Flood disaster: Personal accounts from those affected

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Deployment in Ahrweiler

When we arrived in Ahrweiler on Friday, we immediately headed to the first address. As we passed a house, I noticed an elderly man leaning against the wall, staring blankly ahead, utterly distraught. This sight disturbed me, so I spoke to him. He told us that he had worked hard all his life to be well provided for in retirement.

And now, in an instant, everything was gone. The flood had destroyed his four houses and his hotel. Only ruins remained; his 15 employees were out of work overnight. His expensive car, which he had bought three months earlier, was also destroyed.

With a few encouraging words, we were able to give him a little strength and hope. After this conversation, he even thanked us for noticing his despair and for talking to him about it.

Eduard Dai
Municipality of Güllesheim

Deployment at a riding stable in Swisttal-Miel

Part of our group traveled to Swisttal-Miel, where a Christian family on a riding stable needed help. The owner of the house explained that she, her husband, and their three children had taken the financial risk a year earlier and bought this large farmhouse to fulfill their dream of creating a community center. When the flood came, it swept away the high wall that enclosed the property, flooding the entire farmyard.

They saved their children at the last minute. The river had quickly transformed from a small stream, which could be jumped over, into a raging torrent, devastating the entire farmyard and damaging the house as well. On the ground floor, the furniture, flooring, and plaster had to be torn out; only the beds were still usable.

A week earlier, they had filled the entire barn with hay. However, the water and mud completely soaked and contaminated it. After the water receded, the hay had to be quickly spread across the entire farmyard to prevent a fermentation fire.

Afterwards, it was collected and disposed of. The woman was certain that our help, and the help of others, was an answer to her prayer.

The building was not insured against natural disasters. This made the financial damage very burdensome. Above all, however, the owner was simply grateful to God that everyone survived.

 

helper
Municipality of Güllesheim

 

Deployment in Ahrbrück

My first deployment was on Sunday, July 18, 2021, in Ahrbrück. When we arrived with our aid group of about 80 people, we split into smaller groups. Some family members, a friend, and I formed one group. We were the last to get off the bus. Everyone else was already walking ahead, and I noticed that everyone paused briefly at the first house, spoke with the owner, and then continued on their way.

I wondered why everyone was walking past and said to the others, "Come on, let's go to the first house here and ask if they need help." So we found ourselves standing in front of a garage belonging to a man around 60 years old who was already retired. He lived across the street, had had abdominal surgery two weeks earlier, and had just been discharged. When the flood came, he managed to escape from the garage into his house just in time.

He gave us a brief report on the garage. It consisted of what he called a book archive and an adjoining small room containing an armchair and a kitchenette. He had spent most of his time there.

Why not help, we thought. The electric garage door wouldn't open because there was no power. We wanted to open it manually, which proved difficult as it was bent and jammed in the track. I had spotted a window next to the garage and wanted to climb through it and try to open the door from the inside.

The owner laughed and simply said I wouldn't find an inch of free space there, because the garage was completely crammed with books right up to the rafters. I couldn't imagine that it wouldn't be possible to move something aside to get through. Somehow, the boys managed to open the door from the outside.

At first, we stood speechless in front of the garage, unable to believe our eyes. It was exactly as he had described. The garage was stacked to the ceiling with books and magazines. Now, on top of that, came the water and mud, which in some places reached up to our knees.

As we gradually disposed of the books, we got to talking. The man told us that he had been collecting books and magazines since his youth. He spent all his free time searching for the rarest copies, volumes, and series. He had even participated in exhibitions. It was his entire "life's work," as he called it.

During our lunch break, we chatted with the other volunteers. Everyone was enthusiastically sharing stories of how they had helped an elderly woman or a family. My brother felt that the garage was a lower priority and that we should help elsewhere where our assistance was more urgently needed. Somehow, though, I couldn't stop; I was determined to complete one task before moving on to the next.

So we continued. Meanwhile, reinforcements arrived from the man's family and circle of friends. They joked and teased, and he kept telling stories about how he had come to own this or that book. The verse from Matthew 6:19 kept running through my head: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth."

Eventually, we asked the man about that very verse and if he knew it from the Bible. He didn't elaborate, even trying to sidestep the conversation with a few jokes like, "In my next life, I definitely won't be collecting books." At first, we left it at that, but we noticed he became quieter and more thoughtful, until eventually he stopped saying anything at all.

When we were finally finished and called to leave, he thanked us for our help and said in closing, "I'm just glad I still have my life, because no one can replace that." He even started to cry. Perhaps we didn't do any "essential" work that day, but I'm sure the verse we presented to him will do its job.

 

Nadia Riewe
Municipality of Hennef