UPDATE ON SLAVE LAKE IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE FIRE

A home in Slave Lake burned to the ground.

Tim Chesterton, an Anglican priest who lives in Edmonton, Alberta, writes to give an update on the aftermath of the fire in the nearby town of Slave Lake:

Hi Mimi:

Thanks so much for mobilising the troops for prayer for Slave Lake. On that subject, I thought this might interest you.
....

Your friend in Christ,

Tim

From the Anglican Journal:

When Pastor Leigh Sinclair and the congregation of St. Peter’s Ecumenical Church in Slave Lake, Alta., gathered for a confirmation service last Sunday morning, they didn’t think the wildfires were close enough to town to be worried.

Most went to celebration lunches and barbeques for the newly-confirmed. At around 3 p.m., Sinclair said people at a barbeque party she attended started getting worried. “Everybody thought, ‘This isn’t normal. There’s too much smoke!’ ”

By 6 p.m., Sinclair–who pastors a shared ministry with the Anglican, United and Lutheran churches–packed a bag and started the long drive to her parent’s home in Edmonton, joining a stream of vehicles on the road out of town.
....

She would later learn that two-thirds of Slave Lake burned down. Her home and St. Peter’s church were spared but five families who belonged to St. Peter’s lost everything. (My emphasis)

Thanks be to God that no lives were lost. Pray for the people of Slave Lake and the other towns who lost everything as they begin to rebuild their homes and their lives.

If you recall Tim asked for prayers for the people in the area several days ago.

Tim blogs at Faith, Folk, and Charity.

Photo from the Vancouver Sun.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE TOWN OF SLAVE LAKE, ALBERTA

From Tim Chesterton:

Dear Christian Blogging Friends:

I wonder if you might post this news item on your blog and ask for prayers? The town of Slave Lake is only 250 kms north of Edmonton and many people in this city have family and friends there. I myself led a couple of workshops at the ecumenical church there back in the 1990s. It seems that hundreds of buildings have been burned down and there is no sign yet that the fire is anywhere close to being under control.

After a day of caution over two encroaching wildfires, the winds picked up and brought chaos and destruction to Slave Lake.

Wind gusts that accelerated the advance of fires and grounded water bombers Sunday afternoon allowed the fire to jump two highways. Afterwards, it was free to tear through the Alberta town of 7,000 people. A long list of hundreds of buildings have burned down – including city hall, the police station, the radio station and countless houses – and the town has brought in a mandatory evacuation. The fires appear out of control.

More information at the Edmonton Journal and the Globe and Mail.

Thank you for your prayers.

Tim

UPDATE FROM TIM:

If you feel right about doing so, you might want to add that the toll-free number for the Alberta Red Cross is 1-800-418-1111.

Of course, I feel right about it.