We're not in Kansas anymore

I am currently working storm duty in Gallatin, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville. A nasty tornado decided to run through the middle of the town, and our company has called in our structural engineers to look at damaged buildings. In case you have any misconceptions about storm duty being fun, let me tell you just how unglamorous it is. It involves working from sun-up to sun-down; going from one damaged building to the next until they all start to run together; crawling under houses, into attics, and onto roofs; getting sweaty, dirty, and covered in insulation and cobwebs; then getting back to the hotel room and having to start writing reports about what you looked at, despite the fact you're bone-tired. However, at least I can say it's not boring!

I do feel blessed to have the ability to be able to help some of these poor people. If nothing else, my being there provides some hope to them that they may at some point be able to continue on with their lives and rebuild their homes. In a strange sort of way, this is almost like a mission field. It's encouraging to see how many people take solace in their faith in God, even though all their earthly possessions are destroyed.

It's also amazing to see how powerful a tornado can be. Here are some pictures from the subdivision I was in today. 4 people were killed on this street.





One lady pointed out this glass breakage in the shape of an angel at her house.



After I saw where she and her family were standing when the tornado went through, I told her there definitely was a guardian angel watching over them. They were very blessed to be alive!