WHEN A MASSIVE TORNADO
RIPPED THROUGH JOPLIN
MISSOURI, NATHAN POWELL AND
HIS FOUR CHILDREN HUDDLED BELOW
THE STAIRS LOOKING AT THEIR
SECOND STOREY APARTMENT, IT'S
HARD TO BELIEVE ANYONE SURVIVED.
IT MAKES ME FEEL SAD BECAUSE
IT'S JUST LIKE GONE.
NATHAN HAS DEALT WITH MAJOR
LUNG AND HEART PROBLEMS FOR
YEARS, THEY KNOW IT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT.
IT'S ONLY STUFF.
THE KIDS ARE HERE.
FOR THE TIME BEING, THIS
SINGLE DAD AND HIS FOUR KIDS
ARE STAYING IN A VERY SMALL
APARTMENT.
THIS IS WHERE ALL OF YOU
GUYS ARE STAYING?
.
THERE'S ONLY TWO PEOPLE THAT
CAN BE AT THE TOP OF THE BED SO
I HAD TO STAY IN THE BOTTOM.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT CROWDED BY IT
WORKS.
WITH SISTERS KIM BEERSINGER,
KIEL LER AND KELSEY IN ONE
ROOM, NATHAN HAS A ROOM BY
HIMSELF OFF THE BEDROOM.
BRADLEY HAS IT WORST OF ALL.
THIS IS WHERE I STAY.
THIS IS WHERE I YOU'RE
STAYING?
.
THIS IS WHERE I CURRENTLY
SLEEP.
THIS ISN'T THE SIZE OF A
WALK-IN CLOSET.
I'M SURE YOU'RE LOOKING FORWARD
TO HAVING YOUR OWN ROOM
HOPEFULLY SOME DAY SOON?
.
YEAH, THAT WOULD BE NICE.
ER.
AFTER THE TORNADO, NATHAN
GOT A GOOD DEAL AN A DAMAGED
HOUSE, WITH HIS LUNG PROBLEMS,
HE'S PUT IN A LOT OF TIME IN
THE HOUSE.
I'VE WORKED EVERY DAY, EVERY
HOUR THAT WAS AVAILABLE WITH
EVERY VOLUNTEER THAT'S BEEN AT
THAT HOUSE UNTIL THE LAST WEEK.
OPERATION BLESSING, JODIE
GUESSING TOLD NATHAN AND THE
KIDS TO GIVE THEM A WEEK TO
HELP THEM OUT, HOME DEPOT AND
OPERATION BLESSING HAS BEEN OUT
EVER SINCE, THEY FOUND NATHAN
AND BRAD ARE INTO FISH TANKS,
SO THEY'RE MAKING DAD A SPECIAL
PROJECT.
FISH IS SOMETHING WE GOT
INTO SINCE MY DAD'S HEART
SURGERY.
ER
THEY SUGGESTED WE GET FISH
AND WATCH THEM BECAUSE IT
BRINGS YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE DOWN.
THE VOLUNTEERS STARTED WITH
OPENING UP THE FLOOR PLAN TO
GIVE THIS FAMILY OF FIVE SPACE
THAT'S SPREAD OUT.
THE HOUSE NEEDS A LOT OF WORK
BOTH INSIDE AND OUT.
FROM REPLACING 30 WINDOWS TO
WIRING, FLOORING, LANDSCAPING
AND MASONRY, THEY EVEN HAVE TO
REPLACE A BUNCH OF STONE THAT
THE TORNADO BLEW AWAY AND THE
CLOCK IS TICKING.
SO, WE CAME OUT WITH JODIE
TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROGRESS
ON THE HOUSE AND IT IS
UNBELIEVABLE AT HOW MUCH WORK
THERE IS TO BE DONE, THERE ARE
PILES AND MATERIALS EVERYWHERE,
THE FAMILY IS COMING HOME
TOMORROW AND TONIGHT IT'S GOING
TO BE CRAZY.
THE CREW WORKED OVERNIEKT BY
FLASHLIGHT AND HEADLIGHT BUT MY
MORNING, THERE WAS STILL A LOT
LEFT TO DO.
ALL THAT HARD WORK WAS ABOUT TO
PAY OFF.
[APPLAUSE].
JUST SEEING THE OUTSIDE OF
THE HOUSE, THEY KNEW A LOT MORE
THAN BEEN ACCOMPLISHED THAN
THEY EVER IMAGINED.
THEN THEY WALKED INSIDE.
OH MY GOD (CRYING).
LOOK AT IT.
IT WAS QUITE AN OVERWHELMING
MOMENT, I THINK IT'S KIND OF
COMFORTABLE WHEN THESE GUYS
WERE BORN, IT WAS A MOMENT LIKE
THAT.
WITH ALL THE VOLUNTEER LABOR
AND A TON OF DONATED OR
DISCOUNTED SUPPLIES AND
FURNISHINGS, THEIR HOUSE WAS
COMPLETELY RENOVATED, THEY MADE
A BEELINE TO THEIR ROOM.
IT'S AWESOME.
NOW WE GET TO HAVE SLEEP
OVERS A LOTS WITH OUR FRIENDS.
NOW WHEN I WALK IN MY ROOM,
I FEEL LIKE A CELEBRITY, IT'S
AWESOME IN MY ROOM.
CLOSE BY, BIG SISTER KIM
BEER HAS A ROOM OF HER OWN.
LOOK AT IT, DAD (CRYING).
YOU'VE GOT A CLOSET, HONEY.
LOOK AT THE CLOSET.
WELL, IT WAS AMAZING TO ME
BECAUSE IT WAS ACTUALLY ALL OF
MY FAVORITE COLORS, BLUE, BLACK
AND WHITE AND IT WAS FULLY
FURNISHED AND I HAVE A CLOSET
AND A DRESSER NOW.
THEY WORKED THEIR WAY BACK
AND WENT THROUGH EVERY INCH OF
THE HOUSE.
I CAN'T WAIT TO EAT
BREAKFAST HERE.
HEY, DAD, LOOK.
OH, WOW, LOOK AT THAT.
.
I THINK THAT ONE'S THE BEST.
THAT WAS AWESOME.
YEAH, I WAS LIKE, WE FINALLY
HAVE A BIG FISH TANK.
IT WAS NEAT BECAUSE IT WAS
ONE OF OUR DREAMS FOR THE HOUSE
AND IT HAPPENED AND THAT'S
REALLY REALLY COOL.
.
ER AFTER SPENDING A FEW MONTHS
SLEEPING IN A CLOSET, BRADLEY
WENT DOWN THE HALL AND OPENED
HIS DOOR TO HIS NEW BEDROOM.
.
DAD, LOOK AT MY ROOM.
BRADLEY ALSO CHECKED OUT HIS
CLOSET AND HE WAS GLAD TO SEE
IT WASN'T A WALK-IN.
I ACTUALLY HAVE MY CLOSE IN
THERE INSTEAD OF A BED.
BRADLEY'S RIGHT ACROSS THE
HALL FROM HIS DAD.
HE HAS A BEDROOM TO HANG OUT
IN AND GET SOME ALONE TIME FROM
US.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN IT WILL
SINK IN, IT WILL BE YEARS
BEFORE I CAN SIT BACK AND SAY,
WOW, LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED.
I WAS THINKING HOW MANY PEOPLE
IT TOOK THAT WERE LED BY GOD TO
GET TO THIS POINT.
THAT IS REALLY REFRESHING IN
THIS WORLD.
IT'S SO COOL THAT GOD'S STILL
WILLING TO TEACH US AND SHOW US
THAT HE PROVIDES, HE PROVIDES.