'Hands and Feet of Jesus': Operation Blessing Providing Urgent Aid to Kentucky After Deadly Tornadoes

Charlene Aaron
12-15-2021

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Residents in Mayfield, KY held a candlelight vigil Tuesday night for the lost and grieving after the deadliest outbreak of tornadoes in U.S. history tore through six states last weekend.

But stories of survival are still emerging from the rubble. Murray Holbrook said he is thankful to be alive after he was trapped under a pile of debris at his home. His entire neighborhood is gone.

"I don't know how I survived it," said Holbrook. "It happened so quick. It was fast-moving, and it sounded like two freight trains coming up on top of us. I thought something else was going to drop on top of the wall and completely crush me. I was scared and I just knew that I was going to die."

More than 100 people across Kentucky are still unaccounted for and the governor says he expects the death toll to keep rising as search crews comb through the ruins. "The level of absolute destruction in one place is hard to describe," said Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY).

Eight people lost their lives when a candle factory was smashed to pieces and at least 74 people were killed across the state. 

Douglas Koon of Dawson Springs is grieving the loss of his two-month-old daughter Oaklynn. "I'm gonna miss her crying in the middle of the night, waking me up," said Koon. "I'm going to miss her not wanting to be put down, wanting her mommy and daddy to hold her."

Residents of hard-hit areas could be without heat, water, or electricity in frigid temperatures for weeks or longer.

But there is hope. CBN's Operation Blessing is on the scene in Kentucky, coordinating efforts from Bowling Green, and working with church partners to deliver food, water, and other necessities.

CLICK HERE to donate to Operation Blessing's tornado relief efforts in the Midwest. 

"We had a disaster relief supply drop at New Life where the pastors were so thankful to receive the load which include non-perishable food, those Home Depot buckets that have all those cleaning supplies in there, and water," explained Anthony Lloyd, Senior Director of Operation Blessing U.S. Disaster Relief. "They were able to quickly take that material and hand it out to people in the community."

Volunteers are helping to unload and bag the aid for distribution to families affected by the deadly storms.

"We're hoping with these care packages that we send out - the food that we send out and the water that we send out will bring hope to them and give them something to be thankful for and let them know the community, the church, that people care for them," said Pastor Jason Bolin, the children's pastor at New Life Church in Bowling Green.

Pastors are grateful for the much-needed help from Operation Blessing as they minister to their hurting and desperate community.

"They're like the name says - been a blessing to us," said Pastor Bolin. "They have provided us the means to be the hands and feet of Jesus. To take the goods we have received from them, that they have donated to us and get them out to the community as soon as possible."
  
Operation Blessing plans to remain in Kentucky for as long as it takes to help the community get back on its feet.

CLICK HERE to donate to Operation Blessing's tornado relief efforts in the Midwest. 

Meanwhile, President Biden has approved a disaster declaration for Kentucky and says he will sign an emergency request from Illinois which was also affected by the storms.

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About The Author

Charlene Aaron
Charlene
Aaron

Charlene Aaron serves as a general assignment reporter, news anchor, co-host of The 700 Club, co-host of 700 Club Interactive, and co-host of The Prayerlink on the CBN News Channel. She covers various social issues, such as abortion, gender identity, race relations, and more. Before joining CBN News in 2003, she was a personal letter writer for Dr. Pat Robertson. Charlene attended Old Dominion University and Elizabeth City State University. She is an ordained minister and pastor’s wife. She lives in Smithfield, VA, with her husband.
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