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Stories from around the synod Helping to Rebuild Greensburg - St. John’s Lutheran Church, Russell, Kansas - Work Project Touches Lives Twenty-six members of St. John Lutheran Church, Russell, KS worked in Greensburg Saturday, August 11. The group cleared debris from one home that was completely destroyed and cleaned a yard at another residence that was spared a direct hit. Since contractors can not enter private property, the work of moving debris from property into a street is necessary for demolition and eventual rebuilding of a home. Once in the street, the debris can be moved without expense to the homeowner. The home owners are responsible so the work done by St. John volunteers saved both time and money for the homeowners. Clearing and cleaning a yard may not sound significant. However, Mrs. Young had a foot amputated prior to the tornado. Her home was destroyed and she moved into her mother’s home. Thus, she and her husband had been unable to clear debris, nails, or clean the yard since the tornado. Utilizing borrowed yard-care equipment, St. John’s crew made quick work of tasks needing to be done. In her back yard for the first time since the tornado, Mrs. Young (with tears) remarked how she appreciated the work. “You do not know what this means to me. The yard look so nice and to know I can safely navigate to do yard work. It makes life seem almost normal. Now I can keep up with the yard. This is a great day for me because now I can come out here and get my mind off things for little while doing something I enjoy. Thank you.” For those participating, the work day in Greensburg was revealing in many ways. Observing first hand the damage and power of a category F-5 tornado, the group also observed both the humor and the determination of residents to restore their community. A Baptist minister visited briefly with Pastor. Pointing to the huge hole across the street, he said, “See, we already have a start on the baptistery.” His congregation has been meeting in a home outside Greensburg. Julie Hillshafer, a local resident hired by Lutheran Disaster Response to coordinate volunteer and recovery efforts, shared her gratitude for the residents of Greensburg. “Each brick you remove moves us one step closer to recovery.” In the midst of the rubble, the St. John group was reminded of God’s love. While clearing an area, a member of our group found the front cover of a paperback book entitled, “God Still Cares”. Pausing for a meal on the way home, participants described their experience with words as “emotional, inspirational, awesome, uplifting, and humbling”. Each expressed a desire to return to Greensburg where God touched each volunteer through their service in Christ’s name. Rev. Roger Dennis “Whatever
your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord.” Colossians
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