To: [log in to unmask]
Dear friends in Christ,
A prayer I use frequently - often with those affected by a disaster - is
"Lord God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see
the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us
faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that
your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen."
Two years ago I used this prayer in the Upper Midwest. Then, winter
blizzards in South Dakota were killing 200,000 cattle and having a major
impact on rural communities. Then - two years ago this very day - the Red
River, flowing between North Dakota and Minnesota, was flooding Grand
Forks, East Grand Forks, and small communities over a three-hundred-mile
area.
Our church, through Lutheran Disaster Response (a cooperative ministry of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Lutheran Church-Missouri
Synod) and numerous Lutheran partners, was present to relieve initial needs
in the chaotic emergency stage. Our church was present to provide
volunteers and supplies for clean up in the relief stage. Our church was
present to coordinate hundreds of volunteers from across the country
through the recovery stage. For over two years the social ministry
organizations in these three states provided outstanding ministry in
managing LDR's national response.
Now the Upper Midwest response is concluding. LDR-Minnesota closed down
major operations in January. LDR-North Dakota concludes this month.
LDR-South Dakota ends in June. But new ministries are emerging as the
agencies move forward on untrodden paths.
In February the three agencies were challenged to propose new ministries
continuing their care for the overwhelming human need generated by the 1997
blizzards and floods. I am pleased to announce today that LDR is providing
these agencies with $390,000 in grants, so the hand of Jesus Christ can
continue to reach out in supportive love.
** LSS-Minnesota will develop and strengthen its Parish Nurse program by
providing parish nurses over a three-year period to residents of severely
impacted southern Minnesota communities.
** LSS North Dakota will develop a Rural Specialists program to reach out
to the "silent victims" - the rural population, where thousands of farmland
acres flooded, over 133,000 cattle perished, and homes, buildings, and
machinery were damaged or destroyed.
** LSS South Dakota will develop a "Neighbor to Neighbor" program to build
a statewide cadre of compassionate caregivers for blizzard survivors still
impacted by that disaster. A "Pastors Training" program will support
clergy and congregations and empower their ministry to impacted
communities.
Today we remember thousands still deeply affected by the 1997 Upper Midwest
blizzards and floods - and offer thanks for the on-going service of the
social ministry organizations. We remember many others who have been
affected recently by national and international disasters. In faith and
with good courage, the church continues to go out to bring help and hope in
Arkansas and Kansas, in Puerto Rico and Texas.
Let us continue to answer our Lord's call to venture forward on untrodden
paths through unknown perils. Let us continue our praying, our
contributing, and our volunteering, that Christ's help and hope can be
brought to disaster survivors.
ELCA DOMESTIC Disaster Response
PO Box 71764
Chicago, Illinois 60694-1764
Credit card gift line: 1-800-638-3522
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 Sun, Apr 18, 1999, at 9:13 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
|