Mooreton, North Dakota - Search and Rescue and Service

The uniformed members of the various response agencies must have nearly outnumbered the population of the little town of Mooreton, North Dakota.  Members of the North Dakota Highway Patrol, County Sherriff, the Coast Guard, the National Guard, Border Patrol, Customs Agents, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Valley Water Rescue Crew, and various Fire Departments from the area all responded to the report of a missing person.

A young woman from this little community where everyone knows everyone and everyone is connected to everyone, went missing last night.  She'd called to her family to say that she would be home in ten minutes, but she never arrived.  Her car was found this afternoon - several miles away, off the road, 10 feet under the cold waters of a flooded field.

An incident command center was set up in the Mooreton community hall (which still smelled faintly of last night's community fish fry...)  The room was filled with the earth toned green, and blue, and brown uniforms of the various agencies.  The colors of the room were brightened by the red and white jackets and vests of The Salvation Army's Emergency Disaster Service (EDS) team.

And in the same way, the somber faces of the uniformed men and women were brightened by the appearance of sandwiches, bottles of water, and urns of hot coffee.  "You just don't know how good it is to see you guys here," said one member of the U.S. Border Patrol who hails from Whitefish, Montana.  "I don't know if anyone else has told you this, but is so good for us to have you here."

Help Us to Help Each Other, Lord

Help us to help each other, Lord,
each other’s cross to bear;
Let each his friendly aid afford,
and feel his brother’s care.

In our country we value a rugged individualism and we emphasize things like independence, self-reliance and personal hard work. But that isn’t always enough. Natural disasters prove bigger than the effort of any single individual.

But in the Fargo / Moorhead area the community understands the importance of a shared and collaborative effort. Volunteers from every section of the community have come together to protect the city from the rising flood waters of the Red River and to serve the needs of the community.

Since March 1st The Salvation Army has recorded over 1,820 hours of service in response to the flood – from its officers, employees, and numerous volunteers. They have served over 12,000 meals, 18,000 beverages and 16, 500 snacks to sandbag crews, city employees, fire-fighters, law-enforcement officers and National Guard crews.

This massive effort of this Army is motivated by a love for God and a love for humanity, serving sandwiches and a cup of cold water or hot coffee in Jesus’ name. “Practical concern for the men and women of Fargo and Moorhead and the surrounding communities is the mission and sacrament of the Salvation Army” said Captain Bill Mealy, the Commanding Officer of the Fargo corps. “Serving others is an expression of our worship of God and our love for our brothers and sisters.”

Help us to build each other up,
our little stock improve;
increase our faith, confirm our hope,
and perfect us in love.
     Charles Wesley (1707 – 1788)