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Dear friends in Christ,
In church today we sang, "Jesu, Jesu, fill us with your love, show us how
to serve the neighbors we have from you."
These past three days I could not believe my eyes as I saw the continuing
widespread damage in Puerto Rico. In many areas, now four months after
Hurricane Georges, there is little noticeable improvement.
Last evening Johanna Olson (Assistant for ELCA Domestic Disaster Response)
and I returned from San Juan and areas west. We discussed with Red
Cross/FEMA better coordination of our Lutheran efforts. We spoke with
Bishop Francisco Sosa (ELCA Caribbean Synod) about care for people and
support of pastors. At Lutheran Camp Eduardo Roig, we met with our
operational staff, just now in place. But I was not prepared for what I
saw we visited the Dorado and Toa Baja areas, where our volunteers are
cleaning debris and making repairs. In many places we are the first to
bring assistance and relief.
We drove on muddy lanes to visit a tiny red house in Villa Esperanza. A
bed-ridden widow lives here. The hurricane blew her small house off the
foundation and tipped it over. LDR volunteers repositioned it, and she
lives in it again. But it is unsound, and as we walked across the floor
the entire structure creaked. Eventually the house must be torn down.
There is not much to be repaired.
In Villa Candelera we visited a woman whom Brooke Burkey (our construction
manager) calls "Mommy." Volunteers have cleaned debris from Mommy's house,
and she is now moving from her garage back inside. But her house has no
permanent roof -- just a tarp our volunteers put over the roof frame.
I met Dick and Mary Norris from Columbus, Ohio. This is Dick's second
volunteer trip, and this time he brought his wife. They are "living out
their faith" by helping the people. Some students remain from two large
Wartburg Seminary volunteer groups. One told me it is one thing to discuss
Lutheran theology in a classroom, it is another to see Lutheran theology
change lives.
"These are the ones we will serve, these are the ones we will love; all
these are neighbors to us and you." The needs are so great and
challenging. We are putting together a long-term response that may double
the number of houses repaired in the Virgin Islands after Hurricane
Marilyn. Over the next several months I anticipate our ELCA financial
commitment will also double.
TO SUPPORT: Pray for all our neighbors surviving devastating natural
disasters, and for those responding in Christian love. Your prayers are
powerful.
TO VOLUNTEER: Please call Johanna Olson in Chicago (1-773-380-2822), or
Mary Ann Stewart in Puerto Rico (toll-free 1-877-681-2511). Volunteers are
especially needed in the late spring and summer months.
TO CONTRIBUTE: Help the church provide a long-term and strong response by
donations to:
ELCA DOMESTIC Disaster Response (designate "Hurricanes" or "Puerto Rico")
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 Sun, Jan 24, 1999, at 3:52 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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