Obviously, I haven’t updated this blog for a while.  It served as a way to let people know the situation back when it was happening and, after all our people were accounted for and adjustments were made, we just went on with our lives and work.

However, we are now back at the Chapel!  The inside was gutted to get to any mold and, on the basis of $19,000,00 of scrubbing and testing, we are mold free.  Only after that was established could we begin to rebuild.

Here is a portion of my Christmas ministry letter:

“We have learned that it isn’t wrong to make plans and set goals, but that our plans must be submitted to Jesus. He is the Head of the church and the Head of our family. As we follow Him, we will find His protection and His provision. As we trust Him, we will find Him to be trustworthy and faithful. No one knows what the future will bring—no one but Jesus.

Obviously, we have seen strong evidence of this over the past 15 months. When the flood came and the Chapel sat in the water, none of us knew God’s plan. So many in our community had lost so much and the only thing we knew was that it would take a long time and a lot of work, besides a lot of money, to get things back in order.

But God knew just what was needed. He provided a place, through the kindness of Allnutt Funeral Chapel, for us to gather ourselves each week. For fourteen months they allowed us to use their facility at no charge, and we were greatly blessed. God lifted up Bob Fiscus to lead in organizing the rebuilding of the Chapel, and Bob gave more hours of labor and planning than you and I could imagine. Bob and Sylvia, Harry and Liz, and so many others pitched in to tear out drywall and flooring and carry out trash and get things ready so the inside could be restored. For those who didn’t see what was needed, it is also hard to imagine. The interior of the building has been rebuilt from the studs in the walls and the concrete floors. What wasn’t destroyed by the water was infected by the mold. Even the wiring had to be replaced.

Then, at just the right time, God brought in Allan King and his work crews. They spent hundreds of hours sanding, cleaning, painting, and finishing all the woodwork and walls. They did more than we would have ever expected—again at no charge to us. Allan represents a Mennonite ministry and has helped many who were affected by the flood. We give praise to God for Allan, his family, and his work crews.

Financially, the Lord has provided in so many ways. Many from the Chapel family have been generous to the point of sacrifice. We have received gifts from folks outside the Chapel as well, and organizations such as Mountain View Presbyterian Church in Loveland. Several of our contractors have donated hours and fixtures to help us get back together.

Some of our folks from the canyon suffered serious loss. Some have rebuilt and others have had to find new living situations. But all were protected by the hand of God. It is amazing to think that the loss of life in this flood was so much less than in the 1976 flood, even though this flood was so much more powerful. While we grieve with those who lost loved ones and with those who lost their homes, we are thankful to the Lord for His protecting hand.

And now we are back! The community looks different and there is much work yet to be done. The Chapel looks different inside and it is obvious that a great deal of work has been done. There are still a few things to do, bugs to work out, but we are moving forward again. God has truly been good to us. He has been our Protector and our Provider.”