I'm here!!!

I haven't completely fallen off the planet yet! ;) I've had a hard time blogging lately. Not because nothing has been happening, because that is FAR from the truth - just check out the news lately and you may have some idea of what I mean. That's right: my hometown has been hit with what is being called the 8th deadliest tornado on record. Praise the Lord, my neighborhood is safe but there are thousands out there who have a totally different story! They've lost everything!

That's a semi wrapped around that tree

Stained Glass Theater Joplin has been destroyed

The theater basement

St. Johns, as seen from the theater

Part of the wreck

Joanns is destroyed, among many, many other businesses

Inside Joanns: the bias tape rack is still standing

Along the roadside



Amidst the destruction people are out to help


This is the church building that my family was going to spend part of Sunday evening in... the tornado hit just a short while before we left our house



Another demolished church building: most of the pews are still standing and the hymn books are still where the people left them



Through the car window



Tornadoes are beyond my comprehension: take the building but leave the furniture untouched. Take one building but leave the ones around it untouched. And then wreak complete havoc, leaving nothing untouched in other areas!


People came from all over to help out

It seemed like there was bottled water everywhere!!!



Waiting for another load


Unloading the truck



My grandparents had minor house damage (a tree hit one corner of the roof) but there were lots of trees down!

Friends drove several hours to come help work

The only letters from "Joplin" left were "O" and "P" - until someone
came in with the duck tape.

Thank you to all those who have come to help the people here in Joplin. Even those of us who weren't affected (like my family) are amazed at the generosity and helpfulness of perfect strangers from all across the nation!
And praise Yahweh for His love and protection! I can't imagine the death and injuries that He has protected the people in this city from! It could have been and probably ought (by the world's standards) to have been even more devastating than it was! As it is, we are amazed by His wonderful care and protection!

So, there's the rather depressing and yet in some ways not-so-depressing story of the past two weeks (without mentioning the fact that the "non-working" members of my family have stayed home all the past week due to sickness which, hopefully, has taken its toll by now. I'll try to post more soon, about some more enjoyable activities (like making great new friends!).
Until then, God bless!