The family reunion had been planned for a year and a half. At my mom's funeral in December of 2009 in Miami, Oklahoma, my Aunt Patty suggested that we all get together during Memorial Day weekend of 2011 to celebrate our family. We agreed, and plans were underway. Little did we know that, 5 days before we were to arrive in Miami, the nearby city of Joplin, Missouri would be desecrated by an EF5 tornado. Bryan and I watched The Weather Channel and CNN that week in disbelief. Each of us has seen tornado damage in the past, but nothing like what they experienced in Joplin. Entire neighborhoods were completely demolished, and huge trees were plucked out of the ground like weeds. Not even the massive Home Depot could survive. But this isn't a story about disaster. It's a story about survival, hope, and some of the heroes we met along the way. As we watched the news, we knew we had to do something - anything - to help. I started by going to Northern Tool Company to buy some supplies. We had a gift certificate that we got from our wedding 2 1/2 years ago that was sitting in a drawer. I thought it was a good time to put it to use. I picked up tarps, gloves, flashlights, safety goggles, and more. When I got to the register, I asked the cashier if she could give me a discount. I anticipated 10-20 percent at best. I'm not sure what this gal did, but she kept scanning some kind of coupon, and before I knew it, I had purchased about $70 worth of stuff for only $22. I'm now a big fan of Northern Tool Company! We loaded up the rest of the trunk with food, toiletries, water, etc., from Dollar Tree. Last, but definitely not least, we bought dog and cat food, treats, and bowls. We went over to Joplin on Saturday, May 28, just 6 days after the tornado. As we pulled into town, it looked like any normal town....at first. Then, as we approached a hill on Range Line Road, we looked off in the distance, and it looked like a war zone. Not knowing where we were going, we turned left on 20th Street. It turns out that this was the path of the tornado. This was what you saw on the news. Entire neighborhoods were just...GONE...reduced to rubble. Makeshift street signs were erected or painted on the sidewalks. The trees that were left were stripped of their leaves, limbs, and bark. We saw lots of people just sifting through the debris, trying to salvage anything they could of their former lives. Of the few houses that were left standing, many of them had "God Bless Joplin" painted on the side, and American flags were flying everywhere. In the midst of all the destruction, we felt a strong sense of hope, faith, and resolve. Along the way, we met or learned about many "heroes." This newsletter is dedicated to them. The first hero we met was Mary Ann, the owner of Golden Paws Pet Resort. In times of tragedy, most people don't think about pets, so she was very grateful for our donation. She was busy taking in each and every pet that had lost its home and/or family. What an angel! Next, we stopped at Ignite Church to drop off all the other supplies. They, too, were so grateful. After we left, I felt guilty that we had done a "stop and drop," so on Sunday, my nephew, Matt, and I went back to volunteer for a few hours. And we met some more heroes. We met a couple of guys from Convoy of Hope. This organization was founded in 1994, and they have helped over 43 million people throughout the world with feeding initiatives, community outreach, disaster recovery, and partner resourcing. They are often the first responders on site after a crisis. Check them out at www.convoyofhope.org. Then we met the fabulous folks at Ignite Church. They were so full of love and grace. As they gave out supplies to those who needed it, they were also on hand to pray and console those who were hurting. The thing I heard them say over and over was, "We just want to give them love." I later learned that 21 of their own church members lost their homes in the tornado, yet many of them were at the church just hours after it happened to help others in need! If I lived in Joplin, that would be my church! You can find them online at www.ignite church.tv. Then I learned of some of the personal stories of May 22, 2011: Edie Howard was having dinner at McAlister’s Deli with her husband, Russell (Rusty), and their two children, Harli (age 5) and Hayze (19 months). They left McAlister’s in separate cars, as Edie had to go back to work. They were on the phone discussing the impending tornado, and Rusty decided to take the kids to Home Depot to seek shelter. Home Depot was destroyed; Harli and Hayze were found securely in their daddy’s arms, but none of them survived. Edie is left without a family. Will Norton, the vibrant 18-year-old high school senior who had already touched thousands of lives through his volunteer work and social media presence (over 6,000 followers on Twitter and more than 2,000,000 views on YouTube.) He was driving home from his graduation with his father when the tornado hit. As the windows and sunroof blew out of Will’s H3 Hummer, his father, Mark, tried to hold on to him with all his might. Will was thrown or perhaps sucked out of the sunroof as he was reciting Bible verses. His Aunt, Tracy Presslor, set up a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/helpfindwillnorton) and pleaded with everyone to help find Will Norton. Thousands of followers poured out prayers of hope and faith as search parties were organized. Sadly, on Friday, May 27, Will’s body was recovered from a pond not far from his Hummer. Will’s father is still recovering in the hospital. Despite their pain and tragedy, Will’s family has continued to be a source of faith and strength for their community and the 50,000+ people who have followed their story on Facebook. Will’s legacy will continue for many years to come. Dr. Kevin Kitka was one of two emergency room doctors who treated patients at St. John’s Regional Medical Center on May 22. He wrote a memoir detailing the tornado itself and then the harrowing experience of treating the wounded. They had no electricity, no cell phones, and no way to request backup help. Yet, despite their difficulties, he and a team of health care professionals were able to save numerous lives that night. (If you’d like a copy of Dr. Kitka’s memoir, email me at pam@d3seminars.com.) The experience was humbling, to say the least. As I’ve spent time reflecting, here are my take-aways: 1) Hug your loved ones often. Tell them you love them, even if you think they’re tired of hearing it. Never take them for granted. 2) Live every day as if it’s your last. You’ve all heard this before. Heck, there’s even a country song about it! 3) Be thankful for what you have. Stop whining about what you don’t have. When we returned home from Joplin, I was emptying the dishwasher, and I thought about how lucky we are that we have silverware. SILVERWARE, for goodness sake. But a lot of people in Joplin now have NOTHING. 4) Do something every day to help someone else. Volunteer your time. Commit a random act of kindness. Speak an encouraging word. Don’t go to bed at night until you’ve done something to make someone else’s life a little brighter. Writing to each of you makes my day brighter! Thanks for reading.