Weathering Two Storms

CBN.com - “It just got black as can be outside and I said I’m going home it looks terrible,” remembers John Lacey.

“My daughter called me on the phone screaming mom there’s a tornado there’s a tornado,” adds John’s wife, Debbie.

“I pulled up the ally and backed in and caught a glimpse of her in the rear view mirror, that when it all just happened so fast,” says John.

“When I reached for the back door to tell him that there was a tornado, that’s when all the windows exploded,” explains Debbie.  “The roof had fallen down on me. But I was trapped between the wall and the washer and dryer. Then when I looked up, all I could see was the sky.”

John and Debbie Lacey were left homeless after a tornado in Joplin, Missouri, and were living in a tent behind what used to be their house.

“The story of John, he got run over by a semi truck when he was working with the Missouri Department of Transportation,” says Operation Blessing’s Jody Herrington – Gettys. “It happened many years ago. He retired about three and a half years later and then he’s been trying to file for disability. One week before the storm he was about to get disability. They were about to get insurance on their house because they couldn’t afford it because of his accident.”

Then the storm came and destroyed their home. Operation Blessing and Home Depot planned to surprise this family with a gift they would remember for the rest of their lives.

“So, we got put on the shed project here,” says NASCAR driver Joey Logano.

John is a NASCAR fan and one of his favorite drivers, Logano, came along to help build.  He spotted Joey out of a crowd of 400 people.

“There’s a really cool family that lived here, and there’s a great job putting this house together,” says Logano.  “It’s amazing how quickly and how many people are here.”

“We were on our way over here to paint and it was all completed,” says Debbie.  “I was expecting just the roof and the windows and the siding done. I didn’t expect the inside to be done as well, and furnished.”

“You all made it possible for us to have our life again,” John beams.

In the middle of all this destruction, the Lacey’s house shines like a jewel. It’s sort of like the first growth after a forest fire. Operation Blessing helped more than 170 families in this community. But what’s more important, they’ve inspired the whole community.

Another neighbor’s house was scheduled to be bulldozed forcing its owners to rent an apartment elsewhere. Jan was just going to give up. But when she saw what Operation Blessing was doing, she decided to rebuild.

“Because of Operation Blessing, you started a renewal of our neighborhood,” says Jan.

“It made our lives back to where it was by doing this,” John explains.  “We were kind of lost and didn’t know where to go, and now we do. This storm isn’t going to get us down. I want to thank Operation Blessing, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Home Depot for all teaming together and being so kind and generous. Without them, this wouldn’t be possible.”

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