Helen's House

Joplin's F5 tornado caused unimaginable destruction; calling for an unimaginable need for response.  Convoy of Hope was on the ground while the winds were still blowing and are STILL on the ground today. Over the last 15 months our Disaster Response department has taken each of our intern teams  out to be a part of our work there.  From setting up the warehouse, to assisting victims, to debris removal, to clean up, we've gotten to be a small part of the whole response, but our Summer 2012 interns got to be a part of the coolest part of this thing yet!

Convoy of Hope was blessed on the last episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition enabling us to be a part of the Joplin rebuild. They've not taken this task lightly, they've gone GREEN in the rebuild, the materials used are energy efficient to help out their new owners, and I'm told that the new homes are to be with able to withstand any storm of the future. The recipients of these new homes have been carefully and strategically chosen, starting first with uninsured elderly who somehow didn't qualify for any other assistance.  This whole process led us to Helen.


One year and some days after that terrible storm took Helen's home, the Convoy of Hope truck pulled into town again, but this time into her driveway.  85 year old Helen was displaced by that massive storm, her home gone, her things destroyed.  She's been couch surfing ever since, finally landing at a home with several other displaced victims. She met us at the door, "They've got dogs, kids, and they smoke! Let's get out of here!" She stopped short, furrowed her brow, placed her hands on her hips, "Where's the muscle?" (I had arrived with about a dozen girls, the men were in another vehicle, & hadn't arrived yet!) I assured, well, I tried to assure her, we were of some use too, but she didn't really ever buy it! The girls hauled out totes, mattresses, box springs, all sorts of big things, yet Helen didn't cheer until the "muscles" arrived a half hour later! I assure you the girls had it, you'll see the "muscle" standing around in this picture.

When all was loaded up we drove the short distance across town & pulled up to Helen's brand new house. It stands on the same plot of land where her previous home stood.  My little worker bees had her unloaded in no time flat.  She leaned in to hug us and began a tearful thank you and good bye. I said, "Oh we're not leaving!" (The interns had come to me as soon as they were done unloading boxes and requested to unpack for her.) Not only did they unpack for Helen they put together the brand new furniture donated from Ashley Furniture, the washed all of her dishes, and put together all her new kitchen appliances that had been donated! I think they would have put her drawers in her drawers if I had let them, but I coaxed them out there with a promise to feed them. Before we left, we prayed over Helen and her new home. What a blessing-to US that is! What a beautiful picture of what God can do when disaster strikes! He's the real muscle- able to clean up, to rebuild, to restore, to redeem!