“The magnitude doesn’t hit you until you’re in it”
A mandatory evacuation order was given to the residents of Flin Flon, Manitoba, May 28th. Wildfires raging all around the town had coalesced into a monster that was threating to burn everything. The fire was innocuously labelled ‘WE017’ on provincial fire maps.
Citizens were notified around 2 p.m. and: “We were told we had to be out by midnight,” said Claudius Marais, Pastor of Flin Flon Alliance Church. “We had been on alert already. So we had packed the essentials. But this thing never really hits you until you’re in it.”
That fateful Wednesday, Claude, his wife Colleen, daughter Chantel, son-in-law Eugene and grand-son Troy and grand-daughter Charde formed a convoy of four cars heading out of the community; not sure where they would go and packing what they thought they would need for being away for only four to five days. “Just the bare necessities,” he recalled.
That first night, the family found an RV site where they could stop in The Pas. “We didn’t want to stray too far from home,” Claude said. RV site meaning: no washrooms, no facilities. Tents they had packed were unfurled and set up. “It was not a fantastic night, it’s not bad, either.”
The son-in-law Eugene was contacted by a friend who had immigrated in 2020 to Flin Flon from South Africa. Deon reached out to Eugene and let them know they were willing to provide a fully furnished farmhouse just outside of Leroy, Saskatchewan 407 kilometres away. “That was a real answer to prayer.” The entire family had a place of refuge. “We were set up so beautifully, it was such a wonderful thing. A real answer to prayer. It’s just a testimony to God’s goodness. ”
Marais and family started to get involved in the daily workings (read: chores) of the farm out of sincerely grateful hearts. The church family of Humboldt Alliance Church and Pastor Greg Dermody warmly welcomed the Marias family. Claude was also in constant contact with encourager and prayer warrior Pastor Paul Ens (Strasbourg Alliance Church).
While displaced from Flin Flon, work as pastor continued. Church elder, Paul Masson worked the church’s social media feeds to post videos prepared and sent by Claude, encouragement and devotionals.
Claude did his pastoral duties by phone, contacting his parishioners hearing their personal updates, encouraging them and sending out daily devotionals.
“We decided that it was important to get as many people [as possible] on board to pray. Because this was a real-real situation. This was not just a little fire off in the distance. This was becoming town-threatening. That’s when we got a hold of the Midwest district office. I spoke to Bernie. I spoke to Chris. That was on the second of June,” Marais had to inform the district team that he would not make it to District Conference. Tuesday, June 3, while many in the district were gathered at the conference, Prince Albert Alliance Church’s Pastor Mark Bergen led delegates in a prayer for the northern communities and a poignant prayer for rain. Bergen prayed while his own community was filled with wildfire smoke.
“I was amazed, totally amazed, to the point of being overwhelmed at the response that we got from the district. Everybody was just so willing to stand with us through this time and pray with us. It was just so wonderful. I just love the love of the people…people were willing to stand in the gap with us and pray for us. I believe strongly that in this time, because of the prayers that God intervened because on two occasions our town was threatened with fire right on the doorstep and then it stopped. Even the fire chief was amazed for all reasons and purposes that fire was supposed to go through Flin Flon, and it did not. Something had stopped it. That was amazing to us, and we are so grateful.”
The pastor was also getting updates about what was happening back in Flin Flon from Constable Ralph, a church member and member of the local RCMP detachment. “Every so often he would contact me and say: ‘relax everything is still good’ and send pictures of the church building.” Blessed reassurance. The constable also reported to Claude that it seemed the fire ‘hit a wall and would go no further,’ saving the city.
To add another twist to the story, tornado warnings were issued in Leroy, June 23. This shook the pastor. “The second time, I do admit, I was a bit concerned. But it was like the Holy Spirit said to me: ‘Claude you haven’t finished in what God’s called you [to do] yet.” Marais recalled, with a happy giggle. “Thank you, Lord.”
June 24 the city was able to ‘call back’ their displaced residents for the next day. Marias felt that he was to come home a day earlier to “pray for the people returning and pray over the town and pray God’s peace over this place,” and he worked to make contact with the city and fill out forms online. To no avail.
“The funny thing, on the Monday, which was the 23rd my wife works for the Manitoba government. And her bosses called up and said ‘Colleen, we need you to come back early because we need you get the offices ready for when the people return. And I’m thinking ‘my God does not need permission to come back to town, He makes a way.’”
The church? “There’s no damage to the church,” reported Claudius, “There wasn’t even ash on the roof.” Parishioners’ homes were spared except for the home of Church Secretary, Arlene. Her home near Denare Beach was a total loss. Denare Beach is a 22-minute drive from Flin Flon. There was no damage to the Marais home or to their daughter and son-in-law’s house next door. “We just praise God. He carried us through this. And it’s only through God’s mercy and the wonderful prayers of all the people who stood with us.”
Marais planned a welcome service at the church for Sunday, June 29. The following week (July 6) a special open church service is planned for City Hall and the entire community will be invited.
Stats show the reach of those social media posts from Claude and Paul housed on the Flin Flon Alliance Church account have reached audiences into the tens of thousands.
Claude asked that people continue to pray. “We can pray. We can pray that the Lord gives us wisdom in how to minister to the people who have suffered loss and how to encourage and speak life into a situation that is looking very bleak.”
“We also want to say ‘thank you’ to everyone who prayed. Really, deeply, sincerely, thank you.”