By now news, images, and videos of the tornadoes
that tore through the South on Wednesday night have reached all. Hopefully none
of you (or your loved ones) found yourself in its path.

Wednesday night Don called me in to the living room
where his sports were continually being interrupted by the weather announcements. He asked me
,"Have you heard from Caroline?" Up to this point I hadn't paid much
attention to the weather, but had hoped for a good storm. I love a good storm.
It was at that moment I realize the seriousness and location of the devastation.
It hit Tuscaloosa.  My heart dropped.
One of my nearest, dearest friends, Caroline Dorning, a grad student at Bama, lives in that EXACT location.

I couldn't get a hold of Caroline but was able to
call her mother, who shared that she was safe but that her street took a direct
hit. The next day Caroline was able to get to electricity, charge her phone,
and updated us via FB and texts. She lives on the street with the worst damage
in the entire state. When the mile wide tornado roared through, it came within
20 yards of her apartment and abruptly turned.

We are celebrating our friend's life, but also hurt
for the many others who are deeply grieving ones they lost.

As in 2005 after Katrina, 2010 with Haiti, and numerous other times....AIM is preparing
to mobilize teams to Alabama. But to do that we need to gather information, set
trips up. On Tuesday, May 2nd, I am going with Kristen and Tonya
Norman to Alabama to do just that. It's a fact finding, information gathering
mission that will equip AIM to send teams to do Tornado Relief.  We have many contacts at this point but
continue to collect information! If you have contacts, please email me at
connierock@adventures.org.

No support is needed for this trip; I just wanted to ask you to
pray. Pray for God to lead us and for us to ask the questions He wants us to
ask, for us to be able to get everything we need to set the trips up. Pray for
our ministry while there... as we hear stories and do what we can to help. And
most of all, pray for those in Alabama as they begin to rebuild and start anew.

If you are local and want to donate items for me to
take, I need them by Monday evening. Please email.

Here's a recent video of the damage of this
tornado...