I am amazed at the amount of water that is out there and moving around in areas where I grew up – this is from Pastor Rothschild who lives in Minot but serves a Parish I used to attend years ago in Kramer ND. I remember in my younger years North Dakota being dry. Driving with my Father down the county roads and having grasshoppers jump into the open windows of the truck.
Here is Pastor’s story –
Flying to the Flock!
On a normal Sunday morning I drive about 150 miles to reach the three parishes (Faith, Towner; Zion, Kramer; and Bethlehem/St.John, Upham) I serve for Divine Service. This is not so unusual in the rural western states. However, the Souris River, which runs diagonally through my parish area, has flooded from this past winter’s snow melt blocking the east/west roads in the area making it rather difficult (i.e. impossible at this point) to get around. While members of each parish can get to their congregation it is the pastor who is unable to drive from one to the other. But thanks to Jan Rubbert (just one of a number who volunteered to help in the same way), a member at St. John, Upham, I was able to hop by plane from place to place to place on Palm Sunday. Unfortunately, it looks like Holy Week, Easter, and perhaps a Sunday or two beyond may require the same sort of “parish hopping” as the waters look to remain high for some time to come. So please, please, please pray for good flying weather for us!
Pastor on way to service
So to get some perspective what you are looking at is usually farm land and the streams or rivers in my day were “creeks” – we used to paddle across in a stock tank.
I remember as boy fishing on the Upham Bridge and as a child I could cast a bronze spinner from one side to the other. I’m not even sure where the river is anymore.
- There’s a river down there somewhere
So why this on a mercy blog spot? Because we are all parts of the body of Christ. when Pastor Rothschild is struggling we are all struggling. When he and his people hurt we all hurt. Glenn Merrit of LCMS World Relief and Human CAre said it best –
“As we head into this Holy Week in full anticipation of the glorious celebration of the resurrection and the powerful presence of Jesus Christ in our lives, we know that there are those whose lives have been turned upside down by the recent disasters across much of the US. Some of your communities have been affected. Perhaps, you or members of your LCMS district have suffered loss or devastation. We, at LCMS World Relief and Human Care, stand ready to encourage and assist you as needed and requested. Your district has a great disaster response program which we know has already been implemented. If we can come along side of you with personnel, material assistance, or financial help please do not hesitate to call. As the LCMS, we walk together in good times and bad. Let us know how we can help, where we can help! We will be there for you, for your district, for your congregations. Please don’t hesitate to call me, Rev. Glenn Merritt, or my colleague, Rev. Carlos Hernandez. You know us both and we are ready to help right now, right away as needed. Because so many disaster events are occurring simultaneously any updates you can provide on the situation in your district would be extremely helpful. Our resources are limited and our personnel are even more limited but we will stand with you and beside you as you assess and response to the recent storms in your district.
I am anxiously looking forward to hearing from you. May God grant many blessings on your ministries of mercy. We are all in this together—The Church ever sharing, ever caring. Thanks!” Pastor Daryl Rothschild
Check out Pastor Rothschild as he seeks to proclaim the Risen Christ this Easter Sunday by plane, or boat, or whatever, by visiting him on facebook.
We will try and keep you informed about him and show other situations that we were “all in together” with a remembrance of the Wadena Minnesota Tornado of about year ago in future blogs.
