Journey to Joplin, Day 5: Teamwork, Lessons Learned

On Sunday, May 22, a violent EF5 tornado—the seventh deadliest in United States history—ripped through the town of Joplin, Mo.

The storm killed 159 people, injured more than 900 and tore down thousands of homes and buildings. The damage, which affected about 75 percent of the town, was estimated to be more than $1 billion.

Joplin, as residents knew it, was gone.

This blog will document our efforts to help rebuild the town.

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Our final task we completed here in Joplin was putting Bob’s fence back up.

His wood fence was disassembled in the storm, and his chain link fence was one of many that mangled by the tornado as well as by the search-and-recovery vehicles that traversed through the neighborhoods looking for victims and those in need of help.

Bob is 73. He works for a trucking company on the weekends—12 hours Saturday, 12 hours Sunday. The storm hit on Sunday evening while he was at work. His wife called him and told him the house was heaving and that she was scared and heading to the bathtub. He told his boss he was leaving to get home to his wife.

He couldn’t get there in time and was still trying to reach her when she left him another message (no calls would go through at that point) and told him she was safe but the house had suffered damage. Just as he finally reached home he received another message, this time from his daughter.  

“Dad, help, we’ve been hit,” she said.

He and his wife got back in the car and tried to get just a few miles away from home to help their daughter. He dropped everything to reach his family. He risked his life to try and be with those he loved. 

He told me the events that happened to him on that night, and gratefully told me everyone wound up being fine. His home is damaged but will be repaired. His daughter and her family lost their home but have since relocated and will be fine as well.

Then he lowered his head and told me about the young couple down the street. The tornado hit, and the young husband led his wife and himself to the bathroom. He had her get in the tub and he lay on top of her and they held on tight. The roof collapsed.

Something hit him in the back and he lost consciousness.  His young wife wrestled out from underneath him and ran out of the house for help. She couldn’t get help fast enough; he bled to death.

Bob looked at me and said, “Our neighborhood grieves that loss. He gave his life for her. He saved her life.”

My eyes welled up and I couldn’t look at him because I couldn’t fathom living in his shoes or the shoes of his neighbors.

We have been so blessed to offer our hands, feet and labor to this neighborhood. We were led to this neighborhood by the deacon of Faith Assembly Church. He asked us to help one of their parishioners and she led us to another neighbor’s home and then another neighbor’s home, and, one by one, they began to see that we were here to do whatever we could to help them put their homes back together.

We are a team of 15—seven from the Lemont Community led by Pastor Colton Johnson of Calvary Church and eight from Iowa led by Pastor Johnson's parents.

Never having met before, we had 11 men and four women ranging in age from 19 to 61. We come from various work backgrounds and experiences that formed the most effective and productive team of workers all of us said we had ever been a part of. 

For the past three days, I worked with a group of the men on our team putting up chain link fences. Not one of us had ever put up a chain link fence before. After three complete days of doing so from yard to yard. we joked about going into business together.

We worked in heat greater than 100 degrees, and with heat indices pushing 105 to 110. Not once did we bicker, argue or compete. We didn’t have directions or roles but we had heart and the desire to help.

Together we learned how to dig and set posts, stretch the chain link, clamp, fasten, tie down and wire the bottom. Every time we thought we completed our final fence there was a meager and humble request for help in another yard. That’s what we're here for—to meet the needs of those in need.

When we were cleaning up Thursday afternoon, each of us took a look from Bob’s yard down the row of back yards that had new fences standing, rubbage yards and trimmed trees.

If one stood at this vantage point, you would not know what devastation this town experienced two months ago this day. As individuals we can accomplish tasks, but working as a team we can complete so much more.   

The pastor of Faith Assembly told us that all of the churches that were leveled were in the process of trying to find temporary homes. Attendance in services had increased and churches were doing their best to be a home base of channeling assistance to those in their congregations and parish neighborhoods that needed help.

I was told that, unlike other disaster scenes, the churches were acting as the main conduit of those that were offering help to those that needed it. The pastor said that churches that had not been affected were offering their buildings to those churches that had lost their own.

Lutherans were worshiping in the Baptist church, he said. Catholics were using the Methodist church. The church leaders were reaching out to each other. They knew that although the name on the church bulletin was different and the way they worshiped varied, what was the same was what they experienced and what their mission was.

They were all on the same team of helping the people of Joplin and helping Joplin return to a sense of normalcy. 

One of the FEMA workers who had also been called to Katrina told us that, in his opinion, Joplin was worse than Katrina in terms of destruction. Calling one catastrophe worse than another, however, undermines the suffering of those in both.

He also said he has seen more volunteer efforts in Joplin than with Katrina. More than 5,000 volunteers have traveled to Joplin to lend a hand. It is great to hear there has been such an outpouring of compassion but let me reiterate that there is still need for individuals and teams of volunteers to come and lend their hands and feet.

Just this morning I read in the Joplin Globe that they are looking for volunteers to help get the temporary school buildings in order so that they can begin school on schedule.

Returning to a “normal” routine will be so very helpful for the youth of Joplin, and that will only happen with teams of volunteers.

As you are aware, there is need everywhere. There is need in Third World countries; there is need in Haiti, Arkansas, Massachusetts; there is need in Chicago. And I can tell you firsthand that there is need in Joplin and there is need in Lemont.

Need can only become past tense if compassionate and selfless people offer what they can offer to make a difference. Many of you did that by donating tools, water and funds for Joplin, those offerings were so very needed and appreciated.

Maybe you have talents and/or time, items or funds that you would like to give. Maybe you would like to make a trip to Joplin or perhaps you are feeling moved to offer your hands and feet to help those struggling within your arms reach.

Don’t let that desire dissipate. I would love to team up with you on that. Please contact me if you are feeling so moved to offer time, effort or items that will make a difference, and I will gladly help you make that happen. Those within your corner of the world that are so needing that hand that you can extend.

I will be leaving Joplin Friday, leaving a part of me here and taking a part of the town with me. I will not be able to stop thinking about what else I can do to help here.

I can honestly say that it is on my heart to come back. However, I know that just as there is need here, there is need at home in Lemont.

I have received a few phone messages and emails from families who are desperately and humbly asking to find a bit of relief from the weighty crosses they are carrying.

I will be driving away with a heavy heart for those in my rear view mirror, hoping that more teams will be formed and come forward, and heading home to work on finding help for those that are experiencing different types of storms.

I am parting from this team of 15 and joining back up with the compassionate and generous individuals who create a great team effort confronting the needs of those in my hometown but not forgetting the lessons I learned from working with this team and with this battled and scarred, but determined and inspiring community.

When knocked down, get back up. When you can, and every time you can, lend a hand.

Treasure and appreciate what cannot be taken from you. Work together in peace and with true and honest hearts and do what you can to make the corner of the world you are standing in a better place.