In the seconds before a massive tornado barreled into his home, Melvin — hunkered down in a back room — heard glass breaking all around him and felt an eerie rush of wind.

Melvin, who was not injured even as his Joplin, Mo., house was heavily damaged, believes that experience was from an army of angels swooping down just ahead of the tornado to provide protection.

It would be hard to ignore God's hand in the May 22 twister. Think about it: 7,000 homes were destroyed as the tornado blazed a mile-wide swath through a third of this city of 50,000 people. With winds blowing at 200 mph, it moved a nine-story hospital off its foundation. Blocks of houses were ripped from their foundations; 14 miles of houses were damaged.

Yet just 159 people were killed by the storm.

Countless stories are being told about sites where nothing was left of a house but the part people were in — a closet, a bathroom.

Even three weeks after the storm, as my daughter, Carly, and I had a chance to volunteer in Joplin in mid-June, it was hard to look over miles of splintered debris and believe that the death toll could be so low. It's a strong statement of God's power.

As we neared Joplin that week, Carly played one song over and over: Laura Story's "Blessings." The song became the soundtrack for our Joplin experience. Among its words:

"Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?"

It was that curious contrast between the destruction all around us mingled with strong evidence of God at work that invigorated our faith.

As the city struggles to get back on its feet, churches across the country are partnering with Joplin churches to represent Christ to the people there. Grace Baptist Church, which itself was damaged by the tornado, immediately took a leading role in meeting needs. The church of about 200 people adopted a zone of 450 homes and committed itself to serving those residents.

Grace sent out teams of volunteers to pray with residents and find out about their needs. They have then worked to meet those needs, which have included covering holes in roofs, boarding up windows, moving debris to curbs, cutting down damaged trees and stump removal. The church also set up three semi-trailers in its parking lot filled with food, toiletries and clothes for those in need. It has served 20,000 meals to displaced residents and volunteers and completed 1,800 relief projects. 

Grace's sister church, First Baptist Church of Galena, Kan. (just eight miles away), has been housing volunteers. During the week we were there we worked with people from Arkansas, Texas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina.

Volunteering invariably ends up feeling like a selfish pursuit as I realize how blessed I am by the experience. Among the blessings of serving in Joplin:

— Serving alongside so many who reinforce what it means to be part of the body of Christ, and making friends along the way. Sixty thousand volunteers have helped out in Joplin since the tornado hit.

— Being blessed by the positive outlook of people who have lost so much. With temperatures in the 90s every day, offers of water and Gatorade were a welcome and common boost to spirits. At one point while we were helping a man clean his yard for a couple of hours, a church group, the Salvation Army and the Red Cross all came by with offers of cold drinks.

— Realizing how blessed I am for the things I have, and being reminded what's important. One man eating a meal at the church said he and his family were at his mother's house in a nearby town when the tornado destroyed their apartment. They had no insurance. "I have nothing but my car and the shirt on my back," he said.

— Realizing that so much of what I have isn't a true need, and how unimportant "stuff" can be.

— Being reminded that life is fragile, and not to be wasted or taken for granted.

— Receiving the thanks of so many, even when our contribution was small. The people of Joplin are receptive to the Gospel. We walked 40 or so blocks canvassing neighborhoods without encountering anyone who refused an invitation to pray with them.

— A free tetanus shot.

God also has used volunteering opportunities to change hearts. One fellow volunteer, who came to Joplin as a jobless man from North Carolina, said through tears that working alongside Christian teams has changed him, and that he'll "never be the same." He said he may move to Joplin.

Do you want to help? Grace Baptist Church plans to sent out teams of volunteers on into next summer. They also are looking for donations for sheds (storage is in great demand), cleaning supplies, diapers, etc. For more information on volunteering or donating, go to www.gracebaptistjoplin.com.

Help Provide Supplies!

Donate any of the following items to help volunteer efforts in Joplin. Bring items to the church by Wednesday, August 3. Chuck and Carly Blystone will take these donations with them when they return to Joplin August 5-10.

• Cash donations,   $10 Wal-mart gift cards 
• Cleaning supplies,  laundry detergent and bleach
• paper towels,  paper plates , trash bags 
• non-perishable food items; especially canned fruits and veggies
• plastic totes
• rakes,  tools 
• baby diapers size 4-6 only
• adult diapers sizes small and medium only
• individually packaged chips and cookies
• snacks
• Gatorade/sports drinks
• children's pull-ups of all sizes  
• razors