Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Sandbaggin and savin the Farm

Tyler in the rising waters.

Tyler in the Blue Cap and Brandon in the Blue hoodie, sandbagging.



Le Ann, the farmer's neice.



3 foot of sand bags protecting the house.



You sit in a chair and hold the bags while the 'filler' dumps loads in, then you heave it off to the side for the 'riders' to take it to the needed areas. You can fill twice as many bags because the bag is stable on the ground and your not moving if your sitting so the 'shoveler' doesn't miss the bag.

The 'riders'.


We filled 9,000 bags at the farm in 2 hours!

The 3 colleges from the area completely shut down to allow the students to volunteer. They were an absolute HOOT!

Tyler and Brandon helped fill bags with Pastor Chris.

Today the boys and I were called to help sandbag for a relative of one of our church members in Oxbow, ND. It was so much fun to bag sand and surround the house knowing you were helping out in the name of God. The kids were plum tired by the time we were done and had mud from head to toe, but they had fun. When the end of the sand and the bags came, and the sand bag dike had been erected, we just stood back and took in all that we had accomplished....together. The farm owners were very grateful and thanked the boys 10 times over for their service. No one that young had helped bag sand or lifted the sand bags in the ‘receiving’ line before. Brandon just replied, ‘It had to be done, so we came. It’s what’s your SUPPOSED to do, right?” Tyler replied, “It was fun to play in the sand pile and ride the tractor!”

To each his own I suppose, but the sense of community was so strong. Standing 12 inches from another person for hours just handing them 40-50 lb bags of sand one after another, sweating, laughing, and touching each others hearts without even so much as a handshake. I loved it! I loved that my boys were by my side doing the very same thing. Helping people we didn’t even know battle a fight that hadn’t yet even come to full fury. God little warriors! It was a proud moment as a Mom to watch the boys work side by side with people more than twice their age and muscle mass, but yet keep on plugging as long as their was sand to move.

Psalm 146:5
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God!

Continue to pray that all residents and businesses of this flooded area get the help they need and the hope they are looking for. It’s been a 24/7 fight and many are tired, pray also please that they have the endurance to keep on fighting until the floodwaters are no longer a threat to life or property.

Thank you!

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