The View from Tuscaloosa

 Posted on October 2, 2011      by Jeff
 1

The team toured the damage in Tuscaloosa today. They were again heartbroken at what these people have endured. The tornado here did more jumping around, but did that on an 80-mile-long path. So the damage was more all over the place instead of concentrated in one area like in Joplin. But the amount of damage is similar. The view in the hard hit areas was tragic. Here are photos of the damage from Tom Roepke’s and Gunnar Johnson’s FB pages. (Thanks, guys!)

 

Jeff said the team divided up and attended two different church services this morning. One was the Wesleyan church where they are staying and the other was a small Lutheran church which was meeting in a park. Jeff met and talked to several of the members of the smaller church. He met and talked with a wonderful woman named Brunehilda. His story about her time during WWII is coming soon.

 

After the services, the team enjoyed a picnic with the Lutheran congregation in the park, playing games and hearing stories of how they are living in the tornado aftermath. One family said they never leave their doors unlocked but did that day. Another family’s house was in the path of the tornado so they ran for cover to another house in the neighborhood. They were amazed to find the door unlocked and were able to safely weather the storm there. Without that open door, they would have been outside in the swirling debris. They know that God provided them a safe haven.

 

Pastor Aaron Brown was devastated to see another city facing the same issues that Joplin is experiencing. He felt a brotherhood with the pastor who showed them around, understanding as most of us cannot know what it means to face this kind of destruction day after day. Jeff says that he thought a deep bond was formed between the two men.

 

In a week this trip will be over. But the people of Joplin and Tuscaloosa will still be picking up the pieces and trying to rebuild. It will take months if not years. Jeff and I plan to put up photos from both Joplin and Tuscaloosa to remind us daily of the need for prayer and support. Will you join us?

Share
Comment for The View from Tuscaloosa

Suellen

Caryn – Jenny, thanks for sirhang the pictures. We just marked three years since our tornado and the trees still look wierd, but other than that you really wouldn’t know there had been a tornado. I hope Joplin is up and running as quickly as Parkersburg was. A good reminder to keep praying for those affected. Oh! I think the X’s in spray paint are actually to say that people are okay. They go house to house and check for anyone trapped or injured and if they aren’t, they mark the house.