Joplin

Sally and I recently spent a week in Joplin helping with their recovery. Last spring when tornadoes hit Alabama, we thought that we could go there and volunteer. We couldn't do much, but could do something. Then while on our trip to Yellowstone, Joplin got hit. Since we have family there, we thought we'd go there, but wait until the fall when the weather was better, since they had extremely hot weather over the summer. The devastation was hard to believe, and this is several months after the storm. Many blocks are just wiped out with nothing but foundations and slabs showing. The people are working hard, and have been grateful for the many church volunteers who have shown up. Most churches there are coordinating volunteers from much of the country. We went through a Lutheran Church there. These few photos give you some idea of the damage and what they are dealing with. We mostly helped with two houses that belonged to a brother and sister. The amount of work still to be done is overwhelming.