By Stan Friedman

ARLINGTON, WA (March 24, 2014) — Jessica Ronhaar, pastor at Arlington United Church, a Covenant congregation, says none of the members was injured in Saturday’s deadly mudslide, but everyone in the small community knows someone who has been impacted by the tragedy, and several members of the church are first-responders who have been working at the scene just outside the community of Oso.

“Our whole community is impacted by this,” Ronhaar said this afternoon. “Everyone knows someone who has a family member who has been injured or killed.”

“Our town is grieving right now,” Ronhaar said. “We need a lot of prayer.

Arlington is the closest town to Oso, which is about 10 miles away.

At least eight people have been killed, and 108 people reported missing as a result of the enormous mudslide that destroyed two neighborhoods along Highway 530.

A fire official said a square mile of mud and debris slid across the highway and damaged or demolished as many as 30 homes.