Prayer request

Sometimes when we watch the news tragedy seems so far away. I have been extremely busy this week, never getting home in time for the evening news, just catching NPR in the morning, which has been focused on the economy and world affairs during my brief window of availability.

I received the following in this morning's email, from a dear friend still working at Concordia College, my alma mater, and where I was a dean for 13 years. She lives in Moorhead, MN, just two blocks north of the college, and about seven blocks from the Red River, across the road from Fargo, ND.

My friend Peggy lost her house to the flood today. I'm sitting here listening to the news. It's not good. I'm not even sure what to say, except I'm scared and I'm feeling compelled to write our family and friends. Somehow, it makes me feel better to connect with you all. We've had rain, ice snow. Today it snowed 7 inches and it's still snowing.

Today, they evacuated people from Oxbow (just south of Fargo. Airboats are the only way in and out now since the ice, snow and and water are everywhere. Tomorrow, they are evacuating Eventide Nursing Home and it's assisted living facilities (just 7 blocks from us). The town of Georgetown(just north of Moorhead) is being evacuated since they are building a circle dike around the town. They haven't issued an evacuation notice to us yet but Chip is emptying the basement as I write this.

We are grateful for all the help that is coming to town and all the positive thoughts that you have shared. The energy that people are bringing to the effort helps us feel hopeful that we're going to beat this. The mayor says he is "skeptically optimistic". Not sure what that means. The volunteer effort does inspire hope in humanity. Watch the news and keep us in your thoughts. I'm not sure if I'll get to update you all again. I just felt the need to take a moment out to write but now it's back to the shuttle vans and sandbags. Thanks.

All of a sudden I remember the horror of the 1997 floods, yet they say this is worst. I can only imagine what my friends, my former colleagues, my former community, both those I know and those I do not, are going through. It is not just Fargo-Moorhead, it is the entire region. I feel so far away, so unable to respond.

Yet, there is something I can do, and I will. I will ask for the prayers of this First Trinity-St. Matthew's community, for the communities that are so struggling. Let us sustain those that labor and those that are weary and those that are cold and those that are broken hearted with the most powerful gift we can give, our prayers.