Stuff they don't teach you at "pastor school": I threw my bag into my car this morning as I was heading to the gym then opened the garage so I can put the trash can out to the street. I was loading my car with other recyclable trash when I hear someone's cell phone ringing. It being about 6:40 in the morning and the fact that I was outside it dawned on me that it might be my phone. By the time I made it to the phone the person who had called had already been sent to voicemail.

I checked the number and assumed it must have been a wrong number, then the voicemail alert, I checked the message. It was Kristina Sherman (odd, I thought). Then I thought "oh crap, Hannibal is a firefighter and something must be wrong". I listened to the message cliffs version are: huge church fire in portsmouth, Hannibal's crew was first on the scene, from the video on the news it looks like every crew in portsmouth is down there. I turned on the news and it was just the weather. I called Kristina and she was very calm and told me what she had said in the message. I could hear, Eden, their 3 month old son chattering in the background. I told her that I would pray for Hannibal and pray for her. So I prayed for them on the phone and told her to keep me and Heather updated.

As I was driving to the gym I called Heather and told her what was going on. I asked her to call Kristina when she could. Then I went from pastor business mode to pastor friend mode and I just started praying for Hannibal's safety and the safety for the crew he's on. Then I started crying and I was scared and I was worried. I thought it ironic that 10 minutes before I was doing my best to provide comfort and strength to Kristina when really on the inside my heart was shaking and I was afraid it was breaking.

The good news is that Hannibal is safe. His crew was the first ones there and they were the team in the article that went inside searching for people. They began to hear the church collapse and that's when the dropped their equipment and went outside to continue to fight the fire.

I have more to say but don't think I will right now. I'm just greatful that Kristina trusts Heather and I enough to call us and ask us to pray and I'm so greatful to God that Hannibal and the other firefighters are safe after such a dangerous event.