Fires

Note: At the time this is posting many of the fires are now under control and our air has greatly improved. Lots of evacuations have been lifted and our situation has improved. Thank you for your prayers for continued safety!

Over the last several weeks there have been fires roaring across my beautiful state of Oregon, as well as traveling up and down the West Coast in Washington and California. I've spent countless conversations talking to people at work who have been evacuated and don't know when they can go back. Others have lost everything and I can hear the struggle as they try to be strong and work on slowly trying to figure out how to piece the details of their lives back together. I've talked to a few people who have spent terrified hours or days waiting to hear from family members. And I've spoken to brave men and women who are firefighters or family members of firefighters. They're dealing with their own brand of fear as they fight back the terror that has taken a hold of our state.

There's been so much loss recently. So many people who were just barely starting to get back to their feet have been beaten down again and again this year and these fires have threatened to take away the last bit of strength many communities have.

I don't know the specific numbers but probably thousands of people have been affected by these fires. It's a terrifying time. I, myself, have been affected by all the smoke and the poor air quality. I've spent time talking to friends who have been evacuated, praying for family who are on standby for evacuation and monitoring the fires to see if I'll be the next one leaving my home. 

Then there's the flip side of all this. Over the last month or so there's been an outpouring of love and generosity that has been sorely missing in recent months. There's been so many fundraisers popping up because of people leaving their homes, needing help getting access to basic things, needing shelters or a meal. There's been livestock that people have to evacuate but have place to keep them. 

People have risen to the occasion. I had someone tell me the other day that she saw several needs posted on Facebook over the course of several days but every time she went to offer assistance the need had already been met. Fairgrounds have opened up so that people can put their livestock there and stores have been donating feed and supplies for the animals. There was a restaurant here in my town that was asked to feed 400 people and they had just one day to raise the funds. They posted on Facebook to ask for help and people were so generous that they raised more then they'd been asking for! In one day!

Even at work I've had conversations with people around the country. When they find out that I'm in Oregon they ask me if I'm okay. They tell me they've been thinking of us or praying for us. I had countless people call in to deal with something and they take extra time just to ask if our staff is okay or encouraging us to stay safe. 

People may be suffering but it hasn't stopped them from reaching out. If anything it's made them that much more generous. 

Thank you friends, for supporting Oregon and remembering us in your prayers at this time. Thank you Lord, for using this time of trouble to bring us back together as a community and reminding us of what we have in common instead of what divides us.