by Norm Miller

FRESNO - Raging wildfires, devastating earthquakes, pounding tsunamis and swollen rivers aren't enough to hinder the volunteers who serve in California Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief ministries.

In fact, such catastrophes provided the reasons for almost 150 California Southern Baptists to invest sweat, time, tears and prayers, helping victims of calamities around the world.

In the spring, parts of New England received half their annual rainfall within three weeks. Some areas saw the worst flooding in 100 years; other areas, 200. And California Southern Baptists were there.

"Business owners and local government officials were deeply pleased with the work of our team," said Don Hargis, CSBC's Baptist men's ministries specialist who oversees disaster relief efforts. He noted all services were offered for free, and that impressed the locals positively. Led by Bob Lloyd of Sierra Baptist Church in Pioneer, the team of seven volunteers "did an outstanding job" for the duration of their 10-day ministry, Hargis said.

Last September, a magnitude 8.0 undersea earthquake generated massive waves, some as high as 30 feet, that crashed onto American Samoa's beaches, killing dozens of people and disrupting the lives of thousands of others. And California Southern Baptists were there.

"The governor opened his arms and embraced our team," Hargis said, "because we're a proven product and because of the grace of Jesus Christ."

Part of the ministry there was to train locals in CISM - Crisis Intervention and Stress Management - Hargis noted. Three chaplains on the team applied their CISM expertise in schools, helping children understand and deal with emotions related to the earthquake and tsunami. The volunteers also replicated themselves by training government officials in CISM.

Other Disaster Relief ministries in American Samoa included water purification, clean-up and recovery.

In January, a magnitude 8.8 earthquake - 500 times stronger than the Haiti quake - devastated Chile. The quake killed more than 700 people, displaced hundreds of thousands and caused widespread damage to homes, hospitals, schools, roads, bridges and commercial buildings.

"We are up against an emergency without comparison in the history of Chile and in which fast and urgent answers are needed," Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said at the time.

And California Southern Baptists were there.

Mike Bivins of First Baptist Church in Angels Camp led one of the teams ministering in Chile along with IMB Missionary Charles Clark, who said the earthquake significantly reduced the government's resistance to working with faith-based groups.

Bivins and Clark arranged a luncheon to explain the team's objectives. Local residents, some military personnel, a school administrator and the mayor attended. Clark related the team's reasons to be in Chile, and that "what we do is in the name of Jesus.

"It truly must have clicked with the lunch crowd because even the mayor gave a tearful expression of gratitude," Bivins said. "The Holy Spirit was present."

One man invited the team to his home, where "he told us he believed in God, but not the (Roman Catholic) priest, and that he would like to know more about the God we seem to so joyfully serve," Bivins said. "It was a truly moving experience for all of our team.

"The people have seen Christ's love through us," Bivins added. "That is often what we pray for, but it is incredible when those we serve recognize it and want to know more about it."

Dominating the daily news cycle for weeks was the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that shook Haiti and affected some 3 million people, destroyed a quarter-million homes and left an estimated quarter-million people dead.

While the aftershocks of hunger and homelessness continued to rock the Haitians' world, California Southern Baptists were there - more than 100 of them so far.
Patrick Murphy of Camp Alta Southern Baptist Assembly was one of those who ministered in Haiti twice. His first trip involved demolition and debris removal, and his second, construction.

"In the two trips we witnessed to hundreds, and we had 135 professions of faith," said Murphy, who noted "there is a revival going on right now in Haiti. The people are very open to the Word and ready for the hope, love and peace that a relationship in Jesus brings."

"Tears come to my eyes every time I think of the beautiful people there and the love they showed us. It was obvious that the Lord was moving in a mighty way there.... I can't say enough for the volunteers who went with me. I was very blessed they joined me in spreading the Word and doing work for the Lord."

Brian Sutton, a member of Valley Baptist Church in Bakersfield, has deployed multiple times in recent months, serving once in Chile and twice in Haiti.
Last February he posted on his facebook page the following (edited):

"Being in Haiti right now is so incredibly hard. The facility capacity is perhaps 30 people; we currently have 55. We've got (possibly armed) guards with us at all times, 90-degree humid weather indoors at night for sleeping conditions, the generator on and off every now and then to run some fans and water pumps, a drizzle from a spigot for a shower, a giant spider the size of my hand in one of the buildings, two-way radios and GPS devices with code words to call back for incidents like aftershocks and heat exhaustion. (We work) all day climbing around rubble. U.N. and military helicopters fly overhead. We push past mobs and crowds yelling and begging at the airport. There are voodoo animal sacrifices and rituals a hundred feet away from our sleeping areas with chanting late into the night. We ride in semi-enclosed backs of pickups through poor roads and lots of roadblocks. The bugs eat us alive as we try to sleep. It is seriously intense."

Despite such conditions, Sutton said he and other team members got "just a glimpse of the magnitude of what Christ is doing in Haiti with the earthquake. And in terms of the explosions, fires, fear, logistics and aftershocks, we're seeing plenty of the opposition and spiritual warfare against what is being done in this area."

Sutton reported that a voodoo priest converted to Christianity during one trip.

Team members "got to talk to people one-on-one about their fears and their faith," Sutton said, "and to hear stories of faith and people praising God. It is so crazy useful that we are here."

The team walked past a heap of rubble "that used to be a church, where four people were pulled out alive, and another 16 were not," he added.

Working with local pastors, Sutton and others were able to "present the gospel and tracts and messages of hope and faith to everyone nearby. It is very positive, with hundreds of gospel presentations, dozens of confessions of faith daily between the medical clinics and the assessment teams," he said. "So it's probably the toughest thing as far as living conditions and workload and security and safety. But it is very positive and encouraging."

Closer to home, California Southern Baptists have spent 13 consecutive months ministering to victims of the Golden State's annual onslaught of wildfires. And though another team is set to go to Haiti in November, CSBC's Disaster Relief forces are drawing down in anticipation of this year's wildfires.

Not waiting for the fire season, a blaze broke out recently in a Fresno apartment complex.

"The Red Cross called me and asked us to help feed the victims," Hargis said, noting CSBC's Disaster Relief ministries are gaining popularity in a state that many see as having an anti-religious bias.

California's Office of Emergency Services, and Office of Emergency Management have county branches statewide, whose officials "have such an appreciation for our ministry," Hargis said. "They share the experiences they've had with us with their counterparts in other counties, and recommend us because they know that we know how to handle disasters. Our leadership teams are so encouraged when they hear how state agencies want Southern Baptists involved and on the ground in these emergency recovery efforts.

"These officials know we're serious," Hargis said. "We get down and dirty because we genuinely care about the victims of disaster. We just say, 'Thank you, God' for opening these doors for us - doors of help and doors of hope."