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Dear Christian friends,

In the midst of many meetings in Fargo this past week, Dr. Leon Phillips
(Director, Lutheran Disaster Response) and I met with Bob Bottchen.  Bob
and his wife Carol have just returned from upstate New York, where they
delivered fifty generators from the on-going North Dakota disaster response
operation to help with the northeast ice storms.  But they did not only
deliver generators to the rural homeowners and dairy farmers; they stayed
for three weeks to help install, service, and pick up the generators.  More
importantly, they worshipped and spoke with the local folks and
organizations, added moral support, and shared the Gospel of hope.

Bob told us the people were truly grateful for Lutheran Disaster Response.
"They couldn't believe that a church or church-sponsored organization would
care enough about them to travel all those miles, and be willing to loan
them a generator at no cost to them...considering Lutheran's are in the
minority in this area."

Bob shared this experience, which I want to pass on to you:  "A man came to
the house we were working out of, and asked to borrow a generator.  This
fellow looked as though he had not been near soap and water for sometime,
and really looked very tired.  After Carol helped him fill out the
paperwork, and I put the generator in his trunk, he shook my hand and
thanked LDR for being there to help, and at this time he began to cry,
saying that we did not know how much he appreciated the use of the
generator, as he had a six week old baby on a monitor and that they had
been living in a shelter for the past seventeen days.  This generator meant
that he and his family could go back home.  If this would have been the
only generator that was needed, it would have made the trip worth while."

In a letter to Bob and Carol, Bishop Lee Miller (Upstate New York Synod)
referred to them as "Traveling Angels."  My brothers and sisters, by your
on-going support, you have enabled Lutheran Disaster Response to reach out
directly in Christian love to the people of upstate New York.  In addition,
LDR also provided presence and support through Lutheran Social Services of
New England to several communities and LCMS congregations in Maine and
Vermont.

Now we are watching closely the storms and flooding on the West Coast.
Some emergency disaster grants have already been provided as specific needs
are assessed.  Please hold in your prayers all who are experiencing
disaster-related needs.  And to assure that LDR will be able to respond --
even through "traveling angels" - please send your contributions to:

 ELCA Domestic Disaster Response
 PO Box 71764
 Chicago, IL  60694

Yours in Christ,
Gil Furst

GILBERT B. FURST (written on Sat, Feb 14, 1998, at  4:37 pm)
Associate Director, ELCA Domestic Disaster Response
Internet address: [log in to unmask]
For more information, click on our web site:  www.elca.org/dcs/disaster