It is a month on from the horrific mass shooting that claimed the lives of 26 people at a small-town Texas Church. First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, fell victim to an awful attack when gunman Devin Kelley entered the sanctuary during Sunday morning service on Nov. 5, and began firing off multiple rounds.
Lead Pastor Frank Pomeroy said he is still coming to terms with the loss of his daughter Annabelle, and insists that the church will continue to move forward in faith, and attempt to heal from the heartbreaking tragedy.
“It seemed like it was just yesterday I had dropped her off at school. It seemed like I had just told her, ‘I’ll see you Monday,’” the First Baptist Church pastor told My San Antonio.
Despite a massive multi-agency investigation, authorities are still no closer to establishing a motive for the killing, something that is desperately confusing for Pomeroy, who said, “Sometimes I wish I could understand what was inside his head, so I could’ve stopped him. But there’s nothing to understand. You have to be insane to understand insanity.”
For the pastor and others, it is just a case of taking a day at a time, dealing with the excruciating grief and loss as the weeks pass on.
“The days run together. It’s like being on an island where you lose track of days,” Pomeroy said as he sat in his church office. Despite the incredible faith of this community, many of those who survived have been experiencing flashbacks and emotional turmoil following the bloody and savage attack.
“I can’t get it out of my head. It’s like it just happened,” said Farida Brown, 73, who was shot four times.
With whatever energy they can muster, Frank and his wife Sherri are determined not to let their faith community fall apart, and are vowing to lead their flock through this tragedy and into the future.
“If you don’t water your plants, they’re going to die, so we don’t have much of a choice,” Sherri Pomeroy said. “You’ve got to keep on going, even when you don’t feel like it.”
“Some days are better than others,” Pomeroy added. “Our lives are changed forever.”
Jimmy Stevens was one of the many who lost a relative in the attack. Jimmy lost his sister, Peggy Warden, on that fateful day. But despite the pain, he said he has something glorious to look forward to: “Some day we’ll all join her. They always say there are no tears in heaven, but I think on that day there will be some happy tears.”