 On October 20th 2019, one year ago from today, a tornado ripped through the northwest, north part of Dallas and into Richardson and Garland. Many of us remember that day a cowboy game was showing on TV. Nothing was said about that, but our Twitter feed started exploding, text messages started happening, and we realized we had a disaster unseen before in Dallas, at least for some time. We realized there was so much damage, but we didn't know where it all was. We didn't know if our churches were destroyed, we didn't know if clergy housing was destroyed, or how many of our church members without places to stay. We didn't know if anyone had been killed because of the tornado. Thankfully, no one was. What we did know as we began to survey the damage, people from all over that part of the county, is that our churches began to respond dramatically. It is amazing over the next few days, several weeks, what occurred. We still see the remnants of that tornado and destruction that you can drive along its path and still see in different kinds of neighborhoods all over North Dallas. It's a reminder to us that we still are not finished, but on that day and afterwards, what happened was, is the people called United Methods did what they do best, and that is we served our communities. It was amazing to see how people from different churches and backgrounds came together to feed thousands of people, to begin the cleanup, to begin seeing how it is that we could help. And I'm still remembering some of those occasions and being present with people about the response that you made as United Methods in North Texas. Gratefully, we've not had a tornado since then. But who would have known that just a few months later, we would be where we are even today with a pandemic and COVID-19, and still not sure about the safety of people who live in our own county. But think about it, from October 20th a year ago till today and into the future, churches around the North Texas Conference are still responding to human needs. And I'm grateful for that. I want to tell you what a great job you have done and you continue to do. No one could have seen what has happened over the last year the tornado and then the pandemic. And there are ways in which people begin to think, how does the church really serve? I'll tell you how you serve. Whenever there is a human need, regardless if that person is a member of your church or a member of the Christian faith, you respond. Whether it was serving meals to people who had no place to stay after the tornado or helping do recovery, whether it was serving meals even during the pandemic or ways in which you responded so many ways, what I've learned is this. No, I already knew it. It just was reaffirmed by you, that you are the church and it's something of which I'm very proud but most importantly, I'm deeply grateful for is the United Methodist of North Texas. They are the church. Whether they're in the building or out of a building because whenever there's a crisis or a human need, you respond as God's healing agents in the world. And really, what is it that the Christ came to do? He came to be a healing of all that was wrong in the world. Thank you for being in the hands and the feet of the Christ and may God continue to bless you.