Thrivent Builds Joplin MO 2013

Today is our last day in Joplin and as the day begins, we are monitoring the weather. The forecast calls for AM storms and we have learned from the people of Joplin that anytime storms approach, people become anxious and a afraid. A clap of thunder can send Sandy into the shakes and Tre to run to the storm shelter. There are so many things we take for granted, among them is that nothing like this will ever happen to us. This week has been filled with so many new learnings and new appreciations and we will be returning home changed by this experience. I'm so thankful to my teammates for making this a great week. Here's to our final day in Joplin...... read more

Our second build day was filled with many experiences. When asked about what our team members are excited to share with family back home, a few of the responses were... Pam - the resilience of the community and how they came together to help each other. Carrie - Sandy's story about living through the tornado and the aftermath Dan - helping 6 year old Rajohn learn to rake and plant his new yard (We are working on Rajohn's family house) Emily - the butterfly stories (you'll have to ask about this one...it is amazing) Kris - when faced with a huge disaster in live you can still move forward and make a difference for yourself and others Linda - there are still many driveways to no where left in Joplin Becky - the simple appreciation of ... read more

Our team joined together to share dinner with one of the partner families we'll be working with this week. The Sherman family, John and Sunshine, along with their three children, Jade, Kayla and Steven are excited for their new home and eager to start on the construction. Madison and Scott from the Joplin Habitat for Humanity affiliate shared information and statistics from the 2011 tornado. Over 8,000 buildings (homes and businesses) were damaged or destroyed and over 17,000 residents were displaced from their homes. As they went through their presentation, a question on the slides caught my attention. What will you build? After dinner, we had our first team reflection and I asked the team...during this week, what will you build? Here are the responses shared: relationships, knowledge about what happened, memories, hope, a simpler life, ... read more

In the past couple of days, a number of people have asked me if I'm packed for the Joplin trip yet. The short answer is...almost! I have enough experience with traveling that I know my packing will be complete just minutes before I leave. But while I'm not physically packed for the trip, the essentials have been packed for some time. The essentials I'm taking along (and so are my team mates): --A passion for helping others improve their quality of life. --A servant heart to work hard and to work smart, especially with the heat and humidity we may be working in. --An attitude of gratitude for having this opportunity to work and travel with family, co-workers and "new" friends. --A commitment to having FUN! This journey is being shared with a mother and daughter ... read more