This is the second part of a letter from my sister, who lives in Joplin, less than a mile south of the edge of the monster tornado. Yesterday, she told of what happened to her family the day the storm did such damage to the southwestern Missouri city.

Today, she shares thoughts of those who did not suffer damage.

I sit in my home and feel like nothing has happened. We still have all of our trees, everything.

Our minister said we should not feel guilty about being spared. We should feel remorseful.

We are now having our church services at a religious college in town, since our sanctuary was blown away. The seats are more comfortable there.

St. Mary's Catholic Church, where my brother-in-law was counting donations before the tornado struck.

Denny goes to the other Catholic church until his church is rebuilt. 

The subsequent services at our churches were very emotional and well done.

Denny’s priest told him that Denny’s two-man team was the last one to count the Sunday collections at St. Mary’s and that someone had turned in the the bank deposit bag that was to be deposited on the 23rd.

Someone also returned Father’s wallet.

Also, the Catholic Bishop relayed the Pope’s well wishes.

I have gone to a couple of places to volunteer.

The University of Arkansas football team helped out at Catholic Charities.

I liked the Catholic Charities so far, but am wondering what volunteers will do after the beginning rush.

Clothes galore at Joplin's Catholic Charities.

A lot of donation centers have stopped taking donations.

We have mountains of water and apparently don’t need anymore diapers.

I helped a woman gather clothes and food one day and she was moving into a house where the water line was broken and she was just happy to have a place to stay.

I’ve gotten a free tetanus shot, Denny has not.

Denny did come home with a case of water last week and said the place practically made him take it.

Trees stiped of their leaves are reminders of Joplin's shady streets.

I think a lot of the actual survivors aren’t taking anything because they feel someone else may need it more.

Daughter Heather drove from Tulsa for a few days last week.

She drove around to see the damage, but did not want to take her kids to see it. (She can drive from her house to mine without seeing anything the tornado has done.)

I’m not sure how Lissa’s kids feel about it, but they have no choice but to see it. I just talked to Lissa and she did not think her kids were traumatized. Time will tell.

Keaton told me one of her friends gets nervous when she sees a cloud.

I know people who, on purpose, drive out of their way to avoid the devastated area. That is not an easy task, since it tore a mile wide path through the middle of town.

I have taken a lot of pictures and have copied some from the internet. I’m in the process of making one of my books about the tornado.

More installments the next four days.