"Northern Crossings"

Archive for the ‘Bill’s Posts’ Category

Ceiling insulation being removed

I spent yesterday in Minot.  I was kind of glad it was just one day.  I’m not sure (none of us can be until we are faced with a catastrophe)  that I’d cope well with the mess following a flood.  But, home after home, block after block there is devastation and people are coping.  Coping is a measured word.  It’s meaning is a long way from “thriving”.

The irony (or for flood victims the pain) is that just a few blocks away other people’s lives are pretty normal.  Much of Minot didn’t experience flood damage.  The flood was an inconveience and now they are back to normal.  But for 200+ LCMS families, they are not sure what their “new normal” is going to look like.

Even a few short visits to flooded homes sort of got my nose in a dither from all the crud that was or still is growing.  Peggy told us that she has pictures of 5 or 6 different colored molds.  I’m not sure I could rejoice at the arrival of a FEMA trailer.  But, then, I’ve never been homeless.  Many homes are literally framing and a roof.  Others still need a thorough clean out and sanitizing and to be buttoned up for winter.  Things need to be dried out for months before rebuilding should start.

As someone said yesterday, Fargo is at the edge of the known universe and we are 5 hours past that.  This fall we need North Dakotans to step up and help Minot clean up, sanitize and button up for the winter.  We have

2-3 months before winter slows things down.   Minot is several diasters down the public’s disaster memory list now.  But, the needs are just as big as other places.

Peggy’s home had water up to the roof.  They had hoped to save the ceiling insulation but it became evident that it needed to be removed as well.  This is painstaking work as a life time of memories is left on the street.

 Rev Phil Hannemann of St Paul Rugby writes:

From July 23-29 our church fellowship hall was the camp out zone for six adults and seven youth from Good Shepherd Lutehran Church of Tulsa, OK.  They logged in time at Minot from Sunday -Thursday gutting the insides of four homes during the days.  Each evening, they showered at the Rugby Armory, ate food provided by St Paul members and watched videos.  They left this morning after cleaning the fellowship hall.

This home belongs to Renee Johnson/Minot.  Renee is the treasurer of the ND LWML.  In response to my previous message, Rev. Daryl Rothchild has reported that his home has been similarly effected.  Approximtely 4,100 homes in Minot were evacuated.  In the Bismarck/Mandan area, 695 homes were evacuated.  I haven’t had an update from the Sawyer area.  The water has been lingering at near crest levels for longer than originally forecasted.

Our Savior, Minot’s website has some running updates on flood recovery efforts: www.oslcnow.com

President Baneck will be meeting Saturday at 10am with pastors & church leaders at Our Savior.

There will be a conference call Wednesday morning at 9:30 with pastors & local church leaders with Orphan Grain Train representatives to discuss resources they have to offer.

Rev Daryl Rothchild and his family were evacuated from their home today in anticipation of record flooding in Minot.  Rev Rothchild lives in Minot and serves congregations in Upham, Towner and Kramer. It is estimated that 10,000 people living in Minot will evacuate.

21 of North Dakota’s 53 counties are federal disaster areas.  The communities of Bismarck/Mandan are dealing with excessive amounts of water from rains in western North Dakota and eastern Montana in recent weeks.  This water flows through the  Missouri River system and is normally controlled by the Garrison Dam.  This year there is so much water that the dam is releasing HUGE  amounts of water and it is raising a ruckus downstream.  The radio is reporting at least 1000 homes will be flooded.  1500 ND Guard troops have been activated.  Some reports say that it may take most of the summer to move the water downstream. The goal is to fill 4,000,000 sandbags.

As  of this morning, I am aware of two LCMS members of Messiah, Mandan who are sandbagging or evacuating their homes.  I know of one LCMS business that is sandbagging.  Messiah, Mandan has 2 RV’s with hookups (they have 3 hookups available) available for folks to use.  Plesae remember the people of these communities in your individual and corporate prayers.

http://www.bismarcktribune.com/

At a lunch meeting last week, it was decided to seek sponsorships for 15 Native American children to attend camp at Shepherds HIll Retreat this summer.  Pastor Joel Brandvold will identify the children.  A week at camp costs about $150. To date, 6 sponsorships are available.  Shepherds HIll has hosted Native American children at summer camps in the past. This is an intentional effort to increase that number.  If you are interested in sponsoring a child, send your gift (for any amount) to: ND District, PO Box 9029, Fargo, ND 58106-9029.  Make a note on the check that it is for : SHRC summer sponsorship.

Our Life Together includes Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota.  LSSND  offers a variety of programs across the state of North Dakota.  One of those programs is Lutheran Social Services Housing, Inc.  LSS Housing is in the process of builidng and/or rehabbing and/or managing nearly 200 rental units in small town North Dakota.  These apartments serve a broad spectrum of people and incomes.

Contracts were recently signed to begin construction on a 26 unit apartment building in Tioga.  These projects are funded through the cooperation of many different local, state, federal and non profit coalitions.  Twenty four units were opened in Watford City last year.  And, LSS Housing is one of the partners who will rehab the currrent (soon to be the “old” ) Jamestown hospital. 

To learn more visit www.lssnd.org/housing

LWML dress project

These dresses also made by the Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church (Fargo) LWML unit are headed to an American Indian reservation shelter.

LWML dresses in Kenya

Women of Beautiful Savior (Fargo) LWML unit made dresses which were taken to a Project 24 site in Kenya. In this picture, deaconnesses from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya select dresses to be given to girls.

Rev Seter spent some time on earlier posts talking about cooperation in externals.  I suggest you reread those posts.

Today is Saturday and there is a blizzard ripping western North Dakota.  So, what I’m about to describe might not  happen today.  BUT, there’s an outisde chance if you are traveling today (and if you are traveling in western ND, I hope it’s for something really important.) that you might notice a pick up truck with Lutheran Disaster Response magnetic door signs pulling a Jewish Disaster Relief tool trailer.  The trailer has NECHAMA on the side which I’m told is the Hebrew word for “comfort”.  It would make me look twice.

The trailer is on loan and is full of tools needed to help muck out basements and fix things.  The volunteers in the truck are LCMS members.  It’s so unusal that the driver of the truck called me to let me know what he was up to.  He was concerned that LCMS members would call our office to complain.  Especially, if he parked the trailer in an LCMS church parking lot.  We are only using the tools.  Frankly, I’m not sure I could pick the Lutheran hammer out of a hammer line up!

I find it interesting in a state like ND where you can’t shake a stick without hitting a Lutheran of  one persuasion or another that Lutheran Diaster Response even needs to borrow a tool trailer.  Pray for these volunteers and the people they are helping.