13 March, 2006

A note from Jeff Barclay

If you have not heard, a tornado ripped through Lawrence, Kansas... where as you know, former pastor and friend, Jeff Barclay and his family live. I sent an email to him this morning to make sure that everyone was alright. The following is the reply he sent me, which I thought you might like to read. (Thanks Jeff for your permission to post this here.)

Everyone is fine but damage and debris everywhere. The church behind us lost half their roof. Our neighbor beside us lost his tallest tree. The pastor two houses down had his largest tree land on the corner of his house. Our back fence was broken. 60% of Kansas University's buildings are damaged.
The whole thing was so sudden and unexpected...
Toto, we are in Kansas!

Four interesting side notes-
1. This town is KU Jayhawk basketball crazy (possessed?). We had tornado warnings off and on all day. Tornado sirens were all down so police cars were driving all around town blowing their sirens and warning everyone to stay in basements. KU was playing Texas in the final of the Big 12 Championship and they never once interrupted the broadcast to mention the tornado warnings.
Sorry, we interrupt this tornado for the KU bal! lgame.

2. Sarah and Aaron were driving back from Branson on Sunday. First they were put in the bathrooms at a Sirloin Stockade. Later down the road the police stopped them and made them go into the walk-in freezer at a Wendys. I don't know if they ate each time the police stopped them. People died in the county's they drove through!

3. I got a flat on my bike this morning when I accidently hit some debris in the road.

4. I was three miles south of Lawrence on my bicycle (pre-church ride) when the storm came from nowhere. It was slightly overcast. Within minutes the sky was black. The next thing I knew debris was hitting my bike helmet and I was going 25 mph up a long hill, without pedaling. Decided I had better head back to town, but could not stay on my bike until the wind stopped. It was over very fast. I did not realize what I had actually "lived" through unti! l I pedaled into town and saw the damage. Everyone was i! n their front yards on cell phones asking me what in the world I was doing. Needless to say, the rest of the Barclays were very worried until I pedaled down our drive.

This may be one of those situations when we never fully appreciate the soveriegn watchcare the Lord has over us!


3 comments:

Sarah said...

I told him today that riding his bike through a tornado has to be one of those infamous Jeff stories. Unreal!

Neil said...

Speak to the wind and waves and command them, beg them, or bug them until they go...It's too much like hurricane season, and while you're at it...Could you ask the good Lord for an increase of sunshine and heat, cool around 72 for the week!

Sarah said...

We had one day of 75 and then it went bye bye.