Help?

There are several small teams planning summer work, primarily in Stockton but a few in Rushford, as well.

A small group from St. Stephanus in St. Paul is working with Roger and Bonnie today to begin filling their "hole" where the house stood. Additional workers are needed to get this task done; only skill needed is the ability to stand upright and not fall in the hole! Strong backs very helpful!

Also needed are laborers to help Leesa with her house -- General cleanup around the yard plus sheetrocking inside. Much of the sheet rock is there and it would be nice to move her closer to getting herself and her son out of the FEMA trailer. His blindness and some respiratory issues makes living in a FEMA trailer a special challenge.

Also, Vi is nearing the time when she can move back into the antique shop -- both to open for business as well as live in the back. She will need help building shelves and washing and polishing all of the antiques that are stored in the shed.

We're planning a community beautification project May 31-June 2 (Saturday through Monday) in Stockton. Encouragement is much needed right now as people begin to grasp life just won't be the same, that while there can be rebuilding there won't be full restoration... Many are now getting the funding to pay off much of their old debt and close a chapter in their lives, but how they move forward may still be in question. We'd like to be Jesus' hands and feet for a day or two -- bring in flowers and shrubs and perhaps even some trees; make and plant flower boxes for Vi's, plant around Grace Lutheran, continue to clean up debris around the community, and even (if God is willing and donors are generous) provide for a garden in or near the community center -- A gift to the community. If you're interested in donating or helping, please contact Vicki Strong, 651-730-5049.

Some pictures of our weekend in Stockton and Minnesota City -- We left work for you!

Mud and mud and more mud

We had an amazing weekend in Stockton and Minnesota City in spite of the recent rain, which left us with some really muddy conditions. We removed dead trees, pulled carpets, hauled sheetrock, cleaned debris out of yards and from the edge of the brook, cleaned and sanitized Roger's machine shop, hauled Bonnie's wood for their stove back from the debris pile where it had ended up in the flood, installed insulation in Roger's shop and got it ready for new sheetrock, cleared a dam that was created by debris in Garvin Brook, took several loads of downed wood to a chipping area, burned brush (always helps to have a fire warden with you!), made meals for volunteers and homeowers, and brought lunches to crews in Minnesota City, where they were installing electrical wiring, roofing a house, and sheetrocking another.

Whew! And between that, we talked, prayed and laughed, sometimes until our sides ached. (Sorry, Miriam, for that little tire spinning episode that resulted in your mudbath...) What a blessing to watch as adults and youth ministered to others through hugs, and prayers, quiet conversation, shared meals, laughter, a found photo album, and back-breaking, leg-aching, bicep-building work!

It was a very, very good weekend!

The work is on!

Rick Lane from Lutheran Disaster Response in Winona wanted me to pass along to everyone how grateful he is that the LCMS churches in Minnesota/North Dakota have stepped up to help. They were desperately in need of workers and just had a big group cancel for next week, so he needed some good workers and good cheer!

I spent Tuesday morning, April 15 (after taking my big check to Uncle Sam to the post office), in Minnesota City, checking up on our crews that worked with LDR on Tuesday.

They worked in two homes -- one in Sunny Acres and the other in Gunderson subdivision. Both had extensive damage; the one in Sunny Acres is a split entry and they lost the kids' bedrooms and family room downstairs (to 8 1/2 feet). The homeowner had an amazing story of how quickly the water rose, and how his boat in the driveway saved not just his family but several others as he ferried family and neighbors to higher ground. The other home in Gunderson was totally submerged. The team there was doing framing -- LOTS left to do on this split level. They are looking for roofers to get the shingles replaced this weekend.

Saturday have two big groups of youth from Rochester and Faribault, more adults too. The youth will help the Oldhams in Stockton and clean up along Garvin Brook. Should be a really fun day -- I love working with the youth -- It will be a high energy day!

Thanks to all the churches and individuals that have answered the call from as far away as Worthington and Fargo (workers), Mandan, North Dakota (gift cards), Kilkenny, Stewartville, Rosemount, Woodbury, White Bear Lake, Plainview, Lakefield. We even let a Catholic infiltrate our midst!

I'll report more next week and will be sure to upload pictures.

The work will continue -- We'll take volunteers any time!

LCMS Work Week

We are planning a work week for LCMS church members, family and friends April 13-20. We'll be working alongside Lutheran Disaster Relief out of Winona, and serving homeowners in Minnesota City, Winona, Stockton and Elba.

Housing is available for people who would like to work several days, or volunteers are welcome any one day during the week. We will arrange food service as we have workers.

Individuals or groups are welcome. Weather permitting, we will have several opportunities for youth groups to do park clean up at Whitewater State Park and at the municipal park in Rushford, as well as helping clear mud from private property in Stockton.

Contact Vicki Strong, 651.730.5049, or cell phone 651.208.4353, for more information. We're counting on you!

Break's Over!

I took time off during Christmas to devote to my family, who were feeling a bit (a lot?) ignored. Now, it's time to get back to the business of disaster relief.

We are again organizing teams to serve in Rushford, Stockton and Minnesota City. The needs for rebuilding will continue well into 2008. Can you serve?

Contact me at Woodbury Lutheran, 651-739-5144, ext. 236, if you would like to serve.

Help Needed!

Jean Everson and I stopped in to visit with the Oldhams and Pastor Krusemark in Stockton on November 29. They are still working on the parsonage for Grace, in spite of having an entire congregation caring and helping and losses in the lower level only ... Imagine the needs of those who lost their entire homes and contents, those who are alone, who may not have family or friends to help, or the money to get the job done.

Bonnie Oldham was planning a fundraiser for those who suffered losses in the flood in Stockton. It was yesterday (Dec. 9) -- She organized food, auction and raffle donations, the location and bands to play. Amazing for a woman who has lost everything herself. She and Roger agreed to take nothing from the donations -- They are doing this as an enco0uragement to the community. What a blessing to know Bonnie and her tenacity and her heart for others.

We then went into Rushford and had lunch at Camp St. Mark with Pastor Stephan and the people from Lutheran Disaster Relief. Great lunch and a wonderful camp! We worked with a group of Brethren of Christ from Indiana sanding sheetrock in one house and putting in insulation and cleaning out removed sheetrock in another. The house where we were installing insulation was a daycare center. The FEMA trailer can not be used for daycare, so the homeowner has lost her business as well until the house is done -- and work has just started. The other home where we sanded sheetrock is in our photo album -- last time I worked in the house (which belongs to the Bergs), there were no walls inside or out from 4 feet on down. The house is enclosed, siding replaced and sheetrock almost finished. Wow! How fun to see the progress!

I heard the sheetrock distribution in Minnesota City on December 1 went well in spite of bad roads and a lot of AWOL volunteers due to the weather. Congratulations to Jaye Fritz for her faithful work! I am beginning to work on a distribution/work day in Rushford in January. The desire was to do it earlier, but the lack of available volunteers and donations (hard to get large donations from organizations at the end of the year!) made it necessary to move it to January.

Personally, as the holiday season comes, I am finding it difficult if not impossible to find time to serve those in need in SE Minnesota. The weather has been iffy (boy, has it been iffy), snowy, bad roads and cold. Add Christmas preparations, concerts, shopping, baking, etc., and it's easy to make excuses.

I'm on a guilt trip as I know no excuse will comfort those in need in Minnesota City, Stockton and Rushford. But I'm also learning I don't need to be there to help, and neither do you... Even if you can't go and help until after the first of the year, consider some of these ideas for this week:

1. Send cards to Camp St. Mark (St. Mark Lutheran, Rushford) to encourage the workers who are giving up their holiday preparation time.
2. Send cards to the pastor at St. Mark and at Grace Lutheran in Stockton, asking them to read them to the congregation, or to distribute them to people in need. Enclosing a gift card from Menards would be a nice touch!
3. Email me your note of encouragement (strongv@woodburylutheran.org) and I will forward it to the churches or individuals.
4. Pray, pray, pray. Pray for strength, for comfort during the holidays, for joy in the face of mounting financial needs, and for peace as communities struggle to survive a significant loss not just for those who lost their homes, but the entire community.
5. Give. Send your gift cards or donations of money to Woodbury Lutheran Disaster Relief Fund, 7380 Afton Road, Woodbury, MN 55125. All money is used to purchase building materials for those in need.