Disclosure of Material Connection: This blog is part of our families ministry. Some of the links in the post below are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a commission. These commissions enable us to continue our disaster and other missions related ministry. I only recommend products or services I believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's .comDisclosures guidelines."
Disaster touches lives like nothing else. Whether it is personal, family, or natural, when disaster strikes it rocks your world. We can have a lasting effect on others in times of crisis. One of the ways our family is blessed to minister is in times of disaster.
Being a disaster relief Chaplain gives me opportunities to minister to people who have been devastated, often having lost hope and faith in the process. People often ask me if doing disaster relief work is depressing. My answer, “Absolutely not!” Though our hearts grieve over the loss and destruction in disasters, we are uplifted by watching God work in the midst of complete devastation. The heartwarming and miraculous stories are endless. I hope to share some of them here with you in the future.
Home Schooling During Disasters
The family members who participate in each disaster vary depending on everyone’s schedule. When the F5 tornado hit Moore, OK in May of 2013 we were deployed a few days later by the Austin Disaster Relief Network. We were blessed to be able to take the most family members ever to this disaster. My mom, my youngest daughter, my three boys and I piled in the van, unsure of what we would find. Our home education lifestyle often allows us the freedom to drop everything and minister to a community when disaster strikes. Like many home schooling families, we do not stop educating during these times. How do we find time to “do school”? Doing these time we seldom use curriculum, other than possibly while traveling. However, what I consider to be some of the most critical parts of their education take place during these times. For instance, in Moore, OK last year, my boys learned how to work twelve plus hours/day for twenty-one days with only two-three days off. They did not complain. For my youngest, age nine at the time, that was a huge accomplishment!
They learned to put others before themselves. They learned life is precious. They learned serving is fun (and sometimes exhausting : ) They did a variety of tasks: filled ice-chests with ice and drinks, served snacks, accompanied survivors through the confusing process of getting the help they needed, managed the waiting line, sorted papers, filed papers, stapled papers, greeted survivors, set up tents, put notices on driveways and foundations, and consoled survivors among many others. There is no way to record the valuable life lessons they learned in those three weeks. They learned much more than three weeks worth of any curriculum could have taught them. They learned lessons that will stay with them for life. In the midst of it all, they touched lives in unbelievable ways! There were survivors and volunteers who did not want to see us leave. Several volunteers were in tears when we said our good-byes.
They were not crying because I was leaving. The only reason they even knew me was because there was a constant rumble of “To whom do those wonderful boys belong?” The crying commenced because the volunteers had been impacted by the lives of three boys. Three boys, who for three weeks, left their safe home life and gave every ounce of energy and heart they had to a community that suffered unspeakable loss. Those boys had an impact on a community they will probably never completely comprehend, unless perhaps someday, their children serve in such a way as to open their eyes.
©Machelle Baker April 2014
Linked up @ Thoughtful Spot, Wedded Wednesday, and The Home School Post
Machelle is a native Texan who values liberty. She has homeschooled six of her children at some point during their educational experience. She continues to home educate the youngest two. One way she expresses her passion for helping others is as a Crisis Chaplain. Some of the disasters to which she has deployed and ministered at are: the Bastrop, TX wildfire (2011), the West, TX plant explosion (2013), the Moore, OK F5 tornado (2013), and the Central Texas flood (October 2013), the Memorial Day Blanco River flood (2015), Hurricane Harvey (2017), the Sutherland Springs church shooting (2017), and most recently the El Paso Wal-Mart shooting (2019). She also currently serves a Regional Deputy Commander for the International Fellowship of Chaplains.
April 13, 2014 @ 11:09 pm
WOW. What a powerful post. And what an amazing lesson for your boys!
Kristen from The Road to Domestication recently posted…Inspirational Easter Printables – FREE!
April 15, 2014 @ 4:23 pm
Thanks Kristen. It was an amazing time for all of us. From the depths of grief and exhaustion to the heights of being so blessed to serve : )
Machelle Baker recently posted…New Year’s Resolutions: Reading & Writing
April 14, 2014 @ 12:08 am
How wonderful – thank you for all that you do, and for sharing your story. Very inspirational!
Laurel Regan recently posted…Blogging from A to Z Challenge – L is for…
April 15, 2014 @ 4:24 pm
Thank you Laurel. We are so blessed to be able to serve.
Machelle Baker recently posted…Spring Cleaning: The Heart of the Matter
April 14, 2014 @ 5:40 am
What a great post. A very interesting lesson!
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April 15, 2014 @ 4:26 pm
Thank you Sophie. Yes, many interesting lessons!
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April 14, 2014 @ 1:31 pm
Wow great post! Thank you for sharing!
April 15, 2014 @ 4:27 pm
Thank you Angelica. I am glad it blessed you.
Machelle Baker recently posted…Change: How Do You Deal With It?
April 14, 2014 @ 5:07 pm
I can see why you would think of Disaster for the letter D. Wow. What an experiment for you and your boys! I would love to do that, and may yet. Thank you for sharing this wonderful post! I appreciate what you do!
Jeanne Melanson recently posted…People with Down Syndrome Dancing to Pharrell Williams’ Song, ‘Happy’
April 15, 2014 @ 4:49 pm
Thank you Jeanne. I am surprised ‘disaster’ did not come to my mind earlier : ) If you want to get involved find a family friendly organization. Take the training they offer and jump in!
Machelle Baker recently posted…Change: How Do You Deal With It?
April 15, 2014 @ 12:08 pm
Really enjoyed your post and the perspective you shared with us. What a wonderful experience for your children and such a great way to teach them.
April 15, 2014 @ 4:53 pm
Thank you Tonia. It was a wonderful experience The great thing about this kind of “teaching” is it occurs naturally.
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April 15, 2014 @ 1:30 pm
Wow! What an amazing post and lesson for your kiddos. Thank you for sharing it for all of us.
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April 15, 2014 @ 4:55 pm
You’re welcome Nicole. I am glad the post blessed you.
Machelle Baker recently posted…Abide That Your Joy May Be Full
April 16, 2014 @ 8:34 am
Hey Machelle, thanks for speaking about this great ministry and gift you’ve given to others in times of crisis. My husband is also a disaster relief chaplain, although he’s never been able to go to any disaster sites since he was certified about two years ago. I’m certain it would bless him as he would go to bless others. And it’s great that your boys are learning how to be compassionate and sacrificial as they serve alongside you. Thanks for all you’ve done for others and for linking up at Wedded Wed, my friend!
April 16, 2014 @ 7:16 pm
Thanks Beth. I love being able to minister to people. It’s amazing, you go to bless others. You come home blessed (and extremely grateful for what you have). I love working with a ministry that allows me to include my family. I am sure your husband would be a great blessing to others. The time will come when he will be able to go. Thanks for hosting Wedded Wed!
Machelle Baker recently posted…Eggsellent (Non-Sugar) Easter Egg Fillers
April 16, 2014 @ 12:55 pm
I’m in awe of you and your family and your heart to serve others in there most devastated hopeless moments all in the name of JESUS! Thank you for everything that you do!
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April 16, 2014 @ 7:19 pm
Don’t be in awe Forest. We have our moments like all families. It just turns out we can express this passion for others together when the need arises. Thank you for visiting and commenting.
Machelle Baker recently posted…Eggsellent (Non-Sugar) Easter Egg Fillers
April 17, 2014 @ 6:09 pm
I agree that the lessons your children learned through this experience was invaluable …. no textbook could compare. Enjoyed reading your post.
Clara @A Slice of Homeschool Pie recently posted…7 Reasons Why Stressing Over Homeschooling Is Unnecessary
April 17, 2014 @ 6:11 pm
I have a suggestion for a follow-up post to this. I would like to know how do you go about finding a Disaster Relief Network and what is the procedure for joining one.
Clara @A Slice of Homeschool Pie recently posted…7 Reasons Why Stressing Over Homeschooling Is Unnecessary
April 17, 2014 @ 6:26 pm
That’s a good question Clara. For me, it was a divine plan…it wasn’t something I planned or researched. I went to a conference put on by a local organization with the intent of learning about emergency preparedness for myself and my family. I did learn about those topics. But in the end I learned so much more about helping others. The rest is history. There are some things I could share. Putting the idea in my draft file. Thanks for the suggestions.
Machelle Baker recently posted…Eggsellent (Non-Sugar) Easter Egg Fillers
April 17, 2014 @ 6:25 pm
Thanks Clara (did I tell you that was my great-grandmother’s name : ) I used to stress over missed lessons. But I have learned some things are so much more important!
Machelle Baker recently posted…Change: How Do You Deal With It?
April 21, 2014 @ 11:13 pm
Thank you for sharing this on The Homeschool Post! It is a wonderful story of beauty from ashes.
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April 22, 2014 @ 8:37 pm
Love this post! My husband is one of our states’s Adventist Community Services Disaster Response Coordinators. So far we have only dealt with things locally, but I know every time we hear of something like what happened in Moore, he wishes so badly that he could be there helping. Maybe some day we will be able to serve like your boys and yourself did and have! Thank you for sharing this!
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April 23, 2014 @ 3:46 pm
Hi, I wonder if you might have met my sister during the OK disaster relief. She is local and her church, Emmanuel Baptist plays a huge role in the recovery. My sister, Julie, oversees the food pantry, and her husband, Jeff, helped oversee man, I aspects of the Relief. Did you >by chance meet a married couple, Julie and Jeff? They also homeschool as well. Since you were all significantly involved in the relief, I thought you might have crossed paths. Thanks for the work that you do. Blessings, Jill