On Thursday, January 12, a strong storm system moved through four states with high winds, large hail, and a tornado outbreak, including thirty-eight powerful tornadoes, of which three were long-track EF-3 tornadoes with 110+ mph winds that caused major damage to homes, businesses, and schools.

There was a loss of nine lives in Alabama and Georgia from this storm. One EF-3 tornado was on the ground for 23 miles through Selma, Alabama. It affected one-third of the town. In Selma alone, 3,300 homes, businesses, schools, and churches were damaged or destroyed by the tornado.

Kathy O’Day, Director of Disaster Response and twenty-four LCC Lutheran Early Response Team (L.E.R.T.) staff and volunteer teams have been serving homeowners through Pastor Steve Washington at Trinity Lutheran Church in Selma, Alabama. In their first week, chainsaw volunteers have completed work at twenty-six sites. They will continue to serve in this hard-hit community until February 4 with the LCMS Southern District.

Rev. Chris Singer, LCC President & CEO, joined Rev. Ross Johnson, The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) Director of Disaster Response, and Rev. Ed Brashier, LCMS Southern District Disaster Response Coordinator, to visit affected homeowners and see the L.E.R.T. volunteers in action.

While Chris was visiting with the homeowner, Tina shared that many groups have stopped by to assess her property damage, but no one has returned to help. When LCC showed up with a boom lift and other heavy equipment, Tina said, “I can’t believe it – you came back to help!” She was so grateful that LCC L.E.R.T. kept their promise to remove the large tree that had fallen on her house.

Larry and Polly are both 95 years old and live in a more rural area of Selma. They have a very large garden that Larry cares for. They had to shelter in their hallway as the tornado passed over them. They told us they could hear part of their metal roof being peeled back, glass breaking and trees cracking.
 
Larry said he watched a neighbor’s roof fly through the air. They were very scared they would not survive but compared to the destroyed homes just a block over from them, they know God was good and spared them. They both stated, “I never want to go through this again!”
 
We were able to clear the fallen trees and debris that fell on and around Larry's garden and around his shed. They loved the quilt presented to them by a L.E.R.T. member.

If you are so moved, please donate to the LCC Disaster Response Fund or LCC Equipment Maintenance & Fuel Expense Fund so that we may continue to show the Mercy, Compassion, Presence and Proclamation of Jesus Christ to those suffering and in need.

Please pray for all of the communities affected by these devastating tornadoes, including the LCC Disaster Response volunteers and staff, as we serve in the hardest-hit area of Selma, Alabama, to help during the long recovery process.
 
LCC works in coordination with LCMS Disaster Response national and local districts of the LCMS.

The pastors of the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Ukraine (SELCU) continue to bring the good news of Jesus to hundreds remaining in their war-torn country, bringing people love, hope, and light.
 
Approximately 6.5 million people in Ukraine have been displaced and are facing freezing winter conditions after being forced to flee their homes. Many take shelter in damaged buildings and have limited access to food, electricity, and heat.
 
LCC received the following updates from LCC staff member Rev. Larry Myers:

The pastors and laity of the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Ukraine (SELCU) continue to risk their lives to deliver humanitarian aid and the Gospel to their fellow Ukrainians.
 
A trip was made this past week to the de-occupied coastal region of the Dnieper River near the city of Kherson. Although you cannot always see the protection beneath their outer coats, they do wear bulletproof vests as they travel and visit.
 
The hot items this winter are batteries, candles, and generators. The extremely cold weather and Russia's continuous destruction of the infrastructure make survival in Ukraine quite challenging.

Efforts continue to provide supplies from Romania to the SELCU pastors and congregations in Ukraine. The photo shows Sergiu Trifa (in a yellow knit hat), the son of the Rev. Sorin-Horia Trifa of the Confessional Lutheran Church of Romania, who has continued to purchase and transport much-needed items to the Romanian-Ukrainian border.
 
Lutheran Church Charities provided funds to assist in this effort. Pictured in the center is the Rev. Oleg Schewtschenko, pastor of the SELCU congregation in Odessa, who regularly receives the supplies at the border and transports them into Ukraine.

LCC received the following update from Oksana Svidruk of Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church in Palatine, Illinois:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 
Thank you for supporting the 68 Jager Brigade of the Ukrainian Army. Their hope and perseverance have been fortified by your life-saving help. Although we are not there to witness the war, the donations provided keep them pushing forward every day.
 
They feel protected through the supplies that we have sent them: bandages to heal wounds, as well as warm clothes to keep them warm during the winter. We are hoping to launch another donation campaign to provide more supplies.
 
Once again, we would like to come together in prayer as we give thanks for all of the blessings we have received. Let us also remember those in need and humbly ask for God's grace and mercy. May 2023 bring us unity and peace under God's protection.

Please prayerfully consider donating to help Ukrainians by showing the Mercy, Compassion, Presence and Proclamation of Jesus Christ to those who are suffering and in need!

In December, LCC connected with Professor Andrew Pederson, the faculty director of the Drama Department at Concordia University Chicago (CUC), about donating professional puppet ministry equipment. He shared with us that the University was reorganizing the Drama department and wanted to revitalize a puppet ministry they had a decade ago.
 
When he saw the pictures of the equipment, he said it was a Godsend. The puppets and equipment they had were far from the quality of this donation.
 
On Tuesday, January 24, all the puppet equipment was delivered to the drama department at CUC. Later that evening, Professor Pederson sent a thank you email saying, “The students are thrilled and buzzing with possibilities. We will use this gift well.”
 
After numerous unsuccessful attempts to find a new home for the puppet ministry, it was through that phone call that God opened the door to where the puppets will be used to train future teachers and church workers to communicate the gospel through a puppet ministry.

LCC received the following update from Pastor Doug Warmann of Trinity Lutheran Church in Roselle, Illinois:

Dear Friends,
 
Thank you for being so supportive of the family of five children and their pregnant mother grieving the death of their father and partner! The end of the year was very challenging for the family as the children got sick often while attending daycare. The mother herself is recovering from pneumonia. They made it through the holidays but continue to grieve.
 
The family found out that their new baby coming in March would be a boy. After undergoing physical therapy for a work injury, the mother is now trying to get back to work. She continues to struggle to find an affordable caregiver for so many children. The mother is also trying to find a new home, as their current home is too small for six children. Your support has been critical to helping the family with their rent, utilities, and daycare bills.
 
Thank you for your generosity! Please continue to pray for them, especially for the safety of the mother and baby as the delivery day nears, and continue your support of them as God leads. 
 
Pastor Doug Warmann
Trinity Lutheran Church, Roselle, Illinois

On Wednesday, January 25, Tabor Lutheran Church, Chicago, Illinois, staff member Emily Pacyga stopped by Lutheran Church Charities Headquarters to pick up several donations, three boxes of Christian books, a bag containing winter coats and winter clothing, and a bag of bath towels, to use in their ministry to the community.
 
The box of books called “God Loves Mom” will be used by the group Young Lives, a support group for moms in the community. Tabor has hosted this community group for four years. When Covid hit, and flooding damaged their meeting room, the group-ceased meeting; but come March 2023, they will resume their meetings. Through building caring relationships with these women and children, Tabor is able to share the message of the love of Jesus with them.
 
Two boxes of books titled "Hope When Your Heart is Broken" will go to the Celebrate Recovery, a ministry Tabor started six years ago. Celebrate Recovery is a faith-based, 12-step recovery program for anyone experiencing life’s hurts, habits, and hang-ups.
 
Tabor’s newest Hispanic Outreach Ministry took a leap of faith in the summer of 2023 when Tabor called Spanish-speaking Pastor Walter Ramirez.  Moving into the New Year, Tabor now offers a second Sunday worship service in Spanish with an attendance of 30+ people.
 
Over the past six months, your donations of furniture and houseware have helped Tabor to meet the physical needs of many refugee families. With the New Year, Tabor has added English as a Second Language classes (ESL) to its ministry outreach to the community.
Tabor’s Food Pantry & Food distribution has grown in the number of people being served. LCC was able to connect them to the Put Your Hands Together Food Ministry (PYHT) of Immanuel Hillside, which will be supplying them with food on a monthly basis as well as including special deliveries.
 
On Palm Sunday of 2023, Tabor will be confirming six new members into the congregation. The last time held a confirmation service after a decade or more of no confirmation classes was six years ago. Only one of the three students confirmed was from a member family of Tabor. The other two students were from former member families that no longer live in the Chicago area. Their families were once members of the old Tabor before 2016.

LCC received the following note from Jane Siou, Program Director, Put Your Hands Together Food Ministry (PYHT), Immanuel, Hillside.

Put Your Hands Together Food Outreach (PYHT), a ministry of Immanuel Lutheran Church-Hillside, is blessed by our partnerships with Lutheran Church Charities, NID-LCMS, District Churches, and their wonderful ministries. Together, with help from our generous food donors, we were able to bring much-needed food assistance to Iglesia Tabor Church, Pastor Walter Ramirez, and the refugee families in their care last week.
 
Our ministry goal this year is to continue to support our ethnic ministries throughout the district, and our Lord certainly has provided both opportunity and an abundance of supply! Thanks be to God for answering our prayers!

On Saturday morning, January 28, we received a large donation of Hello Fresh meal boxes that we were able to deliver to Iglesia Tabor Church within a couple of hours.

As I sat at home on Saturday morning in grateful prayer, anticipating the snow and how I would spend the day at home in my pajamas, God had other plans for me when I received a call from Hello Fresh. I realized that I needed to be an active participant in the prayer-answering process and that the Lord needed me.
 
We look forward to continuing our work together, creating new partnerships, and sharing the news of our PYHT Expansion Project.
 
Thank you for your support and prayers,
Jayne Siou
PYHT Ministry Director

Please prayerfully consider donating to help PYHT Food Ministry supply food to churches serving those in need in our communities.

LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Lois (First Good Shepherd – Las Vegas, Nevada), Micah (Light of the Valley - Elk Grove, California), Rahab (St. Andrew – Stockton, California), Reuben (First Lutheran – Yuba City, California), and Salome (Faith Community – Las Vegas, Nevada), along with their ministry teams were present at many locations throughout the week to listen to those who are grieving, bringing them hope, comfort, and prayer.

LCC K-9 Ministry teams went to Emmaus Lutheran School and Preschool to comfort students and staff. They also returned to the memorial at City Hall to be with the grieving community there. They have seen countless faces light up and have been the highlight of many people's day.

The LCC K-9 Ministry teams also visited the Monterey Park Police Department, 911 Call Center, and Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner Office. Our hearts are filled with gratitude for these brave men and women who answer the call to serve and protect during times of tragedy like this.

The K-9s and their handlers visited the students and staff at San Gabriel Mission Elementary School. In times of tragedy, it can be difficult to find joy in the world, but visits like this remind us that there is joy all around us and can be found in the small moments and in the connections we make with others.

The LCC K-9 Ministry teams brought hearts/markers through our Hearts of Mercy & Compassion (HMC), Crosses for Losses Ministry. The hearts/markers were placed at the memorial site for people to sign and leave condolence messages, pray, and pay their respects to the 11 lives lost.

Please join LCC as we pray for the Monterey Park community during this incredibly difficult time and for all of the first responders who heroically responded.
 
The LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry and Hearts of Mercy & Compassion Ministry never charge those we serve as we bring the Mercy, Compassion, Presence and Proclamation of Jesus Christ to those suffering and in need. We know that comfort is needed to help this shocked and devastated community and the first responders who serve them.

Chris’s volunteer work in Texas includes being a board member for the Board of Mission Administration for LCMS in Texas and the Kenyan Schools of Hope, an organization providing safe environments and education for children. During his time in California, he volunteered for Graceworks, a 501(c)(3) working to break the cycle of poverty for orphans and vulnerable children. He was also the Tustin Police Department Chaplin, giving him an understanding of the roles and stresses of first responders.

“They say that hindsight is 20-20. Such hindsight in my own life made this calling to LCC crystal clear. Looking back over more than twenty-five years of ministry which included evangelism outreach, missions, police chaplaincy, hurricane rescue, relief, rebuild, and leading a large organization through a pandemic, it became abundantly clear that the Lord was calling me to accept this call from LCC.” Rev. Chris Singer, President & CEO of Lutheran Church Charities

Chris will begin his full-time role with LCC at the end of January, moving to Illinois from Texas, where he has left his role as senior pastor of Trinity Klein Lutheran Church and School. Prior to Trinity Klein, he was at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Orange, California. He is a graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri, with a Master of Theology and Culture/Ordained Clergy Certification. He also studied at Concordia University, Irvine, California, obtaining a BA in Sociology/History. 
 
With the Singer Family move, Chris’s wife Jeanette Singer, a Life Coach and School Counselor will be bringing her much-needed skillset to a position with junior high students in the Chicago western suburbs. Chris and Jeanette’s family consists of five adult children, living and studying in Texas and California, and a chocolate Labrador named Harvey. 
 
We are excited for you to get to know Chris and get caught up in the excitement he has for our mission at Lutheran Church Charities.  
 
Lutheran Church Charities Board of Directors

On Saturday evening, January 21, a 72-year-old man walked into the Star Ballroom Dance Studio and began shooting, killing 11 people and wounding nine others during the start of a two-day Lunar New Year festival in Monterey Park, California. The suspect was later found dead in a van with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
 
The LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs and the Hearts of Mercy & Compassion Ministries were invited by Rev. Dr. Michael Gibson, The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) Pacific Southwest District President, and Pastor Carl Kaye and Pastor Patrick Jow from Emmaus Lutheran Church and School in Alhambra, California, to be present this week throughout the community. Emmaus Lutheran Church and School has an English and Chinese speaking congregation.

LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Lois (First Good Shepherd – Las Vegas, Nevada), Rahab (St. Andrew – Stockton, California), Reuben (First Lutheran – Yuba City, California), and Salome (Faith Community – Las Vegas, Nevada), along with their ministry teams were present at the Monterey Park City Hall memorial site on Monday night to listen to those who are grieving, bringing them hope, comfort, and prayer.

LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Micah (Light of the Valley – Elk Grove, California) and his handlers joined the others for the vigil last night at Monterey Park City Hall.
 
On Tuesday, the LCC K-9 Ministry teams were invited to be with employees at Monterey Park City Hall, Monterey Park Police Officers, Monterey Park Fire Station #61, and the town library. They will also be present at a vigil that will be held at Monterey Park City Hall on Tuesday night.

Please join LCC as we pray for the Monterey Park community during this incredibly difficult time and for all of the first responders who heroically responded.
 
The LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry and Hearts of Mercy & Compassion Ministry never charge those we serve as we bring the Mercy, Compassion, Presence and Proclamation of Jesus Christ to those suffering and in need. We know that comfort is needed to help this shocked and devastated community and the first responders who serve them.