Pray for Oklahoma

Image from here

I had a whole post typed out and ready to be submitted for yesterday's challenge, but after about 3pm yesterday, my struggles really didn't seem to matter in the grand scheme of things.

If you are from Oklahoma you know that a devastating tornado hit the city of Moore yesterday afternoon.  If you are not from Oklahoma, I imagine you are seeing pieces of it on national news stations.  Moore is a suburb of Oklahoma City, just south of the heart of Downtown Oklahoma City.  It's a city that was hit 14 years ago on May 3, and suffered extensive damage.  We lost 44 people in the Moore area in 1999, but yesterday's storm has proved to be much, much worse.  As of this morning, the death toll is at 24 and continues to rise.  In the midst of all of the destruction were two elementary schools where children were trapped and some still remain missing.

I was on the phone text messaging my sister-in-law who works as a teacher at Highland East Junior High in Moore most of the afternoon.  She, other teachers, administrators and the students had taken cover and were waiting for the storm to hit.  The tornado hit their school, but thankfully no one was injured. I have never experienced a terrifying fear of losing someone so deeply...and I can't even begin to comprehend the experience for those parents awaiting news of whether their children's lives were lost or saved.

It is a sad day in Oklahoma today, and we have some hard work ahead of us.  But like my friend Annie said yesterday, '...Oklahomans always answer the call.  Rich or poor - - it doesn't matter.  We give. We help. We pray. And no state does any of those things harder and better than Oklahoma.'  And we have. In a matter of hours, a local news station raised over $30,000 in addition to two semi trucks full of supplies.  The line for this drop off when all the way to the highway and stayed that way well into Monday night.  Police stations, Fire and Rescue trucks and EMTs from all around the state have come in to help with rescue and recovery efforts.  We will always wake up after a storm with an optimism that Oklahomans can take on anything because we can.  You're doin' fine, Oklahoma.


If you would like to help with the efforts toward relief and recovery, I offer the following resources:

To help out the American Red Cross Disaster Relief, donations can be made through their smart phone apps, visiting redcross.org, dialing 1-800-REDCROSS or texting REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.  You may write a check payable to Oklahoma Relief - Red Cross to ensure the money stays in Oklahoma.

Text FOOD to 32333 to give $10 to help with relief efforts to the Food Bank of Oklahoma

If you live in Oklahoma and can make it to the metro area, News 9 Studios is accepting donations of specific items at 7401 N. Kelley Ave in Oklahoma City.  Items needed include water, gloves, boots, toiletries, power bars and Gatorade. Cash will also be accepted (make checks payable to Oklahoma Relief - Red Cross)

And of course, prayer is pretty big around here...and if you can keep Oklahomans in your thoughts, we would be grateful.