Hurricane Katrina
Pastor in North Dakota Witnesses the Miracle of Giving

The Moravian - November 2005

The Reverend Charles “Chuck” Belzer serves as a part-time pastor for Canaan Moravian Church in Davenport, North Dakota. In addition to working for the Moravian denomination, the Rev. Belzer also serves another rural church, Barrie Congregational, is on staff at the First United Methodist Church, Fargo, North Dakota, and Chaplain at Rosewood Nursing Home in Fargo.

It was Friday, September 2, 2005. My brother and his wife were visiting and were planning to leave on Saturday morning. I came home early from the Fargo area that day to spend a little time with them. So on that afternoon, I happened to be in my office for a moment and the phone rang. The call was obviously from a cell phone from quite a distance and I had to ask a couple of times for identification. I finally realized it was Stephen, our newest member at Canaan Moravian Church, calling from Oklahoma.

The call continued, as Stephen explained (he’s a truck driver by trade), his typical truck run was from this area (North Dakota) hauling potatoes to the southern states, with a return run from a port with bananas for this area. His phone call was to inform me that he would not be taking any potatoes south for a while, but needed to continue bringing the bananas north. Thus, he said, “I could take a load of supplies for the hurricane victims. Do you think you could fill my semi-truck?” He also informed me that he needed to leave by Tuesday evening, the 6th, by 6:30 p.m.

I responded on the phone, “Stephen, let’s take a shot at it. I will do what I can do about getting information out and getting a location for dropping items.”

This is where the miracle of God was about to begin. It was a holiday weekend. Many folks were gone. I found only two of the six of our prayer chain callers, but it seemed to me that God had spoken through one of his kids, who had heard first-hand from the south of the incredible need. There was no time for a ‘committee meeting’ or for checking out with other authorities if this should happen. Rather, the nudge of God within said, ‘Go for it!’

I called as many Canaan Moravian folks as I could. I planned to preach at both the Canaan and Barrie Congregational and would put the plea in both places on Sunday. Pastor Brian Dixon at Bethel and Goshen Moravian Churches, in Durbin and Leonard, North Dakota, was immediately informed, and a contact at the Fargo Moravian Congregation was made. Senior Pastor Rick Zeck at the First United Methodist church in Fargo was called. I asked Pastor Rick if he thought it would be okay to make First Methodist the collection stop since the parking lot was big enough for the truck to be loaded. He immediately affirmed the request and said he would make sure that First Methodist worshippers on Sunday would be aware of the challenge.

By Sunday evening, we realized the entry of the Methodist church would not hold the items that were already coming in, so we locked the doors at 8:00 p.m. and prayed it wouldn’t rain on Monday — Labor Day. By 9:30 a.m. on Labor Day, I received a call from the Methodist caretaker asking if we could get a semi-trailer. He said there was a parade of cars going through and room was starting to be a problem. I called Stephen, he answered that he had a spare trailer to use since the one he usually used was going south and had bananas on it that needed to be unloaded in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Stephen brought the spare trailer to town and parked it at the church. We placed the items in it for safekeeping and locked the trailer that night. Many details began falling into place as willing people gave their special gifts. Calls were made to a location south of Houston, Texas, where we could unload the supplies. Boxes were gathered from the community so sorters could place like-items in boxes and mark them. Word came from the south that all items needed to be on pallets and they had to be shrink-wrapped. One man brought shrink-wrap and pallets were gathered.

At about 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, a demanding request came my way for a forklift. It was as if God had the right folks in the right place. A gal who worked for a concrete company called her boss to see about the use of a forklift and in 20 minutes, it was at the church, with an operator in the wings! He was part of the local guard unit and was qualified to instruct in the use of the forklift. (When God puts things together — He does it best!)

Stephen was to be back by 10:00 a.m. A host of Bethel and Goshen Moravian workers were at the ready at First Methodist to help load the goods. They all helped sort and fill the pallets, but Stephen was delayed as he found himself in a long line to unload bananas and instead of getting back to Fargo at 10:00 a.m., found himself there at 2:30 p.m. The folks were ready when he arrived. The truck was loaded — FULL — by 6:30 p.m. About $900 cash was given, randomly, to Stephen for fuel. We gathered around the back of the truck and prayed for Stephen’s safe travel and for the healing and warmth of our love to the recipients of the goods. It was estimated that $25,000 of supplies went on Stephen’s load of miracles. God nudged his kids!

In the Chapel service at Rosewood Nursing Home, I asked those folks to pray that we would fill the truck and the supplies would meet the needs of many who were hurting. To God be the Glory!

Just another short story that will continue to emerge as God’s children respond to His call. It seems to be appropriate to express words of thanks to Stephen for his obedience to an inner nudge. Also, to those who gave — to those who worked — to those who prayed. God has a way of working together all things for good for those who love Him and respond to His call. What a special way to live!!