It is hard to believe a year has passed since the tornadoes that swept through Illinois on a November Sunday morning. Devastation was everywhere. It was hard to comprehend exactly what had happened.
Much progress has been made though, and cities like Washington, Illinois are rebuilding and coming back stronger than ever. People have been helping people ever since that day and God is doing some great things in this community.
This short video is from this morning’s prayer service in Washington.
‘Oh, my God, He will not delay. My refuge and strength always. I will not fear, His promise is true. My God will come through, always.’
I shared this song earlier this week on my Facebook page in conjunction with a post about the recent tornadoes in our area. Sharing it here as a reminder that God will come through. Always.
Believe that and believe in Him. He believes in you!
Have a great day everyone.
This week’s Positive Press is dedicated to the good things coming from a tough situation in Washington, Illinois – a community hit hard by a tornado Sunday morning, and a place I have gotten to know a lot more about and have come to feel a close bond with these past several days.
The envelopes you see above contain birth certificates and Social Security cards belonging to people who live in Washington. They are addressed to each person and they were hand delivered to the Washington Police Department Thursday evening by a woman who lives in Morris, Illinois. Why is that significant? Morris is more than 80 miles away from Washington.
I don’t know what’s more amazing, the fact that documents from homes in Washington were blown so far from their original location, or that they were found intact, or that someone was nice enough to take the effort to not only preserve them but then also drive them to Washington and hand deliver them to police to make sure they would get to their rightful owners.
It doesn’t stop there. The woman also placed gift cards in each one of the envelopes for the recipients who, more than likely, are without a home right now.
This is just one of the dozens of stories already being told and no doubt many others that will be shared as more time passes. I have been truly impressed and heartened by the level of love and dedication shown by so many folks this past week. I look forward to hearing more stories of people helping people in the days ahead.
God bless Washington and all of the communities impacted by these tornadoes. If this is any indication, the road to recovery for the victims will not be traveled alone.
Thank you to everyone who has helped in some way to this point and thank you in advance to everyone considering helping in the future. You are appreciated!
Visit http://www.facebook.com/CentralIllinoisEmergencyInformation for official updates on the tornado recovery process.
This is video I recorded today in Washington, Illinois. If you haven’t heard, a series of tornadoes ripped through central Illinois and elsewhere Sunday morning. Washington was the hardest hit location.
Approximately 1,000 homes were damaged there, many of those destroyed. The level of destruction is beyond words.
I will write more about what I’ve seen and heard these past few days as I have been involved in the recovery effort by way of working as a media liaison for the emergency management team. Some of the stories are heartbreaking. Others are encouraging.
For now, just say a prayer for the folks in Washington and all areas impacted by the recent tornadoes if you would. I know they would certainly appreciate it. Thanks everyone.
Positive news stories from the past week. Make sure you watch the video in the first one, it’s pretty awesome 🙂
Have a good day everyone.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/23/jake-brittingham-surprise-homecoming-video_n_3322715.html?utm_hp_ref=good-news
Maj. Jake Brittingham, Air Force Dad, Plans Heartwarming Surprise Homecoming For Daughter
http://fox43.com/2013/05/22/paying-it-forward-in-jacobus-york-county/#axzz2UD5YOuZs
Paying it Forward in Jacobus, York County
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50147264n
Okla. tornado survivor finds dog buried alive under rubble
positively second 