The hot sun blazed down unapologetically on the small community of Chalybeate Springs in Lawrence County as a family stood in its smoke-filled yard burning the last of its belongings. The April 27 tornado robbed it of its home, and the following rains ruined the remnants of its last earthly possessions. A young girl stood by, clutching what was left of a tattered teddy bear.
Up ahead, a family in a truck came into view. With hearts ready to serve those in need, it pulled its truck to the side of the road. Jay Keen and his wife, Veronna, along with their two teenage sons, Brent and P.J., emerged and walked to the back of the truck, where Jay cranked up a waiting generator and switched on a special machine.
The Keens poured in some ice from one of their coolers, and the machine began churning the ice into a perfect snow cone. They poured a colorful, sugary liquid on each cold treat — green apple for some and blue raspberry for others — before handing it to a wide-eyed, waiting child.
The snow cone machine has been in Veronna’s family since she was a little girl. It sat unused for many years until she remembered it and went to her mother’s house to retrieve it. Veronna carefully pulled the machine out of the barn, hopeful that it would switch on. She prayed over it, determined that if it did work, then she would use it for God’s glory. Once plugged in, it began humming as if it were brand new.
Since its rediscovery, the machine has been used frequently. The Keens store it at their church, Westmeade Baptist, Decatur, and many in the community have borrowed it. “We’ve never had a problem with it,” Veronna said, adding that someone once borrowed the machine and returned it with a brand-new switch and cord installed.
“It’s a God thing,” she said.
After the tornado, Veronna called friends living in the hard-hit Chalybeate Springs area to find out how she could help. Her church brought in truckloads of food, water and clothes, and her family assisted residents with yard cleanup.
On one trip, the Keens couldn’t help but notice all the people standing out in the heat. Jay got the idea to hook up the snow cone machine to a generator on the back of the family’s truck and pass out snow cones to help residents cool off.
“We’d just ride through the communities we knew had been hit,” Veronna said.
Westmeade Baptist donated some items to help the Keens make the snow cones, and Minister to Preschool and Children Julie Buckley accompanied them on one of the trips. Buckley recalled one man who, when he spotted the snow cone machine, said, “I’ve seen a lot of things come through here the last few days … but I haven’t seen that before.”
Veronna chuckled as she recalled a group of six boys. One of the boys was so excited about his snow cone that he was literally jumping up and down with joy at the sight of it. “Even though it was something very little … it made a difference for them,” she said.
The Keens have passed out a variety of snow cone flavors to those affected by the April tornadoes. Veronna also made sure to include some sugar-free options. She said blue raspberry, cherry and grape have been the three favorites.
“It [doesn’t] matter what age [they] are. … They love snow cones,” Veronna said, adding it has been enjoyable to see adults appreciate the refreshment so much.
Most importantly, the Keens have had opportunities to share the gospel with recipients. Veronna said the experience has opened a door for them to share with people, communicating the message that “Jesus loves them and we do, too.”
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