Today over 550 local members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints also known as the Mormon Helping Hands, were in Joplin Missouri to help in any way possible.
I would like to say to anyone and everyone, that if you are going there to just look or take photos- STAY OUT you are only "blocking traffic" and you are truly "in the way". The residents are under enough stress and they and the volunteers trying to help don't need to have to work or drive around you!
I listenened to the residents say to people and each other- "why do they drive by just to take pictures? Can't they see we need help? They can't be bothered to get out of their fancy cars and help, this isn't a dog and pony show for their entertainment, do they really enjoy our misfortune so much? Why can't they get out of the road so we can get this mess cleaned up". It broke my heart to hear statements like this and to watch looky loos plug up traffic, cause accidents and prevent the volunteers and residents from doing their jobs.
If you are going to picket on Sunday, STAY HOME because there is no place for your nonsense amidst this tragedy!
The team Kay was on tarped roofs, offered food and sanitary packages and the Team I was on did yard cleaning and I was one of the assesment takers. I had forms and went from door to door asking if they wanted us to help for FREE and some were grateful, some had it undercontrol and one lady read the name on my shirt and slammed the door in my face while yelling at me " I dont need ANYTHING from your church"! Now I have an idea what our amazing missionaries go through each day - WOW! I am so tired of the misconceptions and lies told by people here in the midwest have about our church!!!
(Kay's Team)
Anyhow, we were on the "north tip" of the damage and after lunch I walked down into the devastation doing assesments, giving out the command post number to call if they wanted any help and sharing hugs with anyone that needed it. I was humbled by their tenacity, seeing them in their sorrow, and the strength of the storm and what it did. Words cannot express what I saw but I will give some of my thoughts...
Cars upside down and inside of homes, home with no roofs, windows, or walls. One man had a 150 yr old Oak tree that HAD to have been at least 4-4.5 feet in diameter fall on his roof and when it was cut and removed from his roof, the base is PERFECT meaning no disease, no bugs, just a gorgeous old oak tree with the base set back in the yard and a 20 foot area torn loose all around it. It would have made some gorgeous lumber and was his only shade tree in the back yard. Churches or what were churches, only a foundation stands. Cadaver Dogs and search and rescue were out and about. Metal wrapped around poles, poles through cars, Painted X's on home and vehicles that mean it was searched, 2 Fires on the west side of the city, happy helpful volunteers from ALL over more than glad to help. People in vehicles handing out water and food to anyone and everyone- God Bless them all! I saw many scenes of charity & compassion plus the spirit and love of God at work!!
I saw photos/torn scrapbook pages, letters, notes and ephemera from who knows who's home as we bumched them to turn in so that hopefully they would be found by the owners later on. Brush, HUGE mammoth trees laying everywhere, trash, insulation, styrofoam, leaves, mud on the side of homes, broken windows, trees on roofs, cars on roofs, trees in pools, trees laying like pick up sticks in yards and sticks of every size in the lawns or sides of houses and garages. I pulled one stick thinking it was what was left of a tree root, but it came out about 5-6 inches- it was just impelled into the ground. Can you imagine the force it took to impell sticks and trees and branches through walls, into the ground and into buildings?
We cleaned about 25 yards a few of them in VERY bad shape and we are thrilled to have been given the opportunity to serve the people of Joplin. Some of our volunteers are going back tomorrow but me, I am going to be helping with Maggie and Kayley at church while their daddy is helping in Joplin. Kay plans to go back again as well.
They have NO place to store anything (all the donations coming in) their homes are "gone" their vehicles are demolished and their lives will never be the same again. Truly made me grateful for what I have and the blessings I am given.
Stop complaining about your ailments, your dirty home, your crummy car etc... because at least YOU HAVE THEM!
I feel blessed to live in this State, in this area, because people help people, they don't sit and whine and cry and blame the government for their situation, they jump in and do something about it!
Here are 5 photos I took with my phone, I didn't take a camera because I knew I couldnt carry it and make time for it but I wanted to show you somethings I saw and these photo do NOT even come close to giving the full or partial impact of what I saw today.
This photo is of Justin and Jessica- the 2 we were so worried about when the tornado hit- they are fine and he is the most handsome fireman on the Joplin force and Jessica is the sweetest girl you would want to know! I love you guys!
My stupid thought when I saw this demolished upside down Durango while waiting for Kay to drive by and pick me up was- oh my gosh it looks so much worse than mine did after the accident-- well duh do ya think? ;o/ the things that go through our mind at times!
Home after home after home, and businesses, gone- demolished within minutes- it made my heart wrench. They say 8,000 structures totally wiped out.
You can see tons more professional photos on www.kspr.com or ABC news website- etc... videos on youtube just go to google.com and type in Joplin, Missouri.
Please pray for the residents and their families, and rememeber to hug your family, appreciate everything you HAVE because these people have nothing now!
Gwen Mangelson
I found this on you tube--
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