Joplin tornado damage
Joplin, Missouri tornado
By now many of you have some information regarding the devastating tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri, Sunday evening. The reports that I have received indicate that up to 75% of the city of 50,000 has sustained some damage with much of the damage catastrophic. As of 7:00 a.m. Monday, the media was reporting 89 confirmed deaths and it is anticipated that that number will increase as search and rescue efforts continue.
Immanuel Lutheran Church is the only LCMS congregation in Joplin. The Principal, Jeremy Schamber, reports that the school is damaged and at this time is unsafe to enter. It appears that the church did not sustain significant damage. The parsonage received structural damage including the loss of its roof.
The pastor of Immanuel Rev. Gregory Mech, and his wife, are uninjured. Likewise, the principal of the school and the DCE are both safe. Jason Glaskey, DCE, just sent a message via Facebook that all of Immanuel’s staff are now safe and accounted for. The homes of three of the Christian Day School teachers were destroyed. The brother of one of the teachers was killed.
Only approved emergency responders are permitted to enter Joplin. We have no information regarding specific needs and ask that all desiring to provide assistance please wait for a list of needs to be published. We will provide a list once that it has been developed. In the meantime, even for those with insurance, there will be immediate need for cash assistance. To make a donation you can make a check to St. John’s Lutheran Church and put it in your contribution envelope with Joplin tornado on the envelope or drop off a check at the main office made out to St. John’s Lutheran Church with Joplin tornado in the memo line.
We give thanks and praise to God for the countless lives that were spared. We pray God’s comfort and blessings upon all of the families that mourn the death of loved ones. We ask God to bless the ministry to the injured and upon all the recovery efforts. Please keep all the residents of Joplin in your prayers.
Through this disaster in Joplin we are once again reminded how temporary this world is. Thanks be to God that through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, all who believe in Him have His promise of a life that will never end. As the Scriptures teach, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
Bob Mason
Mission Advocate
SWD Office
8100 W. Capitol Dr.
Milwaukee, WI 53222
(414) 464-8100
FROM: President Mirly
DATE: May 25, 2011
RE: Joplin Tornado
Psalm 46:10-11 (ESV)
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our fortress.
Rev. Gene Wyssmann and I were in Joplin yesterday to meet with Rev. Greg Mech, Jeremy Schamber, Principal of Martin Lutheran School, Jason Glaskey (DCE) and several lay leaders of Immanuel Lutheran Church. They want to thank all who have responded with prayers, assistance, and words of encouragement. The challenges that they face are beyond words, but their faith in Almighty God is very evident.
Communication by phone and other technology is at best intermittent. This has made the task of accounting for the whereabouts and well-being of Immanuel members very difficult. Pastor Mech, Immanuel’s staff and various lay leaders have made every effort to personally contact every member within the path of the tornado. They believe that they have accounted for every member that lived within the path of the storm. They are not aware of the death of any of their members even though many of their homes were totally destroyed. They have not been able to contact all of the school families.
14 members’ homes or apartments were totally destroyed. Countless others sustained significant damage. The parsonage has major roof damage. The school building suffered roof damage, but temporary repairs have already been made. The church has no apparent damage, but is without electricity.
DCE Glaskey shared that the teenagers of the congregation, especially those that lost their homes, are experiencing significant emotional difficulties. Several have requested that he go with them and their family to the site of where their homes once stood to help them begin to deal with their loss.
Rev. William Doubek, pastor of First Lutheran Church, Neosho, has several members that sustained complete loss of their homes in Joplin. An eight year old girl and six year old boy from one of his families were killed by the tornado. The mother of these children is injured and hospitalized, as is her two year old child. Our prayers go out to this family.
As we were leaving the church, Red Cross staff was arriving to establish a command center at Immanuel. The challenge is that the church does not have large enough refrigerators and freezers to neither store food, nor proper space for other donations that are starting to arrive.
Rev. Glenn Merrick and Rev. Carlos Hernandez with Lutheran World Relief will visit Joplin today. Mr. Jim Eckrich and a number of other associates from Lutheran Disaster Relief will also be in Joplin today. Both organizations are giving the following advice:
· Keep everyone in your prayers.
· Send financial contributions to St. John’s Lutheran Church with memo Joplin tornado
· Do not collect nor attempt to take clothing to Joplin.
· The water utility hopes to have safe drinking water flowing through its system today.
· Phone calls should not be placed to Immanuel Lutheran Church until further notice.
· Volunteers of the congregation are attempting to keep the website updated. Please go to www.immanueljoplin.com
I have requested Rev. Mech to send me a daily list of needs. Please check the Missouri District website [http://mo.lcms.org] for daily updates. One immediate need is the loan of John Deere Gators (or equivalent) to be used to move supplies through the disaster zone. The authorities will not permit delivery by car or truck. If you or a member of your congregation is willing to loan a Gator type vehicle, contact Karen Siegel, 314.317.4565. She will assist you with necessary delivery information.
