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Dear friends in Christ,
"Let's go home," Dave Wegner said to his young son Josiah. "But Dad, we
don't have a home." I am writing to you from Siren, Wisconsin, where this
afternoon Dave described how he and two friends dashed to the basement and
ducked under his wife's craft table as a tornado broke apart his house.
When the tornado passed, he peeked out from under the table and his whole
house--and shop next door--had disappeared.
Six weeks ago a powerful tornado touched down in Wisconsin, affecting
houses around and within the Siren area and producing widespread
devastation. Lutheran Disaster Response (a cooperative ministry of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Lutheran Church-Missouri
Synod) has been part of the recovery effort from the very beginning.
Today was a full day in Siren. This morning and afternoon I met with the
area Lutheran pastors. Also participating were Bishop Robert Berg
(Northwest Synod of Wisconsin); Ted Hakala (regional vice president) and
three staff members of Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin (the agency
managing the LDR response); Melanie Josephson and Dick Graves (disaster
consultants from LSS-Minnesota); Luther Stave (Good Samaritan Center
administrator); Kristin Hunsicker (ELCA intern); and Susan Jensen (FEMA
voluntary agency liaison).
Pastor Richard Schreiber expressed appreciation for learning that what he
was experiencing in the people of his community were "normal feelings in an
abnormal situation." Pastor Diane Blahauvitz described how, when she first
got to the center of town, the steeple cross was illuminated by the lights
of the emergency vehicles. "We are here, God is here, we are blessed" she
reflected. Pastor Jeff Cottingham was impressed by all the people helping.
"God is still in control," he noted.
We also met with Diane Gravensen, newly named director of the "Community
Interfaith Connection." Lutheran Disaster Response will work with other
national faith groups through this local interfaith organization, and
provide funding for two case managers.
It was heart breaking to drive through this community today, to see so much
destruction, so many instances where boys like Josiah Wegner no longer have
a home. But it was inspiring to be with these caregivers, with pastors and
lay leaders, agency professionals and government employees_people who, with
Lutheran Disaster Response, are reaching out to the survivors of this
Wisconsin tornado with God's love and care.
You, too, can reach out and provide help and hope to those who have lost so
much.
Your prayers will support the survivors whose spirits are so fragile, and
caregivers who are walking extra miles of compassion with them.
Your contributions will enable your church to continue to support and
sustain a ministry presence in this place now and for the long haul.
To contribute:
ELCA DOMESTIC Disaster Response - "Siren Tornado"
PO Box 71764
Chicago, Illinois 60694-1764
Credit card gift line: 1-800-638-3522
Credit card gifts via the web: www.elca.org/disaster
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 Tue, Jul 31, 2001, 9:12 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
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