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.