Last Friday evening, BJU and BJA took a direct hit from a storm cell that unloaded damaging winds and an inch and a half of rain. Many of the BJA buildings sustained damage—some minor, others more significant. But thanks to the efforts of many people behind the scenes, there were few remaining signs of the damage by the time classes started on Tuesday morning.
Tree branches were strewn across the roads and sidewalks. The playhouses and toys were blown and scattered around the yard in front of the CDC. Several of the play lawnmowers were blown over the fence into the residence hall parking lot. Somehow, the rain found its way through ceilings and windows and under doors; and numbers of rooms in almost all the buildings had minor flooding. The elementary cafetorium experienced considerably more water with over an inch on the lunchroom floor. Ceiling tiles and insulation were ruined by water from the damaged roof. Several inches of water accumulated in the tops of the kitchen refrigeration units and surrounded the running compressor and condenser systems. The soffit and a light panel outside of the BJA central office in the Applied Studies Building were blown out. In the Quadrangle a section of the covered sidewalk was ripped off and wedged between the Academy Auditorium and the posts. A gas supply line was severed in the process; but praise the Lord, it was discovered and shut off—eliminating the threat of far greater devastation. Things could have been much worse.
Public Safety, administrators, teachers, volunteers, and BJU’s facilities and custodial staff helped out Friday, Saturday, and Monday to get almost everything repaired and back in place. Some volunteered many hours working behind the scenes to have the classrooms ready for teachers on Tuesday. We want to say a great big thank you to all who lent a hand. It is indeed a blessing to have such dedicated people who give freely of their time to ensure the success of BJA for the glory of the Lord! They reflected Christlikeness in their efforts this past weekend, and I hope you will join me in saying thank you!
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