Ever since Robin asked me to write this post, I've been reluctant. I don't think there is any way to describe the aftermath of an EF-5 Tornado ripping through a city like it did in Joplin. The pictures even on TV can't describe the horror we saw as we entered the part of town hit by this killer tornado.
In addition to that, it's hard for me to process it all. My mother's family is from Joplin and many still live there. I had one cousin whose home was blown away. I had several friends with homes that are now non-existent. So writing this is a little difficult.
The first thing I noticed even before I saw the greatest part of destruction was the smell. We arrived there just three short days after the event and already the smell of mold and mildew was almost enough to make one choke. This was the greatest surprise initially. I felt as if I had to breathe a little deeper just to get enough air.
The first thing we did that day was pick up several truckloads of food and water to take out to the neighborhoods. It was devastating to see what I can only describe as similar to the pictures I've seen of Hiroshima after Truman dropped the atomic bomb. Governor Nixon said in a news conference that this was "a slow moving tornado" and that it looked "like it tried to screw itself into the ground." That is probably the most accurate of descriptions. While most tornados rip through quite quickly, this one took it's time, hovering over the ground for 45-60 seconds before moving on. The aftermath, to me, felt mean, like it purposely was out to destroy.
The next two and a half days I spent with Nathan, our youth pastor and my brother-in-law Joe Gabbard at the Convoy of Hope Disaster Relief Headquarters at E 7th and S. Maiden, just blocks from St. John's hospital. We organized a drive through where cars could drive in and pick up supplies such as water, gatorade, non-perishable foods, paper products, camping gear, etc. In doing so, I didn't realize upfront that we would be hearing stories of survival, death, loss and etc. the entire time.
To be honest, I am normally a coherent, articulate writer. However, I am having great difficulty trying to write this blog. It's like everything is still jumbled up in my head. I was not prepared for that. I saw people walking around or riding in cars that came through for supplies that looked, for lack of a better word, catatonic. Pure shock. Some couldn't speak, others couldn't shut up. Everybody deals with it differently when it comes to trauma. I wasn't there when it happened, but just spending four days there as a volunteer threw me for a loop. I didn't realize it till I was in church on Sunday. I broke down. Thankfully it was during the music portion of the service so no one could hear me balling my eyes out. I can say now that I have a better understanding and deeper compassion for those who go through these kinds of disasters and trauma. I heard a doctor on the radio yesterday who was in the hospital when it hit. It was hard for him to speak, to articulate what he wanted to say. I get that now.
I can't go into the details of the stories I heard. I just can't. If you want to hear them, you can go to Sunday's podcast of my message and listen to them.
With all that having been said, there is still hope for Joplin. Not only are people in Missouri quite resilient, but these people have a faith unlike I have ever seen. When the cars would come through for supplies, I would ask the people if they would like for me to pray with them. In four days, I had only one person say no... she was too busy. I prayed with hundreds and hundreds of people. I held their hands, I listened to their stories, and I don't remember one person saying that they weren't going to make it. Everyone had a faith that God was going to help them rebuild. It was truly inspiring.
Would I go back? In a heartbeat. In fact, we are planning to take a trip back to Joplin again this coming Monday-Wednesday to volunteer again with Convoy of Hope. If you are over 18 and would be interested in going with us, email me at pastor@myrestorationchurch.org. We will have accommodations for both men and women. If you would like to donate to Convoy of Hope, the premier Disaster Relief organization, you can make a $10.00 donation by texting "CONVOY" to 50555 or by going to their website. If you would like to donate non-perishable foods, bottled drinks (non-water), paper goods, or personal hygiene products, you can drop them by our church at 7450 Mexico Rd. in St. Peters.
Please continue to pray for the people of Joplin.
Pastor Lindy
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