New information on Mass. tornado damages

This morning's e-mail in-box included a message from Steve Nerger, who is BCNE State Director of Missions and is currently serving as Interim Pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Brimfield, MA.
He shed some additional "light" on Wednesday's destruction in the Sturbridge/Brimfield area a few miles east of the West Springfield sites described in yesterday's blog posting.

Apparently there was considerable damage to the Friendship Church ---lots of trees down in the parking lot, damage to the "antique" building (which, by the way, has a wonderful church bell in the steeple that is rung by a long rope!), etc.  In the immediate area there was one person who died in the storm, many mobile homes anihilated, roofs blown off, MUCH destruction. . . .A command center has been set up at the church for directing relief efforts in the area.  Our trained SBC disaster relief people from New England and other areas are working to provide food and water for the victims as well as chain saw crews to begin the clean-up process.   Bruce James, Evangelism Director for the Baptist Convention of New England, also heads up the Disaster Relief team for the convention.

Please continue to pray for the many families who are affected by this disaster.  Pray for strength for the volunteer workers and wisdom to know how to direct the relief efforts most effectively.   Also ask the Lord to provide many opportunities in the coming days for the gospel to be shared with and received by those involved.

If we get more significant data, we'll provide updates.  In the meantime, we are so grateful to you for praying and to those who are onsite responding as needed.