or so, a sign would pop up to remind drivers DO NOT DRIVE INTO SMOKE, as if we forgot not to do that the last 50 times the sign appeared.

We never saw any smoke. Evidence of previous wildfires scarred the otherwise beautiful landscape. Acre after acre of scarred dead trees stood like a monument to careless cigarette tossing or random lightening strikes, kindling after the three year drought. There has been no shortage of rain this year. 

We exited the Turnpike at Vinita, Oklahoma. No signs indicated we would be driving on the infamous Historic Route 66 to find bathrooms and lunch. We ended up choosing a dive diner beckoning us with its oversized EAT sign. The food was both plentiful and flavorful. It was featured on one of those Food Network shows and had been voted best in the nation for Chicken and Stuffing, which I opted for and enjoyed.

It never ceases to amaze me how our Daddy God cares about what we care about. It's the little things that bring us such pleasure. I got excited about all the Echinacea Purpurea (purple coneflower) growing wild along the road. 

And the opportunity to go see American art for free on the way to our next stop.

Missy and Mary got excited about the Route 66 thing. 

Lesa was jazzed up by the Food Network featured diner. Its the little things that make big and lasting impressions.

We rolled into Carterville about an hour before our pre-arranged meeting time with several women from that area. We stayed with a couple I have known for twenty years or so from Virginia Beach.They ended up here to take care of an aging parent. 

Alita was so excited to have us come, she has been making arrangements and planning for two months, as soon as she knew for sure we were coming. She replaced all her towels, and bought more to make sure we had enough. She bought new linens in Egyptian Cotten (high thread count, the very soft kind), new pillows for each of us, new bed spread cover, pillow shams, pillow cases, new shower curtain liner, provided a basket full of personal hygiene products, stream cleaned the carpets, scrubbed her home top to bottom, and made sure we felt at home. I swear, if she had a red carpet, she would have thrown it out for us too.

 “Is anyone on your team allergic to cats?” she asked again and again. I assured her and reassured her that, no, none of us are allergic to cats. She wanted to make sure that the cat hair would not bother us, and went ahead and steam cleaned the carpets anyway, covered the bed with a plastic sheet to keep the unwanted cat hair from bothering us anyway. Her concern was unwarranted but we welcomed her heart of hospitality and love and honored her for her thoughtfulness, going above and beyond, even after I told her over and over,”You don't need to go through all that trouble for us. Keep it simple. We are happy to come as it is.” She did not hear any of that and made sure we were comfortable and felt at home. The team really loved meeting Alita and enjoyed her sweet nature and kindnesses.

She rented a room next to Papa John's Pizza for us to meet in. She asked us what we wanted to eat. We said we would share a cheese pizza. And She bought each person their own pizza. Plus one extra. She provided bottled drinks, and purchased table covers for each table to make it look nicer for us. Again, above and beyond what was needed, expected or imagined. 

Alita gathered a group of wonderful women. Ina, Wilda, Ginger, Judy. Two were married for nearly 50 years, one a foster mother to 13 children, one a faithful Bible teacher and educator, one a former semi truck driver through Colorado to the south, over a route packing explosives on the most treacherous roadways in America.. She is a risk taker, adventurer. A knitter, sewer and crocheter.And in spite of her years, intended to learn how to ride a Harley one day. Each one of these women inspired us all in their own unique ways. Lesa encouraged them and read a passage from Galatians to them out of The Message version.It was a perfect passage of Scripture to read them.

We each prayed over each one and encouraged them all. The evening ended way too soon even though we had two hours together which was extended twice to make three hours in all.

We returned to Dic and Alita's home and talked until past midnight before we all called it a night.


Day 12 We ate breakfast together at a diner in Webb City, and again, enjoyed plentiful amounts of tasty victuals.

A stranger walking into the diner, as we were walking out, started up a friendly conversation with us and recommended a couple places to stop in Arkansas since we had an hour or two extra before our next planned meeting. He recommended Crystal Bridge in Bentonville, Arkansas, an American Museum of Fine Art donated by the Walton Family of Wal-Mart Fame.

We left Alita and Dic after taking Communion together and praying over them individually and as a couple as well. I could see they were both moved and inspired by our visit and did not want us to go.

We drove on to Bentonville, Arkansas, ran over a poor turtle and saw the fine art before meeting Jennifer, a friend Lesa met at a SOZO Retreat on the Outer Banks. We met her at Bliss, a cupcake shop in Fayetteville. We listened to her story, lived in her dreams, got inspired by her hopes and prayed for her, encouraged her and loved her.

Then we made our way to Little Rock, our overnight lodging place after we ate dinner.

And joked all day about the poor turtle, who did not stand a chance against our tires.

     https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=614833005194106

Memphis bound tomorrow. Good night.

Disparity

Disparity

Monday, June 17, 2013 Point K Little Axe, Oklahoma Day 10

dis·par·i·ty  

/diˈsparitē/

Noun A great difference.

Synonyms inequality - difference - dissimilarity - discrepancy

Life in and around Oklahoma is moving at break neck speed. And crawling at snails pace. Booming. And busting. Life is standing still in some areas and whizzing past without a second glance, without a passing thought in others.

You thought Route 64 was a challenge. Experience driving on Texas and Oklahoma highways when you aren't from around here. When exits are closed and the GPS does not know it and sends you around to the same exit again and again. When there is not enough room to merge and two other lanes are merging into one and everyone is driving past the speed limit. Whoa, horsey!

Then you get on the country roads, where neighbors stop in the middle of the road and say hello or ask for directions. Wave at perfect strangers. Smile. Stop to say hello. Where there is a dedicated community man willing to drive lead to a carload of women from Virginia to see the tornado ravaged area, when there's most certainly more pressing matters that need attention.

My oldest lifetime friend oriented us to what's going on in the area. Moore is getting a lot of press probably because its the Home of Toby Keith and it's devastation can be seen everyday passing up I- 35 North. It is receiving a lot of Hollywood attention, and a lot of Press coverage. Its a middle class area from the looks of it from the highway. JCPenney's is right down the road from there. No body can forget Moore. The media and its proximity demand attention.

Then there is Little Axe. A little town. A hidden town. A poor town. Where at first pass drive through, we missed the tornado path except for the sheared off trees every where and the tarps covering some roofs. Where its citizens are composed of people like Greg. Lisa. Joy. Teen boys who drag trees across acres and acres of red land to the roadside for pick up on summer vacation. 

A self proclaimed nobody, who got a phone call from his pastor one day after the tornadoes hit, Greg was asked to cover the pastor's ringing phone. Greg did not feel qualified for that task but became the community's overnight hero. He is no longer retired truck driver, and  former trucking business owner due to disability. He is dispatcher for volunteers who show up from all over the country. He is master community networker. He knows where the hungry people are. He knows whose fence still has trees tangled up in it. He knows where the out of state volunteers are working. He knows about the victims without insurance. The ones who are OK. The ones on $800 a month disability who don't need a one time Red Cross handout of $500. (They need their life rebuilt.) Greg is the go to guy for help.

He is part of the kind presence at the church which has become more of a warehouse for bottled water, diapers, tools, canned goods, and hot meals for the hungry, than a church. It is open 9 AM to 6 PM Monday through Friday for Tornado Disaster relief. The youth center across the road is more warehouse space, with mattresses on the floor for volunteers who come here from out of state.

And life goes on as usual here in Little Axe, too. HAPPY BIRTHDAY sign plastered across a mailbox. A graduation sign with balloons marked a driveway. A hawk flew high overhead like a kite keeping watch over the church grounds. Wild flowers are in full bloom against the backdrop of green and more green.

We ministered to Greg on the side of the road. His home was hit too,  and he selflessly dedicates his time to help those without insurance. Those worse off than he. He shared his story with us. Humble. Kind. Dedicated community man, I surmised. We prayed for him for healing in his body and in his emotions. 

Then he took us to meet Lisa at Pecan Valley Junction gas station and pizza place, who made another Disaster relief station under tarp covers and borrowed trailers. 

She owns a hairdressing business, Tangled Up, there. If you are in this area, go get your haircut, washed and blow dried. Her prices are incredible. She says she lives alright, even though bills are tight as a single mom to teen boys. 

She believes people should be able to afford to be beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

 sign on Lisa's shop wall

Lisa connected us with Bobbie who connected us to Margaret. Margaret is a grandmother who lost her home completely. Her grand daughter's pony was found a town away, laying down. When the horse heard their voices, she perked up, got up and only had a scratch. Margaret's children live right nearby. Two of them lost their homes. All three places were completely wiped out. Only one family home remains intact. They all live together on Margaret's land in campers. All of the kids, grandkids. Dog and pony. We went back to town and got them groceries. For all three families. God bless them and their strength and unity and give them rest, as life goes on with jobs in the city and destruction at home.

Greg explained that many of these people came here from the city, with only their truck campers, and a few clothes. They built over decades, and lost everything. Old trailers are not insurable, he explained.  Disability checks do not pay for repairs let alone replacements. These folks need MANPOWER & BUILDING SUPPLIES. They need Strong muscles who can cut down and haul trees to the road, bulldozers, Bob Cats, fence menders, builders, building materials, LONG TERM HELP. Groceries for short term. A new trailer for the long term. 

Pray that the church who is considering building 6 new homes comes through. That more builder volunteers come through. That money comes for rebuilding the many  uninsured, poor great grandma's tar paper houses and wiped out 50 year old trailers. That able bodied men, women and teenagers come through until the last place is finished and livable again.There are hundreds of unlivable homes here that still need bulldozed and rebuilt. Don't forget Little Axe, Shawnee or the other little poor towns here that were virtually wiped out in one hour's time, that will take years of dedicated effort to rebuild.

If I ever complain again, or murmur while my brothers and sisters are suffering so, please remind me

to remember Margaret, Greg, Lisa and their community and the disparity between their lives and mine. Of their lives and yours. Of their lives and the lives of those unaffected one city over. And God be with them.

Reminder posted on First Baptist Church wall