Tornado doesn't keep Joplin group from Thailand mission

Not even a tornado could stop a Joplin group from going on a mission trip to Thailand:

When the EF-5 tornado hit Joplin on May 22, Paul and Dianne Eckels say it never occurred to them that they should cancel the church's ninth mission trip to Thailand, which was just weeks away. The mile-wide tornado ripped through six miles, or one-third, of the Missouri city, killing more than 150 people and destroying more than 8,000 homes and businesses.


"My first thought was, 'who's dead and who's alive,' on the mission team," Dianne recounts. "After I found out, I talked to Doug and Cheryl in Thailand to ask them to pray for our city and church members. They said they understood if we needed to cancel our mission trip.

"Honestly, it never occurred to me to not come -- never!" the team leader exclaims.

Others on the team echo the same sentiment. Only two of the original 16 could not make the trip, and then only because their passports were blown away in the storm when their house was destroyed. Replacements did not arrive in time for them to board the plane.

Most on this team are returning volunteers and understand the value of teams like theirs in villages normally resistant to the Gospel. Meshelle Thompson, a five-time volunteer, explains the American presence often helps give credibility to local Christians and opens doors for the Thais to share more about their faith. If the team had canceled, it could have caused a "black eye" for the Thai believers.

"I'm not about to let a tornado be the reason someone gets persecuted," says Thompson, a kindergarten teacher. "If anything, my family encouraged me 10 times more than normal to go on this trip. We just felt like it was something we needed to do, it's important to share the Gospel and not miss an opportunity."