Whew!

What a crazy past 24 hours! I officially logged 3,700 flight miles on three separate flights, touched down in four time zones (Alaskan, Pacific, Mountain, Central) and ate a great meal with friends at Dickey's. I ended up leaving Alaska early and took a midnight flight out of Anchorage, which took me through San Francisco and Denver before arriving in Dallas. By the time I got to my apartment, I don't think my body knew which day or time it was!

Not much has changed today with the flooding. The water reached my parents' quicker than expected and it was much higher than they anticipated at first. When I talked to Nate (my brother) in early afternoon, the water hadn't quite reached the roof of the house, but it was going up. Dad and his co-worker Tim did break part of the Mississippi River levee to help drain the water coming in.

Now everyone has their eye on the Hawkeye-Dolby Diversion, known to everyone as the "Big Ditch." As previously mentioned in an email, this is preventing the water go any further. However, there is a decent chance it could also break, flooding hundreds and hundreds of acres of farmland, and many, many homes. We're praying it doesn't!

I've been in more of a state of shock and disbelief the past few days. I know the levee has broken and I of course believe my family when they tell me where the water is. But I hadn't seen it with my own eyes yet. It's hard for me to even imagine. Unfathomable, actually. Mom has taken a bunch of pictures, but the camera-computer cord is somewhere packed in the semi, so she can't upload right now! Thanks to Jen. She was also in the area today, took some pictures, and emailed them to me. (Prepare to hear a LOT about Jen. We've known each other since elementary school, but have officially claimed best friends since a very specific speech contest our sophomore year of high school. 13 years!!! :)

Even after seeing the pictures, it's still a bit unbelievable to me. After talking to Nate again tonight, I don't think the full impact will hit me until I see it myself. I know the house will never be livable in again. I know the crops are destroyed. I know the Stoller farm as I've known it my entire life is gone. But I can't comprehend it yet. I'm a bit afraid for the moment I will. The road I spent my entire childhood on is now washed away.

I'm attaching a few pictures Jen took today, from the Big Ditch. One zooms in a bit more on the farm, the others are of the neighborhood. Mom has before and after pictures of the area. I'm anxious to get ahold of those to make the compare/contrast. By the way, you can click on the pictures to make them larger.

The neighborood:



30th Avenue - our road - our farm is the furthest on the right:


A close-up of the farm - utter disbelief!


Keep praying. My family is still very busy, especially my dad. He's barely slept. I don't know how he's doing it! I am starting the drive up on Monday. I usually do the 12 hour drive in one day, but after traveling, I'm splitting it up. I'll stay in Springfield, MO Monday night and get home by noon on Tuesday. I'll probably be up there most of the summer.

I know this has gotten to be a long post, but I have one more thing! Someone reminded me of the hymn, "The Solid Rock." I think we sang it every Sunday in the Apostolic church I grew up in! But the lyrics are perfect, especially for this situation, so I end with those:

1. My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

2. When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

3. His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

Thanks again for praying!! Special thanks to my friends that met me for BBQ tonight! I needed that! :)

stephanie