 Jeff Blackburn, pastor of Greensburg (Kan.) Mennonite Church, describes to a Hesston College audience Friday, October 26, the experiences of his family during and after the May 4 tornado that leveled the parsonage, Greensburg Mennonite Church, and nearly the entire town in western Kansas. |
October 30, 2007
"God protected us," said Jeff Blackburn, pastor of Greensburg (Kan.) Mennonite Church, while sharing at Hesston College Friday morning, October 26, about the devastating tornado that ripped through the town of Greensburg during the evening hours of May 4, 2007.
Referring to one of his favorite Psalms (Psalms 91), Blackburn said, "God covered us with his wings. God took care of us."
Blackburn recounted how he, his wife Lori, and teenage daughter Cassie, a senior at Greensburg High School, experienced the storm that turned out to be a 1.5 mile wide tornado packing 205 mile an hour winds that leveled nearly every structure in the town, while stripping trees of their leaves, limbs, and bark. The tornado claimed 11 lives in the western Kansas town with a population of 1,400.
"We went to our basement at 9:15 p.m. when the tornado sirens went off," he said. In his (Indiana Pacers) tornado bag, he had packed some extra clothes and some cash. "We figured the sirens would stop, we'd come up to the house, and life would go on."
But soon the power went off, and in another minute or so, the air pressure dropped. "We grabbed towels and covered our heads," he said. "The wind was so incredibly loud, I never heard windows breaking, and never heard our house break up."
Blackburn has been asked countless times what it sounded like. The only way he knows how to describe it is the following—"Drive down a highway at 205 miles an hour and stick your head out the window."
Hunched over his wife and daughter, Blackburn soon could feel rain and hail, indicating that the parsonage had sustained significant damage. "I grew up in Indiana and have seen tornado damage," he said. "But I wasn't prepared to see the damage in Greensburg."
As he and his family moved slowly out of the basement, he remembered, "I can't describe what it felt like to walk up (the basement stairs) to the house, but no house was there."
From the top of the basement stairs, it didn't take Blackburn long to ascertain that the Greensburg Mennonite Church next door was also gone.
"We couldn't believe what was going on," he said. "Early on, we were in shock, which kept us from coming unglued. This was serious, but we (in Greensburg) had no idea how serious it was. We began to realize how widespread the damage was sometime Saturday (May 5, the next day)."
Surprise visitors on Saturday were Kevin King, director of Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS), and Paul Unruh, an MDS board member from Newton, Kan. King, based in Akron, Pa., had come to Hesston College for the Saturday evening recognition of the first six graduates of the Disaster Management program, a joint program between the college and MDS.
"They came to look for me and began to offer support," Blackburn said. "We could not have gotten through this disaster without MDS and the people who volunteered with MDS. I want to say on behalf of Greensburg Mennonite Church and the Greensburg community, 'Thank you.'"
Blackburn, pastor of Greensburg Mennonite since 1994, said communication devices, including cell phones, were worthless immediately after the tornado. So he asked about people in his congregation at the relief shelter and by asking around town on Saturday. "Twenty-six of the 43 homes in our church sustained damage ranging from some damage to total destruction," he reported.
Blackburn also thanked John Murray, pastor of Hesston Mennonite Church, who has served as Blackburn's mentor/support since May 4. "John has been so good," he said. "He's visited Greensburg a number of times and has been my personal therapist. We needed somebody on the outside to help us cope."
One significant change Blackburn has seen as a result of the tornado is his family's desire for a simpler life. "We have too much stuff," he acknowledged. "My wife Lori and I had conversations about this topic before the tornado. Afterward, all we had was what was in my Indiana Pacers bag.
"I learned how materialistic I was when I made a list of the contents of my (clothes) closet (prior to the tornado)," he said. "No man needs 40 dress shirts sand 20 dress pants." Stored in his briefcase, the list was taken by the storm.
According to Blackburn, another lesson learned is that "when everything changes, God remains the same. I had that sense as the storm was going over us, and I've had that sense in the weeks and months since. It is always true that God is faithful and remains the same." He says Scripture has also come alive.
"The disaster hasn't fully passed," he emphasized. "We're still recovering. There's a lot of work to be done, including clean-up. This weekend is 'Make a Difference Weekend' in Greensburg.
"Pray for us in Greensburg," he requested. "Pray for us in the congregation. We have a whole new opportunity to be his witnesses in an unprecedented way. We want to step up and meet that opportunity.
"God has not abandoned us," he pointed out. "God is still the same sovereign God that he was on May 3 and May 5. We know we’re not in this alone."
 Jeff Blackburn (right), pastor of Greensburg (Kan.) Mennonite Church, shakes the hand of Jaecy Friesen, a sixth grader from North Newton, Kan., and one of the members of the Kids for Christ Choir at Hesston Mennonite Church, after Blackburn received a check of $2,710.13 for the Greensburg Mennonite Church that was leveled during a May 4 tornado. Other choir presenters were Kelsey Unruh (left to right), a fifth grader from Hesston; Friesen; and Keegan LeFevre, a sixth grader from Hesston. Standing in the background next to Blackburn is Jared Wedel, a sixth grader from Hesston. |
Following Blackburn's address, members of the Kids for Christ Choir of Hesston Mennonite Church—led by Sandra Richard and Sharon Wedel, assisted by Lance Diener—took the stage to make a presentation.
"Our choir has decided to do service projects to help others, in addition to singing songs during morning worship," said Jaecy Friesen, a sixth grader from North Newton, Kan. The choir held a car wash and bake sale Saturday afternoon, September 29, which raised $824.75. The next Wednesday evening (October 3), a church supper, followed by a dessert auction, netted $1,885.38.
"We have family members in Greensburg who were affected by the tornado," said Keegan LeFevre, a sixth grader from Hesston, before handing Blackburn a check totaling $2,710.13 for Greensburg Mennonite Church. Kelsey Unruh, a fifth grader from Hesston, added, "Blessings as you continue your journey of recovery."
In response, Blackburn shook the hands of all 14 choir members present, who had received permission to leave school so they could hear him speak and participate in the presentation.
Afterward, Blackburn commented, "I am amazed at what children have done for us in this recovery process. The kids have been really sensitive in this situation. I'm not sure that as a kid their age, I would have thought of that."