As the effects of the pandemic continue, people struggle with the loss of employment and others with feelings of isolation. Parents have to adjust to working remotely or tirelessly working on the front lines; some having to help their children with their class e-learning studies. For many, it’s hard to see the end of this new way of living. LCC K-9 Ministry Teams Are Working Together to Share Comfort and Hope The LCC K-9 Ministry teams are finding unique ways to work together to stay in touch with those we interact with every day, providing support and love to help people cope during this time of change and uncertainty. When we are not physically able to be present, our presence is still felt by sharing the hope and love that can be found in Jesus Christ! LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry® Virtual Visits You can schedule an LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry® Virtual Visit with one of the LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs. We are available 24/7! It’s as if we were there with you. Click the pictures below to read about the many ways our LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs and their handlers are reaching out to stay connected! More Comfort Through Virtual Visits Other Ways LCC K-9 Ministry Teams Are Present in the Communities They Serve Making A Difference by Staying Connected!
LCC never goes where we are not invited and LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry NEVER charges those we serve. Increasing Demand Due to COVID-19 & Other Deaths Mercy Hearts are needed more than ever as LCC’s Hearts of Mercy & Compassion, Crosses for Losses is touching lives of individuals, families, co-workers, and students who grieve the loss of someone due to COVID-19 or other tragic deaths. Trinity Lutheran Church in Hicksville, New York, Serves Hardest Hit County COVID-19 in Nassau County, New York (as of April 26, 2020): 34,522 Positives, 352 Ventilator Patients, and 1,587 Related Deaths In numbers not seen in most states, Nassau County, New York is one of the hardest-hit counties in the United States. With approximately 1,400,000 people, the demand on hospitals and first responders from COVID-19 has been devastating. Stay at home orders have been strictly enforced and movement has been restricted to essential workers. Trinity Lutheran Church in Hicksville, New York is at the epicenter of COVID-19. Although all gatherings have been cancelled, online worship services continue at Trinity. Working with Pastor John Hopkins and Donna Haines, Top Dog for LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Abraham, LCC is preparing to respond as restrictions ease with Hearts of Mercy & Compassion for members, law enforcement, and others who have died from the virus. The first heart, painted purple, will be provided to the family of Air Force Veteran Moses Saxon. Others are planned for members, law enforcement officers, and 911 dispatchers. “The LORD replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’” Exodus 33:14
Chicago Police Department Three officers of the Chicago Police Department have died so far from the pandemic virus COVID-19. The latest was Officer Ronald Newman, a 20-year veteran with over 130 departmental awards assigned to the 4th District. A Mercy Heart was presented to the Chicago Police Department Officer Harriet Taylor in honor of Officer Newman by retired Palatine Police Chief Alan Stoeckel and LCC Staff member Tim Laabs. The heart will be signed by his teammates and given to Officer Newman’s family. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9 LCC is saddened by the loss of lives of so many in this pandemic and we continue to pray for the many first responders and essential workers that put their own safety on the line every day for all of us. Remembering Our Veterans
Supporting Funeral Homes Grieving the loss of a loved one is challenging enough. In our current pandemic with social distancing and stay at home orders, it raises greater challenges for families and funeral homes. In many cases, the families have not been allowed to be at the side of their loved one in their final hours whether in hospitals or senior living. Limiting the number of people at funeral services to immediate family has also been hard on family and the people who provide services. Hearts of Mercy & Compassion are now being offered to grieving families through funeral homes. The signature blue Mercy Heart is the color of hope eternal in Jesus Christ.
Your Donations Make a Difference in Sharing the Hope of Jesus Christ Our hearts are made of the highest quality wood and produced with caring Christian hands. Material production and shipping costs for hearts are approximately $30 each. We need your help in sharing the mercy, compassion, presence, and proclamation of Jesus Christ to those who are suffering and in need. Help Us Reach Out with Hearts of Mercy & Compassion Are you interested in having LCC provide a Heart of Mercy & Compassion for a loved one? There is no charge for the hearts. The hearts are made by caring Christian hands and provided with presence and prayer. Is your church interested in becoming a mission partner? CLICK HERE to request information.
Click HERE to learn more about the Hearts of Mercy & Compassion, Crosses for Losses Ministry.
Thank You to All Donors Who Participated in Thrivent's $1 Million Online Donation Challenge4/29/2020
On Wednesday, April 22, LCC K-9 Ministry teams from five states and two churches (in process) from California and Washington states participated in a virtual call with the COVID-19 unit nurses from Amita Health Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, Illinois.
Promptly at 5:00am CST, LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Aaron (St. John’s – Napa, California), Cubby (Redeemer – Fort Collins, Colorado), Ezra (LCC Staff), Lois (First Good Shepherd – Las Vegas, Nevada), Lydia (Messiah – Lynnfield, Massachusetts), Micah (Light of the Valley – Elk Grove, California), Nigel (LCC Staff), Reuben (First Lutheran – Yuba City, California) and their handlers along with Redeemer - Spokane, Washington (in Process) and St. Andrew's - Stockton, California (in Process) connected with the nurses via a Zoom call. Each team introduced their Comfort Dog. One of the nurses mentioned that each K-9 had a Bible verse assigned to their name and asked us to share those verses with them. Each handler read their K-9’s Bible verse and you could hear in their voices the thanks for these words. “I was amazed at the appropriateness of each verse given the present situation and how God’s Word was spot on. I could feel them hanging on to those verses, to the Word of the Lord as they care for their patients. I love that we were asked and able to share the Word with these front line workers.” One prayer request from the nurses was that they could enjoy “more patients going home.” They realize that they are “all these patients have got” (no family present) “and we aren’t enough.” The nurses seemed to be genuinely enjoying the visit! It was so nice to hear them laugh! Some of the nurses tried to give "virtual pets" to the Comfort Dogs. The teams thanked the nurses for all they do! After the visit, LCC received the following note from the contact person at Amita Health who arranged the visit: “Thank you so very much to everyone involved in making this morning a possibility for our nurses. While I wish we could spend much more time with you, I know the nurses are always running and I am grateful for the time they were able to spend with you all this morning. This is such a beautiful experience for everyone. Your time and support is so appreciated. I am looking forward to more successful virtual comfort dog sessions with the nurses here in Joliet, Illinois!”
First International LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry® Virtual Visit with Followers in Porsgrunn, Norway4/28/2020
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