Helping Those In Need
By Audra Haney
The 700 Club
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CBN.com —Eleven days after the massive F5 tornado devastated Moore, Oklahoma—Floyd Bowman, who lived in a neighboring county—heard the tornado sirens again. He took his two boys, Fred and Austin, and ran for cover at a nearby shelter. When the tornado passed, they thought the worst was over, until they returned home.
“It was pretty scary,” says Floyd.. “It was coming in pretty swift, so the main thing was to get my two kids and take cover somewhere.”
Because of the storm, floodwaters rose over a nearby levy, forcing Floyd and his boys to evacuate for two days. When they returned home, they found their home destroyed by nearly a foot of water.
“It started smelling like mildew really bad and everything was really sticky and pretty nasty,” says Floyd.
When Operation Blessing volunteers found Floyd, he was trying to fix the damage on his own, while maintaining his busy life as a single dad.
“We found out that it was all three of them living in one bedroom,” says Operation Blessing's Jody Gettys. “Floyd had done the sheetrock in one bedroom and done the sheetrock in the living room, but the rest of the house was still completely messed up. I remember tears welling up in his eyes and saying, ‘Jody, I am doing the best I can.' And when we met him and heard that story, we knew we had to jump in and help.”
Operation Blessing housed the family in a hotel room for three weeks and told them they weren’t allowed to see the house until the repairs were finished. Volunteers were busy at work—gutting, installing sheetrock, doing masonry work, and transforming the inside and outside of the home.
In just a few short weeks, Operation Blessing volunteers completely renovated this home. They corrected all of the flood damage and put a fresh touch on just about everything.
After a few last minute touches, it was time for the big reveal.
“I am just overwhelmed with feelings,” says Floyd. “It is a total surprise. I love the way it looks. It is a big blessing from where I was a couple of weeks ago from now. They did a great job in every room and the kids are loving it too. They are having a blast.”
And, Operation Blessing had a few extra surprises for Austin and Fred.
“I didn’t realize there was an organization like that who helps people and all of it has been great,” says Floyd. “I have enjoyed every moment of it. It’s been a miracle....all of it.”
“It’s all I ever wanted,” says Floyd's son, Austin. “I would say thank you! I would say thank you!”
CBN Partners provide practical help for families in need. This often opens hearts to receive the message of Christ. If you are not a partner, please join with us today. For a small investment of $20 a month, you can bring help and a message of hope to people throughout the world. Become a member today!
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