It was a 're-do' day.  After our orientation at the offices of Rebuild Joplin, most of us went to a home that is nearing the finish line.  Our assignment?  Laying tile floors in the kitchen and two bathrooms.  The challenge?  A volunteer group started the job before we got here and made a mess.  It happens.  Many of us arrive with a strong desire to help, but not necessarily with skills to do the jobs we are assigned.  With appropriate supervision and instruction, even newbies can learn how to lay a tile floor.   But the tiles laid by the previous group had to be pulled up first.

Most of our day went to scraping the residue of mortar that had dried to the floor's underlayment.  It was strenuous, tedious work, but by mid-day we were able to start applying new mortar and laying new tiles.  A couple of us applied grout between the tiles of one floor that had remained intact.  Tomorrow, we'll return to continue with the tile floors and start with installation of laminate flooring, as well.  Some are working at a warehouse, unloading, sorting and shelving new electrical supplies.

We see both the recovery of the community and the lingering challenges.  We have met Tara, the homeowner whose home is nearing its finish.  Tara initially took cover in the bathtub of her home when the tornado warnings came.  But when she felt the walls tremble, she moved to an interior closet and survived.  The house she purchased 14 months before the storm was declared a total loss and her insurance coverage paid off the mortgage debt, leaving her with an empty lot.  Her daughter was caught in her car during the storm, as a telephone pole crashed through the windshield, pinning her in the car.  Now Tara says, "My daughter was physically hurt, emotionally we're all still hurt, but we're alive and that's the most amazing thing."

In the offices of Re-build Joplin is this picture wall of homeowners waiting to come home.  A couple of the members of the group worked at the home of a family who has been living in a FEMA trailer since the tornado struck.   Thanks to the efforts of many volunteers who worked alongside them, they moved home today!  As one of the members of our group put it, even with the challenges, being here is worth it.

Blessings,
Cheryl

Up, Up, and Away!  We arrived in Joplin after a beautiful drive through Kansas and Missouri autumn countryside.  We were amused at a rest stop, when we observed a couple of goats being 'walked' in the parking lot.



Soon after our arrival at First Presbyterian Church of Joplin, this hot air balloon floated by.

We are encouraged to see signs of progress here.  Lots of new businesses are under construction; some lots have now been cleared of debris. On the other hand, we saw at least one restaurant that was open last spring, now closed.  The recovery process is not without its setbacks.

After hearing the story of the blind beggar Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52) in church this morning, we listened to the story again this evening, this time listening from the perspective of displaced homeowners in Joplin, volunteers who come to this community to help, and the organizations (like Re-Build Joplin) who are here for the long-haul, overseeing the process.  Just as we were settling down for our discussion, there was a knock at the door.  I went to open it and found a young man who was, along with his wife, stranded without shelter, looking for help.  Faced with our very own Bartimaeus, we listened to his story and gave him some food.  He seemed to have an idea about where they could spend the night, so he departed.  We were struck, once again, by the irony that we came to this place to serve the people of Joplin without knowing how we would be asked to serve.  As we continued our reflection on the story of Bartimaeus, someone noticed the alliterative similarity between Jericho (where Bartimaeus called out for mercy from Jesus) and Joplin (where displaced homeowners are, likewise, crying out for mercy).  We observed that we, too, are asked to throw off the cloak of security in order to follow Jesus.  We were struck by the question Jesus asked Bartimaeus, "What would you like me to do for you?"  We picked prayer partners and talked with one another about how we might answer this question, if Jesus asked it of us.

Bright and early tomorrow morning, we'll receive our work assignments from Re-Build Joplin.  Blessings, Cheryl and Team Joplin!