One man's journey...

Brent Scoles home after the May 22, 2011 Tornado in Joplin, MO.This week has been a very trying week. With all the pain and suffering that this storm has caused, Love and Compassion have prevailed.

My buddy, Brent Scoles, lost his home in Sunday's Tornado as he was only blocks from the touchdown just north of St. Johns Hospital. As the weather started getting bad during the early evening he didn't think much about an EF5 hitting Joplin. We've had more than our share of siren alerts in years past. So when this siren sounded we're doing our normal thing. Checking outside, looking to the sky and then going back to our normal routine. Of course with an ear to the outside for another siren.

This night was different for sure. With glass braking, Brent called for his little kitty "Gracie" to come to him as he was running to get into his normal hiding spot of his bedroom closet. She never came to him. So as he pulled the door shut at the last minute he new this was the real thing. It took all he could do to keep the door shut. "The sound was horrific and deafening" Brent said. Brent knew that things were bad when he saw light coming through the roof of the closet. Rain and debris was falling on him as he emerged out of his hiding spot in an attempt to figure out what exactly happened to his life.

Calling for his Kitty so far has not been successful. We believe she is still alive but so scared that her world has been turned upside down, that she is staying hidden.

With only 6 days behind him, Brent has found a place to stay, pulled out some of his things from the rubble and is trying to get back to some sort of normalcy. Although it will never be the same, he is thankful that he's alive and that he has not lost any friends.