Hello! Unfortunately, the WiFi at the church I was staying at stopped working on the device I was using, so that explains the delay.

It was a very fulfilling to be in Joplin, Missouri, and to help out those in need. I was glad I was able to truly see what all a tornado, and how awful they can be. It has further inspired me to teach everyone that, while tornadoes can be neat, they are nothing to mess with. Here are a few photos. I will be leaving to go to Washington D.C. this Saturday for a two week weather camp at Howard University, so I look forward to telling them about my trip. I will try to do a blog from there as well. Hopefully, I will be able to update it daily, depending on available internet access. THANKS EVERYONE for following this blog.

2nd Work Day

Today we picked up debris at "Ground Zero" today. When the tornado went through, it lifted a mobile home and wrapped it around a tree. The Weather Channel even went out and looked over the area.

I will be uploading pics at the end of this trip for more images.

1st work day @ Joplin

Yesterday, I helped demo a house for someone who did not have the insurance to cover repairs. It was another long wait, about 2.5-3 hours we were sitting and waiting for supplies. Once the supplies/ tools came, we tore the ceilings, we carried drywall and other tools in the home.

Unfortunately, electrical problems and wrong sized insulation halted our days work, and we were done working for the day. We then, on our way to get dessert that evening, drove around Joplin and viewed the danger. St. Johns/Mercy Hospital looked untouched since May 22, 2011, the day the tornado hit. I've never seen such damage before.

I will try to get picture on here for today's blog.

Traveling to Joplon

Let's just say today was quite an experience. We go to spend A LOT of quality time on the road in Missouri, more than we expected, due to some bus issues (notice the pictures). Thanks to our great bus driver, however, we still managed to arrive in Joplin at 12:00AM Monday.

Tomorrow starts orientation, and hopefully a great start to the week.

All ready to go!

I would like to say hello to everyone who is reading this. This is the first personal blog I have done, and I hope you enjoy it. As you can see I am already packed. It has been last minute and, for future trip goers, I advise you to pack sooner than the day before. Let's just say it would have been a lot less stressful if I had done so. I hope to learn a lot from this trip, not only about Joplin, but also about myself l, as begin my missions journey.

I will be going to Joplin, Missouri tomorrow for missions work. Joplin was hit by an EF-5 tornado on the date of May 22, 2011. The tornado, with winds of over 200 mph, tore through parts of Joplin leaving it completely destroyed. Homes were swept from their foundation, and cars were tossed in the air like toys. As I set out on my journey with my friends from Brenthaven Cumberland Presbyterian Church, I hope to touch people's lives by our volunteer work.

Well, it's getting late, so I better sign off. Looking forward to writing everyone tomorrow!

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JOE G.