Since flash floods on the Fourth of July swept through Kerr County, Texas, much of the landscape is unrecognizable. Canoes are plastered against tree branches 10 feet in the air, and debris forms miles of dams.
But for Joe Rodriguez, this scene looks all too familiar. He began serving in the National Guard in the early 1970s. During that time, he assisted in search and rescue efforts following the Bandera flood of 1978 and the Comfort flood of 1987—sites within 25 miles of Ingram that sustained catastrophic damage earlier this month.
While the recent flood didn’t affect his home, it brought a lot of haunting memories to the surface, and he needed to talk to someone. That’s when he decided to stop by BG-RRT’s Mobile Ministry Center (MMC), set up in a local business’ parking lot in the center of Kerrville. The MMC often travels to disasters with chaplains to serve as a hub for prayer and conversation.
Chaplain Robert Graham was there to listen and to pray with him.
Joe’s thoughts of the recent tragedy were as vivid as the photos from the Comfort flood he had with him. Although the pictures were almost 50 years old, he was unmistakable in the images.
“We were up to our chests in water,” Joe remembers, pointing to a picture of a helicopter rescue he participated in.
The flood in Comfort was eerily similar to this month’s tragedy. That day back in 1987, a bus of children from a nearby camp was crossing a low bridge when floodwaters swept them away, killing 10 teenagers. Joe suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, which was exacerbated by the recent floods.
He remembers how hard it was to pull the teens from the flood—and at a time when his own children were about the same age. Joe feels the same pain now as he thinks of first responders recovering children in the debris.
But Joe is clinging to his faith in Jesus Christ, a relationship that began while he was serving in the National Guard. Although he was raised in a religious home, Joe found years ago that he needed to make this faith personal.
Robert and Joe quickly connected. Both came to faith later in life. Both are Texans and only a year apart in age. And they are brothers in Christ. That bond allowed Robert to minister to Joe just by listening and understanding what Joe was walking through.
Joe is no stranger to hard times. His faith in Christ has carried him through many valleys, from family health issues to his wife’s death in 2020.
His testimony even opened the door to minister to others when he served in the National Guard. Anytime his soldiers had a problem, one of their peers would pass on the same advice: “You need to talk to Sergeant Rodriguez.”
He would pull the younger soldier aside, hold out a fresh cup of coffee, and begin sharing God’s love and the Gospel message.
Yet even with a strong faith, Joe found himself emotionally weak after the July Fourth disaster. He told Robert how he had been coping with the pain by praying earnestly to the Lord and reminding himself of God’s promises.
“I cried to the Lord because I love Him,” Joe shared.
With his arm around Joe in the parking lot, Robert prayed alongside him, seeking God’s comfort and peace.
Just as the Lord proved faithful in 1978 and 1987, Joe knows He will be faithful again in 2025. “He’s so good,” he said.