Dear Editor,
A Memorial Day weekend to remember. On Sunday, a dear friend asked to see our basement saying she didn’t realize we had one. As she reached the bottom step she cried out, “Your basement is flooded.” Upon investigation we found 8½” of water. We were shocked to say the least and then the saga began.
What to do first? Contact the owner. Second call: Contact emergency flood help. One of the amazing things I have discovered is the way this community pulls together when someone is in desperate need. We were certainly at that point.
My next call was to Alan Lusby asking for a submersible pump. He didn’t have on but said he would make a call. In less than 10 minutes Alan called back and said he and his wife Debbie were on their way. Words cannot express our thanks and gratitude for their willingness to drop their plans and come to the rescue. When they arrived they went to work immediately. Alan started the pump while Roger and Debbie carried dripping wet boxes from the basement.
The next call I made was to a family who demonstrate what a family should be like. They work as a team. It is amazing to watch this family dig right in and work without a single complaint right down to the smallest and youngest who is 4 years old. This is the Perrin family. Scott, Tina and their 7 children (Kade, Shaney, Eliese, Jace, Callie, Tage and little Savannah who saved all my photographs) have demonstrated this to us twice before. They dropped what they were doing and came to assist in our dire need. 
The next call I made was to the Chaffee family. Seth Chaffee said he would be right over and he brought Dakota Wilson with him. Next came one of my dear caregivers, Jenni Bowles, and her son Jordan. These people worked for over 4 hours bringing up wet boxes and plastic containers filled with water. They worked steadily and without complaint. The concern for my belongings touched my heart. Nevertheless, pretty much 40 years of precious items were a total loss. Most of them irreplaceable. Yes, we have insurance but to our dismay, the insurance company will not replace anything. What they said was “due to the fact that the sump pump malfunctioned they would not cover anything.” As I sat and tried to comprehend all that had happened, one thing came to mind. God is good. He always manages to bring to my mind a scripture for the moment. The scripture was: Matt 6:19-21: 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
My heart is with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What I had lost was just stuff. Don’t misunderstand me, I was deeply saddened by the loss, but it was just stuff. As different ones have come to help sort out and dry items this loss was turned into a blessing. Time after time people in this community have demonstrated how a community should serve one another. If only we could duplicate this community and others like it, what a better world we would live in.
Sincerely,
Jane Burgess

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