FBC North Mobile focuses on tree removal

After a disaster strikes, people just seem to yearn to help those in need.

They have the means and strength; they want to better the situation for someone who is hurting.

Two teams of men from First Baptist Church, North Mobile, in Saraland did that. On two consecutive weekends right after the April 27 storms, the teams traveled with their tractors and chain saws to the Birmingham area.

“We had tractors with front-end loaders and backhoes. (We) wanted to use what the Lord had blessed us with to help others,” said Mike Cook, former pastor of administration at the Mobile Baptist Association church.

The teams focused on helping individuals who did not have insurance to pay for tree removal.

“We had the equipment and we had the resources,” Cook said.

So team members took vacation time or off days and stayed at North Highlands Baptist Church, Hueytown, in Bessemer Baptist Association.

The men of First, North Mobile, have a servant spirit and enjoy helping others, Cook observed.

But getting to serve this time came with frustration.

Team members did possess equipment and a willingness to help. They also had plenty of practice in cleaning up from disasters because they live in a hurricane-prone region.

Nonetheless they did not have one essential — credentials as disaster relief volunteers. This inhibited their admittance to the disaster area, Cook said.

It took awhile to locate someone who would allow them to enter, he said.

Since that time, Cook and 11 of the 14 team members have become trained in Southern Baptist disaster relief. They have trained in chain saw, mud-out and mold-mildew removal.

In fact, their church even hosted the training session.

“We wanted it to hurry and happen,” Cook said.

An estimated 25 people from the area went through the training, he noted.

Now, with the equipment, the willingness and the necessary credentials, the team is completely ready to assist in the future, Cook said.

“We’re here; we’re trained; we’ve got equipment,” he said. “[We’ll] get a crew together; we’ll saddle up and go!”