As seen in the Trib Local Aurora Feb. 16, 2012

From the community

Our Savior Lutheran Church in Aurora Works to Rebuild Minot, North Dakota after Record Floods

By Jeff Mikyska 

Earle Kramer, Pastor Jeff, and Don Hansen take a much needed break in Minot

The flood waters rose in Minot late in June, 2011. A month or so later, a flood the likes of which hadn’t been seen before had devastated the area. The Souris River had damaged or destroyed over 4,200 homes, leaving over 11,000 people without a house to live in. The record-setting “500 year flood” impacted approximately one-quarter of the residents of Minot. Many homes that flooded were believed to be well beyond the reach of the river known as “The Mouse.” Minot had worked hard after a flood in 1969 to protect its residents from future floods, but no one could see this coming. Eight months have passed, and only about 10% of the flooded residents have been able to return home.

One local congregation has committed itself to assisting those who were most vulnerable in Minot. In September, Our Savior Lutheran Church in Aurora answered the call to work with Lutheran Disaster Response to help rebuild Minot. The congregation sent a group to Minot in November, under the leadership of Pastor Jeff Mikyska, which worked on the removal of molded drywall and duct work in flooded homes (some of which still had water in the basements), and which also buttoned up other homes for the winter to protect already compromised foundation walls. This same group took clothing and food to donate for flood victims, along with puzzles, children’s books, and school supplies for pre-school children who had lost their homes.

Now, Our Savior is gearing up for a second trip and is looking for donations of a different kind. Pastor Mikyska and the group will be traveling to Minot again in mid-May, this time to begin rebuilding homes. In an effort to help those who cannot currently help themselves, Our Savior is beginning a fundraiser aimed at purchasing housing materials – ranging from drywall to kitchen sinks to toilets to doors and door knobs – and all things in between.

Lutheran Disaster Response has identified 500 families that include either the elderly, the unemployed, or single parents who are currently unable to afford on their own the rebuilding of their homes. Meanwhile, an organization in Minot called Recovery Warehouse is accepting donations to purchase (at cost) the housing materials needed to rebuild. These materials will then be given to Lutheran Disaster Response (and other Christian organizations) to be used in the rebuilding efforts. The money Our Savior Lutheran Church raises will be given directly to Recovery Warehouse, and the materials purchased with that money will be used by Our Savior and other groups in the rebuilding process this summer.

Perhaps what is most impressive is the way in which churches of all denominations in Minot have come together as one body. These churches have created Hope Village, an area of trailers and tents where all church groups can live together, eat together, pray together, and coordinate their efforts each day. There is no division in Hope Village, just people of faith working together to help flood victims. The group from Our Savior is anxious to reunite with their new friends in Minot, with the congregation sending the group off on Sunday, May 13th.

If you are interested in donating to the rebuilding efforts in Minot through Our Savior – Aurora, or seeing if there are any other ways that you can help, please contact the church office at 630-897-5936.