wfn.org | Church helps family piece life back together after setbacks

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

Nov. 22, 1999  News media contact: Linda Bloom·(212)870-3803·New York
10-34-71B{624}

EDITOR'S NOTE: The names of the family members in this story have been
changed. 

A UMNS News Feature
By Tala Dowlatshahi*

Shannon and Bill, members of the Osage Indian tribe, were a happily married
couple until a tornado destroyed the Wichita, Kan., home where they lived
with their two boys and Shannon's mother, Karen.

The family was close-knit. In the mornings, Karen, 41, an active member of
Wichita United Methodist Church, would help Shannon get the boys, ages 2 and
5, ready for school. Bill prepared for his job at the local grocery store,
where he sold sandwiches at the deli counter. 

The tornado that struck May 3 spawned other problems and changed their
lives. However, with help from the United Methodist Church, the family is
beginning to get its life back in order.

When the tornado hit their town, all the family members except Karen were at
home. Neighbors spent almost 30 minutes digging the family out from
underneath the rubble. Shannon's left shoulder was injured when a bedroom
wall fell on her. Bill sprained his ankle kicking debris aside to clear a
space so his family could escape. The two boys suffered mild head and eye
injuries. 

"When I arrived at my home, about a half-hour later, I felt like a mother
who had lost a child in an accident," Karen recalled. "I started running
down the street calling for my grandchildren, but they were nowhere to be
found. It was so dark, and everyone was scrambling around to find their
loved ones.

"I thought everyone in my house was gone," she continued. "I prayed and
prayed that God hadn't taken my family away from me and left me all alone. A
few moments later, I found a member of the National Guard who told me my
family was taken to the local hospital and that they were alive." 

While thankful her family was safe, Karen has found it painful and
frustrating to lose all of her sentimental valuables. "My father's war
medals were in that house," she said. "So were some baby pictures of my
grandkids." 

She and the others lost just about everything they had. Karen's house was
not insured, she was self-employed at the time, and she was ineligible for a
small-business loan.

In the tornado's aftermath, 24-year-old Shannon started getting flashbacks
of trauma from childhood abuse. "I started thinking about a lot of bad
things from when I was younger," she explained.

Bill started staying out late nights and drinking heavily. "Every time we
tried to talk, he'd blow me off and go out drinking with those bad people,"
Shannon said. "He just couldn't handle it." The couple is separated and
Shannon has filed for divorce. 

Desperate and frustrated, Karen called the Rev. Roger Scott to help her deal
with the situation. Scott, himself a Native American and pastor of the
Indian Mission United Methodist Church in Wichita, immediately contacted the
Rev. David Wilson of the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference (OIMC) and
explained Karen and Shannon's problems.

Within the week, Wilson and United Methodist Bishop Bruce Blake were at
Karen's side assessing how the conference and the United Methodist Committee
on Relief (UMCOR) could assist. 

The two groups helped organize the Unmet Needs Committee, which brought in
material resources and provided volunteers to help build Karen's new home.
"A lot of my thanks go to Rev. Scott because he's really helped put my life
back in order," Karen said. 

To date, Karen has received enough funding to meet the costs of rent, food,
clothing, medical bills and other living expenses for her family while her
new house is being built. UMCOR also helped OIMC with funding to buy
construction supplies. Karen's new house should be completed by the end of
November. 

Charlene St. John, OIMC project manager, has been instrumental in providing
Native American tornado victims with trauma counselors and case managers to
assist them in the recovery process. "Charlene has been so kind to me and my
family," Karen said. "She calls me every week to check up on me. She's
become a good friend and has provided me with enormous mental support during
this crisis." 

As a result of her experience, Karen hopes to become an evangelist one day.
"This storm proved to me that even through hard times, the Lord blesses us
and teaches us to continue to have faith," she said. "As Christians, our
compassion for each other has drawn us closer to God, the biggest blessing
of all."
# # #
*Dowlatshahi is communications officer at the UMCOR Office of Emergency
Services in Washington.

*************************************
United Methodist News Service
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