By Message Staff
BELAH – Within 20 seconds, the landscape of Sarah Clancy’s childhood changed when an EF-2 tornado heavily damaged the home where she spent her early years.
Clancy, whose father Clyde Crooks is a member of the Kingdom Builders and was in Colorado when the tornado touched down, said the storm on Sunday, April 2, knocked down trees onto a tractor shed and the roof of the home. Water then dripped through the ceiling, causing damage to carpet and ceiling tiles in four rooms.
Upon first glance, Clancy was devastated. But, soon, she found all was not hopeless.
For Clancy discovered Christian love in action.
“I was walking around the house and through the house making mental lists when volunteers starting showing up,” said Clancy, a member of Pineville Park Baptist Church in Pineville. “They pulled up carpet, moved furniture and helped get the worse of the wet stuff out of the house. I could not have done it without them. They were definitely an answer to prayer.”
Crooks, like many other members of Fellowship Baptist Church in Trout whose homes were damaged, have a long road to recovery. But they won’t go at it alone, with other members of the community and even some in other parts of the state lending a helping hand.
“I am so, so thankful that he lives in a community where his neighbors, church members and friends are willing and able to help,” Clancy said. “I have to think that some of it comes from the way he’s always willing to help others. Even in the middle of all this, he wants to make sure I’m keeping a list of who is there helping so he can make sure to thank them.”
The home of Clyde Crooks in the Belah community was damaged after an EF-2 tornado came through the area April 2, 2017. Sarah Clancy photo
