In Kansas

I am currently in Salina, Kansas, and have lived through one of the stereotypical weather events:  a super cell that spawned baseball sized hail and tornadoes.  Being from Missouri, these storms are not really that unfamiliar, but the circumstances made this event entirely unique.

First, no TV.  Living in an outdated dorm with no TV connections and limited web access, I feel so isolated from the world.  Now this could be a very good thing since I am in training as a local licensed pastor and this type of retreat-style environment is good for reflection and listening for God; but when a major storm develops and you have no idea where you really are or cannot follow what is going on—let’s just say I was uncomfortable.

Now let’s explore uncomfortable.  Mentally I was fine.  In fact the fellowship of sitting in a 1960’s bomb shelter and singing the old spiritual hymns with wonderful voices was grand.  We had so much fun singing, talking, and laughing.  The spartan conditions did not matter a bit, but the discomfort comes from the isolation.  We did have small windows, and when the hail would hit, it was alarming.  And I wanted to know more what was going on out those windows.

The hail storms I have experienced before are typically pea sized stones that bounce and roll around in the rain, but this hail was entirely different.  The marble-sized hailstones had been clumped together.  The baseball sized hail stones where made up of the marble-like pieces and fell sporadically and erratically.  My car, at least last night, showed no damage, but the one directly next to it had about 10 baseball-sized dents and a cracked windshield.  It made no sense.  Two other cars had their back windows shattered and a third had its front windshield cracked as though some large body had landed on it.

There is so much more to share, but for now I will close.  I have to hustle around to finish the morning routine and begin our day’s agenda.  The two-week experience is only beginning its fourth day.