Living example of Christian service

To the editor:

The old saying "it is an ill wind that blows no good" was forcefully brought to life last Saturday after the storm with straight-line winds blew through Cape Girardeau.

Even before the rain had stopped, neighbors on Marlin Drive, a hard hit area in northeast Cape Girardeau, were out checking on each other, assessing damage and beginning to clear away some of the many trees that were downed. As a band of neighbors moved from one yard to the next, a spirit of cooperation, concern and general helpfulness prevailed.

In addition to the welcomed services offered by the fire department, AmerenUE, the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army, another group surprised us with their offer to help.

Early Sunday morning, the "chain saw group" from the Lynwood Baptist Church disaster response team arrived in our neighborhood and asked if it could help. These highly skilled men worked tirelessly for about six hours removing huge trees from roofs of homes, tops of cars and numerous yards. When their work was nearly completed, they thanked us for allowing them to serve us. The kindness of these strangers was a huge blessing for all of us. Thank you for your living example of Christian service.

Sister SUSAN KIENZLER, Sister THERESA DAVEY, Ursuline Sisters, Cape Girardeau