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Dear Christian friends,

"We're hoping that Grandma Lula can be back in her home by Easter."  This
is the hope of Sandra and Milton Wiggins, whose 96-year-old grandmother was
flooded out of her house in Vanceboro, North Carolina last September when
Hurricane Floyd raised the waters of the nearby Neuse River.

Seven months ago Hurricane Floyd affected nearly 18,000 North Carolina
houses, destroying over 4,000.  I spent these past several days with Carl
Miller (vice president, Lutheran Family Services in the Carolinas), who is
managing our Lutheran Disaster Response, and George Strunk, our LDR
coordinator.  As we drove through Seven Springs, Grifton, and Vanceboro, I
noticed many homeowners still cleaning up debris and piling it on the edge
of their property, tearing out carpeting and wall boards, elevating houses,
and continuing the long slow process of recovery.

I met Sandra and Milton at the "Christian Help Center" in Vanceboro, one of
the many interfaith disaster response offices in eastern North Carolina.
We gathered at the "desk" of Connie Lewis, the local director, to discuss
completing this house before Easter.

When we drove to Grandma Lula's house, Sandra showed me a folder with the
names and addresses of all the volunteers who worked in that house.  They
came from Pennsylvania and Illinois, Minnesota and Iowa, the Carolinas and
New England - Christian people of many denominations, who came at their own
expense and time to lend a loving hand to her grandmother and to the people
in North Carolina.

George tells me a steady stream of volunteers are signed up and coming to
help.  He needs more, for the job is enormous and far from done.
Especially needed are volunteers with some building skills.

George showed me a report written by Sara Roeschlein, one of eleven
Lutheran students from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota.  She and
her fellow students of the Lutheran Student Fellowship Campus Ministry
spent their time in Vanceboro roofing a house.  Sara writes about the lady
whose house they roofed.  "The day we left she asked if we could all pray
with her, what an awesome experience!  She thanked the Lord that someone
would come and help her, she trusted the Lord for this help."

As we enter Holy Week, I see many "death" scenes here - ruined houses, long
rows of FEMA trailers, small towns with damaged houses, people reeling from
the effects of this hurricane seven months later.  But we people of faith
will not end our faith journeys this week with the death scene on Good
Friday, but with the resurrection on Easter Sunday.  I am reminded that
hundreds across the country are responding to the people of North Carolina
with their prayers, contributions, and volunteering - showing their love
because they know the love of their crucified and risen Lord.  And I know
that hundreds of disaster survivors trust the Lord that people will come
and help.

As the faith community continues to respond to this massive disaster,
please offer your continuing prayers and support.

To volunteer: Call George Strunk, 1-888-336-4250.

To contribute:

    ELCA DOMESTIC Disaster Response - "Hurricanes"
    P.O. Box # 71764
    Chicago, Illinois 60694-1764.

        Credit card gift line: 1-800-638-3522

    LC-MS World Relief
    P.O. Box 66861
    St. Louis, MO 63166-9810

         Credit card gift line: 1-888-930-4438

Yours in Christ,
Gil Furst

GILBERT B. FURST (written on Sat, Apr 15, 2000, 8:26 pm).  Director for
  ELCA DOMESTIC DISASTER RESPONSE (Division for Church in Society) and
  LUTHERAN DISASTER RESPONSE (a cooperative ministry of the ELCA and LC-MS)
  8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago 60631  PHONE: 773-380-2822 FAX: 773-380-2493
Please visit our website:  www.elca.org/dcs/disaster