Burnet County minister and family look to faith after fire ravages home; church lending a hand
TOBYVILLE — Despite losing everything he and his four daughters owned when a fire destroyed their home July 8, the Rev. Marcial Marichalar held onto the one thing the flames couldn’t take — his faith.
“God will take care of us,” he said July 10. “He’s already blessed us with this wonderful community and all the beautiful people who live here. The community has already reached out to help us and they’ve been praying for us. I thank God for that.”
Meanwhile, officials at First Baptist Church of Marble Falls are rallying support for Marichalar, who was recruited several years ago by the Rev. Max Copeland to start an outreach mission to the Hispanic community.
“They lost everything — down to their toothbrushes,” said church spokesman Gary Stone on July 10. “They have nothing.”
Church officials are seeking donations, gift cards and even volunteers to come to the house site in the 100 block of Meador Road for a massive cleanup at 8 a.m. July 14 and July 21.
The family didn’t have home insurance and they aren’t sure where they will be staying, supporters said. The children include four girls ages 15, 13 and 10-year-old twins.
Gift cards and donations can be dropped off at the church office, 501 Twelfth St. in Marble Falls. Donations can be made out to “Fire Fund” to keep them tax-deductible, Stone said. For more, call the church at (830) 693-4381.
Donors are welcome to provide gift cards from H-E-B, Walmart, Beall’s, Target and Old Navy, Stone added.
“We’re trying to help them with their basic needs, but we’re also looking at the family’s long-term needs,” he said. “We’re asking for gift cards, because they can go and pick things out. And right now, they really need that sense of ownership.”
Ultimately, the church would like to help Marichalar replace his residence with another manufactured home.
Stone said Marichalar established a Baptist mission at First Baptist Church before moving to a separate facility on Avenue S.
“I think he started the first Hispanic Baptist mission (in Marble Falls),” Stone said. “Everything he made, he poured back into starting churches and missions. He didn’t have two dimes to rub together.”
Marichalar described his career as a calling and passion.
“(The fire) won’t keep me from continuing,” he added.
But for now, he is concerned about taking care of his daughters.
“I don’t know where we’re going to stay,” he said. “That’s the first thing we need right now — a place to stay.”
According to officials, a fire that may have started in the kitchen erupted about 8:30 a.m. at the residence. The Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the blaze at the manufactured home, which included an addition built on the site.
The minister was not at home and no injuries were reported.
“It was fully engulfed when we arrived on the scene,” said Terry White, chief of the Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department.
Other agencies assisting at the scene included the Granite Shoals Fire Department and Cottonwood Shores Volunteer Fire Department.
For more on this story, pick up a copy of The River Cities Sunday Tribune July 14-15.