Tornados - Offer to help from WFR Relief

Emails from Danny Boggs, Evangelist and JJ Boggs, Secretary of the Hillcrest Church of Christ in Neosho, MO.

May 12, 2008

Hello Don,

I wanted to thank you for your concern and quick willingness to help.  I drove through 2 other areas this afternoon, and it is truly heart-wrenching.  The fatalities could have been much greater, but with it being Mother’s Day weekend many people were out shopping.  The tornado passed within 1-2 miles of our home…  last month, a much smaller tornado hit at the end of our road and damaged a few homes and a couple of businesses on our end of town and a few homes and a business on the other end of town.  It has been a little crazy, and it seems as if everyone is standing on pins and needles.

However, we are thankful for many things—most of us do not know any of the ones who died or were injured.  Things are things, but life is more important. 

Our elders have contacted the sheriff’s dept. and we hope to begin helping with the needs that are being directed to us in that area.  Thank you for your prayers as we continue to pick up the leftovers.  Below I will post some specific members of the church that we personally know, please keep them in your prayers:

Johnson family:  completely loss home, they have already burned and buried their home.  (3 young children)

Litherland family:  complete loss—they lived in a rental, but was able to salvage a few keepsakes—living with friends and hope to find a rental home soon (baby)

Hyder family:  major damage to house—deciding whether or not to start over, living with family (an elder)

Tribbey family:  major damage to house—are living with friends and hope to move back in their home in a few months (3 little ones)

Tyler family:  major damage to house (baby)

We are certain that there are others from area congregations, but these are the one we specifically know about. 

Thank you so much,

JJ  (Jessica Boggs, wife of Danny Boggs,

Thanks Danny.

From: Danny Boggs [mailto:21db@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2008 2:42 PM
To: 'Don Yelton'
Subject: RE: tornado

Thanks for your concern, Don.  As J.J. said, our members who were directly affected are having most of their needs met.  The damage here was north of town in a more rural area with relatively few homes impacted (though terribly).  They were all covered with help while I was out there working yesterday.  My understanding is that Disaster Relief will have a truck at the other congregation here in town tomorrow.

Two nearby smaller communities, Seneca and Granby, took more of the brunt of the storm.  I know that Seneca had members directly affected; I’m not sure about Granby, but it would be likely that Christians there did experience some property loss.  Electricity restoration will still take several days there.  I think the phone number for the church in Seneca is (417) 776-3077; the preacher is Peter Persson.  The Granby church probably doesn’t have a phone; the preacher’s name is Bobby Stafford, and his number is (417) 451-2738.

Danny

http://neoshochurchofchrist.org/

1037 West South Street
Neosho, MO 64850
Phone: (417) 451-2724
Fax: (417) 455-2724
hillcrestneosho@sbcglobal.net