Haven’t updated for a while.  Highway 34 is open, ahead of schedule.  It is still considered a temporary road, but we can get to Drake from Loveland on paved two-lane surface.  The folks on Storm Mountain are moving home.  But we may never say that things are back to normal in the canyon.

Everyone who goes up remarks on the changes and the damage that can still be seen.  The road crews have done so much, but there is still so much to do.  We have limited access to the Chapel, a single lane road with no parking.  The issue is what’s left from the flood.  Boulders sit everywhere, I am told, and many of them are large.  A primary issue for returning to the Chapel will be parking.

The interior has been torn out, thanks to our two couples who have worked so hard.  A crew from Americorp, based in Estes Park, came down to help on a couple of days.  With their help, the rugs and walls were torn out and mud removed.  Lots of hard work was accomplished.  Now we have to get the electric system inspected and repaired in order to get lights and we will have someone check the furnace.  Still much to do.

The expenses of the Chapel will be significant, one adjuster (who told us he couldn’t help us) said at least $50,000 to return to what we had.  Obviously, that number is yet to be calculated, but it does not include any parking lot work.  Since we had no flood insurance coverage, being ineligible, and no government funds are available for the church, we are simply trusting that the Lord will provide when the funds are needed.  So far, we haven’t spent much to get things torn out.

Other information:

We mourn the passing of our friend Jim.  He struggled toward the end and Carol had the double burden of being evacuated and being with him through the difficulties.  But God is faithful and provided a place to stay and the stamina to handle things.  We will miss Jim, with his kind words and smile and handshake.  Praise the Lord for the hope we have as believers!

We are getting ready for our annual Christmas dinner at Golden Corral on December 15th.  These things are important for keeping our folks together.  We hope that some who are living in Denver or other places where they can’t normally gather with us on Sunday, will be able to be here for that special time.

We appreciate the prayers of those who read here.  We continue to enjoy our stay with the folks at Allnutt.  They have been so gracious and generous.  We have been given Bibles by the Gideons and hymnals from a church in Nebraska.  Our attendance has been smaller, but steady and we are blessed.  God is good . . . all the time!

Well, we have had a report on the damage at the Chapel building in Drake.  Two of our men went up there and found that water did get into the building, both from the river and, apparently, from the hillside behind the Chapel.  Mold is already growing and the building smells.  The pews were pushed into a heap at the back of the church.  Cushions, books, and paneling have all been water-soaked and most are not recoverable.  One estimate was that two feet of water was in the building.  Now, of course, there is mud and mold.

Those who went up were able to bring a few things back (files, some hymnals, some artwork, etc.) but not much.  Nor were they able to do any cleaning or repairs.  These things will have to wait until more time and access is allowed.  At this point only those who have identification that verifies they live in the area are able to go in and then only for short periods.  Even then, the roads are such that four-wheel-drive and high clearance are necessary.  No cars can get to the Chapel building, so anything brought out has to be carried across the river on the makeshift bridge.

There is no road by the Chapel, nor do we have any parking left.  It will be several months before access will become easy again.  We are trying to determine our best course of action until that time.  At this point we still have to simply wait.

PERSPECTIVE:  It is important to remember that no one lives at the Chapel.  Some have lost their homes completely and others will have a great deal of work to do when they have access again.  The Chapel building is just a building.  The Chapel family can build again or meet in another facility, even if the current building cannot be restored.  Our concern now is for the people who grieve the loss of their homes and community.

At this point we have accounted for everyone in the Chapel fellowship.  All are safe and in good spirits, in spite of their loss.  Those who are able are gathering at the Allnutt facility in Loveland for worship and fellowship on Sunday mornings.  We continue to meet for breakfast at Perkins on Thursday mornings.  We are very much aware that God has blessed all of us.

So many have expressed their concerns.  Thanks for your prayers and for your financial contributions.  We have a special flood relief fund set up and donations can be made through this website or can be sent to our PO box (Chapel of the Interlude, PO Box 2882, Loveland, CO 80539).

Please tell others about this website.  We will try to keep it up to date as we learn more.  I hope to have some recent pictures of the Chapel property soon.

Last Sunday was our first worship time together since the flood.  You can listen to the message here:

Join us this Sunday at the Allnutt Funeral Chapel (2100 North Lincoln in Loveland).  As things begin to return to normal, we will resume our study of David as a wonderful illustration of God’s grace.

I just received new photos of the Chapel area from Charlie Johnson.  Some of you will remember that we worked with him on the river lots.  This photo is very recent and shows the Chapel well.  Praise God for His protection!

Well, we had a great time together this Sunday!  Almost 30 of us gathered for worship in the fellowship room of Allnutt Funeral Service.  Michele from Allnutt was there to welcome us and Lillian made coffee and acted as our hostess.  Both made us feel special and valued.  They were great.

We even had a newspaper reporter with us.  Jessica Benes from the Loveland Reporter-Herald was with us for the whole service and interviewed several of the folks after the service.  Her article is on the front page of the R-H this morning.  I always feel like I have to defend myself when a reporter relates my words, but it was good for our folks to have that attention and the article was good.  Here’s a link to the article for those who don’t get the paper:

http://www.reporterherald.com/news/larimer-county/ci_24153289/drake-congregation-shares-flood-stories-members-gather-loveland

We will meet again next week and hope to have even more of our folks with us.  Everyone is now accounted for, although I haven’t talked with everyone.  Some are still traveling, of course.

Keep praying!

Yesterday we met with Michelle at Allnutt Funeral Service in Loveland and she graciously offered us the use of their chapel and fellowship area for as long as we need it at no charge.  God is good!

10 AM at Allnut (2100 North Lincoln in Loveland)

Several churches offered the use of their worship areas on Sunday afternoons and we visited a couple other businesses that have meeting rooms.  Mary at Home State Bank was very helpful and kind in doing research for us.  But it worked out that one of our ladies used to work at Allnutt and made a call for us.

At first, we will meet in the fellowship area just for the sake of feeling more together.  Later we may move into the chapel.  We are welcome to use the facility through the mornings, so we will have our regular worship time and services.

In the photo map below, you will see 1st Christian Church in the bottom of the photo and Allnutt just above it.  You should be able to park on the east, south, or north sides.  We will meet in the fellowship room on the east side and there are doors there.  You are also welcome to enter through the main south doors.

10 AM at Allnut (2100 North Lincoln in Loveland)

I have received questions about how people can help the Chapel family.  We are working to assess the needs of our members as well as the condition of the Chapel building.  We know that some have lost their homes and others are struggling to find places to stay, clothes to wear, cars to drive, etc.  Even those whose houses were not lost have been evacuated with no way to return, perhaps for several months

So if you would like to help, we have set up a Paypal donation button on the sidebar of this page.  The donation will go through Paypal, but you do not have to have a Paypal account.  This is the fastest way for us to receive funds at this time.

Also, the Post Office box in Drake will be unavailable.  If you would prefer to send a donation through the mail, you may use my ministry address in Loveland.  Send to: Chapel of the Interlude, PO Box 2882, Loveland, CO 80539.

We will keep a careful accounting of these funds.  If you would like to specify their use (for building repair or help for families, for example), you will be able to do that on the Paypal site and we will do our best to honor your desires.

As always, you are welcome to call me (970-four oh two-968six) for any donation questions.  When Cherri, our treasurer, returns, I will add her number here as well.

There are many other organizations soliciting help for flood victims.  Giving through the Chapel will ensure that funds are given directly and fully to the needs of our families.

Thanks to Dallas and Maggie, who live next door to the Chapel, for sending on this photo (and many others).

The Chapel still stands in the upper left quadrant of the photo.  I hope you can zoom on the image.  The water appears to be up to the bottom of the main doors.

As of Monday morning, we are still missing several of our people.  Some have been evacuated from the mountain and we have no contact information for them.  Others, apparently have stayed in their homes without phone connections.  If you have information on any of the following, please contact Pastor Dave.

Sierra, Norm

If you have any questions or need to contact anyone, check with me and I may be able to help.  You can reach me through email at dave@gracefortheheart.org.

It appears that a couple of our folks have lost their homes and many have had serious damage.  The Chapel building still stands with some damage in the front. We do not know about interior or foundation damage.  The road in front of the Chapel is gone, as is the parking lot and the house across the street.  Given the conditions of Hwy 34 we probably will not find out much more for at least a few weeks.

Please pray for each other and stay connected.  The Chapel family is certainly stronger than a flood – because Jesus is our Strength!

Over the next few weeks, we will be posting information here about the meeting place and the congregation of the Chapel of the Interlude in Drake, Colorado.

Scroll down to read posts, most recent first.  You are welcome to leave a comment on any of the posts by clicking on the little dialogue bubble in the upper right corner of the post.

Information here will be somewhat generic, given the public exposure of the internet, but members should be able to glean helpful information from these posts.  If you have any questions about the people or the gathering of the Chapel, please feel free to call me at 970-seven seven six-zero98six (I have to do that so my number doesn’t get sent all around the internet) or to post a comment here.