What Can You Do With 32 Hours?

My father-in-law called on Wednesday and said that he was arranging food donations and had secured the use of a huge grill for 3 days and was going to Joplin, MO for the weekend to cook and feed people, did we want to go?? Well, yes, we did want to help out. I contacted Calvary Chapel Joplin and started making plans to take donations from our church to theirs. Everyone blessed the trip with their prayers and their generosity. So early Saturday morning we made our way down the highway, 13 people in all and one Abby-dog), our 12 passenger van (so full we had to take out an entire bench seat to fit it all), two fifth-wheel RV's pulled by two trucks (stocked full of more stuff) an SUV pulling the huge grill and one truck not pulling anything. God blessed us with a location that was very condusive to feeding many workers, as well as families still camped out on their property throughout the area. In 32 hours we fed 1500-2000 people. God was able to use what some might call little, to do much. We met survivors who needed a hot meal and some prayer. We fed military, search and rescue, demolition crews. CC Joplin came to us and collected the donations we took from our church. Other people and churches dropped off food and donations at out site and we were able to get it to people who needed it. Sometimes we think that if we can't help big, then it's not worth trying. God can make your little HUGE! Our family was so impacted that we are already trying to figure out when we can go back. We saw the dedication of the workers and the searchers, the military and mobile triage units. We may not be able to sift through rubble, or swing a hammer at this time, but we can cook and grill. And we can make sure that they get fed. From the 89 year old man that won't leave his property, to the Airborne MPs who have to patrol all night for looters. We can at least give them the basics of food cooked with all the love that we feel for them. This trip we were only given 32 hours, next time we pray for God to bless us with more time and more food. We will post pictures when we are able in the next couple of days. Please keep praying for these people, and rest in the hope and awesomeness at the sight of the Body of Christ alive and kicking in Joplin and so many other devastated areas! We will also share some pretty amazing stories that we heard first hand from survivors! For now, we are all going to shower (since we can't stand to smell eachother) and go to bed, and thank God for the blessing of a roof over our head, running water and electricity!!