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Dear Friends in Christ,

"I've lived here 37 years, and never dreamed something like this would
happen."  Kennerly Willingham, 73, has lived in his Houston home half his
life.  This widower, a retired navy man with emphysema, described how he
woke at 3:00 a.m. and found his bedroom (and entire house) in 10 inches of
water.  "I lost all my stuff, everything, but I'm still living.  I'm still
trying to figure it all out," he said.  "I can't - so God will have to
handle it."  Every room of his modest house was damaged.  In the background
you could hear volunteers in his house putting new sheetrock on his walls.

I just returned from Houston, where I'm spent these past days with Mark
Minick (Lutheran Disaster Response-Texas disaster coordinator) and Dale and
Jean Peercy (LDR construction coordinators).  Unlike my last visit to
Texas, I see signs of hope in the midst of destruction.

On June 9, Tropical Storm Allison left a trail of death and destruction
from Texas through New England.  Houston was the most affected area.
Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR; a cooperative ministry of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod) is
working through Lutheran Social Services of the South (Kurt Senske,
president), which is managing LDR's response in Texas and Louisiana.

In Houston, more than 3,600 houses were destroyed; 10,735 houses had major
damage, and 34,102 had minor damage.  Over 800 Lutheran families from 60
congregations had flood damage.  Over 117,000 applications have been made
to FEMA for individual and family grants.

Your church has responded from the very beginning.  In addition to the
initial efforts,  Dale and Jean Peercy have been on the scene since
September 10th, busy working with local volunteers and getting ready for a
national volunteer appeal.  LDR is also working with "Allison Recovery
Initiative," which consists of more than 100 community, faith-based,
government, and non-profit organizations.  Case management is proceeding.
Emergency funds are distributed.  A huge warehouse, managed by Seventh Day
Adventists, is about to open.  (It will hold repair and rebuilding supplies
for volunteers.)

LDR-TX has hired Nancy Fisher to coordinate "Camp Noah," a week-long day
camp for children traumatized by disaster.  "The needs of children are
incredible," Nancy told us.  "Over 10,000 children in the Houston area have
been impacted by Tropical Storm Allison."  LDR is planning an initial
eleven "Camp Noahs" - the first after Christmas, and ten in early March.

Sitting in the front of his house, with the sound of volunteers behind us,
Kennerly concluded, "I know God answers prayers.  The church is God's
people, and the church is here.  God has blessed me."

God's people, indeed, are present and active in the Houston area.  And LDR
is committed to be present for the long haul in this large natural
disaster, offering help and hope and bringing God's blessings to thousands
who were affected by this June flooding.

How can you help provide the blessings of God?

You can pray.  As always, your prayers sustain and strengthen those who
have felt the chaos of disasters as well as those who respond.  I can
attest personally how your prayers sustain me day to day, week to week.

You can volunteer.  Although it is almost five months since Allison flooded
this are, volunteers are still needed to help with cleaning up and clearing
out water-ruined houses.

To volunteer:  Contact Cheryl at Lutheran Social Services of the South,
713-647-9860

Please read this following section carefully.  You have heard me ask, even
plea, not to send material donations to the New York City area.  They are
inundated.  But the situation in Houston is very different.  I am
requesting the following specific items to be sent to Houston:

1)  BLANKETS AND QUILTS.  The nights are getting colder in Houston.  Many
of the affected homes, especially those of the elderly, have little or no
insulation.  You can help cover their shoulders with the warmth of God's
love.
2)  TEDDY BEARS and/or BEANIE BABIES.  As I mentioned, over 10,000 children
have been affected by this huge flood.  Parents will need help to provide
Christmas gifts for their children.

As soon as we have a storage area and distribution system in place, I will
send you that information.  Most likely such items will need to be sent no
later than December 1 or 7.

Your financial contributions will provide the support needed to sustain
this effort.  Last week I sent another grant for over $50,000 to support
this response.  Your gifts can be sent to:

    ELCA DOMESTIC Disaster Response - "Tropical Storm Allison"
    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 - "Tropical Storm Allison"
    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 Sun, Nov  4, 2001, at  5:08 pm)
Director, ELCA Domestic Disaster Response (Division for Church in Society),
Lutheran Disaster Response (a cooperative ministry of the ELCA and LCMS)
8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago 60631   PHONE: 773-380-2822  FAX: 773-380-2493
Visit our website:  www.elca.org/dcs/disaster