Hot!  Tired!  And sweaty at the Zoo!

Thank goodness there are these really cool sprinklers where we can all cool off....even little ones in strollers.

When we are good and tired there is always the trusty train ride.  It brings you to the animals and a cool breeze with it!

If all else fails and you have finished with the lions, tigers and bears....oh, my!  You can always try to catch a drop of water in your hand.

Little ones grow bigger over the summer!

Sweet girls find colorful frogs to play with in the pool...

Alpakas named Dexter realize that summer brings sweet watermelon....

And this little boy swears he didn't set the field on fire (thank goodness for an aunt who put out the flames.)

Fourth Blows....UP!!!

Fourth of July is our family's favorite time fo the year.  We gather together two or three or four times in order to eat, visit and blow up as many fireworks as possible.  It helps when one in the family is a dealer in fireworks and can get them at basement bargin prices.....the fun goes on for hours.  Laughter.  Singed fingers. Bug bites. Conversation...

The kids line up their boxes and try to remember in all their excitement NOT to drop their punks amongst the bees, black cats and roman candles.

Little girls play with spraklers.....

While the "little boys" play with the big stuff....

Families sit down after hours of lighting off firecrackers....sweaty and smelling of gun powder...

Children are entranced by the "bombs bursting in air" only fifty feet over their heads.....laughing when the end of an artillary shell smacks them in the shoulder or squinting their eyes as the smoke billows over them....

And exactly how many kids will a trampoline hold before it breaks?????

Veterans are recognized for their service and valor!!!

And the aftermath of four thousand firecrackers leaves its mark...

O Beautiful, for patriot skys, for amber waves of grain.  For purple mountain's majesty, above the fruited plain.  AMERICA!  AMERICA!  God shed His grace on thee.  And crown thy good with brotherhood.  From sea to shining sea!

Church camp is the thing my kids look forward to during the summer!  So we packed up Clara's bags the middle of June and off we went.  Since she's a big girl this year she got to stay five days...and let me tell you something.  That was a looooong five days for her mother.  Clara, on the otherhand, had a blast. 

She caught up with Mr. Hawkins' granddaughter and they got along swimmingly! She said they learned about the disciples and Jesus and memory verses. They did a slip and slide with soap - very bubbly. Campfires....campfire songs....campfire mosquitoes. 
And of course, SWIMMING!!!!

Timothy was able to go this year too.  Since he's not a big boy yet (HA) he only got to go to an overnighter.  He and his cousin were pumped (poor counselors.... I'm not sure they knew what hit them). Since this was just a taste of camp for them they only learned a new song or two, swam and did a bible story. Boy did they enjoy it though.


It's hard to believe they are growing up so quickly.  I'm thankful there is a place where my kids can go every summer to learn more about Jesus and spend time with those who are like minded!!!

VBS!!!!

The first week of June is always vacation bible school at my church.  It's a time where the church is overrun with dozens of three year olds to sixth graders.  They play.  They learn about Jesus.  They sing songs.  They do crafts.  And they eat tons of cookies.  I think at our largest day we had nearly fifty kiddos running around.  It's a fun time.
 

Another thing the kids all love is our missions time.  This year we supported a fella who had spent the last six years translating the entire bible into the Lisu (not sure I spelled that right) language so that the people in the village where he works could read it in their own language.  The kids love helping others and one of the things we have that is a big hit is PENNY DAY on Friday.  The kids save their pennies all year just to bring them in on the last day of vbs. 

Pennies came in red piggy banks

In orange juice bottles

In sacks, ziploc bags, in pockets and in precious little hands.

When our minister Wallace Wartick took those pennies to the bank to be counted he carried in a gallon can of them and set them on the counter.  He told the cashier he had pennies to be counted.  She smiled and told him no problem.  He then told her to wait a second he had more, but couldn't carry them all at the same time.  He then proceeded to bring in four more gallon containers.  That's right folks.  Those kids brought FIVE GALLONS of PENNIES in on Friday.  Our God is truly an awesome God!!!



Home again!

Saturday, June 4
    It's hard to believe I've spent eight days in Joplin.  The whole thing has been a bit surreal....feel like I'm in a Salvador Dali painting.  I've updated my computer, taught a couple of ladies the program and said my goodbyes.  I'll miss the ladies with whom I've worked. 
     We stopped in Galena at the DQ.  There were some people speaking flippantly about Joplin and the tornado...it made my blood boil, but then Timothy prayed for our food.  It was then I realized how much our time helping others in Joplin and seeing that destruction had affected him (and his sister).  His simple prayer for our food, the safety of the people of Joplin, their healing both physically and spiritually brought tears to my eyes.  (Side note:  nearly all of their prayers over the past weeks have included something about Joplin.  A time or two their own prayers made them cry for Joplin.  What a blessing those compassionate little hearts.)
    We made it home and literally dropped everything in the dining room and hit the hay.  I like my own bed.
     Now that I'm home, I've perused my photos many times.  I noticed in taking those pictures a theme...the American flag.  Whenever one was found it was hung up on anything a person could find - a fence, side of the house, even a stick.  What a show of patriotism and hope!  Here are just a few of those pictures.

This is one of my favorites I took.  No one placed these on the fence - the tornado did.

 These last three are not mine.  I pulled them from the internet, but I thought they were fantastic!

Discovery

Friday, June 3
     Off and running for yet another day.  I'm exhausted and the vast amount of families we've cared for along with all the stories, the tears and the pain are starting to take their toll.  Today we did a debriefing with a fella named Eric.  Fantastic man!  He is a counselor by profession and has been at College Heights to not only help out at the PSA station, but also to help out with some grief counseling as needed...and trust me, after this disaster is was needed.  He did a 90 minute session with several of us volunteers talking with us about our experiences, concerns and anything else we needed for our mental, spiritual and psychological health.  While I can't divulge anything said in the session I can reveal a few things I learned about myself.
1.  I am excellent in high stress situations.  It seems the best in me comes out then.
2.  I am a born leader.
3.  I am extremely compassionate.
4.  I am emotional to a fault, but am told this is an excellent trait when dealing with survivors.
5.  I am organized.
6.  I am calculated.
7.  I now fully recognize that God is always in control even in the midst of an F5 tornado.
8.  I discovered the best lessons my children might ever learn are in the midst of tragedy and that shielding them from everything bad is not necessarily a good thing.
9.  I learned to trust God with my children.
10.  I learned to let go of some of my fears.
11.  I discovered that in the darkest hour people still feel God, and even though people and governments try to annihilate him He's always there.
12.  I discovered that there are hundreds of thousands of good caring people all over the United States.
13.  And most importantly I felt God more than I ever had in my life.

     So...it was just another day at the PSA station.  Bibles were handed out.  Food given to families.  Tears shed.  Prayers said.  God in action. 

Joplin Thoughts/Pictures

 I have often wondered about the people behind the things I have seen or picked up to throw away.  Who owned these guitars?  Were they up and comings?  Was it a child just learning?  Was it a family heirloom?  What affect does the loss of them have upon their owners?  And yes, once again the tears find their favorite route down my cheeks.

This trashcan looks as if it was simply picked up and crumbled as one would a piece of paper.  Does the trash man who emptied this trash container have his normal job anymore?  Is he alive?  How did this tornado affect his family?  How do I even comprehend a mass of metal that many would have a hard time moving come to look like this?

 Then there are the bright spots in the days.  Here is a trio of girl scouts whose troop raised money for the kids who lost all of their stuffed animals.  That troop brought in three huge sacks of Build a Bears (which they had stuffed themselves) and one tub of beenie babies.  The girls had become so involved and attached to these bears they shed a tear or two when they left them.  Precious.

 These two lovely ladies gave me joy for a couple of days.  Meet Thera and Maureen - a fantastic mother/daughter team.  They worked like a charm together and brought us laughter and smiles.  What a bright spot in a difficult job. 

And the cards poured in!  The church received many cards from children all other the United States wishing the survivors of the Joplin tornado well.  Some were hand made.  Some were in crayon.  Some in markers, but all made with love and concern and prayers.  Some were funny.  Some heartwarming.  Some tender, but all perfect for the families who made their way through the PSA station.  The families graciously accepted these cards and they always brought smiles to their faces. 

The man sitting on the stool is Randy Gariss the minister of College Heights Christian Church.  He is getting ready to do an interview with some TV station.  He also spoke at the meeting with the president at MSSU.  I remember sitting next to him at a meeting and him saying he wished he'd never given the Governor nor the president of the United States his phone number....he was too busy taking care of people to stop and talk.  The humbleness and care of this man for his congregation and the people of Joplin is phenomenal.  He's showing God in his actions.

Ah, Kelly and Kim - sisters.  Kelly is from the Joplin area while her sister Kim is not...she came just to work with her sister...how sweet!  These two ladies were full of smiles, laughter, care and concern for the people were served.  What beautiful women from the inside out!  It was wonderful to have happiness in the midst of tears and prayers - a good balance beam act I'd say.  Kelly also helped keep my spirits up.  She was an encourager like Barnabas was and I  found myself needing that from time to time.  Thanks ladies!

Despite all of the work in the PSA station, there is a tremendous amount of work to be done out in the field.  This is not going to be a short term deal.  The city of Joplin will be affected for years to come. 

 

The latest JOPLIN TORNADO FACTS: Deaths 155; Damage Estimate $3 Billion; Homes Destroyed 6,954; Homes Damaged 875; Jobs Affected (approximate) 5,000; Cars Destroyed (approximate) 18,000; Businesses Affected (approximate) 500; Injuries 1,150; Cubic Yards of Debris Removed by the Army Corps of Engineers (as of June 19) 597,500. (From a Joplin Globe article published today, June 22, the one month anniversary of the tornado).

 Let me let  you in on a little secret....here's my favorite scripture...I'll only quote a few verses though.

Psalm 27 1-5

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?  When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.  Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war arise against me, in spite of this I shall be confident.  One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:  That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple.  For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will life me up on a rock."

ENOUGH SAID!

All Alone

Thursday, June 2
     It's all me today.  We've run off Rosamary who has been running the PSA station since the beginning (a week ago).  The lady is fantastic, but has been worked to the bone and hasn't been home since she got here.  She was sick yesterday, but I am sure that comes from working from seven in the morning til way past dark.  This job is consuming to get done.  I'll be interested to see how it looks in six weeks.  Whatever the case, I'm now in charge. 
     There was a meeting first thing this morning.  It was quite odd actually.  I'm so used to working with others and not being in charge that this is a different animal.  That and I am telling folks whom have known me since I was in diapers how things need to run and what needs to happen.  HA.  Life is definately interesting.  Everyone is exhausted.  You can see it on their faces, but laughter is abundant and that is a good thing.
     A gazillion notes meet me when I get to the PSA station.  Ha.  Rosamary and her daughter Celesta's sense of humor.  Love those two.  My personal shopping assistants arrive shortly before nine and we already have people waiting to be served.  It's gonna be a long day.

     I'm going to keep this short today.  I just want to tell you about one little boy.  This little one was only a couple of weeks old and as cute as a button.  Tiny, but with a voice.  It seems he was in his carrier at home when the tornado hit.  No one could get to him because it hit them so quickly.  When the winds died down and the whirling tornado was gone they finally found him behind the couch under some debris.  He didn't have a scratch on him.  His parents changed his name.  I'm not sure what his original name was, but his new name is Stormy.  His parents always wanted to remember that God had protected their son....I hope they never forget.
    
    

Headed Back

Wednesday, June 1
     Headed out with excitement and trepidation.  The kids and I were up early to go to Joplin.  They were pumped and ready to go because they love helping people, however, they didn't quite understand why all those people needed food and such.  Sometimes the pictures on tv don't really help in the understanding process.
     Here's the trepidatious part:  I drove them through the destruction path.  While I worried how they would react to this and that it could be painful, I knew that this was the only way I could truly get them to understand the depth of the despair these people were feeling and the purpose behind our trip to help.  As we drove past the hospital, the stores on Rangeline and the rubble of what used to be homes, their voices went from excitement of seeing the tv pictures for real to awe to horror.  I'm hear to tell you, it is not fun for a parent to listen to those voice changes nor the looks upon their faces.

     Clara and Timothy processed this destruction in different ways.  For Timothy it was seeing some little boy stuff in the mess of houses (although I don't know exactly what it was he saw).  He looks at me with deer in the headlight eyes and says, "Mom.  Did all the boys lose their Wiis and cars?"  When I said yes and told him they'd also lost their trucks and books and beds too, he looked at me and said, "It's good we came to help them shop then."  Clara, my tenderhearted girl, took it all in pointing out the pieces parts and noting what stores were what.  About halfway through the path she looked up at me with tears streaming down her face and said, "Mom.  I think I've had enough.  Can we go now?"

Tents where the families shop!  There are ten large ones!

  For the next eight hours my precious children helped families shop. They made other kids laugh. They prayed with them. They sweated, drank gallons of water and were good as gold. They went out with an adult shopper and I wouldn't see them for an hour. Suddenly, they'd turn up at my side and tell me how their shopping experience had gone. By the end of the day, Clara was good enough at it to take out a young woman and her baby shopping all by herself. My, oh my, how my little girl grew today!

     I grew a bit today too.  My greatest fear is losing one of my children.  Everyone who knows me knows I am super overprotective.  After listening to story after story of how God had spared lives in this tornado, how He had protected them, and how He had provided for them, it came full circle that God could take care of my babies much better than I ever could.  Yeah, yeah.  My DUH moment.  I guess I just needed to see that bigness of God in action.  I allowed my kids to roam around with total stranger and I didn't even know (other than the general vicinity) where they were and they were just fine.  Shoot, maybe even better for it. 
     God tells us in the book of Matthew chapter 7, "(25)For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than cloting?  (26)Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your Father feeds them.  Are you not worth much more than they?  (27)And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?" 
     There are a couple of lessons in this passage which I saw in action today.  First off, God's people were feeding and clothing those who had nothing.  While nature took everything away, God was and still is returning it to them.  While they have no jobs, money or places to lay their heads, God is providing for them.  How much are they worth?  Everything in God's book.  Secondly, I learned that my worry will NOT add time in this life, nor will it save my children.  That's God's job.  And that was a huge step for me.
     This video is one I shot in the car just after we had finished our day of being personal shopping assistants.  It's awesome to listen to the kids as they tell me about their day (with a tangent or two) and how it was for them.  From the mouths of babes!

Home for a day

Tuesday, May 31
     Yeah, I'm home for a bit.  So wonderful to see my kiddos after being gone for so long.  Clara told her aunt that this was plenty long for mom to be gone.  I agree!!!

     Timothy had his first baseball game; he
 looked adoarable and so full of energy.
 He played left field and even fielded a ball
 to first. He had two at bats.  His first time up he
hit two foul balls and on the last pitch hit
 that sucker clear into the left field
grass...got all the way to second base. 
So much fun to decompress for a day
 with my children. 
    It was difficult though.  I kept thinking about all the little boys who had come through the distribution center and how they weren't going to get to play ball this summer.  Yep, I cried again.  I seem to be getting good at it.  :-)