Making the rounds

Mary, Dean and JoAnn from St. John and Miriam from St. Stephanus and I headed to Rushford, Thursday, Sept. 13. It was my first opportunity to meet with Pastor Merlin Stephan (without cell service, we didn't connect on my last two visits).

Pastor Merlin is a wonderful man and we enjoyed getting to know him. We rolled up our sleeves and got right to work removing drywall and doorframes from the lower level of the church. (Dean did most of the work in this regard, besting me two-to-one in the frame removal.) Dean also removed a bathroom cabinet and sink, and the other women and Pastor Merlin tried to remove the linoleum floor in the gutted kitchen, but even with a heat tool, that horrid paper backing just didn't budge. I'm taking all hints!

There is still much to be done here. The bathrooms haven't been touched, so fixtures need to be taken up and cleaned and sanitized (if they can be salvaged at all), and flooring removed. The entire lower level needs a good power washing and sanitizing. I'll have to remember to add power washers, chemical sprayers and shop vacs to the Saturday haul list.

We toured the parsonage, which will now serve as the education wing, with preschool two days a week, confirmation one evening and Sunday morning classes. Pastor Merlin has reduced his living quarters to a small bedroom, bath and office/study. He does still get kitchen privileges! The dining room will serve as the preschool room and he says next time we visit it will be painted a bright, primary color with an alphabet border. We didn't know licensing restrictions required that, but apparently in this situation they do. We told Pastor Merlin we thought he was very selfless in giving up his home and he just shrugged with a slight grin and said, "What choice do I have?" We'll see if he's still smiling in a few weeks after sharing his mornings with three-year-olds. Somehow I think he will!

Lunch at Montini Hall (St. Joseph Catholic) was an excellent offering by a church group from Preston, Minnesota. The church is hosting volunteer groups who prepare and serve 3 squares every day to 200-2000 people -- citizens, business people, utility and road repair workers, relief workers. Most power is back on and people were excitedly chatting about getting their cable, phones and Internet hooked back up so they are connected to the outside world again. The water is still contaminated; they are shutting down one well. There is an abundance of bottled water, though, so it's not a hassle. (And clothing -- have we learned nothing from Katrina???? Used clothing donations when no one polices what is donated are overly time consuming and yield little useful stuff, and aren't as necessary as people think... There were signs everywhere -- "We need help sorting clothing at TRW Center. No more donations. NO MORE!"

We also saw progress. The businesses are mudded and gutted, doors open, big fans running and a sign in each window: NEVER GIVE UP! We heard the Subway Sandwich shop will open next week and one of the bars had lit signs in the window -- WOW! We also saw our first piece of sheetrock being hauled into a home, although I would think it's still too damp.

Even with all the progress, people here are weary. Pastor Merlin said it's going to take a long time before anything approaches normal. Just a week on the job when the flood came, he's not sure what normal will be for him. He doesn't have office staff, and his key members had significant personal losses, so everything has fallen to him. He looked tired, and I think he's ready to be pastoring instead of meeting with furnace installers, electricians, insurance agents, building inspectors, day care license inspectors, etc.

After lunch, we prayed with Pastor Merlin. Sunday, Sept. 16 will be their first service in their building since the flood. We delivered a communion set donated by Redeemer to replace theirs that was destroyed. It will be a sweet reunion and we hope their day is blessed with joy that they are on the way to recovery.

We headed over to Stockton so the team could see Stockton, meet Pastor Krusemark and do a little work. We met Pastor Krusemark at the parsonage, and drove over to Betty and David's as I had heard Betty was asking about us.

When we stopped there two weeks ago, David had just gone on a bear hunting trip for a week (he'd paid for it long ago). We toured the house and I offered to send a team in to pull nails and move debris, but Betty didn't know if David would want that done. Last week, we moved the debris from the yard and hauled it to the curb but she still didn't know about the nails. There they were, hard at work in the yard, leveling the ground where the debris pile had been, pulling weeds. When I pulled up, she approached the van and when she recognized me she asked, "Where were you Saturday? You said you'd pull nails!" So, I dropped Dean, Mary and JoAnn with their crowbars and hammers, and Miriam and I went to check on a few other things. They got the nails done and convinced David to let them take out some (but not all) of the moldy beadboard insulation on the outside walls. Dean thinks they need to remove the firring strips and they definitely need a good power washing and sanitizing and I offered to send a team in Saturday, but Betty said she didn't think so. I'll send a team anyway so she doesn't come looking for me again. Funny! These two are definite passive, humble Minnesotans. She was also talking about the beautiful front garden that she had and how she didn't know how she'd ever get it back to its original beauty next spring. I'll have to add a May visit to Betty to my calendar!

We stopped in to talk with Pastor Krusemark, worked out a few details and learned about some of his members who still needed help. Twenty two families, or 50% of his members had significant damage.

We also stopped at the city offices and got a job assignment for 100 Concordia Academy high schoolers who will be bused in to Stockton and/or Rushford for a service project. There are several cornfields and woods where the river of mud carried and dumped the contents of a couple of destroyed houses, patio furniture, toys, and a flattened barn. They will haul the debris out of the fields and woods and to the curb for pick up. It will make such a difference to those who live near the area, and for the farmer, who can then prepare his field for next spring!

Lots of progress here, too. 99-year-old Helen had a new foundation and the red "do not enter" sign has been removed from her front door. Several other houses had been jacked up and their collapsed basements were being repaired. A couple of homes have been demolished already and some yards had been cleaned, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Vi's been back to the city asking for help and we continue to wonder. You really need to see this place to understand -- It's big, and old, and overwhelming. The Southern Baptists have been there, and did some more demolition on the walls. Now she wants the floors pulled. Each of us does a little work and walks away, shaking our heads. It just doesn't look like progress, we're not sure if we helping, or hurting... But if it gives Vi hope, we'll all keep working on it a bit at a time.

We left Stockton to the rumble of thunder, clap of lightning, and a wary eye to the sky. Looked like a short, small rain. Thank God!!!!!!!