Arkansas Calvary Chapel Launches Cleanup after Catastrophic Tornado
Photos by Bonnie Ortega
Once densely lined with tall, old growth trees, the sun blasts down on a street in the Old Forge neighborhood in Little Rock, AR, where many homes and properties now lie in mangled ruins. Calvary Chapel Maumelle, AR, recently came to this neighborhood to help residents, who have found their street almost unrecognizable after nearly every tree was ripped apart.
The street of Ludington Cove in Old Forge, once densely lined by old-growth trees, lies virtually denuded in the tornadic aftermath.
Shocked by the enormity of the destruction in his own backyard, one homeowner “broke down crying when I told him there was no charge, explaining we are just a local church looking to help any way we could,” said Marc Ortega, who heads up the Outreach Ministry at CC Maumelle. “He said this was the first offer of help since the tornado hit.”
On Friday, March 31, a catastrophic EF3 tornado tore through the middle of Little Rock, AR, with 165-mph winds wrecking homes, businesses, and vehicles before continuing its 30-mile-long path of destruction. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Medical Center in Little Rock had declared a level-3 mass casualty event anticipating at least 600 injuries. Incredibly, no lives were lost in the city of Little Rock.
Marc Ortega (right), head of the Outreach Ministry at Calvary Chapel Maumelle, AR, gives an update on the group’s progress during a lunch break. The outreach team cut numerous trees and cleared debris from the Old Forge neighborhood in Little Rock, which was heavily impacted by a catastrophic tornado the week before.
No Outreach Too Small
Brad Wood, bi-vocational pastor of CC Maumelle, is also a contractor. “I feel the Lord is leading us to help more one-on-one. As a contractor, I have the ability and resources to help those who may need some part of their home repaired,” he stated. “We are praying and trusting God will lead us to who He wants us to help.”
A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9
On Saturday, April 8, CC Maumelle set up their outreach in that small neighborhood. Located just across the Arkansas River from Maumelle, Little Rock is home to a number of their congregants. “Our outreach team made meals, feeding over 200 people in the neighborhood, and adjoining neighborhoods, while our guys used chainsaws, clearing trees,” Brad explained.
CC Maumelle fed over 200 people in the neighborhood and delivered more than 30 plates of food to people on surrounding streets still without power. The church plans to continue ministering to those in poorer neighborhoods overlooked by larger relief organizations in the area.
It took two days to clear the man’s backyard, creating a huge log pile. Wondering how that pile would get moved to the street for city pickup, the men left for Home Depot to buy more chainsaw blades. Upon their return, four people from the Lutheran organization, Mercy in Action Disaster Resources, were there, the homeowner’s wife having bumped into them just minutes before. “She explained to them what we were doing, so they came to help. When they took a look at the pile of logs we created, they called in their five big Bobcat front loaders and 20 other people and moved all the debris,” Brad remarked. “It was fantastic how the Lord brought them at just the right time!”
Passed Over & Protected
As the outreach team interacted and prayed with many throughout the neighborhood, the residents began to understand how the hand of God had protected them.
Two houses, roofs ripped off and garages destroyed, were unoccupied when the tornado went through. The tornado “jumped” over the house directly across the street where a woman was home at the time.
The backyard of the house the tornado “jumped” over incurred some tree damage that fell on the back of the home. The homeowner, inside when the tornado came through, was unharmed.
Recalling their experiences of that Friday, they soon realized the tornado had demolished houses that were unoccupied at the time and ‘jumped’ the houses of those who were home. While those properties incurred some damages, they were not in shambles. Brad marveled, “One couple was praising God and wants to come to our church next Sunday. They really believe the Lord protected the people who were home. It just amazes me that our God is so faithful even in something like this.”
He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, and He will pay back what he has given. Proverbs 19:17
Now that a number of larger disaster relief organizations have established a presence and connected with larger churches in the area, Brad feels that the Lord is directing their focus on the poorer neighborhoods that have been overlooked. He noted, “We don’t have to recreate the disaster relief that is already here. We need to meet people individually, get to know them and where they need help, and pray and trust that the Lord will lead us.”
Mike Greever cuts trees in the Old Forge neighborhood. Mike and bi-vocational Pastor Brad Wood of CC Maumelle are business partners as contractors and brothers in the Lord.
As the small church of 50-80 people continues to minister to its neighbors, please pray that God will multiply its efforts; pray for those in the community who are experiencing the love of God through their outreach.
Learn more about this church at ccmaumelle.org
Calvary Chapel Maumelle
650 Edgewood Drive, Ste. 106
Maumelle, AR 72113
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