I wanted to say thank you for all who have been praying for the people of Joplin. We are now almost three weeks since the tornado and things are beginning to settle back into a somewhat normal routine outside of the major damage zone. But the stories that are being told are nothing short of miraculous and God is receiving great glory.
My own sister and brother-in-law were in a restaurant and dollar shop immediately in front of Wal-Mart at 15th and Range Line Road. She felt a very strong compulsion to leave and go home. Her husband protested that they were not finished shopping and that they still needed to go to Wal-Mart for a gift card for gasoline. She insisted that they simply pay for what they had and leave. They were about 10 blocks north when the sirens went off and arrived home 4 miles north of the damage path moments before golf-ball sized hail began to fall.
One man felt a very strange compulsion to go outside when the sirens sounded rather than to go into his basement. It defied logic but he went outside. Across the street stood a family who also felt the same compulsion. He knew then why he was outside. This family had no basement. He told them to take shelter in his basement and all survived.
We are very accustomed to tornado warnings here, so much so that we typically glance at the sky and ignore the warning. For some reason almost everyone I talk to says they had a strong feeling that this was one warning they should take seriously. The low numbers of dead are baffling to the scientists who have come to study the storm. All I can say is that God protected many people.
After his experiences my son is a very different man than he was just three weeks ago. He told me he realizes he is the most self-centered man on the planet (I disagree as I think I hold that title). He has been ministering to many tornado patients at the hospital where he works.
Debris removal has begun in earnest. Most of the aid organizations are leaving, but many local churches and other groups continue to offer food, clothing, beds, and other necessary supplies. All have been accounted for as far as anyone knows. The funerals have begun and many grieving people are beginning to experience some closure. Pray for these families. My heart breaks as I consider what they are going through.
Pray also for my mother's cousin, Mark. He was in the home near the high school taking care of the two handicapped men who lost their lives. He remains comatose and is fighting for his life.
Continue to pray for the city.