But then Quentin came home from his early bishopric meeting and said this Sunday was going to be very different. The meteorologists predicted another huge windstorm coming in Sunday night. And a big concern was that all of the debris from the first storm would become airborne and cause greater damage. Yikes! So...we went to our sacrament meeting (where another ward joined us) and saw the entire Stake Presidency, our bishopric, the other ward's bishop, and a member of the Stake High Council. Our bishop announced that our services would be abbreviated so that we could get out and work when the meeting was adjourned. They suggested we go home, eat something so we could have strength (even though it was Fast Sunday) and then secure our own homes. After that, the Brethren should check with their home teaching families, and then report to the Bishop's house, where we could be directed to other families in our ward that need help - or even families outside our ward.
In our Church, we are asked to keep the Sabbath Day holy by refraining from "heavy labor" on Sundays. However, our Stake President quoted from the book of James where it says, "Pure religion...is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction." He said that in this time of emergency we are asked to practice what we preach by helping and supporting our neighbors and ward family.
So...after returning home around noon, we ate some lunch and got to work. We removed our 6 sections of wooden fencing that came down and put it on the curb. We re-bolted our coach lights that had rattled loose in the first storm, and our neighbors helped us cut down an aspen tree that was mostly dead and would be compromised in another big storm - we didn't want it falling on our house!
After taking care of our house, we checked on neighbors. I was floored by how quickly everything got done! Fallen trees were cut down; tarps were put on roofs that need repairs; hundreds of trucks and trailers had men picking up any debris that was left on curbs. We even saw someone helping that was from our old neighborhood in Farmington! What was most humbling was seeing everyone pitching in and helping - and I saw groups of men saying humble prayers before beginning their work.
Our governor called in the Utah National Guard to help facilitate debris drop-off sites. 3 of Centerville's parks became temporary "dumps" for green waste and other debris. I couldn't believe how much there was!
Anyway, as we braced for yet another storm last night, we were grateful to feel prepared. And you know what? We went to bed around 11:00 with a slight breeze blowing - and didn't wake up till our alarms went off! We had a restful night and the wind wasn't bad! I'm sure a lot of prayers were offered, and the area was protected. Ahhhhh.....
No comments:
Post a Comment