Small Miracles

Dear faithful,

I wanted to share an inspiring story in the midst of all the destruction and tragedy. As most of you know, we have a property just outside of Ashland where we are planning to build our new church. Earlier this year we finished building a perimeter fence, which parishioners stained. Right now we are having contractors working on extending the sewer line, and to give our property sewer access. When the raging Alameda fire approached our church property, the contractors had only minutes to get out (our neighbor ran out to warn them of the approaching inferno). They pulled their machines and equipment onto our property, and parked them by the Cross which has been planted where the Altar will stand in the future, and they got out safe.

The fire destroyed everything in its path. Our neighbors houses to the east and south were completely destroyed. Our neighbor to the north was protected by our wood fence, which (apparently thanks to the stain we used) worked as a fire retardant wall, keeping the flames back.

Our entire 7 acre property is burned and charred black, except the area right around the Cross, where icons of Christ and the Mother of God have been planted! There is a circle of completely unburned grass around the Cross, where the contractors’ equipment stands almost completely undamaged! Please see the images below. The other thing untouched was the sign at the bottom of the property saying “Future home of Archangel Gabriel Orthodox Church.”

Thanks be to God!

In Christ,
Fr. Andreas Blom
Rector, Archangel Gabriel Orthodox Church