Thread: Hello I am ok but ...

Hi CLF friends
Joe told me that some of you were asking how I was due to the extreme weather in my area. I wanted to let you know that my family and I are fine. Its been very busy I graduated with my MA in History on the 13th and now am looking for a job. I haven't had alot of luck yet so please pray for me because things are getting kind of scarce and its important that I find another job soon.

Now on another note what else is going on around here. I know most of you have heard of the devasration from the F5 tornado that hit Joplin, Mo last Sunday May 22nd. I live in Pittsburg, KS which is right on the border of Kansas, MO, and also close to Oklahoma border. Joplin is only 25 minutes from my house. Joplin was the nearest big town everyone around here went to to go shopping at bigger stores, better restaraunts and for better medical needs etc. The F5 tornado flattened about 30 percent of the town of 50,500. Everyone here knows of someone that has lost their house, car employment whatever. We also know of someone that has died or know someone that has lost a family member. Right after the tornado the surrounding communities pulled together and medical personal all around the four state area were called in. The horrendous stories you hear back from them are just unbelievable, entire families gone, dead children, children that couldn't find their parents and many still missing and unaccounted for. I know of one woman that lost her husband and two young children. Many are still missing because the missing have no way to get back to loved ones, phone lines are down, cell phones may work others don't. Entire apartment complexes were flattened. The Home Depot, Walmart, a major hospital, a popular sporting goods store were destroyed or collapsed on people inside. Some survived alot didn't. They are still looking for bodies but most think the idea of survivors is pretty small now. I know many across the nation are praying for everyone in Joplin and donating to the Red Cross and other organizations. They need it it will take months and years perhaps to rebuild. The one hope has been the way the town of Joplin and surrounding areas like mine have pulled together to help those in need. God is well and alive and he watches over us. We don't know why these things happen but in these times we find there is still compassion in this world.
I know that I have lived in tornado alley my whole life but you get to where you hear a tornado siren or hear of a tornado warning and you almost don't think anything of it. You think it will never happen to me. You see places tornadoes have destroyed but you still think it won't happen here. And the big difference between those places and Joplin alot of times were those were rural areas and Joplin was a compact city and it hit a dense populated area. There is so much sadness and pain everywhere but I still believe there is also compassion and hope.

Thank you for checking in with us. I hope that you find another job soon (my sister was just laid off about a month ago so I'm concerned about her).

I've been watching the NBC coverage about Joplin and our hearts are so with those who live there. I checked the website for the tv station that I worked at while in grad school (in Columbia, MO) and wrote down the relief groups (text numbers, etc.) that they are recommending.

Thank you! Every effort by everyone counts!

Thanks for checking in! We do worry about our folks when disasters happen.
Our prayers for those who have lived through the devastation and for those families who have suffered loss of loved ones.

Kat, we miss you and are so glad you checked in. Please don't be such a stranger!

HI Kat,

Glad to her you're OK.

Glad you checked in and are all right.

After an smaller tornado hit our area in March -- just 2 miles from our house -- lots of destruction and really unheard of around here -- the sirens have now been put back in use -- and they have gone a couple of times.

Hope you can visit us more oftern.

Thanks for posting, Kat. Those of us who've never experienced that kind of weather have no real idea what it's like....nor do we want to. Your post gave us an insight into what you and those around you are experiencing. Media pictures don't nearly tell the whole story. Glad to hear you're safe.

Thanks for checking in and glad you're ok. Like you, I live in tornado alley to. You just never know when or where the tornado will hit. The sirens were going off here Wednesday for almost an hour. Nothing happened here, but it did hit Sedalia.

My sister-in-law lives in Oswego, KS and they do all their shopping in Joplin and their doctors are there. They had just left Joplin an hour before the tornado hit. She was visiting a friend of hers that had had a heart attack and was in the hospital. She wasn't in the hospital that was hit though.

Hope you find a job soon!

I'll try not to be such a stranger. The part time job I had is ending today, is only while I was in school so I my unemployed but will have more time on my hands. I plan on volunteering in Joplin doing anything I can to help. Also of course looking for a good full time job now that I'm no longer a student. My masters is about as far as I can go here and to be honest I want to pay off some debt before I go for my doctorate.