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Dear Christian friends:
"I knew where God was when the tornadoes hit," Rodney said. "God was in
the seat next to me." That's how one survivor of the recent Arkansas
tornadoes described his experience. Rushing back home as tornado sirens
were blowing, he got as far as the gully below his house. He watched in
horror as his neighbors' houses on each hillside blew down...and as his own
storage shed and roof disintegrated. "God was with me, and I'm grateful."
I just returned from two days in Arkansas, where a record-setting 38
tornadoes struck the state on January 21, destroying 427 homes, severely
damaging 900 others, and killing at least 7. Yesterday Hal Shope (our
Lutheran Disaster Response local disaster coordinator) and I drove through
the Royal Oaks area near Little Rock - the same area where LDR responded to
killer tornadoes in 1997. "It's so sad," said Hal. "Some were still
dealing with the destruction of '97. One family moved back into their new
home a month ago. They just planted flowers. Now their new house is
damaged."
It seemed unreal for me to drive through familiar neighborhoods,
remembering the damage two years ago and seeing many of the same homeowners
dealing with torn and missing roofs, imploded windows, twisted trees.
"Well, I guess we've lost our wooded lot," one Lutheran woman said. She
and her husband not only lost trees. Their house sustained $75,000 damage.
One of the saddest sights I saw was a house blown completely apart, a
straight line of rubble forming a quarter-mile path. The owner stood in
the middle of this destruction, trying to salvage whatever had not been
destroyed.
Today I met at Lutheran High School of Little Rock with eleven area ELCA
and LCMS pastors and two representatives of Aid Association for Lutherans.
We discussed the physical and emotional effects of this new disaster upon
the people. A local "steering committee" was formed and the response plans
put into action. Surrounding congregations and pastors will do a "faith
walk" through the Royal Oaks area this Sunday, offering their presence,
prayers, and encouragement. Local volunteers already are responding. Dr.
Tom Wolbrecht, principal of Lutheran High School, told me that 23 students
spent a day helping a family clear up storm damage. "They learned more
about their faith and real life through this experience," he told me, "than
they could ever have learned in a class room or a book." In addition, 150
seventh and eighth graders from Christ Lutheran School were busy helping
cleanup their community.
You can help to bring hope and help to those whose lives have once been
blown into chaos by Arkansas tornadoes. Your prayers provide amazing
support and strength to those who are affected and to those who provide
assistance.
Volunteers ("self contained") are needed immediately to help clear debris.
Please call: Hal Shope (501) 562-5489
If you have quilts, please ship them to: Lutheran Disaster Response
C/o Mr. Hal Schope
12911 Chicot Road
Mabelvale, AR 72103
Contributions for immediate cash grants and supplies can be sent to:
ELCA DOMESTIC Disaster Response
PO Box 71764
Chicago, Illinois 60694-1764
Credit card gift line: 1-800-638-3522
LCMS 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, Feb 2, 1999, at 8:01 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
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