Illuminated cross travels from Sedalia to Joplin headed for tornado-stricken church

A great column by Bob Salman of the Sedalia Democrat about a group of teens working to send an illuminated cross from Sedalia to Joplin to the tornado-stricken Peace Lutheran Church:

The gift was discovered, devised and delivered by teens who were on a quest to help Joplin residents after the May tornado that shredded that city, but those teens also ended up providing comfort and inspiration to a congregation searching for light and hope.

On Sunday, the youth group from Christ & Trinity Lutheran Church in Sedalia presented to Peace Lutheran Church in Joplin an illuminated cross they made from broken glass found where Peace Lutheran stood until the EF-5 twister decimated the structure.
Simmons called the gift “truly a symbol of what God wants us to be for each other.”

In June, Christ & Trinity youths traveled to Joplin to help with cleanup and aid efforts. The trip included a stop at Peace Lutheran. Adult congregation member Cathy Hatfield, who took the teens to Joplin, said at the time: “The kids had not had time to process through all the work, and I didn’t want to leave until they could find some connection.”