As we continue to pray for Missy and her family I would like to show you an email written by Missy's father Dennis Carlon. This email is a GREAT reminder of the many amazing things God has done for this family. This will also give you some more information as to what happened that day of the fire. God is so good!
As we all know, Missy and her family have been presented with another of what seems to be a string of challenges. While we have great concern and sympathy for the situation that she finds herself in, we need to remember the blessings that God has given us, and have been emphasized over this past weekend. Although her house is gone, here are some of the blessings I have witnessed, and I am sure you will not need to look far to find some that have not occurred to me yet.
A complete stranger knocks on your door to let you know that your life is in danger. He helps you in your time of need. Because of him, you can get out of a burning house. You never got his name, and you haven't seen him since. What a blessing that he was there!
You try to call 911, but the phone lines have already been burned through. There was somebody, we don't know who, that was able to get through to the fire department. What a blessing!
Two of your children are in school. They are safe. You contact the school, and they volunteer to keep the children there until safe arrangements for them are made. What a blessing!
Although there is no house left, there was nobody hurt or killed. What a blessing!
With hay barns in close proximity to the house, none of them caught fire. What a blessing!
With guns and ammunition in the house, no shells went off. This even though I found a shotgun shell that was warped by the heat. What a Blessing!
The Fire Department arrives, and you are informed that they are short handed that day. There just happen to be enough neighbors there to man the hoses that could not have been manned any other way. What a blessing!
The house had already been tested for asbestos, and came back clean. No concern for people's health from asbestos. What a blessing!
The cattle can't get out. They need to be locked in the barn, but need food and water. There is somebody there to put feed in the barn and lock the cattle in until the fire is out. Where are all of these helpers coming from? I don't know, and don't have the time to think about it. There is just too much that needs to be done. What a blessing that they are here though!
The Fire Department is running out of water, and calls for help from Byron Center. Their tanker is out of service. This fire is going to get out of control! Hold it - The horse hair plaster is acting like a fire wall! The roof collapses onto the ceiling, but can't burn through! Finally the tankers start coming. Plenty of water now.
What a blessing!
With flames billowing out of the roof, there go firemen into the house. Are they nuts? Everybody is outside and safe! Oh my goodness. Here comes a freezer. Here come clothes. Here come pictures. Those people have no business being in that house while is burning this way!
Your source of water for the barns is in the house basement and you can't use it. How do you get water? It just so happens that a neighbor has an "extra" water tank and a pump. Power has been restored to the barns, so you can use the pump. Another neighbor just happens to have an empty food grade tank that he has on his truck. He appears in your driveway just like it was planned, so you can get water to the cattle. What a blessing!
Although the fire is still burning, you wonder where you will stay. How will you eat? The Red Cross is there, and arrange for housing and emergency relief if it is needed. What a blessing!
These houses are supposed to burn quickly from what I have heard. Oops - here comes the Chief. He needs to ask if we will cover the cost of a crane to bring the house down. The fire is in the walls and ceiling, but can't burn through. They will be here until tomorrow if they can't get at the flames.
A friend walks up to you. His Uncle just happens to have an empty house. Missy and the children need a place to stay. The house is made available on the spot. It seems that He and Dick have had a longstanding friendship, and he is going to make sure Dick's family has a roof over their heads. In the way of comfort, this friend happens to mention that "His Uncle was worried that this house may have to sit empty, and he would much rather have somebody in it." What a blessing!
The fire is out now. Nothing to do but pick up the pieces. You find out that even though there is nothing left of the keyboard or monitor to your computer, the hard drive has been salvaged. Seems that since the firemen knew the layout of the house, they knew where the computer was, and got it out before it was destroyed! I just can't believe these wonderful people.
Salvage time now. Where are all of these people coming from? There must bee a hundred people here helping to sort things out. My word - in the ashes they are digging out memories that I was sure were lost forever! Shane's die cast tractor -melted. Hold it - there is Shane's Spartan Football - you know -- the one he was given after Daddy died. It lost a little air and is dirty, but otherwise in good shape! How can this be? They were right next to each other on the same shelf! One destroyed, and the other saved? Something very unique is going on here.
It is Monday now. The Insurance adjuster is here. Boy is he starting out with some strange questions!
Q. Were there any Bibles in the house?
A. Yes
Q. They made it out, didn't they?
A. Yes they did.
Q. Your Family Photos made it out, too. Didn't they?
A. Yes, most of them did. How did you know?
Q. You are Christians, aren't you.
A. Yes we are!
The explanation for these questions by this man was that he had been keeping an unofficial record of the disasters he had settled for several years. When Amy (the insurance agent) called him on Friday, he told her that both the Bibles and photos would be spared. His unofficial research over the years showed this to be true in homes that were truly Christian. The answers Missy gave confirmed that one more time for him.
Please continue to pray for this family and the many people who have helped out on this project. We are continuously accepting donations for the family. There are now two separate accounts set up at Chemical Bank for The VanHetHekke's family. One is for the house funding project and the second is to help Missy and her family purchase necessities. You can email me at erica.randall3@gmail.com for physical donation information.
Thank you again for all of your continued support!
Praise the Lord!
Erica
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