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Dear friends in Christ,

I spent this first day of May looking again at 245 miles of fence posts.
As Elaine Richter (Director of LCMS World Relief and Assoc. Director of
Lutheran Disaster Response) and I left two full days of meetings with
pastors and the North Dakota Lutheran Disaster Response team in Fargo, to
travel to similar meetings in Watertown and in Sioux Falls, South Dakota,
my visual key to the widespread catastrophic damage of the winter blizzards
and flooding again was the fence posts along Interstate 29.

As we left Fargo, I saw the fence posts now standing in water, flood waters
that spread across entire fields and surround farm buildings.  Over the
next several hundred miles, more and more of the fence posts stand clear
and dry.  The medial drains are (mostly) dry, and the snow piles are
(mostly) melted.

When we got to South Dakota, we headed west to Watertown for a meeting of
twenty-three pastors, District and Synod staff, and members of the South
Dakota Lutheran Disaster Response team.  In a three hour meeting one pastor
after another told of the terrible effect of blizzards and floods on their
congregations and members.  Pastor Paul Knudson described how 80 families
of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Watertown,  lost their primary houses when
the lake rose.  Many pastors reported that worship services continue to be
canceled because roads are submerged and people cannot get to or from their
houses, to or from their church buildings.  Fifty percent of Day County is
underwater although it has no streams flowing through it.  People are
trapped in their homes.  There are high piles of dead cattle (nearly
200,000 died this winter), and many farmers, long-time farmers, are selling
their herds, renting their land, or quitting.  Pastor Charles Sorensen said
some of the farmers in his parish have to drive 20 miles to farm land
one-half mile away because of underwater roads.  One of the congregations
Pastor Diane Gunnerson serves, Our Savior, is celebrating its centennial
year.  But it has not had services for a month because it stands isolated
in the water.  Members wade across the water to check the church
facilities.  Pastor Robert Waite spoke of a dry lake that is now filled
with 18 feet of water, isolating families who cannot get to their jobs.
His ranchers have suffered great cattle loss, and 30 percent of their
farmland is not tillable.  One pastor quoted a member, "We're one calf
ahead this year, because of several sets of twin calves."  Another told how
milk trucks are unable to get to farms because of flooded roads.  In one
county 44 farms are in foreclosure.  Pastors and caregivers are under great
stress.  The elderly are "wearing down" and are confused.  Chronic
depression is widespread, and people are under severe emotional strain.
Yet they are making offers to provide help to the people of North Dakota,
who are "worse off than we."

This afternoon Elaine and I met with Jim Barclay (CEO of LSS South Dakota)
and Ray Engh (disaster coordinator) to discuss LDR's response to issues
related to this record-breaking flooding.  In the next few days--perhaps
tomorrow--a LDR outreach person will be hired to work in the Watertown
area to assess the practical needs of our brothers and sisters.  As the
waters subside and houses become accessible, a volunteer coordinator will
be named to enable clean up and repairs of homes and farm buildings,
including rewiring of damaged and destroyed fencing.

The snow has melted and flooded fields have taken their place.  As soon as
possible, you will be notified how you can volunteer to help in cleanup and
recovery efforts.

On this first day of May, as many South Dakota fields and fence posts stand
in water, let us pray God's strength and presence with these long-suffering
brothers and sisters...and prepare to show our faith active in generous
giving and volunteer service.

In Christ,
Gil Furst

GILBERT B. FURST (written on Thu, May  1, 1997, at 11:07 pm)
Associate Director, ELCA Domestic Disaster Response
Internet address: [log in to unmask]
For more information, click on our web site:  www.elca.org/dcs/disaster