JOPLIN, Mo. — JoAnn Scales has sewn for most of her life. From wedding to prom dresses, Scales knows the details about moving a needle through fabric. She’s made quilts for fundraisers and family reunions.

Though she knows the “how,” she doesn’t always know the “why.” But she wasn’t about to turn down heavenly instruction.

“When the Lord gives you something to do, you don’t have to know anything about it,” Scales said. “You just have to have a willing mind.”

Scales, a preacher, finished the last part of her instructions on Thursday. She presented a handmade quilt to City Manager Mark Rohr during Third Thursday in downtown Joplin.

The quilt features photographs of the May 2011 tornado’s aftermath, taken by Globe photographers. Surrounding the center picture, Gov. Jay Nixon at a memorial service for victims, the words “hope,” “love,” “joy” and “peace” are embroidered.

It was one of three quilts made for tornado-stricken towns by the United Methodist pastor -- she made similar quilts for people in Smithville, Miss., and Tuscaloosa, Ala. Making and taking the quilts to those two towns was easy for Scales, but the quilt for Joplin turned into a challenge.



Quilt crafting

Scales, 64, was working at Delta Industrial in 2001 when she broke her ankle. Shortly thereafter, her husband suffered a back injury requiring surgery. With both husband and wife out of work, the couple needed money for an upcoming family reunion.

She got to work stitching a quilt adorned with about 30 family pictures she had taken at another reunion. The quilt was raffled off at the reunion, and a hobby of making quilts with pictures was born. She made similar quilts for other people as far away as New York.

When tornadoes struck Smithville and Tuscaloosa, the impact was heavy. She wanted to help, but the scope of the damage was too much to bear, she said.

As the days went by, the guilt of not being able to help settled in. Because she hadn’t “picked up any sticks or given any water,” she asked the Lord what she could do.

Scales explains the answer, which she said was immediate: “‘Make a quilt,’ He said. I said that I could do that and send them. But he said, ‘No. You gotta take ’em.’”

Close to Tupelo, Miss., Fulton is nestled near the Alabama border in the northeastern part of the state. Smithville is about a half-hour drive away from Fulton; a drive to Tuscaloosa takes about two hours.

Working with folks in those two towns was easy, Scales said. A visit to The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal produced enough pictures for the Smithville quilt.

But Joplin is at least eight hours away. Getting pictures was a challenge. She called The Joplin Globe and eventually received pictures of the Globe’s tornado coverage from historian William Caldwell.



Joplin journey

Scales’ plan for the quilt was to give it to the people at the Globe who helped her. But, as she said, the Lord had different plans.

After making some calls, she got connected with Dan King, of the Joplin Ministerial Alliance. He suggested that Third Thursday would be a good day for the visit.

So she and her friend, Judy Stovall-Leggett, made the trip on Wednesday.

Outside of her Joplin motel room, Scales tried to use her key on another room’s door. When a woman in her car asked Scales if she was OK, Scales said that the ensuing conversation led her to Rohr.

“She asked if I was from here, and I told her exactly why I was here and what I had to do,” Scales said. “The woman said, ‘I know exactly who you should give it to. This guy has really worked hard,’ she said. And that got in me.”

Scales connected with Rohr through the city of Joplin and ended up waiting for him at city hall. It happened to be the same time that members of the St. Louis Rams were having a meal during their volunteer work day. Scales ended up talking to many of the players, laughing and sharing stories.

“One of them called me his grandma,” Scales said.

After finally connecting with Rohr, they worked out a quick presentation for Third Thursday activities, where she presented it.

Rohr said the quilt will be on display at city hall at a later date.



Growing faith

Faith has been strong in Scales’ life since she was a child. Given up by her mother at 18 months old, she was raised by her grandfather, who was a strong believer, she said.

“I didn’t believe in God as a youngster,” Scales said. “How could I, after being given up? How is there a God if you go through this?”

Her grandfather’s raising took hold, though. She began singing in her church’s choir and reading the Bible.

When she got married and had her own children in her 20s, her beliefs were solid, she said. An incident in church further strengthened her beliefs -- during the service, she prayed out loud for the health of her father.

“I know what I was asking God for,” Scales said. “But my aunt said I was speaking in tongues.”

As she has grown, her faith has also grown to new levels. While working in a furniture-making job in 1990, she heard a voice in her head telling her that now was the time that she would do what the Lord wanted her to do.

“I thought I was going crazy. So I listened again, and the voice came back,” she said. “It was the same voice, and no one’s mouths were moving. I went to the ladies’ room and started praying there. My cousin came with me, but by the time I got in there, I was seeing stars.”

She answered the call and became a pastor in the United Methodist Church. She served at several different churches until she retired about three years ago, after suffering a brain injury.

The Lord gave her scriptures to read, she said. For more than 20 years, Scales has heard His voice, she said, and her faith has grown to higher and higher levels.

So much so that she had no problem making those quilts.

After the presentation, Scales said she was simply waiting for the next task.

“It’s good to finish the course, finish the journey,” Scales said. “But there’s always something else.”