MIDLAND, Texas — Heavy hearts filled the Midland College Beal Plaza, as many gathered to mourn and pray for the victims of Midland and Odessa's mass shooting.
"We're here to find our place, find our bearing, kind of get life back on track, make sure everyone's okay, peaceful. Because what happened a weekend or so ago was not normal, if you will, and was just a travesty," said Pastor of True-Lite Christian Fellowship Roy Smith.
Smith says his services have revolved around a simple gesture that matters the most.
"To make sure when I ask the question, 'How are you doing?' make sure I have long enough to stay and hear the answer.
"I want to know how they're doing. We talked last Wednesday night at church and the whole service that's what we talked about," Smith said.
"Because healing, in this process even for those that were removed from the actual incident itself, they have friends that were up close. I just want to make sure that my sphere of influence are okay."
Some are still confused and even mad at the situation. But Midland Fire captain and chaplain Casey Green says his spirit rests easy with his trust in God.
"I trust God with everything. And so even though we don't know God's plans, I trust him and whatever his plans are, are greater than ours. His thoughts are higher than ours and I know we have eternal salvation with God and I just place my trust in that and go with that," said Green.
Tears flowed, people dropped to their knees and sang in prayer at the top of their lungs.
The community is still hurting, but hope was in the air..
"Well we're not promised that life is going to be easy, life's tough," said Green.
"We have hurt, we have sorrow. But through all that, just you have to rely on God and trust in him in these times, people don't know, people are hurting but just trust in God."