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Dear friends in Christ,

On the file cabinet outside the office of John Scibilia (LDR-NY
coordinator), are photos of a six-year-old Californian boy and his sister.
When these children saw on TV that people from around the country were
providing help to people affected by the September 11 attacks, they wanted
to do something too.  Together they put together a garage sale, and made a
huge sign letting everyone know that the proceeds of the sale would go to
New York City.  Their Saturday sale raised $140, which was designated for
the Lutheran Schools Association for scholarship support.  Marlene Lund,
executive for the Lutheran Schools Association, notes that "every
charitable gift is precious, including those coming from our largest
institutions, our state and federal governments.  But we take special pride
in gifts from those with the fewest resources, the least power, those more
in need of care than they care they provide.  There is great power and
teaching in this example of love for distant and unknown 'neighbors.'"

I just returned from visits to New York and New Jersey, where the power of
"love for distant and unknown neighbors" is so evident.  In New York
Bernice Karstensen (chair of the Lutheran Disaster Response board)
accompanied me.  As we met with John Scibilia, we heard how the LDR
response is reaching out to people directly impacted by the 9/11 events.
"We no longer talk about ripple effects," John said.  "Now we're talking
about wave effects."  About 40 people a day are calling one of our
responding agencies (Lutheran Social Services of Metropolitan New York) for
assistance.  These are individuals who are lost jobs in the World Trade
Center, for example, for individuals with immigration or refugee
difficulties.  Scholarship support is being carefully provided for students
in our Lutheran schools.  The counseling load continues to be enormous.
Caseworkers are assisting people who lost loved ones to access the many
funds specifically available for their help - funds often obscured by red
tape.

There is great care being taken to use the generosity of people across the
country - from our large institutions as well as the gifts from those with
the fewest resources.  As we met with President David Benke (LCMS Atlantic
District) and Bishop Stephen Bouman (ELCA Metropolitan New York Synod), it
was noted that sixty separate accounts have been set up to track designated
income.  The resources of the church must be used with the best
stewardship, because the church will be involved in this response long
after other agencies and entities have completed their operations.

A large portion of our time in New York was spent in focusing on this
summer's offerings for traumatized children.  LDR consultants from across
the country will be working with local child specialists to provide direct
ministry to youth from pre-school age through adolescence.  "Camp Noah,"
which LDR offers through Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota for
disaster-affected children kindergarten through sixth grade children, will
provide core leadership in the development of new and specialized
materials.  It is projected that sixty to one hundred weeklong day camps
will be offered this first year.  Generous gifts from distant and unknown
neighbors are making this a possibility.

In New Jersey I met with President William Klettke (LCMS New Jersey
District) and Bishop E. Roy Riley Jr. (ELCA New Jersey Synod), Doug
Oberreit (Lutheran Social Ministry of New Jersey), and our new LDR
coordinator Jack DiMatteo.  The dynamics in New Jersey are similar but
different from New York.  Many of the deaths in New York were people who
commuted from New Jersey.  The added ingredient is the presence of anthrax.
The immigration and refugee issues are present.  And the economic "wave"
has also hit New Jersey.  Next week Foster McCurley and Alan Weitzman (LDR
consultants) will meet with people in the Elizabeth area, to help them make
some theological sense out of their changed and sorrow-filled lives.

John Scibilia said to me, "By God's grace, we will make a difference.  I
was speaking with one person from Staten Island -- one of her friend's
husband was killed, and another friend's husband who worked down at the WTC
has left her and the family.  It's just beginning."  For uncounted numbers,
indeed it's just beginning.  But because of the love so many of you have
show "for distant and unknown neighbors," the church will be present and
making a difference in the years ahead, providing help and hope in Jesus'
name.

Yours in Christ,
Gil Furst


GILBERT B. FURST (written on Wed, Jan 23, 2002,11:53 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