We Have Been a Bit Occupied

We apologize for failing to post lately, but if you will click on the link of the title, you will see that we have been a trifle busy this week.

We were privileged and humbled to serve as Incident Chaplain for the Alabaugh Canyon Wildfire Containment effort, working through the American Red Cross at the shelter and information center; but also, on the lines with the almost 500 firefighters from across the eastern Rocky Mountain region, as they fought the worst and hottest wildfire in South Dakota history, with over 10,000 acres consumed, and cantainment at only 40% at present, and some active fire still in the canyon country only three miles southwest of Hot Springs.

There was only one fatality, David Beeman, a friend of ours and son of a brother and sister in the Lord, Billy and Marilyn Beeman, who were also from St. Luke's Hot Springs; several fire crew injuries, as the fires danced and acted plumb 'squirelly' at times; over thirty homes destroyed or severely damaged; yet, miraculously, many homes and lives spared, even though they were under an immediate evacuation order, issued at 2-4 am Sunday morning.

We boarded some of the evacuees animals in our kennel, and worked from Sunday morning through today with the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, and several private crisis counseling organisations to provide grief counseling and an ear to listen.

I will be back in blogland by next week, following the final community meeting tonite, funeral tomorrow, and a bit of rest before Sunday starts it all over again.

Thank God for the effectual fervent prayers of many of you whom we have contacted through comments on some of your blogs...you have meant so much to us, and we love you all.