Helping the Hopeless in Iowa

On August 10, 2020 a derecho blew across the state of Iowa with 100+ MPH winds. This ‘super storm’ devastated the corn crops and damaged homes, businesses, and brought down trees all along the I-80 corridor. The next morning, One Kingdom got a call from one of our members who was in Marshalltown, Iowa, and we began figuring out how to get help to that community. Ryan Hammitt headed that way immediately. He was quickly joined by Robert and Cathy Ables and Kyle Gilmore from One Kingdom—along with Mark Robbins, who partners with us often to lead relief teams.

They went straight to work removing trees and pulling debris to the curbs of homes, many of which had no power. They established a working relationship with the Center Street Church of Christ to assist them in providing for their community. One of their elders, Bret Battles, worked alongside the team to find out who needed assistance removing trees.  

On Sunday, August 16th, I got the call that my husband Danny and I were also  needed in Iowa, so we headed out that next morning to help. With every storm that passes, it is extremely difficult for the elderly, the single parents, and the under-insured to face the work needed to recover. That’s where we step in.

This passage kept ringing through my mind as we served these families:  “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” –Matthew 25:40. Each person we helped was powerless to get their trees cut, cleaned up, and hauled off of their homes and onto the curbs. There were people we met like Pops, Mr. Bill, Butch and Marcia, Rosalie, and so many more who were frustrated by their age and inability to tackle this job themselves. They were all so very thankful for the hard work of our team as we worked steadily to restore their property to a safe haven for them. There were tears, there were air hugs because of COVID-19, and there were moments of laughter. Each of these precious senior citizens were amazed that we would come to help them. You see, that’s what Jesus has called us to do, “for the least of these.” Serving in love, that’s what we do!

We were also blessed to help several single moms and their children who were living in homes with low income and no money to pay to have huge trees cleaned up. As I was able to pray with these moms before we began work, my heart was touched by their tears of gratitude as they left to go to work—knowing their home would be much safer when they returned. Mark Robbins even had a toy box for the kids to pick from before we left. He truly has a gift for bringing joy in the midst of trauma!  

By midweek we were joined by Jim Rude (Virginia), Sean Tonniges, and Kevin Lowery (both from West Monroe). They are all incredibly skilled at removing trees from homes, especially in difficult locations, in order to make a home safe again. Much like the story that says “how do you eat an elephant—one bite at a time,” I learned that you bring down enormous trees one cut at a time.

Danny and I were in awe of their skill, and we did all that we could to keep limbs out of their way while they did the heavy lifting on these jobs. I had the pleasure of making the final cut on one tree to bring it down—my “21 seconds” as a lumberjack! Thank you, Mark, for giving me that opportunity!

The last home we worked on in Iowa had two huge branches caught high in the tree and it took all of the guys, ropes, and chains to bring them down, but the job was completed and the homeowners (a preacher and his wife) were beyond thankful. There were prayers of thanksgiving for the safety of our crew and all of the homeowners that we were able to help.

With each day’s work, we had been blessed by volunteers who jumped in to help us. Frank Ingersoll and Bret Battles were two such blessings. There were also adult children like Jason Smith and Patty Bazen, who came from out of town to help. We grew to love them and their care for their parents. We had neighbors helping neighbors, like Mike Daugherty who had already begun helping his single neighbor do what she couldn’t do to clean up her yard. We even had a jogger stop to help at one home.

I was reminded daily that there are so many good people in our country who just naturally extend love and mercy to those in need. Acts 20:35 says, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

I was so blessed to be a part of helping 19 homeowners in just four days of serving (for me and Danny), not to mention the work before and after our time there. Marshalltown­—you will forever hold a special place in my heart. God bless everyone in Iowa and other states in the Midwest as they continue to recover from this storm.