Tulsa, Oklahoma

2146 S. 99 E. Ave. #54N

Tulsa, OK 74129

Tornado season has started, so we will be keeping an eye on Dustin's weather. At Christmas time he said that it is okay if he doesn't see another one. I think that he had seen enough after the Joplin tornado. He still really likes the intense storms that they get in his mission.

He is still district leader, and now a trainer too. He gets companions to train fresh from the MTC.

His companion helps him with his leadership responsibilities, and the normal missionary teaching.

Dustin loved being in the country and now he loves the city.

NEW ADDRESS

Yea! Dustin sent Pete a fathers day card so we have a new address for him.

250 N. Madison #D

Siloam Springs, AR 72761

Dustin's Experience the Day of Joplin's Tornado

Mi Familia,

Sorry about the emailing I was still a little scatter brained. I will start off by listing the major damage. The Joplin Stake Center is gone and there are some cool pictures of that with a picture of Christ untouched. The St. John’s hospital is, well not gone, but erased and they don’t know If there is enough damage that they will just have to rebuild, 75% of the city, FLAT, the feeling as you see it is unbelievable. The school that they built several years ago is just gone. Home Depot, Wal-mart, and Cherry-Berry are flat! I mention Cherry-Berry because we went there last week.

We were up in a suburb called Jasper having dinner with the Talbot family. They informed us on our weather status and we just had a joke filled pleasant dinner. Well, it was storming pretty hard where we were at and we even saw one car that or rather a truck with lights on it speeding to where a hill might be and we guessed it was a storm chaser.

They were very fun to be with. We were communicating by text with our exchange and the Zone Leaders. At 5:23 pm (central) we got a text from the Zone Leaders saying, “Elder& Sisters there is a good potential of tornados today please please be careful tonight if there are tornado warnings or sirens please take shelter!” Exact spelling and spacing. We were just going, “okay we will watch”

About this point the storm was beginning to pick up. At 6:07 pm our exchange, (someone that volunteers to go out and help us teach), texted us and said, “There is a tornado warning!” Meaning they are literally watching one. So that got us a little more on our toes so we checked the radar and it didn’t look that bad. Our dinner was hesitant to take us home but it was a little crowded and the two babies were making a fuss. We were finishing dessert when we got another text from Bro. Brad Fields, our exchange. He texted, “Ya its destroying Joplin!” (Joplin, Missouri). “I would stay inside and seek shelter!” 6:16 pm.

Now we are a little nervous. We were trying to make pleasant over ice cream (cookies and cream) and fresh baked cookie dessert. Bro. Talbot at this point was being kicked off his email by his neighbor and bro-in-law to check out the radar. Everyone else is checking over their shoulders and looking out the window, every other few seconds.

The next text, Zone leaders (dramatic pause) “How is everything…we got hit” (6:21 pm). We tried to call them and text them right after but nothing would go through. There are two sets of missionaries in Joplin. The zone leaders and Joplin 2^nd ward Elders. We are just thinking that the storm is creating interference.

I am so glad that the members care about the missionaries. To the rest of the world it would be weird for someone to be so worried about two really strange men that are in their church for such a short while. Bro. Field’s last text, “Okay just stay safe! God bless! You should check with the Joplin missionaries and see if they are okay!” (6:24 pm)

That is exactly what we did when we got home. Both Joplin Elders and even the Webb City Elders were un-reachable. Because of all this we decided to call the assistants, but they did not answer. Si I decided to call President Merkley. I explained the situation and he said that he had also been trying to get a hold of them (the zone leaders). He told me I did the right thing to call him and that I brought him some peace of heart. He then charged us to contact the rest of the zone, and report. (about 7:20 pm).

We finally got a hold of everyone and even ended up working with Bro. Richinns (from the stake) to get all of the missionaries contacted. I called Pres. Merkley about every 30 minutes. I remember every time that I called him he said, “You’re a good man Elder Swanger. Thank you for keeping me updated.” I reported to President at 8:59 pm, right after the last of the missionaries were found safe. This is the order in which they were found. (by ward name) Nevada, Monett, Pittsburg, Granby, Neosho, Miami, Fort Scott, Webb City, Joplin 1^st, and Joplin 2^nd.

My companion seemed worried to a degree but I had an indescribable peace.

Email May 31st 2011

Dustin: Are you there today?

Leah: I am. How are things going?

Dustin: Things are going to be very busy but not at the same time. There are going to be so many people that are coming to help in the restoration effort that we have to be assigned to go there. We have 600 [people] from the Church in Joplin over the week end. 10,000 volunteers in general from across the country. You know about the Alabama tornado? We have surpassed them where the [recovery] work done is concerned! It is crazy and yes I now have my yellow shirt.

The Yellow Mormon Helping Hands shirts go to any one that is joined with us to do the work. We have had investigators and non members in them. I would like to send you pictures but I am looking for the adapter. OH, having my boots would be nice. It is full of nails and fun stuff like that and they would like to have us in boots. I don't know when I will be there next. I have boots. The leather ones will be good.

Dustin: [More about the tornado] Think of it this way the tornado itself was 1/2 mile wide and it was left a 6 mile footprint. Inside the footprint most building don't even have frames left. But what I was talking about is we have done more recovery work than Alabama has done. All of the houses that can be saved are patched up and the debris is cleaned up off their yards and Alabama is still working on the second part. We have so many people here they just don't know what to do with them. To let you know, yes we were there yesterday because we were assigned, and I will tell you why the death toll is raising so slow.

Imagine a 5 gallon bucket of hands.

Leah: That means they are still finding body parts? I know that they are using finger prints and dental records to identify those killed and that it is a slow process.

Dustin: And DNA that is even slower. About a month. So how was your super busy week?

Leah: It hasn’t happened yet. [He is referring to the week leading up to seminary graduation.]

Leah: I was looking at pics online of the before and after. It is amazing.

I am sending a letter that is very detailed of the night of the tornado. I tell you how crazy life is right now. We have not had a single proselytizing day since the tornado!

Well the letter to the president is done and it looks like it is time to go.

Les amo( love y'all)

The Tornado that hit Joplin, MO

We had a ward member call us the night (Sunday May 22nd) that the tornado hit Joplin to let us know that Dustin was safe. The next day was Dustin's day to email us. We were not expecting to hear from him because of all the damage that happened in the area. In the late afternoon while Dustin and his companion went to a members home. They called me to again let us know that he was safe and that they (Elder Stoddard too) were going to be on their computer so they could email us. The internet kept going out on them because there were still storms going on, but the following is information we got from Dustin over the course of about an hour and a half.

We are all good but the damage is really bad. We are going to be there doing service for a long time. We have heard that about 75% of Joplin is gone! We were taking point talking to the other elders to see if they are all right. That was fun all the internet is down and phones are a joke. We are just able to get into the city to help out but we can't go out to help until Wednesday because we are going to mission tour tomorrow. It is bad.

I really don't know where to begin. There is just nothing. There was supposed to be another tornado here but it was in the farms.

They think that it was an F4 or F5 which are really rare. There is much to be done here. But my companion says that the tornado was closer to our house than that but we were other side of town and were really far away.

OH, there was another thing that went on that I should say while we are here and able to type. We found a new investigator that is really sweet and is really asking alot of questions. Matt says that he is embarrassed about the markers (scripture crayons) but is really grateful. Well we are going to be cleaning and rebuilding things. I don't know when the church is going to be up there (rebuilt) but there are supplies on the way. I don't know what we are going to be doing and all, but we are going to be working hard. they are bugging me to go and play trumpet for them. lol, these people are old fashioned jazz people they just play and laugh. We are trying to get out of playing with them because we have other things that we need to do. I will have to send you a letter about the new investigator. His name is Francisco from El Salvador.

People here are going crazy here trying to get all the stuff that they need just in case we get another storm. Everyone is jumpy because we have other storms that are going to come through. We have had three just today and we are going to see lots this week they say.

Right now we are getting thunder that is shakin the house every once in a while and lots of rain but the saying is that the Indians even knew that the tornados. There hasn't been one here for a long time, about a hundred years. Just around us and there was not one here, just the one that was coming from Joplin but it went back up to the sky.

Dustin has MOVED

We talked to Dustin yesterday for almost two hours. No he doesn't have an accent. He said he might after living in Missouri, they all have very heavy accents. Since he mostly speaks Spanish (he now knows 3-4 dialects) he has only picked up a few southern phrases.

His new companion is Elder Stoddard, the very same one he had in the MTC! They are very excited to get to work together in the field, and were able to go to work right away without going through a "get to know you stage".

Dustin loves the work and the Mexican people there. They are friendly, courteous, kind, and cook really good food. We all had fun talking to him. His new address is:

124 E. Highland #2W

Carthage, MO 64836

9 February 2011

Family,

Just a question, can you read this well or do you want me to write in print? (we can read it, or at least I can). Well, guess what! Today is get another snow day and tomorrow will be the same, I think. They are thinking of moving the transfers back a day so the roads will be safe. I am just sad that my companion is going.

We were just talking about “how” we want to come home. I don’t know if I want to be picked up. The church even says that they want us to return home before we come out again to the field if we want. I was thinking that if you were going to come and drive out, then I can drive with you. I can let you know that exact date after the new year (2012) and I don’t want to get trunky. One of the Zone leaders here has 3 months left and he is trunky.

About the GPS, here is my reason for wanting one. I will always cover a Stake, and there are only two Stakes in the mission that are only one city. I asked the Zone leaders how many cities are in my area and he said he can’t even remember. There are seven main cities that I visit and getting lost is not cool. You and Dad can figure out if I need one.

Can you believe that I have been out six months?! I finally have collection of ugly ties that would compete with even Dad’s. It is a tradition for the Spanish missionaries to have a collection of ugly ties. I am sending a package soon, maybe I will put one in there.

Random question. Do you have pictures of when I tried to bite my tongue off? I have never seen if you do. Someone heard about that and asked me today so I was just wondering.

I always feel that I am forgetting to say something in the letters, but it is like a remembrall (this is a Harry Potter reference). You can now you have forgotten something but not remember what it was. Well, I don’t know what else to say. I will have to think of books I want or something for my birthday. Oh, a hint for dad, What we do to remember holidays and birthdays is to make them very bright on the calendar. It works.

Los Amo,

Dustin