Cedar Rapids Flooding: This is NOT our Hurricane Katrina

Jim, in addition to responding in your blog, could you also send me the same information on email to the address that I provided to you, thanks, joe

Jim, I would appreciate your assessment of the situation in Cedar Rapids in terms of the flooding. In the area impacted by the severe flooding in which private housing sustained damage that might be covered by flood insurance:
How many homes might be affected?
What happened to the churches in these areas? did the damage affect their ability to meet as a community of believers? were these churches able to meet the house mud out and rebuilding needs of member families greatly affected by the damage?
What is the "churching possibility" of families fitting the above situation? That is engaging these unchurched families in such a way that they could be bring into either existing churches or into new communities of believers?

Jim, your insights of being the church guy (geek) on site would be very helpful, thanks, joe

Thank you for sharing. Some of my family members have received forwarded emails lately about this same issue. I'm going to link to this post on my blog. Praying for recovery and sending clean-up buckets!

This is the time for reflection and it is very sad that the whole world seems affected by these later days of chaos, poverty and calamities. Let's all pray together for one another and thank the good Lord for keeping us safe.

My partner, Daniel, who happens to be from Grand Forks and lived through the big flood that hit the city in '97, also said this was not the same as Katrina and I agree. It's a pretty lazy analogy.

Jim, thanks for the thoughtful reflections, which I appreciated as I searched the internet to find out how you and Lori and your churches were faring. Iowa folks are in our thoughts and prayers. Heather and Steve Huston

Dave, thanks for your prayers and thoughts. The Great Deluge sure is a great, eye-opening book. Today we're beginning to get a little touch of the incredibly arrogant bureaucracy that FEMA can be. In that regard many here are starting to understand the reality of what New Orleans faced during Katrina as FEMA took over. Hope you and Kim are well!

Thanks Mark for your comments. I love New Orleans and lived there for nine years before returning to the midwest where I grew up.

Everyone down in New Orleans is thinking of the people up in Iowa constantly this week. No, it's nothing like what happened here but still, it's a tremendous disaster for the people affected.

Jim:
Been thinking and praying for you and Lori all week and following the news from IA. Hope all is getting better in town and that your churches aren't too bably affected.

Also, I just read the "Great Deluge" while traveling for study leave this week. One of the few books that made me downirght angry as I read it.

Dave