The first night I just settled in with my awesome, generous hosts who live in Carthage, Missouri, just northeast of Joplin. I had previously prepared to sleep on a cot in some church somewhere. I knew from the day I made the decision to go, that I would do whatever it took, including sleeping in my van if there were no cot ~ type options. I cannot believe the blessings God sent my way the day I left on this journey. From finding, at the last minute, my misplaced GPS cord, as well as my checkbook which had gone missing for over a month (laying right next to the GPS cord).......to gas prices heading quickly downward.......to being sought out on Facebook by Mary and Bill Book (people I had never met before), to stay the entire length of my trip, safely in their home, in accommodations that make me feel guilty given the reason I am here in the first place ~ ~ ~ more about my Joplin home-away-from-home in another post. Anyway, like I said, I didn't go into Joplin until the next day and the anticipation of arriving at ground zero was making me nervous.
The next morning, I drove to MSSU (Missouri Southern State University), where I registered to volunteer. There is so much you can do, little jobs and big jobs. Any job is one more step in the recovery/rebuilding process. As it was both Sunday and Father's Day, there were not as many options for work. I was asked what "I" wanted to do. I asked what my choices were and for that day there was only data entry or field work. I chose to help with data entry just to get my feet wet and because I had gotten a later start than I had planned. All the volunteer information has to be entered into a data base and I knew I could do that job with ease. And besides, it was in the upper 90's and HUMID and I made the decision to sit comfortably in a quiet air-conditioned room. I have to say that it gets very boring just inputting the same data for three hours straight.
Finally back in the van, and done volunteering for the day, it was time to drive into the "war zone". It's very surreal to be driving along when you know what lies ahead, and yet the minutes just before, everything looks totally normal and untouched. Next, you see some damaged trees. Just ahead, roofs that have lost shingles..... some from the wind and others from fallen trees. THEN YOU SEE IT!!! In my case, from the direction I was driving, there straight ahead and just to the left was St. John's Hospital, which I found out yesterday was lifted 4 or 5 inches off its foundation. This is a 9-story building.
Just across the street from the hospital I drove past a brick wall that read, "Cunningham Park". What park? There was not a single tree, although there was a basketball hoop still standing. The park sits on the corner of 26th and Maiden Lane. Perhaps I read it wrong. It should have read "Cunningham Parking Lot". At that intersection, once you pry your eyes off the hospital, whether you look down 26th Street to the east or the west, all you see are trees stripped of their bark, if they are even still standing, and leaving if anything, the trunks and heaviest lower branches.
I was horrified by the sight of the mangled vehicles. How were those shapes even possible? How many of those vehicles had passengers in them?
The homes for countless blocks in both directions are totally flattened, many with just the foundations left behind, or some left intact just enough that demolition crews will have to come in to finish the job.
All of this is something that even those with huge imaginations could not dream up. It is just destruction as far as the eye can see...........and beyond. That being said, I was horrified by what was in front of me! But what really hit home was when I stopped and got out of the van to photograph the images. First I would see an interesting angle of something like this church, totally destroyed, but the cross standing undefeated as a symbol of hope.
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| You see metal-wrapped trees everywhere you look ~ ~ ~ and you realize all of it, at some point, was hurtling through the air in all directions at over 200 mph. |
As I continued to walk around with camera in hand, I noticed things that really made my heart sink. Things that brought to light the realization of what this powerful force of nature was doing to the lives of those caught up in its' wrath.
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| Several blocks from the hospital, the contents from the locker of someone on the hospital staff (notice the stethoscope in the bag next to the shoes). |
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| Perhaps this teddy bear had brought comfort to a patient using one of these wheelchairs. |
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| I cannot speculate on this photo ~ ~ ~ but I can tell you I cried while I stood at this spot. |
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| Should you assume that this childs' toy belonged at this home? More than likely not! |
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After what seemed like quite a long time of walking or driving through the area, it was apparent that the path of destruction was so immense, it would take more than one day to really have an understanding of what happened to Joplin. How long would it take to come to such an understanding? I realize that "understanding" is the not the word I am looking for. What word would explain it better? Why am I trying to choose a word? There are no words!!!
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