I was happy to be within driving distance of home after weekend ministry in Gentry, Arkansas. Getting home was even better when Pam informed me that Monday would include dinner and the BCS Championship with her parents and our son’s family. Little did I know how special it would be to be home on this Monday night.

Sunset brought about a series of tornadoes. By 4 o’clock the next morning, there were six waves of multiple tornadoes. Nine of us remained in our home with several gatherings in the stairwell closet throughout the night. What proved to be a night of adventure, memories, and even a few laughs for our family was actually a nightmare for some very dear friends of Light for the Lost.

One of those many tornadoes struck the home of Southern Missouri LFTL Coordinator Don Jacques, as well as the home of his mother-in-law who lived next door. I am pleased to report that Don and Jan survived safely. However, Rachael Lawson, Jan’s mother, lost her life due to sustained injuries. This loss is especially significant in that Sister Lawson was the widow of Hollis Lawson, one of the seven men who organized LFTL under the direction of Sam Cochran.

Scripturally, this dear saint did not lose her life, she gained it! Even in the joy of this knowledge, please pray for Don, Jan and their family as they heal from their memories of this January storm.