Dear friends in Christ,

Changes of seasons are accompanied by severe and devastating storms.  Usually such events are barely reported by the news media.  This year, with the Iraq war, there has been almost no "natural disaster" reporting.  The church does not rely on the news media to set its ministry agenda, and has been busy as winter is yielding to spring.  Here are some ministries you are providing by your support of Lutheran Disaster Response (a cooperative ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod).

1. Through LDR you are responding to severe ice storms in Ohio that struck on Presidents' Day (February 17).  FEMA reports 2,184 assistance applications, and has provided over $2 million in grants and low interest loans.  The American Red Cross is assisting approximately 100 cases.  LDR is working in interfaith recovery efforts in seven counties, and is providing funding for a caseworker.  Mary Woodward (LDR-Ohio), working with a steering team, is responding to FEMA referrals and scheduling volunteers.  Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio (Nelson Meyer, CEO) is managing the response.

2. You are responding, through LDR, to people in Camilla, Georgia, where, on March 20, tornadoes killed six people and destroyed up to seventy-five homes. Bob Tribble (LDR-Georgia) is coordinating house repairs and on-going relief efforts.  Lutheran Services of Georgia (Gary Danielson, CEO) is managing the response.

3. On March 27 a tornado touched down in Liberty City, a poor district in Miami-Dade County, Florida.  Governor Bush describes the area as "some of the most economically depressed communities in the state," with high numbers of "low income, elderly and unemployed residents." The F-2 tornado had sustained winds between 113 and 157 miles per hour.  Over 100 homes were damage, 23 destroyed. Judith Bunker (LDR-Florida) is working with the interfaith "FRIEND, Inc."  LDR is providing funding for unmet needs. Lutheran Services Florida (Jim Wells, CEO) is managing the response.

4. Through LDR you are helping people in Louisiana, where widespread damage resulted from Tropical Storm Isidore and Hurricane Lili last October.  Isidore dumped a foot of rain along the Gulf coast;  Lili added an additional 8 inches of rain and 100 mile per hour winds.  Damage from Isidore is estimated to be $70 million, and from Lili an additional $150 million.  Lutheran Social Services of the South (Kurt Senske, CEO) is managing the LDR response. Mark Minick LDR-Texas coordinator, is working with the Louisiana Conference, United Methodist Church, as we work together in the devastated areas.

5. Last year on Martin Luther's birthday (November 10) a thousand miles of tornadoes and shear-wind storms affected states from Mississippi through Pennsylvania.  Through LDR you are helping recovery efforts in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Ohio.  This week funds were provided to Lutheran Services in Tennessee (Herman Fischer, CEO) to underwrite initial expenses to provide "Camp Noah" for children affected by tornadoes in Wartburg, Tennessee.  John Sims (LDR-Tennessee) is coordinating recovery efforts.

6. Through your support LDR is repairing and rebuilding houses in central, Texas, which was affected by part of a 300-mile flood last July.  Dale and Jean Peercy (LDR Construction Coordinators) are coordinating repair and rebuilding work.  You continue to bring help and hope to people affected by floods in Roseau, Mahnomen, and Wright counties, Minnesota.  You enable on-going responses to last year's fires in Arizona and Colorado. And of course, you are still strongly involved in responding to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, where unmet needs and spiritual/emotional issues are being addressed in New York, New Jersey, and the Washington D.C. area.

There are many specific examples I could provide to tell you the difference your support for the church's disaster response ministries - your ministries - has made.

We read in Ephesians "Once you were darkness; now you are light."  We are "light" because we are members of the body of Christ, the "light of the world." Jesus Christ came into this world, into our darkness, and "The darkness was not able to overcome the light."  Because we are members of Jesus Christ, that light shines within us and through us as we reach out in Jesus' name to those in the darkness and chaos of disasters.

How can you shine light into the darkness of disasters?

You can pray.  The prayers of God's people are more powerful than any floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, or acts of terrorism.

You can volunteer.  In a future report I will be specific about where help is needed.  Or visit the website http://www.ldr.org/volunteers/index.asp for information.

You can provide financial support.  This week I authorized LDR grants totaling $303,390 to fund for some of the responses I listed in this report.  Your generosity enables you (the church) to provide immediate response to new disasters and ensures that you (the church) will continue to bring light to others for the long haul.

Send your contributions to:

ELCA DOMESTIC Disaster Response
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 4/25/2003, at 11:25 AM)  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 websites:  www.ldr.org and  www.elca.org/dcs/disaster