It has been awhile since I posted an update. So much to do … so little time.
The summer heat has been/is incredible! Temperature records are being broken consistently in our vicinity. 100 degrees-plus daily … made most unbearable by the added humidity. No rain. Texas and West Oklahoma are in extreme drought.
In the midst of these climate conditions comes the devastating tornado in Joplin, Missouri. Interstate I-44, that I frequently take from Tulsa to Springfield, passes through the southern section of Joplin. A couple of weeks ago I took the opportunity to detour into the part of that city that was hit the hardest. I can honestly say, I will never be the same.
I was warned by some who had been there that I would not be prepared for what I would see. How right they were! It was 5 weeks and 5 days after the EF5 storm struck … and the landscape still resembled a nuked war zone. I wept. The photo below was one of many that I took that day. This was one of only a few homes that still resembled what it used to be.
Please pray for Joplin. I am in contact with friends who are lending physical help in restoring some order among the devastation. It will take months. Probably years.