TEXAS PANHANDLE – Disasters come in all forms and sizes; and, on occasion, affect more than the humans who have been impacted. That was certainly the case earlier this year in the Texas Panhandle, where range fires burned an estimated 850,000 acres in two days and impacted nearly 65,000 head of cattle.
As Scottie Stice, State Director for Southern Baptist Texas Convention’s Disaster Relief Ministry, explained, nearly 7,000 head of cattle were killed in the fires. And while some farmers were able to ship animals to other areas for grazing, several thousand were still left without pasture or feed … which, in turn, affected the livelihood of hundreds of ranchers.
In response, Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief (MODR) was one of four states that was quick to respond by collecting more than 260 big round bales of hay that were shipped to farms and ranches in the Texas panhandle.
“I was actually sitting in our Sunday School class, still thinking about how we could help put together a hay project,” Stice said. “I was thinking there’s just no way we can pull this together. In the meantime, the lesson was from Genesis and something in the outline was about ‘Ask God’. So, I started praying, ‘God, if you want us to do this hay project, we’re going to need some help.’”
TEXAS PANHANDLE – Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief volunteer Tim Choplin helps load hay for delivery in Texas. (MODR photo)
Stice recalled that as soon as he finished his prayer, he sent texts to the DR state directors in five states and almost immediately received promises to help from Missouri, Arkansas, Ohio and Kentucky. Ironically, much of the help had to come from northern states due to a quarantine on any hay coming in from areas with fire ants.
“By the middle of March, we already had 406 big round bales delivered with a promise to deliver another 300 bales before we closed down the operation around the end of March,” he adds. “We’ve set up three hay depots in cooperation with Texas A & M AgriLife, which is comprised of the Texas A & M Extension Service and several Texas A & M University System members. AgriLife has been the one to determine where the hay goes, but much of it has been delivered to the worst-hit areas around Canadian and Pampa, Texas, in the Panhandle.”
According to Gaylon Moss, director of Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief, over 200 bales of hay had already been shipped from Missouri to Texas by late March, with the first loads delivered on March 13. Since then, semi-truck loads of bales have continued to head south in response to the need.
“Some of the hay was donated from Missouri farmers, while other loads were purchased with donations earmarked for the Texas Fire Response,” he says. “So, we appreciate the sacrifice from all those people, as well as from Jim Browning of First Baptist Church in Charleston and Tim Choplin of Norfleet Baptist Church for delivering the loads.”
One of those who donated several round bales to the cause was Mike Henbest, a member of First Baptist Church in Cassville, who has a cattle operation in southern Missouri.
“I don’t see myself as doing anything special,” he humbly admitted. “The pastures got green earlier than normal this year, so I didn’t need all the haylage I had on hand. This was all triticale that had been put up as silage bales for winter feed. Since it was baled as high-moisture feed wrapped in plastic, it really wouldn’t carry over very well until next winter, so I was happy to see someone use them.
“I don’t really know how many bales I sent,” he added. “I just know they had two full semi-truck loads. I also remember feeling sorry for the drivers, because it was pouring rain the whole time they were out there strapping down the load.”
“We’re grateful to all those who helped us bring Help and Hope to those affected by the fires,” Gaylon Moss concluded. “However, we continue to pray that God brings Healing to the area and the victims and that others would come to know Him through our outreach efforts.”
If you would like to support the hay project, simply go to www.modr.org/give and select Texas Fire Response from the drop down menu.