On May 16, Olivia* and her seven-year-old daughter, Chelsea, * were on the second floor of their home when they heard what sounded like a bomb going off.
Seconds later, they found themselves lying in the front yard—holding each other and crying in shock and fear as 100 mph winds roared around them.
A tornado—one of more than 20 that killed at least 27 people in Kentucky and Missouri this month—ripped the walls from their home, sending the mother and daughter through the air and down to the yard.
Chelsea walked away only needing minor stitches in her ear, while Olivia suffered injuries to her knee and ankle. Their home was completely demolished.
Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (BG-RRT) chaplains Bob and Ruthie Cooper checked in on the two. They were staying at Olivia’s parents’ home, which was just two houses down the street yet completely untouched by the tornado.
“It’s not as though we were thrown from inside of the house,” Olivia told the Coopers. “It was like we were gently set down by hands.”
She added that their three well-loved pets, a guinea pig and two bunnies, also ended up in the yard—uninjured.
“I flew in the storm,” Chelsea—who appeared calm and unaffected—chimed in.
“To go through a second-floor window unscathed, that’s a miracle—that’s the hand of God,” Bob said.
Olivia’s story of survival during the tornado provided an opportunity to steer the conversation toward faith.
“Do you have a relationship with Jesus Christ?” Bob asked Olivia.
Olivia replied that she is “working on it” and was open to learning more.
The Coopers took her through “Steps to Peace With God”—a short Gospel tract about how to begin a relationship with God.
After such a close call with death, their conversation was all it took for Olivia to decide now was the perfect time. She didn’t want to go one more day without trusting Jesus.
“She was all on board,” Ruthie said. “She prayed to receive Christ.”
Not only did the Coopers rejoice and welcome Olivia into God’s family, but her parents—both Christians—were elated to hear of Olivia’s decision.
“Mama, you’ve been praying for this child to come to Christ, haven’t you?” Ruthie asked Olivia’s mom. She had been around the corner listening as the Coopers shared the Gospel with Olivia.
“Yes,” she said, tears of joy welling up in her eyes, “for years!”
The next day, the Coopers came back to check in on the family.
“Olivia was very pleasant before she came to Christ, but she was radiating [now],” Ruthie observed. “She was a changed woman. There was a brilliance around her.”
The Coopers explained to her that the Holy Spirit was doing a work in her heart and life—filling her with joy and giving her new desires.
“You are a walking miracle, and God hasn’t finished with you yet,” Ruthie offered Olivia some more encouragement before they parted.
“She was just in tears acknowledging all of this,” Ruthie said later. “Her life has been totally changed—more than just going through a tornado.”
Please continue to pray for those who were affected by these tornadoes, that they will find the hope and peace of Jesus Christ.
