"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Anna & Claudia (Trinity - Toledo, Ohio) were invited by Journey Lutheran Church and Early Childhood Center to return to Oxford, Michigan, for their Camp Courage Friday evening. This “camp” was for pre-kindergarten through middle school and was designed to remind children of the hope and comfort there is in knowing that Jesus is always with us, even when we are afraid, confused, or lonely. While we were there, we visited several places from our deployment in Oxford in December (following the mass shooting at Oxford High School) including Journey’s preschool, where most of the children remembered us! We also spent time at Common Denominator - Coffee and Community, where several people we met in December came to see us. And we went back to the Meijer’s, which had been the reunification center after the shootings. Listening to people, we found that not much has changed for this community since the shootings. The emotions are still somewhat raw, and PTSD is common, but they remain united in their attempts to help each other heal. They are still “Oxford Strong.” “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” Thessalonians 5:11
After a tragic fire that took the lives of five family members in Garden Prairie, Illinois, nine LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs and their handlers spent time with students and staff at the Seth Whitman Elementary School and Belvidere Central Middle School. One of the victims, Aniela attended the elementary school; she was nine years old. Zofia, who was 12 years old, and Danika, who was 14 years old, also were killed in the fire; both were students at the middle school. The students and staff are still processing this horrible loss that happened to their classmates, friends, and neighbors. LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Adeena (St. John - Burlington, Illinois), Mary (St. Paul's Lutheran - Janesville, Wisconsin), Samson (Zion Lutheran - Marengo, Illinois), and Tobias (Lord of Glory - Grayslake, Illinois) spent time with the elementary school staff before school and then with the students once school began. LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Bekah & Kye (Immanuel - Belvidere, Illinois, Eunice (LCC Staff), Levi (Immanuel - East Dundee, Illinois), and Myra (St. Andrews - Park Ridge, Illinois) spent the day at the middle school with students and staff. Below are the names of those beloved family members affected by this tragic fire, as shared by Leona, mother, and grandmother of the victims. My name is Leona; I'm the mother and grandmother of the family that lost their home, possessions, and, unfortunately, their lives in the devastating fire in Garden Prairie, IL, on Monday morning, March 7, 2022 at 2:30 am. We are grieving the loss of five of my grandchildren. Manny 25, Elizabeth 21, Danika 14, Zofia 12 and Aniela 9. Their mother, Jennifer, and brother Raymond, 20, remain in critical condition in the burn unit of a local hospital. Manny, the oldest of seven children, was a great brother. He was employed at a local manufacturing company that produces insulated bags. Elizabeth (Lizzie) was a new mother who was recently accepted into a local nursing program and was prepared to start classes in the fall. Her daughter, Katalina, was rescued from the home by her younger brother Raymond. Danika wanted to be a gymnast. She was in the 8th grade and was looking forward to going to high school in the fall. Zofia wanted to be a baker. She loved going to Grandma's and making all of the cookies, cakes, and any other baking she could get her hands on. She was in the 7th grade. Aniela was in the 3rd grade and wanted to be an actress. So she would dress up in costumes and put on shows for family and friends. Their brother Raymond tried to rescue his siblings from the second floor of the home but was only able to save his baby niece. Their mother, Jennifer, is a stay-at-home mother who passionately loved her kids and farmette. She had goats, pigs, and chickens, of which most also perished. Lloyd, the father of the children, and Jaime, the boyfriend of Elizabeth, have been released from the hospital. Please join us in praying for this grieving family who has lost Manny 25, Elizabeth 21, Danika 14, Zofia 12, and Aniela 9. Dear Lord, We weep with you for this family and the loss they have suffered. We pray for this family to feel surrounded in love and care and to be sheltered in your healing arms. We pray for your strength and comfort for the family members as they move forward each hour in their grief. We also pray for the living family members who are injured and in critical condition for your healing, strength, and courage to grow strong again. We ask for your warm and comforting presence to surround the teachers and classmates of Danika, Zofia, and Aniela as they grieve the loss of their students and friends. In Jesus' name, Amen. 100% of Your Donations Will Support Ukrainians in Need It is hard to watch the devastation taking place in Ukraine – the children, the elderly, those with disabilities! Young and Old. It is hard to see all the displaced people. The destruction. How Long! God is still in charge. God will bring good out of evil and God ALWAYS wins over evil. It is humbling to be able to work with Christians from various “tribes” and join together as one in helping people. “There is one body, one spirit … one Lord, one faith, one baptism” Ephesians 4:4-5 LCC has been and will continue to collect financial donations to be given out “Dollar per Dollar” to help the people of Ukraine to show the Mercy and Compassion of Jesus Christ. We work through Christian Pastors, Priests, Bishops and leaders. If they believe that Salvation is in Jesus Christ and Him alone – we work with them to have them directly distribute the money – within hours or a day or two. Not sitting around in a fund doing nothing. Because of your support, below are those LCC has been working with this past week. We continue to hand out what comes in to help those suffering as a result of the Ukrainian crisis. Ukrainian Church – Palatine, Illinois On Saturday, March 5, LCC President/CEO Tim Hetzner met with Bishop Vededykt Alevsiychuk, Pastor - Archpriest Mykhailo Kuzma, Associate Pastor - Archpriest Yaroslav Mendyuk, and Nadiya Hnatyuk of the Ukrainian Church in Palatine, Illinois, to provide direct and immediate financial assistance to their contacts in Ukraine. Within 12 hours of that meeting, your donations were IN UKRAINE, helping people suffering and in need! Watch Tim’s interviews with these brothers and sister in Christ to hear how we are all unified through our faith in Christ:
Oleg Ivanets, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at Concordia University The Ukrainian crisis hits close to home for Oleg Ivanets, Ph.D., assistant professor at Concordia University and chair of the university's quantitative business program. Oleg was born in Ukraine and lived there until 2013, when he moved to the United States to pursue his doctorate. He is based on the Ann Arbor campus but oversees programs for the Mequon campus as well. He still has family and friends who live in the Ukraine with whom he is able to communicate. Your donations are helping LCC to bring Oleg’s family from Ukraine to safety in the United States. Watch Oleg’s interview on Sunday, February 27, with Fox6 news reporter Sam Kraemer: https://www.fox6now.com/news/concordia-professor-says-ukraine-invasion-brings-mixed-emotions Pastor Scott Yount, Missionary in Ukraine, Immanuel Lutheran Church – Palatine, Illinois LCC is providing support for Pastor Scott Yount and his wife Lena (from Ukraine) as they have had to leave Bila Tserkva, Ukraine but are now helping to support refugees from Ukraine. Pastor Scott and Lena are personal friends with Pastor Donald Antor from Immanuel Church in Palatine. Pastor Scott is working with his ministry of Spiritual Orphans Network. Pastor Scott has been serving as a missionary in Ukraine since 2014 and is the founder of Joy 4 Ukraine, a ministry that brings the joy of the gospel to orphans and youth with disabilities. In 2017, Pastor Scott helped start Church of Hope, a worship service for people with special needs, and in 2021 began serving as the pastor of the Church of the Transfiguration, a local Ukrainian church. His wife, Lena, has a Master’s Degree in Special Needs Education. Watch Pastor Scott Yount’s powerful message to Ukrainians: “Ukraine, you are not alone – for God is with you. Ukraine, you are not unprotected – for God is your fortress. Ukraine, you are not in darkness – Jesus is your light. Ukraine, you are not defeated – for Christ is your victory!” Ukrainian Lutheran Church (ULC) LCC is also working directly with the Ukraine Lutheran Church (ULC) by working through the Lutheran Church here in the United States in fellowship with them! Your Donations are Immediately Helping Ukrainians in Need! We have literally handed out thousands of dollars this past week! See how God is at work, through His people, to show, as the Apostle Paul states – One Lord, One Faith, One Body and Spirit! Thank You for your support in being the hands and feet of Jesus to those suffering! Tim Hetzner
President/CEO Your Donations Help “Comedor San Mateo” Soup Kitchen Feed the Hungry and Minister to the Homeless3/8/2022
LCC received the following update from Jackie Rychel, our Mission Partner with Ministry in Mission:
Thanks to Lutheran Church Charities for supporting the food for a youth gathering to provide many young people an alternative to the Voodoo custom of Carnival. Food, fun, and fellowship were had by many by the grace of God and the generous donations through LCC. Jackie Rychel Last week, LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Barnabas, Isaiah, Jael (Trinity - Hobart, Indiana), Caleb (Immanuel - Valparaiso, Indiana), and LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs in Training Beloved, Genesis, Jordan, and Magdalene, visited with the students at Thornton High School, in Harvey, Illinois. The LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs and their handlers were invited to spend some time with the students and staff who have faced a challenging year not only with their studies, or with Covid, or the uncertainty that brought but also the tragic loss of a student who was shot and killed in November. The LCC K-9 Comfort Dog handlers were happy to be able to bring the dogs for a visit and to spend time with the students who needed a respite from these challenge times. The Comfort Dogs made sure the students felt loved and comforted during their time with them. This visit from the LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs and their handlers was much appreciated by the students. The students shared how they felt from their time visiting with their new Comfort Dog friends. Before I was having a bad day I feel depressed and they made me feel a lot better my whole mood changed when I saw them and they let me pet them. These comments from the students are so impactful and touching and why our mission is the mercy, compassion and presence of Jesus Christ to those are suffering and in need. The LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs look forward to visiting their new friends again during finals weeks. Because of your generous donations, LCC is able to continue sending support to Four Homes of Mercy in Bethany, Israel. We received the following update from Liz Mulford, President, Friends of the Four Homes of Mercy: Dear Lutheran Church Charities, You are so generous! On behalf of the Homes, thank you so much for your marvelous gift. What a wonderful and needed surprise!! With your help, despite the Covid-19 challenges, the doors of the Homes are open, and our guests served. One of our guests, Aida, came to us as a small youngster, perhaps 30 years ago. One of 12 children, her parents despaired of her ever being able to leave her crib. Now she maneuvers her wheelchair rapidly wherever she wishes to go (if she can’t con someone into giving her a ride!), feeds herself, brushes her teeth, engages in many activities, including art and gardening, makes her wishes known clearly even without speech, and is working on her next goal—walking! In addition to helping Aida achieve greater control over her life, our physical therapists are working hard to restore a number of our guests to their level of comfort and functioning, which they had achieved before their 18-month hiatus caused by Covid. We’re readmitting our former guests too each week and now have increased from 15 at the height of Covid to over 40. Few of the families were able to provide sufficient therapy to keep our guests from declining. Nursing staff, under the direction of our physical and occupational therapist, are also helping with the therapies. The residents and their families are deeply grateful to be getting all their help at last—and to be able to celebrate each another’s accomplishments—and birthdays—with parties! The laughter in the building now is wonderful to hear. Again, our deepest thanks for your caring and sharing. Sincerely, Liz Mulford President, Friends of the Four Homes of Mercy |
Categories
All
Archives
April 2024
|