A mother is praising God after eleven teenagers and two adults escaped a church van that burst into flames. The group from Anchor Church in the Houston area was headed to a youth camp, having gathered at Deer Park High School to go toward Kerrville, Texas. The van had only been driving for a few minutes when several passengers began smelling smoke. Speaking to KHOU11, Jordin Williams, the mother of two of the teens riding in the van, said at first, the group didn’t believe it could be their vehicle. “He said it smells like barbecue or something and like, something must be on fire, they didn’t think it was their van,” she said. Luckily, the youth leader, who was driving the van and was accompanied by his mother, a bus driver, decided to pull over.

“My son … said, ‘Mom, it was 60 seconds from the time we got off the van that it was completely engulfed,” Williams reported. Video footage from KHOU11 shows the van completely engulfed in flames. Fortunately, all thirteen passengers were able to get out of the van safely and seek shelter. KHOU11 stated that they took refuge in a nearby town to get out of the heat and that Anchor Church was able to rent another van to take the teens to their camp. The teens were reportedly having a good time, despite the drama that unfolded beforehand.

Williams thanked God for the outcome. “Faith has to play a part in it. We believed and we prayed over those kids,” she said, adding later, “All I can do is thank God that they’re OK.” Anchor Church hadn’t released a statement on the incident at the time of this reporting. The Houston Fire Department stated that an electrical issue appeared to be the source of the fire. The specifics of the electrical issue have not yet been revealed.

Preparing to send a loved one to church camp can be very difficult for a parent, particularly as it can be the first experience of having a child “sleep away” from home. PureFlix Insider offers some suggested prayers for safekeeping and protection. The article references Matthew 6:25, which states, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” The list of prayers also cites Philippians 4:6, which can be helpful for a parent anxious about sending a child away: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”