Francisco Flores never thought that he would survive when a tornado ripped through houses, establishments, and churches overnight in North Dallas on Sunday. He was ready to die as he tried to find a way out to safety.
Flores found himself crawling out of tight spaces and climbing through the rubble of what was formerly his church, the sanctuary of Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana, after it collapsed from the brunt of the tornado.
The 23-year-old was at the church preparing for children’s classes he oversees when the tragedy happened. He never imagined that he would make it out alive since he was ready to die then.
“If I would have died, that would have been God’s plan,” Flores told Dallas News.
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However, God had other plans for him. Not only did he survive, he only sustained a few minor cuts and bruises. It was God’s saving grace that pulled Flores out of the wreckage. God showed him a path out from the rubble toward safety and this experience only strengthened Flores’ faith in God.
“My faith is even stronger now. This is the second opportunity at life that God has given me,” he said.
Sunday’s tornado tore through several houses of faith. Ricardo Brambila, who is also a member of Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana, remembered how it ripped open and completely devoured the sanctuary in seconds.
“In about 20 seconds, it was all gone,” he said.
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But Brambila took the disaster as a sign to not lose hope since God is with them. He told Flores that they can still rebuild and that God will pave the way for that to happen.
“This is a sign that God is with us, and he will make a way for us to rebuild,” Brambila said as he started giving directions to volunteers to make plans for a tent service.
The tornado may have shattered several churches in North Dallas but it did not shake or break the congregation’s spirits. They remained thankful to God that no one was seriously injured. They also remained faithful that they can quickly recover from the catastrophe with God’s help and guidance.