Editorial Note: Sometimes we forget that as we deploy to work on a disaster, many times we can do so only because of the work that has been done in us and will be done for us while we are gone. Were it not for those other individuals working in our lives, our efforts to help others would not be possible. Doing Disaster Relief comes in a variety of forms…
“They also serve who only stand and wait.”
John Milton, Sonnet 19
I felt God’s call on my life at a young age; I knew He wanted me to go to the mission field and minister to others. I grew up in a Christian home with my parents and brother. My dad was a Minister of Music, who later became a volunteer for law enforcement, and my mom was a Sunday School teacher and took extra kids from the neighborhood to church. Their example of service to others was very prevalent in my youth and taught me both how to love others and be an example of serving others. I was blessed by them, knowing they loved me and showed me who Jesus was.
Last year, I knew God was opening up a door for me to be actively serving outside my home, so I talked with my husband and he encouraged me to go to the Chaplain Training. I have to admit, I was both nervous and confident. My husband was very assuring; he said if God calls me into something, He will work everything out. Of course, I believe that….we’re talking about God! He can do all things! Then I got my first call that Monday morning in October. I had my go-bag ready, and the excitement and adrenaline were running high as I was doing the last minute things to get out the door.
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I called my husband, who was already aware and prepared. The freezer was filled with supper sacks (frozen meals) so he and the four boys I was leaving behind didn't have to worry about meals. The boys are old enough to keep up with the 2-3 loads of daily laundry and know how to care for themselves and the animals and do chores. I was so blessed to know they wanted me to go and have this opportunity. (Who am I kidding...they wanted to play more video games!) Wow, on top of all the normal day-to-day activities, we were getting used to our “new normal” of rolling blackouts. The power was out when I left, but for the boys, that only added to the adventure. The power came back on after I left and that made life easier. For three days my husband ran his business, cared for our boys and kept up with all the chores. He was, and still is, amazing.
The next call was to my bible study group. They faithfully prayed for me and my family and encouraged me in the faith. What a wonderful group of ladies whose prayers are faithful and vigilant. While on deployment, I got to glean wisdom from more experienced chaplains and was so blessed by their openness and willingness to encourage a first-timer.
Overall, I know without a doubt, that having the example of my faithful parents, the prayers of the wonderful ladies in bible study, the wonderful wisdom from more experienced chaplains, and the support and encouragement of my husband and children, God has blessed me beyond measure and given me this opportunity at such a time like this.
Diana Burckhardt Knapp
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Naomi's Notes: Unsung Chaplain Heroes in the Midst of COVID-19
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“I’m over 60 and have some health restrictions. What can I still do to support our disaster relief efforts during COVID-19?” These are the words of a true chaplain unsung hero in the midst of COVID-19. While many are limited by age and health – unable to “do” and “be” as chaplains often are, they still want to be engaged in helpful, compassionate ways.
The
ministry of presence
is such a pivotal part of chaplain ministry. Yet, how can we be present when we can’t be present? Social distancing does not mean emotional distancing. Social distancing does not mean spiritual distancing. Our disaster relief chaplains will still be providing the
ministry of presence
in unique and special ways during the days of our confinement.
We have over 50 unsung chaplain heroes who have volunteered to “deploy” during this distressful time. They have maintained their training, their credential status (their IDs are current and not expired), and they have deployed as California Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Chaplains! They have answered the call and are ready to “deploy” for a week of responding to COVID-19 Prayer Line calls.
Taking a morning or evening shift, they will be ready to be compassionate listeners, hope-filled encouragers, and a calm presence in the chaos. They will stay “cool under pressure” when someone is upset or angry or confused. They will use every active listening skill they have learned and practiced. They will remember the goals of psychological first aid and will practice the presence of God with every caller.
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These unsung chaplain heroes will be royal ambassadors in new and challenging ways. They will communicate the love of Christ with heart to heart conversations and no PowerPoint, gestures, or eye contact. Will they be able to do it?
YES! I know they will be able to meet the challenge. We must all pray for these unsung chaplain heroes and the callers to whom they will minister.
We are all called to be heroic in new and meaningful ways.
Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and
lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us.
Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the
good of the people around us, asking ourselves, “how can I help?”
Romans 15:1-2 (MSG)
Unsung heroes help those who have needs. Unsung heroes support those who are vulnerable. Unsung heroes serve others with humility. Thank you to all our unsung chaplain heroes. May God bless you and keep you strong throughout these days.
I have just completed “
Ministry During Pandemic
,” a guidance and training manual for chaplains and pastors for ministry during this time of pandemic. Chapters 5-12 will be especially helpful in the days ahead.
Naomi Paget
Director/Instructor, CSBCDR Chaplain Program
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All of our DR volunteers have had basic Operational Stress First Aid training. OSFA was designed specifically to augment the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual support structures that exist during critical incidents, and to help restore these support structures over time. In terms of the Stress Continuum, the goal of OSFA is simply to
move towards green to restore health and readiness after an Orange Zone stress injury.
DR team members, it’s time to brush up on these principles - check yourself - be aware of stress in others - practice self-care - call our Chaplain Prayer Line (1-888-219-7729) for supportive prayer during COVID-19.
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Tribute to Healthcare Workers
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The theme of our April newsletter is that of the “Unsung Heroes,” and your newsletter staff would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the incredible unsung heroes that staff hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices around the country. We want to thank the nurses and doctors and medical staff across our nation, on the front lines of the pandemic crisis.
Thank you to the nurse who works double shifts in the ICU whose face is bruised and marked by the hours of wearing masks to protect him from infection as he shows the love and acceptance of Christ to the frightened and the critically ill. Thank you to the doctor that cannot remember the last time she hugged her children or her husband for fear of infecting them and yet steps into the line of fire again and again.
Just as Jesus touched the leper, these men and women reach out their hands every day to heal the sick. They deserve our gratitude, but more importantly need our fervent prayers of protection and health.
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Personal Preparedness - the Go Bag
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In any disaster, a hasty evacuation can be necessary. And if you need to evacuate from your home, or to try and get home from another place like work, what you put in this bag is important. There are many websites where you can purchase pre-stocked bags, but it is easier and quite frankly less expensive to do it yourself.
The Sierra Club has a
great article
about what to pack and how much to pack in your bag. This list is a great one, but some of the things I include in my bag that are not on the list are:
- Emergency blankets – you know those lightweight silver blankets? I’ve got 4 in my bag in case I need to sleep out of doors. One for under me, one for over me and two as a modified shelter.
- A roll of 550 cord (Para cord) in case I need to make a shelter
- Waterproof matches – in case I need to spend the night outside, a fire warms me and provides light
- Change of socks and underwear
- First aid kit including blister relief pads
- Supply of medicine that I take regularly
- Solar light that I can clip on the outside of my bag to charge during the day for use at night
- Pepper spray for personal protection
- A comfort item like a stuffed bear or toy for your children
The contents of your bag or the bag of your spouse or children may be different. Keep your bag in your car, and if you are traveling with family members on a road trip, throw their Go Bags in the trunk and take them with you. It is better to have more than less in a disaster situation.
TIP OF THE MONTH:
Prepare your go bag now . . . and encourage your family to do so, too!!
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By now, COVID-19 is not news to any of us. We pray for everyone to stay safe and healthy. Check reliable sources for your information, such as
www.covid19.ca.gov
or
www.cdc.gov
.
The CSBC website also has a continually updated pag
e
of
helpful resources
compiled for pastors, church staff members and lay leaders.
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Lessons Learned: the Unsung Heroes with a Pencil
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No one knows when God decided to create Admins. But if you look at the big picture, it turns out that was a really good idea. There was a time when I thought Admins were an Albatross hung around the neck of DR teams that slowed everything down. After all, weren’t we there to find Personal Property or clean up a muddy house? And all the Admins wanted was numbers, numBERS, NUMBERS! Every night… How many bibles? How many Chaplaincy contacts? How many meals? How many angels were seen dancing on the head of a pin? Seriously? The perseverance of the Admins and the minutia they were looking for… “I just want to take a cold shower in toxic water and go to bed!!!”
After recovering from the lightning strike (Did I mention God created Admins?), the epiphany hit… How do you tell our story without numbers? How do you explain to those who want to help financially, how their money is being spent and about the return on that investment for the Kingdom? Who paid for those hot meals I had today? Who paid for the trucks and for their maintenance? Who bought the bibles? Who bought the water tank? Nobody would have, had they not heard the well documented story.
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Two lessons learned: First, We need to pay closer attention to our activities during a deployment workday. We are racking up numbers that are actually REALLY important. Second, Thank God there are people writing them down.
(I think I’m going to buy Jan Falos, Laura Johnson and Nicki Moucheron pencil sharpeners for their birthday.)
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Stories From the Field - The Sweeper
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... as told by Jimmy Lawrence, NCSBDR
The hurricane had produced devastating rains and flooding that drove thousands from their homes. When they returned, their homes were filled with debris, mud, their belongings lost – and thus a painful road to recovery began.
For 30 years, Joe had faithfully answered the call of disaster response in the region, fed people, mudded out countless houses, operated heavy equipment when the need arose and ministered to those that had lost everything. But these days his steps were not as sure, and his stamina was not what he wanted. But still he came, with a quick smile, a servant heart and a strong call to show the love of Christ to the suffering.
On this day in 2018, the Incident Commander, Jimmy, greeted Joe warmly, complimented him on his new cane and found a place for him on a team leaving immediately to tear out a house damaged by mud. The blue hat, looking skeptically at Jimmy, said, “Ok, I’ll find him a place.” When the team reached their house, Joe waited patiently until the blue hat asked him what he would like to do. Joe smiled, leaned his cane against the wall and asked for a broom. “I’ll just sweep,” and Joe started sweeping.
The blue hat watched for a moment, to make sure Joe wasn’t going to fall over, and went about his day. Lunch time came, and Joe, sitting on an inverted bucket, handed out the volunteer lunches from the cooler with a smile. And after lunch, Joe was back at the broom “just sweeping.” And so it continued for the next 3 days – the team working fervently to complete the tear-out on the house so they could move on to the next one... and Joe swept.
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On the fourth day though, Joe stayed behind to rest, and his team went back to the same house to try and finish the job. At the end of the day, like every day, Jimmy the Incident Commander, debriefed everyone, asked how it went and encouraged people to share stories from the field, examples of “Where did God show up today?” The blue hat from Joe’s team stood and shared an unexpected insight.
“For three days, Joe just swept while we all tore out the damaged parts of the house. Quite frankly I forgot about him the days he was with us. I was more concerned about people being careful with themselves, the equipment and the home owner.
Until today, I had no idea how much Joe did until he wasn’t there. At lunch, when we finally took a break, the team was kinda down, and didn’t feel like they had made any progress. The mess we generated really got in our way of making any real progress and the day just got worse."
"I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how things had gotten so wrong, until, in the later afternoon I grabbed the broom. And it hit me. Joe ‘just sweeping’ was what was missing. He cleaned up the mess we generated behind us and allowed us to move quickly through the demo. When my team was tired, when they saw the clean floors behind them, they were encouraged and motivated to push past the tired to keep going. Joe’s smile fed our spirits and his presence ministered to our hearts. His was the greatest service.”
Everyone has a place and a ministry – no matter how great or how small, the work of the kingdom needs us all.
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Disaster Relief Chainsaw Training
4/20-21
Tentative new dates June 1-2
Paradise, CA
Note:
This is for New Volunteers ($35) as well as those who need recertification ($20) or want additional training (N/C). See all 3 options on the registration form. The deployment following training has a separate process as listed below.
Disaster Relief Chainsaw Deployment
4/22-5/1
Tentative new dates June 3-5
Paradise, CA
- Name
- Email Address
- Mobile Phone Number
- Badge Expiration Date
- Dates You Are Available
Disaster Relief Ministry Training
6/20 Rohnert Park, CA (new class – info and registration coming soon!)
Operational Stress First Aid (OSFA) *
8/15 Ontario, CA
9/5 TBD Northern CA
Courses Sponsored by K-LOVE, taught by Naomi Paget:
CISM: Strategic Response to Crisis
8/13-14 Ontario, CA
CISM: Advanced Group Crisis Intervention
8/11-12 Ontario, CA
10/8-9 San Pedro, CA
CISM: Spiritual Psychological First Aid (TSA and ICISF)
9/1-2 Concord, CA
CISM: Advanced Individual Crisis Intervention
10/6-7 San Pedro, CA
Courses Sponsored by K-LOVE, taught by KC Petersen:
CISM: Individual & Group Crisis Intervention in 3 Days (GRIN) *
8/11-13 Ontario, CA
*Meets requirement for NAMB DR Chaplain
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Help with DRone!
DRone newsletter is for us all, and benefits from your input and perspectives. We need your stories, your photos and your experiences.
Please consider sending your stories, articles, thoughts, suggestions and LOTS OF PHOTOS to Jayne Bauer at
jbauer@csbc.com
. This is a team effort! Won’t you join with us?!
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Disaster Relief Contributions
are gratefully accepted and help underwrite CSBC's current or future response to hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, etc., in California, nearby states or mission partnership countries.
Response services include the preparation of hot meals for disaster victims who are without basic utility services, recovery assistance to victims without insurance resources, cleanup of homes, and transportation for volunteers to affected areas.
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Please share this newsletter with your friends and churches - help spread the word about CSBC Disaster Relief work in California!
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DRone
is a monthly publication of California Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief to inform and encourage DR team members and friends as we serve together to bring help, hope and healing to a hurting world during a time of crisis. Questions/comments about
DRone should be directed to Jayne McClung Bauer,
jbauer@csbc.com.
Please
sign up here
to receive this newsletter in your inbox.
DR Director:
Mike Bivins, 916-673-7622
Editor:
Jayne McClung Bauer, DR Communications Coordinator, 707-689-4501
Contributors:
Dawn Fulkerson, Neils Johnson, Diana Burckhardt Knapp, Jay York (selected photos)
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