T-R PHOTO BY MIKE DONAHEY From this Aug. 20 photo, a group of Marshalltown residents pray for July 19 tornado victims and recovery efforts in front of Rogers Elementary School as part of a Prayer Walk event. Prayers were led by Carl and Mary Jane Kolars, top center. It was sponsored by Marshalltown Community Prayer Group Ministry.

Nearly two months after the devastating July 19 tornado lifted off, a local Marshalltown woman and team are still working to fire up the community with prayer.

Marshalltown resident Vonna Hayes, The Church of Marshalltown and Marshall County Prayer Task Force have scheduled ‘Repair! Rebuild! Restore!’ from 1-3 p.m., Sept. 22 at Riverview Park.

The event is free of charge and open to the public.

“We invite all to come for a time of worship — giving thanks for the goodness of our God

always, but especially during and after the July 19th tornado,” Hayes said.

The Rev. Dylan Does, Richard Edgar and John Witmer will share positive messages plus community worship leaders will be encouraging residents for the days ahead.

Additionally, John Rottink will share his gift of song for Marshalltown.

There will be kids activities, including rock painting.

The Sept. 22 event is the second effort by Hayes and Prayer Task Force to lift up local residents who may feel overwhelmed in dealing with the loss of a home or car, contractors, insurance companies and more as they strive to rebuild.

The first effort was Aug. 19, when residents met to pray and walk for tornado victims and recovery. The date was specifically selected to mark the tornado’s one-month anniversary.

At Rogers Elementary School, 11 residents representing several neighborhoods, ethnic groups and faiths stood in prayer and then departed in smaller groups, all walking on blocks where homes and vehicles were pounded.

All participants were given the option of driving by damaged areas.

Other teams with a similar mission met at the Marshalltown Public Library, Franklin and Woodbury elementary schools, Hayes said.

“We will be praying for the city and the damaged areas,” Mary Jane Kolars of the Rogers team said. “We are also praying for restoration. For God’s blessings to restore what was taken, to restore hope and peace … for God’s glory.”

Hayes said many dozens of people came out to the elementary buildings.

“We attracted approximately 90 folks total from the four schools.” she said. “The beautiful thing about it was at my location — Franklin Elementary School — had 15. However, there were 5 churches represented.

Overall, she said eight churches turned out.

Hayes firmly believes in the power of prayer, and she and team will be working aggressively to get the word out about the Sept. 22 event.

“The heartbeat of what keeps this going is seeing churches lay down the things that don’t matter and pick up the things that do. It was so good to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with so many different churches. That is the goodness we continue to see.”

For more information contact Hayes, 641-751-5163, or svhayes@mchsi.com.

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Contact Mike Donahey at 641-753-6611 or mdonahey@timesrepublican.com