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