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BY CAROL STRICKER

My husband Duane and I are pastors of Middleway UMC in Kearneysville, W.Va. We recently spent 14 days deployed by Children Disaster Services in Joplin, Mo., following the tornado that killed 151 people and destroyed one-third of the town.

In our two weeks, we helped to provide creative childcare in the shelter on the campus of Missouri State University.  There were more than 100 families housed in the shelter.  We served about 10 to 15 children per day.  The children were in the care center from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. They played with paints, coloring books, boxes and books, and were served lunch and snacks provided by the American Red Cross.

We  alternated working with the other CDS volunteers at the second child center housed at The Bridge, a sports center.  At The Bridge, they had children from one hour up to four hours a day.  While at The Bridge, the families were able to meet with the agencies to received help in housing, and other assistance. On its busiest day, 77 children went through this center.

At the shelter, we cared for a brother and sister.  The brother, age 3, had no vocabulary and therefore would scream and lash out. The sister, age 4, could talk but it wasn't until the end of their second week that she began to talk and interact with the child care providers and the other children. Her brother, by the end of the second week, was also interacting with them and the other children.

The one thing that amazed us was that the people living in the shelters would give God the glory for protecting them and that they didn't express any bitterness. Many of those they encountered only had Red Cross cots to sleep on and a few of their possessions that didn't get destroyed, but there was order in the shelter.

Read about Susan Kruger, a member of Wesley Freedom UMC who has volunteered in Joplin.