Larry Murphy estimates that at least 40 times in the last 17 years, he has left his home in Enterprise to be involved in a disaster relief operation. Some of those missions took him around the world. On March 1, he had only to go down the street.
Murphy, disaster relief volunteer coordinator for Alabama Baptists since 1994, was at a doctor’s office when emergency sirens sounded that day. "The next thing we knew roofs were flying off and things were being damaged to a great extent," he said. "It was one of the most horrific storms I’ve sat through personally in my life."
When he came out, he cleaned the glass out of his truck and immediately went into disaster relief mode as he has done many times before. He called the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions to request five chain saw crews and then worked with a team until late evening to assess damage and formulate a plan of action. By early the next morning, the sound of chain saws could be heard as volunteer crews of Alabama Baptists from around the state descended upon Enterprise.
But this operation wasn’t just like every other one he’s directed. This one was personal. Murphy, a resident of Enterprise since 1966, knew personally some of the eight students who died as a result of the tornado that hit Enterprise High School. He’s also an active member of Hillcrest Baptist Church, which is adjacent to the school.
"This has had a greater impact on me than any other operation I’ve ever been on," he said. "It’s been very emotional. A lot of tears have been shed. Sometimes I just had to pull off the side of the road in a quiet place and stop and think about what was going on, thank the Lord I was safe and ask Him to give me the strength to continue with the operation."
For 28 years, Murphy served in the Army as a police officer and pilot. Shortly after he retired in 1988, he became a Christian, largely through the witnessing efforts of a friend. Two years later, he went on his first disaster relief mission, responding to the flood in the neighboring community of Elba. He was hooked immediately, having found his calling.
Now he says, "My basic mission in life is to serve our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in missions anywhere I’m called to go." That mission has taken him to places like Ground Zero after 9/11, the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, Iran after the earthquake in 2003 and Thailand after the 2004 tsunami.
Tommy Puckett, director of disaster relief for Alabama Baptists, feels blessed to have a man like Murphy available to oversee disaster relief efforts for Alabama. "Larry demonstrates passionate ministry for our Lord in disaster relief," Puckett said. "When he answers the call to respond, first led by the Father, he never asks ‘how safe is it’ or ‘how much does it cost.’ He believes safety is found in obedience to the Lord, and the resources to finance His work all belong to the Lord."
Even after all of his experience, Murphy was overwhelmed at the compassionate response in Enterprise. "I have never in any place in my life seen the outpouring of people — civilians and military — who have come into the community and worked at the level we see here today," he said. "I know this disaster will pull this community together much closer than we’ve been in years, although it’s been devastating."
Share with others: