So………can’t write much…..trying to keep my head above water…….computer is floating on a table……not safe………hard to breath………gurgle…..gasp….I love you!………………………………………………………………………..
Okay I’m kidding…..but things are pretty crazy in Calgary right now! Our baptism got moved back to hopefully this weekend. We couldn’t do the interview because of the flood and Ruth lives at a low side of town. The district leader couldn’t make it there from his apartment because so many of the streets were flooded and closed. Plus, the Calgary transit is down and Ruth’s friend that is giving a talk needs the handicap bus to pick her up to go places. So everything should be fine for this weekend as long as Calgary transit gets back up and running! I still can’t believe all that’s been going on. My companion and I were driving in downtown where the power was out and streets were flooded on our left and right and it was just a ghost town! Everyone in the downtown portion of the city has been evacuated and the streets are filled with water. The city went from thousands of people crowding the streets and going every which way…to a tumble weed bouncing around…We had to evacuate the mandarin speaking missionaries in the zone because there apartment is in the main part of the city. Our place is a little bit out of the way. We have the two overflowing rivers on either side of us but we’re some what safely in the middle. On Friday is when the flood really got bad and people were walking places and cars were going under water and bridges were being closed and the main evacuations started in the city. My companion and I were out trying to make sure the zone was all okay and staying safe and smart. We stopped at some old school diner for lunch and it was such a memorable experience. It was one of those classic places where the workers have been there forever and the owner just scowled at us because “we’re Mormons and not the regulars”. So there were all these different hitchhikers, truck drivers and different people there and the place was decorated super old school, with James Dean posters and Marilyn Monroe and stuff. Plus the 50’s and 60’s music playing and the waiter serving us coffee even though we asked for water! haha It was closing down and workers were leaving even though they were still serving a few people. It was just crazy and an eery feeling like we were in a movie. But yeah, we’re safe for now and will be doing a lot of clean up help when the water starts to recede. The city is taking care of all the immediate service and help right now since the flood is still happening and they need to get power turned back on and clean water to people and such. We should be busting out the helping hands shirts in the stake this week though! I’m safe though!…no one has said that our water in contaminated yet….but it definitely smells like a dirty river….so we’re boiling it just in case! It’s supposed to rain some more this week but hopefully will subside towards the middle of the week.
Other than that, nothing too crazy has happened this week! Missionaries in different areas outside of our zone had to be evacuated as well and stay at the mission home and stuff. The only comparable flood that Calgary has seen was in 2005 and caused around 300 million dollars in damage….they already estimate that this one has far exceeded that cost. The stampede is supposed to happen next month but the saddle dome is up to the tenth row in water and the stampede grounds are under water…so that will be interesting! They say the show must go on!!!
I love you and hope that you can get some moisture back at home! I could use some money to maybe get some bottled water if you have any….please and thank you!
Elder Colby F. Jorgensen 