| Greetings from the ALERT Academy:
With May here and summer furlough rapidly approaching, it’s time to send another update of news related to the ALERT community. At times we get so caught up in ministry that we tend to focus more on programs than people. Recent events have reminded us about the brevity of life in the midst of the daily routine.
Last week the father of one of our former ALERT men died suddenly, leaving his wife and twelve children without a husband and dad. That’s tough. We know God has promised to be the father to the fatherless and husband to the widow but it does not lessen the pain of loss. Pray that God will continue to pour out His grace on them and meet their every need.
This past weekend many of you read about the tornadoes that hit the Canton, Texas area that took the lives of five people. We were able to assist with the clearing of roads for emergency crews throughout that first night and thank God for the many organizations who played a role in the recovery process and getting people to hospitals for necessary care. Pray for those families who lost loved ones as well.
This week we sent a group of men to northern Arkansas to assist with the recovery effort of an 18 month old child who lost her life when the car she was riding in was swept off a bridge by floodwaters. Her four year old brother also died in this tragedy. One cannot imagine the heartache that family is going through. Pray that the second victim would be found to bring the family one step nearer to the closure process.
To those not directly involved in emergency services it does seem that this line of work has a sense of glamour and excitement i.e. coming to the aid of those in the midst of crisis or the sense of satisfaction that goes along with saving lives and preventing tragedy. But there is nothing pleasurable about seeing the results of disaster, or observing those that are mourning over the loss of everything they’ve worked for, or in some cases the loss of loved ones. It is at these times that we, as a ministry can rejoice that we still have a message of hope beyond just assisting with physical needs. Our mission is much more than just cleanup. We look at these opportunities and teaching moments for our men in lessons of serving, giving sacrificially and sharing the gospel. We want to forge our young men to not only to be extraordinary in their skills, efforts and character, but more importantly in their faith. Pray with us that we would be bold as we express the hope of Christ that lies within us to others.
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