On October 4th, 2013 nine different tornadoes ripped through my part of the world and affected quite a few of my customers and friends. 42 homes and farmsteads were complete losses and over 100 families had damage.
Over the last 10 days I have witnessed a community come together to help the families that lost their homes in a way that was bigger and better than I ever imagined.
Besides all the adults in the community helping with clean-up efforts, the thing that blew me away the most were the students who came out to help. Students from all the small town surrounding schools, along with their teachers and the administration, organized efforts to walk corn and bean fields the entire week after the tornadoes hit to pick up debris so the farmers could get back to what they do best - harvest. One day there were over six bus loads of kids, in addition to quite a few adults, helping one farmer pick up his fields. And I know the same scenario was happening at multiple locations.
Wow.
How does that saying go? Many hands make quick work, or many hands make light work? Either way, it was community in its finest hour.
I didn't take pictures of the various customers places I helped clean up, it just didn't seem right, but it's bad and sad all wrapped up into one big pile of mess that looks like something straight out of the movie Twister and they've only began to get back on their feet. These folks have a long road ahead of them, so if you would, please send up an extra prayer for them tonight.
Helping with these clean-up efforts was an emotional experience for me. Partly because I'm so thankful these folks are more than customers, they are friends. But most of all, I'm so blessed to have been welcomed into this community after moving here a short three years ago. It's a beautiful thing.
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