While They Are Young

Two months ago an F4 tornado ripped through our small town. From the rubble many have risen up to serve. Here at Catalyst we have been proud to see our youth rise and serve tirelessly. They have exemplarily lived out 1 Timothy 4:12 truly loving and serving the people of our community. Here are some of their observations & contributions.

"There was one husband and wife I specifically remember helping. I helped them get all their items. He said I was like an angel from heaven. The Lord always has a plan for everything. No matter what happens, He can use it for good and to grow us in the process." -Bailey Carrico

"I helped sort items and helped show some families where things were located." -Carter Carrico

"One family I helped that lost everything had a baby girl and the wife was in the candle factory. I helped them get toiletries, food, water, and clothes. They were very sweet and they were very grateful for what we were doing. This time told me that my church is caring, loving, hard working, helpful, and puts others before them, to show the love of God." - Parker Goodman

"At Catalyst, I helped families find the necessary items they needed and I helped start the daycare while parents were shopping for their families. When I woke up the next day after the tornado, I instantly felt like I needed to help. Once I served at Catalyst, I felt like I didn't need to stop. I felt like God was happy with me." - Bella Goodman

" After the tornado I helped at  Catalyst. I wanted to help the people in need and working at Catalyst gave me the perfect opportunity. I loved how our church stepped up to help the people who needed the things they lost. All the supplies and people coming together to help out was amazing. Seeing all the people filtering in and hearing all their stories was heartbreaking. One family I helped lost everything. She said she had to move in with her brother, and was not happy about it. She said he was crazy and she would rather sleep outside. Later in the week she got moved to a hotel room. She was very satisfied with this decision. Almost everyday she was in Catalyst getting a few things she needed. I helped her everyday. On the last day she came up to me and hugged me and thanked me for everything I did to help her. I felt so good that I  could help someone who really needed it. I thank God everyday for keeping me safe during the tornado so I could help serve the people who needed all the help they could get. I can see God working through so many peoples lives during this time it makes me overfilled with joy. I had faith, shared love to others, and spoke with compassion to others. This has been a really hard time for everyone, but I know none of us would be able to do it without having faith and trusting what God is doing." - Anna Reese Binkley

" I served a mother who had three children and she was shopping to get the children Christmas presents. She had lost her home by three trees falling on it. I served them by helping them get gifts and everything they needed for Christmas for their kids. I served them at Graves County Middle School. The mother felt guilty accepting all the items we were giving her, but we were more than happy to help her family have a memorable Christmas. This event has showed me that my church was a really big help to those people that need it. Lots of times I feel that I'm not old enough to help in areas needed, so I was excited to be able to help serve my community. This tragedy showed me that God is going to put difficulty in your life but he will always help you get through it. It showed me that God is always there for us and will help us recover. We needed to be there for all the unbelievers and needed to show them that God will help them through this. We need to continue to be there for them because we are believers and this is the best time for us to show the unbelievers we care the hands and feet of Jesus. I think I have everything I need in my faith to show others the Lord. Sometimes I'm not confident in my faith to share, so I don't. But I loved that this was such an easy way to show Jesus' love for others, something that I was able to do." - Emerson Binkley

"A few days after the storm, my Dad and I were knocking on the doors of the Garden Apartment Complex asking if there were needs Catalyst could help them meet. The church was able to provide so much for so many people and you could see the hope it gave those effected.  One thing that really stuck with me was seeing the smile on a little girls face after she got a new coloring book and some toys." - Cayden Goodman


"I served a man and his wife. The first time me and the man met I was walking into the church when a man sitting in his truck asked for two cups of coffee with vanilla creamer and a pink sweetener. Then the next day he came in and told me about a muscle replacement that he got from a bull. The bad weather was making his surgery hurt. He could barely walk. His wife did the shopping and he sat in a chair. As me and his wife were walking around putting things like dog food and toilet paper in the cart she mentioned that her husband hasn't worn regular shoes in almost four years. He had been wearing slides. After that, I walked to their truck and helped unload their items. I asked them if they would like me to help them find some shoes in the other building. We walked in and began searching for a pair of boots. Then he mentioned his shoe size. He wore 14 size boots but there wasn't any for him. I told him I would keep looking for his size and two days later I found a pair of yellow rain booths that were size 15 and I though he might be able to wear them. I put them in the closet and told my friends where they were so if he came back and I wasn't there they would know to give them to him. Unfortunately, I never saw him again. I don't know if he got his boots." -Bryce Collier

"I remember serving this one lady and after I helped her with her stuff she wanted to pray for me and I thought that was really cool. I served in the back sorting out food deliveries and making sure it was all organized. This showed me that my church can really step up in a time where the community needs us. I think this tragedy has brought me closer with God because I saw first hand all the amazing things that were happening because of Him. I didn't really believe that a kid could help before all of this happened but I feel like God used this experience to show me I can make a difference in this community." -Katherine Hamilton

"This tragedy changed the way I walk with the Lord because I am more dependent in him. I have seen through this how you can lose anything in a matter of minutes. You can lose your family, friends, jobs, town, any normality you had in your life. But even though you lose those things you have one thing that's never leaving your side --  the Lord. That made me see how much He is in control. Even though our town got destroyed good things came out of it that not many people may see. Our community has become as one. There has been so much kindness. Our town can now evolve and grow. Our faith and hope in the Lord is growing as we walk into a new future. Through this I have seen that even through the storms we might face the heartbreaks and depression of losing someone close. God is by our side. When we think we have nothing left all we have to do is turn to Him. God has a plan for our town and the people within it. We just have to depend on Him and put all of our trust in the Lord." - Brooklyn Williams