Please pray for a priest/family friend

[ania]

Dear All,
Please pray for a priest whose a family friend of ours. He lives in Bell Canyon (Southern California), which is a few miles from the fires, & has been given "optional evacuation" orders. The surrounding canyons are now under "mandatory evacuation" orders. He & his matushka are packing up their icons, personal possessions, & pets. Their house is located about 5 miles from the only entrance, exit of the canyon.
Please pray for Fr. Alexander & his family.
Thanks.
Ania

[尼古拉前执事]

He has my prayers Ania. A friend sent me a similar message for his priest-friend:

We just received a telephone call from Father John Claypool from southern California. We would like to ask everyone's prayers for the parish of St. Seraphim, since they have had to evacuate the church and their home. The wildfires in the area are within 10 miles of Running Springs where our church is. Hundreds of homes have been burned down, and several people have lost their lives in these fires. Apparently there are several fires, two of which were started by people. The situation is made much more serious by seasonal high winds up to 45 miles per hour.

Also, Savvas Tadros, who lives in the San Diego area is asking for prayers, since the largest of the fires has consumed part of the suburbs there. One of his real estate clients had to flee his home, driving through flames, to save his family.

[尼古拉前执事]

Update on Father Alexander:

Thank you all for your prayers and expressions of support.

Through the intercession of the Holy Mother of God and of the saints, Our
Lord has been merciful to us.

The terrible fire stopped just over the last ridge near our house--less
than a mile away. The smoke was black and towering. The animals were
frantic. All were prepared to evacuate--we had rented a van to carry what
we could.

And then--the fire simply started to move away. No homes were touched.

We stayed at the house, prepared to leave if the fire threatened again--but
by morning it was clear that the fire was nowhere near us.

Thanking God for His unceasing mercies toward us, sinners,

With love in Christ,

Prot. Alexander Lebedeff

[Грешник]

:mrgreen: May God be praised for His mercy endureth forever! My prayers are with all those in the regions of the fire. My cousin Michael was evacuated, but haven't heard anything new, my aunt and other cousin are sitting tight. Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Saviour, save us!

JMM

[Gregory2]

I will pray for you all. Looking from television, the fires look awful. So much damage.

Also, add to the prayer requests the Project Mexico office in Chula Vista, CA, near San Diego. For those who are not familiar with it, Project Mexico is an Orthodox effort operating an orphanage and school near Tijuana, Mexico, doing the work of God down there. Their headquarters, however, are across the border in Chula Vista, CA.

[尼古拉前执事]

Here is the update that I got:

We just received word from Fr. John Claypool and his Matushka Debra and his
mother-in-law Judith, along with their three children Miranda, Gabriel and
Elisabeth, that they have been evacuated the second time, and the fire is
now approaching Running Springs, outside of which city Father John lives.

We all ask for your holy prayers that the fire will stay away from his home,
wherein is the Church of Saint Seraphim of Sarov.

Father and his family have been on the move since Sunday. So far, the word
is that the fire is approaching Running Springs and the government is
putting most of their effort to stop the fires in this area, because this is
where 60,000 people live.

So far, the fire has destroyed 1600 homes. Twenty two people have been
killed and over 600,000 acres have been burned.

Please keep Father John in your prayers.

[尼古拉前执事]

Here is the latest I heard:

Thank you all for your prayers.

Last night Father John was told that the fires surrounding Running Springs
were expected beyond all doubt to burn every home in the area. This made him
so disraught, that he could not listen to any more news, so he turned off
the reports until the morning when he would know the outcome. This morning
Father John learned that not one house burned last night. The fire fighters
sprayed water and fire retardant foam on the homes. The temperatures dropped
and the wind turned in the opposite direction, so fire fighters had an
opportunity to save Running Springs. The fires came right up to the house

The fire is still near them, so it is conceivable that it could turn back,
so let us continue to pray that God will have mercy on us. But for now the
danger has been overted.

Glory to God for all things.

Father John and the faithful in California are greatful for everyone's
prayers. It has made this trial much easier for them to bear.