Having made many friends in Puerto Peñasco / Rocky Point, I am used to their comings and goings. We love gathering for sunsets, dinner or beach combing for sea glass when they are here, and I know my friends have varied and interesting lives away from Paradise. Some of them have very interesting lives!
If you have missed seeing Phyllis Agnew paddling her kayak and walking Cholla’s estuary at low tide, you will be glad to know that she has been traveling with purpose. A member of the Phoenix team of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Arizona, Agnew has traded relaxing at the beach for assisting people in crisis after disasters.
Under the auspices of the Southern Baptist Conference, in cooperation with the North American Mission Board, trained teams provide emergency assistance at disaster sites around the United States and around the world. The signature yellow shirts of the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams are recognized and welcomed by disaster response organizers worldwide, and are sought for their well-trained, well-organized teams of relief workers. Having just completed refresher training, Agnew and her team are waiting for the call that will take them, with their mobile kitchens capable of serving thousands of meals daily, to the Eastern Seaboard to provide relief for the victims of Hurricane Sandy.
“Very interesting” certainly describes Agnew’s life away from Paradise. “I miss Cholla Bay, but the relief work has been so gratifying,” says Agnew. “When things quiet down, I’ll be singing ‘South of the Border,’ and planning a trip to the beach.”
Editor’s note: The victims of Hurricane Sandy continue in great need. More information about Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Arizona can be found at, and donations made through, http://www.namb.net/dr/
