Weather!?!??!

Hello. It has taken me a long time to get this next post going. I went to Parkersburg on Saturday to help with the clean-up after the tornado. I was very nervous about going. I knew that I was called to go, and wanted to help, but I wasn't sure how I would react. I have lost a uncle and aunt to a tornado, and this one was very close to taking that again, plus a brother, sister-in-law, nephew and niece. I was not dealing well with that to begin with, and now I was going to see first hand how bad it really was.

The group from my church met at the church at 6 a.m. This was VERY early for me. I got there first, and immediately left to find coffee!!! We left the parking lot and started to Parkersburg after a prayer and quick briefing on the work we were going to be doing. I was glad to see that I wasn't the only girl there!!! We arrived in Parkersburg around 8 and were amazed by the damage. All of us in the van had been following the destruction on the news, but none were prepared for what we saw. The stories of the people in the car wash came to my mind as we drove by. We snapped many photos from the moving car, but none could hold all the sadness! One picture I didn't get was of a house with all the outside walls gone, and there in the living room was a couch, and in the room behind, a bed. I cried.

We drove around trying to find Samaritan's Purse(the group we had been in contact with to help) only to find that they had left the day before and didn't get a hold of our team leader. So, for a minute we were devastated. We had come to help, though, so we looked for a way to accomplish that. We drove around looking for the volunteer command center. It wasn't easy to find, there are no street signs, after all. After some searching, we found them. They quickly got us loaded up and sent us to clean-up a lot. 801 3rd Ave was our morning post. As we arrived I hit my emotional limit. The house across the street was still standing, but barely. The windows, doors, and much of the siding and trees were gone. Looking in the door was what took me over the top, a high chair, excersaucer, swing and baby toys! I can't imagine going through this terrible experience holding on to your baby praying to make it through!

I quickly pulled it together and started in on the work at hand, and it was enormous. We were told to pile all the rubble on the parking area of the street for the trucks to pick up. We had 15 people working for over 3 hours to clear one small lot. It was clear from the beginning that it wasn't just rubble from this home, it was from many. I spent my morning huddled over picking up papers, rollers, mothballs, porn mags, rotten chicken (complete with maggots), and wood, rocks, glass, shingles, and other random unrecognizable rubble! From one lot we had one dumpster and two large (taller than me) piles of stuff. I can't imagine how long this clean-up will last. Like I said, 15 people, 3 hours, one house! There are over 200 houses destroyed! On top of that, there are fields that are just littered with the debris.

We had a wonderful lunch packed by some wonderful person who knew that peanut butter sandwiches and cheese sandwiches are not glamorous, but tasted like steak to someone who had just worked for 3 hours in 90 degree weather!!! We regrouped and headed to our next post. At noon there was a sever thunderstorm warning for the area, and with over 100 volunteers, they didn't want us going far. So our group was sent to the nearby fields that were covered in debris. We filled 3 giant dumpsters!! With the heat, and the fear of bad weather coming, we decided to head back home around 3.

We all talked on the way home about how we now had a person to pray for, by name, that was affected by the tornado. (It was on the post by the house we cleaned up) It was really powerful and meaningful for us to get involved and get something done to help a neighbor. We talked about returning from time to time together to see, and help, the progress along.

Now there is another threat to my home town area......floods. I just got off the phone with my dad who is frantically trying to save his restaurant. He has insurance, of course, but it doesn't cover floods. Even in the historical flood of '93 there was not even a threat of water damage to the building, now it looks like they are looking at 3' of water in the restaurant. It is devastating to think of the clean-up that will be left by this flood. They are already talking a mandatory evacuation of downtown Cedar Falls! I am praying for everyone there, especially my dad. Those businesses are so important to that area. The owners are not big companies with resources to rebuild without a giant blow to the fiances. They are local people who have poured their hearts into their business! I pray for their buildings as much as their spirits!

On a brighter note, here are a few pics from the kids' last few days of school. Oddly, Shaelynn's teacher had no family picnic, so there are no cute pics of her! We are already enjoying our summer, but really wish the rain would stop. There is no backyard to play in, and I don't like the kids to play in the front yard. So, we are trying to fill our day inside. We do go to the pool, when it's not raining, but that isn't very often!!!

Hope all is well with all of you!

Peoples houses, now, piles of rubble

Here is a truck that didn't make it through!

Here is some of my group with others in the background that arrived after lunch!

Here is the first building being put up to show that they are serious about rebuilding!