The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has sent crisis-trained chaplains to northern Illinois after a tornado ripped through the area on Thursday evening.
A massive twister hit the tiny town of Fairdale, about 70 miles west of Chicago, killing two women and hurting at least eight others. The entire town is covered with debris, and many residents are thankful they’re still alive after some close calls.
One Instagram user shared a video of a funnel cloud that passed dangerously close to him.
“Scariest moment of my life!” he posted. “I’m still shaking.”
“They’re experiencing shock, and the devastation that is beyond comprehension,” said Jack Munday, international director of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, a network of crisis-trained chaplains that responds to natural and man-made disasters.
“Their lives have been totally turned upside down,” Munday said. “Going through a traumatic incident, we can expect intense grief and suffering. And that’s why it’s important to have those people who have been specially trained to provide emotional and spiritual care.”
The day after the tornado struck, a team of trained Rapid Response Team chaplains joined disaster relief ministry Samaritan’s Purse to assess the needs of residents in Fairdale, which has a population of about 200.
“It’s been our experience,” Munday said, “that when a smaller community is devastated, that can intensify the scope of the grief. Most everyone knows one another. The whole community will be grieving.”
Chaplains are also visiting the neighboring communities of Rochelle and Ashton, both of which experienced a tornado touchdown on Thursday.
“We’re in the process of contacting local authorities and churches in the area, and requesting our entire Rapid Response Team chaplain and prayer network to be praying,” Munday said. “We’re grateful we can lean on Christ, the One who offers hope and comfort in times like this.”
