June 13, 1996 AFRICAN AMERICAN DELEGATION VISITS VIRGIN ISLANDS (87 lines) 96-14-043-BW ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Island (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America sponsored the church's first African American delegation to the U.S. Virgin Islands, May 13-20. Many groups have visited the islands since Hurricane Marilyn struck last September. Most have dealt with financial needs and "brick and mortar" work. This ELCA delegation sought to deal specifically with the emotional and mental devastation caused by Hurricane Marilyn. The purpose of the trip was to address the "human needs of the people" here, said Loretta Horton, director for social ministries for congregations, ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries. "It was our hope that the people of the island would willingly and readily identify with other persons of color and speak openly and honestly about the problems they are experiencing," she said. The group visited congregations on St. Thomas and St. John and spent time with the staff of Lutheran Social Services of the Virgin Islands (LSSVI) on St. Croix. They toured the islands to get an idea of the work that has yet to be done. The group met with members of Frederick Lutheran Church and Lutheran Church of the Reformation on St. Thomas, and Nazareth Lutheran Church on St. John. Members of the congregations voiced their frustrations about the various post- hurricane problems they are having. The Rev. Harvard W. Stephens, Jr., Frederick Lutheran Church, arranged meetings with the other Lutheran congregations on the islands and with LSSVI. Stephens also arranged for meetings with faculty, staff, students and parents of a local area high school, some of whom are members of Lutheran congregations. The Rev. Judith A. Spindt, Lutheran Church of the Reformation, and members of her congregation are holding worship services under a temporary tent. Two walls and a cross were the only things left standing of their sanctuary after Marilyn ravaged the island. The group visited Reformation's "Project Hope" (Helping Our Children Excel) -- a before-and-after-school tutoring program. Project Hope is a faith-based program for children in the community; area residents do not have to be Lutheran to participate. While at Reformation a member of the delegation repaired the program's computer system and acquainted some of the teachers with software that will allow them to assist to the children they tutor. According to Spindt, members of her congregation #try to keep their spirits high in spite of all the problems they are experiencing# with rebuilding, water contamination and unemployment. The Rev. Carlyle O. Sampson, Nazareth Lutheran Church, said members at his congregation feel the same way. Although the hurricane did not hit St. John as severely as St. Thomas, the effects were just as devastating. Members of Nazareth are "experiencing problems with unemployment, financial difficulty in their rebuilding efforts and the emotional stress of having to rebuild their lives once again," he said. The hurricane robbed many people of their jobs. Some businesses are still closed and many of those that have reopened are not operating at full capacity, so people who once held full- time jobs are either working part-time or not at all. Many of the people of these islands had just recovered from Hurricane Hugo that struck in 1989. All of a sudden it#s all lost again, said Sampson. "It is very frustrating to feel that you have gotten all the pieces put back together only to have them destroyed." Lutheran Disaster Response, with the aid of volunteers from Lutheran congregations across the United States, is making repairs when and where they are able on St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John. The residents face many obstacles -- attempting to get repair work done to their homes, having no hurricane insurance coverage or being underinsured, or waiting on responses to request for grant money from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA). Many of the homes on St. Thomas and St. John still have blue FEMA tarps where roofs should be. About 85 percent of the homes on the island received some type of damage from the hurricane. Less than 10 percent of the damaged homes have had any repairs. Many people are feeling isolated and forgotten. The message they sent back with the delegation was simple: "Please don't forget about us. We still need help from the States. There is still much work to be done here." The delegation included individuals who work in the area of social work, computer technology, education and environmental concerns. Co-leader of the delegation was Charlotte Williams, director for cross cultural advocacy, ELCA Commission for Women. For information contact: Ann Hafften, Dir., ELCA News Service, (312) 380-2958; Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Dir., (312) 380-2955; Lia Christiansen, Asst. Dir., (312) 380-2956