Flood of '08

I feel very fortunate. We were able to get out of Iowa City and head up to Madison to stay with my family. Arie, Khairie, Meatloaf, Clemson and me. Just a few hours after we got out of town, they closed the last highway out of IC. It's gotten a lot worse since we've left. Coralville and IC are experiencing devastating flooding. The university has shut down for over a week. Some of our favorite places in town are now gone due to the flooding. The church we've been visiting, the dog park, the student union, our favorite Indian restaurant, our favorite pizza place, and countless other places we pass by all the time. Our house is far enough from the river, and we're on a hill and on the 3rd floor. So we're very lucky. Here are some pictures to give you all who are far away an idea of what's going on.

Iowa City/Coralville and part of the UI campus

Wig & Pen-our favorite pizza place in town

this is Parkview Church-the church we've been visiting

the church-taken from inside the worship center looking up at the sound booth

It's difficult to fathom right now what it's going to take to undo all this damage. It's so sad. But, ultimately, these are structures which are replaceable. We've been able to contact all our friends. Most of them, like us, left just in time. They're scattered around the country from Michigan to South Carolina to Georgia to Colorado to Minnesota. The few that stayed in IC are safe and are not battling flood waters. Unfortunately, the worst is yet to come. The river is not predicted to crest until Tuesday night-the waters will most likely rise another 5 feet. Please pray for the people of Iowa who have lost their homes and businesses.