God in His providence recently allowed several families that we know and love to endure the hardship of a devastating tornado that swept through their valley in the Ashville, Alabama area. The degree of destruction is almost incomprehensible. From what I saw of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it was every bit as destructive, although on a much smaller geographic scale, of course. We’ve just returned from a weekend in the valley where a whole host of people have been laboring to assist the Lee, Crawford and Boyd families in whatever ways they could. For those who may be interested in seeing what the valley looked like before the storm, below are some before and after images. I must mention that the ‘after’ images do not in any way succeed in capturing the full scope of the devastation. Please continue to keep these families in your prayers, particularly the Lee family who lost a faithful husband and father.
BEFORE (left to right): Home of the Tom Lee Family, office building, retreat center
AFTER: Lee home flattened, office crushed by tree, retreat center still standing, but damaged
BEFORE: The Welch family retreat center
AFTER: The Welch family retreat center
BEFORE: Home of the Tom Lee family
AFTER: Home of the Tom Lee family
BEFORE: Home of the Aaron Crawford family
AFTER: Home of the Aaron Crawford family 1
AFTER: Home of the Aaron Crawford family 2
AFTER: A nearby neighbor’s home
AFTER: Another nearby neighbor’s home
