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Dear friends in Christ,

In September 1999 David and Christine Barnes' house was in water to the
roof.  They've not returned to their Greenville house since Hurricane Floyd
flooded it.  They (along with many others) lost their money to unscrupulous
contractors, who did some work and then left town.  I was with the Barnes
last month.  They'll be back home in a few days.  "The volunteers brought
us unbelievable hope," Christine told me.

"It takes a spiritual village to raise a people" a Rocky Mount pastor said
at a meeting.  I have just returned from two weeks of meetings in North
Carolina, a visit that demonstrated the reality of the spiritual village at
work.

In mid-May the board of Lutheran Disaster Response (the cooperative
ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod) visited and met with interfaith leaders, disaster
survivors, volunteers, and staff in the towns of Rocky Mount, Goldsboro,
and Greenville.  In eastern North Carolina Hurricane Floyd destroyed 7,000
homes, damaged 56,000 others, and killed 51 people.  From the beginning,
LDR has worked with Lutheran and other faith partners, providing financial
and volunteer support.

Mike Shaw, Twin County Interfaith Recovery Initiative, told how rewarding
it was for so many "different and diverse people coming together to help."
Baptist Pastor Richard Joyner said, "Before the flood Lutherans were
unknown.  But now we know that Lutherans do the tough things, not because
it's popular but because it's the right thing to do.  Lutherans have made
an impact on transforming the community."

We saw how together faith communities have provided disaster response
services - spiritual people offering help and hope for the poor, elderly,
infirm, or vulnerable.  In these three areas, over 4,000 volunteers have
come from many denominations.  105 Lutheran teams came from 21 different
states.  LDR, through its church and coalition partners, have contributed
over $1.6 million to 17 counties in Eastern North Carolina.  The spiritual
village has enabled hundreds to return to their homes.

As disaster response work concludes, board systemic issues present before
Floyd continue.  The spiritual village will address issues as poverty,
illiteracy, and community development.  Many survivors are still in FEMA
trailers.  Respiratory ailments are a problem.  The death toll among the
elderly is rising.  There are mental and spiritual health issues.  Hundreds
of flood-destroyed homes are not demolished.

The second week I was accompanied by four ELCA Division for Church in
Society staff who lead Churchwide programs: for corporate social
responsibility (Trudy Brubaker), women and children living in poverty
strategy (Tina Dabney), assistant for Domestic Disaster Response (Johanna
Olson), and community development services (Gaylord Thomas).   We visited
the same three areas.

In Rocky Mount Mike Shaw and Pastor Joyner laid out broad and visionary
plans "to develop homes and develop families," reaching out to the poor and
to single-parent families.

Linda Stewart, Greenville Interfaith Fellowship Team, noted the economic
base had deteriorated before the floods.  "People struggling before the
flood can't make it now."  Cliff Harvel, regional director of the United
Methodist Disaster Recovery Team, reported plans to move from recovery into
long-term care and development, new building for sub-standard housing.

At the Wayne County Long Term Recover Organization, Goldsboro, director
Barbara Stiles, told us repairs are nearing an end.  "There are deplorable
living conditions, not due to Floyd."  The challenge is how to help people
in these situations.  A city council member and the assistant city manager
described plans to improve the infrastructure, clean debris, and do hazard
mitigation.  "There is a need to fill in the gaps of need.  There is a need
to work on the recovery side."

Until the end of August, LDR will continue to work closely with United
Methodists, the Reformed Church in America, the Church of the Brethren, and
the Christian Reformed Church, and other denominations providing skilled
volunteers.  Then the disaster response phase will be ended, and other
church programs and ministries will provide assistance and support.

I returned from North Carolina with a deep sense of gratitude for the
spiritual village.  Hundreds of survivors are being helped.  Thousands of
volunteers have come to offer tens of thousands of work hours.  Hundreds of
thousands of grants and assistance dollars have been provided.  And, I
believe, millions of prayers have been offered.  As disaster response
efforts conclude, the church will continue to be present with new
initiatives for the next steps forward, offering new ways raise the people
with help and hope in the name of Jesus Christ.

Yours in Christ,
Gil Furst

GILBERT B. FURST (written on Mon, Jun  4, 2001, at  3:59 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