Christian Aid Ministries, made up of members of Anabaptist faith traditions, are providing disaster recovery aid to those recovering from one of the largest and most destructive fires in the history of Colorado.
VIDEO SCRIPT
[00:00:00] Singing
David Kornelsen: We always say a project takes three things. It takes leadership, it takes volunteers, and there has to be work to be done.
reporter: David Kornelsen is the base manager for Christian Aid Ministries. He and a team of volunteers from Oklahoma are spending their summer in the mountains of Colorado providing disaster relief for victims of one of the largest and most destructive wildfires in the history of the state.
David Kornelsen: This is a longer period than normal. Generally, rapid response we do, it’s a week, two weeks. Um, anything longer than that is a long project
Lyndell Smith: I’m Lyndell Smith, and I’m with Christian Aid Ministries. We’re out here trying to help victims of this fire with the cleanup of their steel on their houses and, and the ash. Thankful for this organization that’s come in and helped us help our neighbors.
reporter: Christian Aid Ministries is made up of volunteers from the Christian Anabaptist tradition.
David Kornelsen: Amish, different branches of Mennonite, and [00:01:00] German Baptists have been helping us a lot.
Matthew Edgecomb: Matthew Edgecomb, and I’m with Christian Aid Ministries volunteering and just helping get rid of fire rubble left over from the fire.
David Kornelsen: We believe we work well with other organizations, uh, but there’s just something about, you know, when your cultures are more the same, it’s just easier to work together.
reporter: Volunteers arrive from a half dozen states from around the country, and all share one thing in common: their commitment to serving the Lord by serving their neighbor.
David Kornelsen: We just want them to be, whether they wanna talk about Jesus or whether they just wanna talk about their problems, uh, where they feel loved, understood, and, and cared for.
Charlene Himes: They’re all good people. They believe in God, they have good hearts, and they’re here to help.
reporter: The ministry is a blend of hands and hearts, physical work alongside spiritual care.
Brad Rice: They told us our house had survived, but that all of our out-buildings were gone in the back. It was just such a, an emotional [00:02:00] thing just to see it all burned. We’ve just had such an amazing response from, uh, from this organization. They just, they stepped up. They, they didn’t ask any questions or anything. They just came in and started cleaning up and piling it up and, and I, I, I can’t say enough about them. It shed a whole new perspective on the church and, and how they are out to serve people.
Pam Rice: They walk the walk.
Brad Rice: They walk the walk. They truly do.
Charlene Himes: The floods have done so much damage, and thank God we’ve only lost one treasure, Hank.
reporter: The loss of an 80-year-old resident of Beulah, swept away in a flash flood, is the only known fatality of the combination fire and flood. But residents have been told to expect flooding whenever heavy storms drop rain or snow on the steep slopes surrounding the town.
Despite the hardship and loss, residents of this mountain community remain resilient as they [00:03:00] face the challenges ahead. Rebuilding homes and lives will take time and support from those inside and outside their community.
Brad Rice: It strengthened my faith. I know that.
singing: Through Jesus the Son
reporter: In Beulah, Colorado for Global News Alliance, I’m Sam Ebersole
People Interviewed and their Titles
David Kornelsen: Base Manager for CAM
Lyndell Smith: volunteer
Matthew Edgecomb: volunteer
Charlene Himes: resident of Beulah
Brad & Pam Rice: residents of Beulah
Recording Location
Beulah, Colorado
Organization featured in this Story
Christian Aid Ministry
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