Roger Van Wyck says a decade ago, he was hooked by something surprising.

“We went to Columbia, S.C., because of flooding, and we spent the week under a bunch of houses,” he said, adding that it might sound odd, “but we loved it.”

And ever since, he and his wife, Grace, have been going out on multiple deployments each year with Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief, doing work ranging from chainsaw and cleanup to laundry and chaplaincy. Grace said for her, it’s the people that keep her going back — and the desire to be the hands and feet of Christ to them.

“When we get to a job site and the homeowners are there, they’re just so sad and broken, but their eyes brighten because they say we bring hope and help, and they can see an end to it,” she said.

ABDR efforts are funded in part by the Myers-Mallory State Missions Offering, something Roger said he’s grateful for. He sees it regularly at work as he coordinates the disaster relief team in Clarke Baptist Association.

“I want to thank people for their contributions to Myers-Mallory — that is huge. It allows us to do the things we do,” he said.