My heart aches for my hometown… As you know Joplin MO was hit with a terrible tornado on Sunday evening, and the entire town was almost completely torn apart. I haven’t been able to go yet, but my mom is there, and thankfully she is safe.

I know you’ve seen the terrible images, and possibly watched the stomach turning videos in you tube, it is just unbelievable. Joplin was an amazing place, let me share with you a few of my Joplin memories…

When I was just 14 we moved to a neighboring community, but Joplin was always the place to be. It had it all, a booming community filled with activities, shops, things to do, beautiful parks, just everything.I begged my Mom to take my brother and I there whenever she could. When I could finally drive I spent most of my weekends there, and even a little road trip up and back on school days. My brother and I would be up there late nights just hanging out, it was such an amazing place. When I was 19 I landed a good job in Joplin, and even bought a house there. I was really happy, living on my own, and finally in Joplin.

Joplin is where James and I got engaged, Joplin is also where we were married. I was really sad when we were transferred out of Joplin, and I hoped and prayed that maybe one day, we could move back home…

Joplin has always been home to me. I go the same route every time I visit there, so I can see one of my favorite sites. I travel south, and make sure to pass Landreth park, go up Dover Hill, and just inside the city limit sign you see the beautiful downtown skyscrapers on Main Street. That is home, and I know I am home as soon as I see that skyline.

We were there just a month ago. James and I had a night away, and we visited Joplin. Everywhere we went I couldn’t help but smile, I was home, and for a brief time, I was happy. Again, I told him this was where I wanted to be, and I pray that one day I could be home again, to stay.

The kids and I were going to go on Sunday, I wanted to visit my mom, and I wanted a day out of the Fort. James said he didn’t want me to go, the weather was supposed to be bad. I’m glad I listened to him, many of the places that we would have visited exist no more.

I was on the phone with my mom as the tornado hit… She said the sky was pitch black, and there was a bad hail storm. She asked me if it was going to get bad, I told her I though it was, she said she was going to take cover, and I told her that I loved her, and I would call her back in fifteen minutes. We said good-bye, and I prayed for her safety…

The minutes that ticked by seemed like an eternity, and I was truly scared for her. We are only an hour away, but watching the local news and hearing of the early destruction in Joplin, I have never felt so far from her.

When we finally got through to her, she said that it looked like a war zone. There were downed trees everywhere, and she just didn’t know exactly how bad the damage was. She was safe, and I was grateful.

We stayed up most of the night constantly calling her with reports. The images were unreal. I was on the phone with my brother too relaying information back and forth. We were trying to contact friends, and keep in touch with mom. Seeing the sites and destruction was just overwhelming. I wanted to go so badly and get her out of there, but we were told to stay…

I am so grateful for all of those brave first-responders, Physicians, Nurses, and volunteers who bravely tore through the storms to help Joplin. Please pray for my beloved hometown. Pray for those who have lost loved ones, pray for the survivors who will rebuild their lives, pray for all of the volunteers still working to find survivors, and pray for survivors to be found. Pray for families to be reunited, pray that Joplin can find peace and hope that tomorrow will be better. Joplin really needs all the help it can get right now, if you can donate, but please keep praying.