Minot ND flood damage update

I am posting a message I have received from Bishop Rick Lee, the Presiding Bishop of the Northwest Territories Region (MT, ND, SD, WY). From time-to-time churches ask about Level two harvest partners giving. While we want to be totally supportive of work outside of the United States, we also have needs at home that are worthy. This is one I can support, knowing the people involved, and the confidence I have in Bishop Lee for proper accountability. If you would like more information, please email Bishop Lee or me personally. Greetings I hope everyone is having a good day. Many have asked about the Minot situation and this is the latest update I have received. This information is from Rose Rector, the wife of Interim Pastor, Jason Rector. The clean up is completed. The parsonage had to be gutted from 4 1/4 feet down on all walls. All plumbing and furnace, duct work, appliances, carpet, subfloor, all matting and carpet, doors, fireplace and numerous other things had to be torn out and dragged to the street. Pastor David Lee had lost almost all of his personal items, clothes and funiture. I appreciate the hard work the Minot congregation did on their hard sometimes exhausting work. They worked endless hours after maintaining their normal working hours and sacrificing valuable time with their families. Pastor Lee is on medical leave and has not been back to Minot since July. This shows the Christian Matjurity of the membership as the church has continued to function and still maintains an active church schedule of events and a beautiful Spirit of worship and working together. They are to be commended as well as prayed for as they face a huge uphill battle to make the parsonage liveable again. First, Rose finallly got hold of the city about when Pastor Lee could move back in the parsonge. She found we will not need permits to rebuild if we nhire someone certified for those jobs including the heating, plumbing, electrical, etc. If we take a team up or the members try to do this themselves, we will have to buy a permit which in some cases will cost $1,000.00 for someone outside North Dakota to be certified there to work. As soon as the home has heating, water, electricity, gas, etc., the pastor can move in. ALL ELECTRICIANS AND HVAC (HEATING AND AIR GUYS) ARE BOOKED UP UNTIL DECEMBER. These are the estimated prices without seeing the house, just pricing for the size and needs of the home. HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING UNIT (without duct work) We must have the duct work done too. estimated cost $5,100.00 Connole offers heating/air conditioning plus duct work $14,000.00 - $15,000.00 Connole offers installation and new 50 gal water heater $995.00 plus tax or Sears offers $600.00 gas water heater & $300.00 installed so total would be. $900.00 plus tax Appointments are out about 3 - 4 weeks just for in home estimates. Work dates are up to 4 months from date of in home estimates! and Traditional stove/oven is $600.00 and up Refrigerator $500.00 and up Dishwashers $400.00 and up Menard's does offer a package pricing for these items when we are ready for them that may can reduce cost. We do have a person who may donate the washer and dryer if we can store it before he leaves town. plus We must purchase the drywall, taping, painting, etc and labor if we can't do it ourselves. We must also replace at least six of the plywood floor boards that hav holes or weak spots. Rose does have a estimator by appointment around the middle of October who will give more information on the plumbing/sinks/toliets, etc. Also a small construction company will give us a estimate on drywall and such when we get to that point. Also we will need to purchase insulation. There will be a ceiling to replace in the basement as well as some other items such as wall outlets, flooring, possibly windows. This is what our sister church in Minot faces. They have received donations to pay for the material/tools/ dumpster/basement cleaned out and professional Cleaning Business to sanitize everything up to code. These donations except for a few thousand were spent on the clean up. A special thanks goes to Scott Newman of Bethesda who cleaned out the basement and brought us up to where we can start looking at the future instead of the past. He did this for half of what everyone else was charging. Pastors, friends, overseers, family, this is it. Please pray about this and obey what God leads you to do. The Bible says you have not, becaue you asked not. Well, I am asking for help. Any way you can help is appreciated. If it be by financial donations, material donated, time, labor, prayers, etc. This is not my ability to organizs and manage a working detail that is much needed. I need you. If you decide to go, you may have to sleep on a floor or drive back and forth staying in Bismarck (110 miles away) There are few motel rooms in Minot and they are expensive. If you have friends living and working in Williston, (about 110 miles west of Minot) who may could help on their days off. Minots winters are severe and can start this month and go through May so time is important. It is in God's hands and we take comfort in knowing it is His Church Parsonage. I have never seen God send angels to complete a project like this, but I have always seen Him work through people. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me. Also before I close, please pray for Texas and the wild fires, the east and the northeast of our great country which are going through flooding themselves. "If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" II Chronicles 7:14 Notice He said MY PEOPLE. We are not Isrealites, but are we as Christians not His people. In His service, Bishop Rick Lee