Life is slowly getting back to normal

Businesses were allowed to reopen last week and the schools were in session today. Porta potties still line the streets of my town but even there people are making the best of it. Many of them are decorated with Christmas lights, flowers and reading material hung on the doors. The river is continuing to go down despite the snow we received yesterday. (it is April, isn't it?)

Throughout all of this, God has continued to be faithful. Neighbor helping neighbor and strangers pitching in as well. This was spreading the Gospel through actions rather than words.

We had church yesterday and what a service it was. Brothers and sisters in Christ, lifting their voices to God the Father, praising Him for His protection. It felt so good to be in His house!!

It also feels good to be back here again. I missed my blogger friends! I hope this post finds all of you well!!

Give Thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever

This is a picture of what residents of my town now have to use. Our sewer system has failed so there is no water usage of any kind. Porta Potties like this one have been placed all over town. School is cancelled for another week and alternatives are being checked out for the remainder of the year as our sewer could take a month or more to fix. The mayor is begging people to leave town but that's not an option for everyone.

Through it all, I have to remember to praise the Lord. Praise that very few houses have been lost and no lives as far as I know. Praise that the river seems to have stopped rising although it will remain high for at least another week. Praise that the Lord brought just the right people to help out. Praise that my family lives out of town so we still have running water and a working septic tank so we can offer our home to those who need a shower or to do some laundry. Most of all, praise that despite how it looks, God is still in control and is giving us His strength to deal with all these issues. We are not walking through this alone.

God is still in control

April 15th
The U-S Army Corps of Engineers has revised its flood crest prediction for Valley City and now says the Sheyenne River may have already crested at 20.63 feet on April 13th.

The above news release raised everyone's spirits last night. Maybe the worst was over and we could rest just a bit while still being watchful. Below is what I saw when I checked the weather this morning. Maybe we're not out of the woods yet. Regardless of what the future holds, it won't come as a surprise to the Lord. He alone controls the water and He will tell the river where to flow. "Great is His faithfulness, His mercies are new every morning."

FORECAST...THE SHEYENNE RIVER AT VALLEY CITY HAS NOT YET CRESTED. ALTHOUGH LOCAL RUNOFF IS DIMINISHING...INFLOW ABOVE BALDHILL DAM CONTINUES. AS A RESULT...THE OUTFLOW FROM THE DAM MAY INCREASE LATER THIS WEEK...WHICH WOULD CAUSE THE RIVER LEVEL TO RESUME RISING MORE STEADILY.

The pictures I posted show how our town is beginning to look like a war zone. We are all so grateful for the National Guard and all their hard work. The Black Hawk helicopters are truly a sight to see. I live about a mile from the Barnes County airport so we were able to see them take off and land. It's an awesome sight to behold.

Half of our town has been asked to evacuate but there's no word yet on how many have complied. Traffic is very light in town so people are staying off the roads. Many non essential businesses have closed to save water and stress on the sewer system. An announcement will be made tomorrow regarding when the schools may start again. Valley City State University has closed the campus for the rest of the semester and the classes will all be finished online.

So, that's the latest from Valley City. I have truly seen the hands and feet of Jesus thoughout this whole ordeal.

Preparing for the flood

The first picture is of one of the parks in my town. The second picture is of the only bridge left open in Valley City. The river is expected to crest tomorrow night or Wednesday. We've had 2 levees with leaks so far and school was cancelled today. The southwest part of town was urged to evacuate earlier today while they worked to repair the breached dike. We had Blackhawk helicopters dropping 1,000 pound sand bags on the dike and the National Guard was out covering manhole covers with sand. It looks like a war zone but through it all, I know that God is in control.

I will try to keep you all updated as much as possible.

He's Alive

Sin couldn't keep our Lord on that cross but His love for us did. The devil only thought he had won but Jesus rose from the dead! He conquered death and sin and now we'll spend eternity with Him as long as we believe!! As the old song says "We've only just begun."

Good Friday.

Because of what Christ did on this day, I know I'll be spending eternity with Him

How high's the water mama? 18 feet high and rising

This is a picture from one of the parks in my town. It's our turn now to worry about flooding. They have diked all around our hospital and closed all the bridges except for one. I have a friend who lives right by the river and the water is almost up to her second story. It's been sandbag central at her house for the past few days, with many college students helping to build a sandbag dike. High school students are sandbagging also and people are volunteering to direct traffic so that the dump trucks can keep going instead of having to stop at traffic lights and stop signs. As of right now, school will still be in session next week but that could change at any moment.

I can't help but think that this couldn't happen at a better time. Sunday is Easter, when we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. No human, on his own power, could come back to life. But our God, who can do immeasurably more than we could ask for or imagine, has the power to raise people from the dead. He parted the Red Sea for Moses and the Israelites and He can perform a miracle here too. We already saw what He did in Fargo and I'm believing for a miracle here as well. God has already used this flood to bring people together, working side by side with strength that can only come from God. He is working in this situation and I will continue to trust Him with the safety of the town that I call home.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I'll keep you posted.