Your Donations Needed to Help During Long Recovery Efforts
Tim Hetzner, Lutheran Church Charities President/CEO, was invited to Louisiana to meet with Rev. Ross Johnson, Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) Director of Disaster Response, Rev. Michael Meyer, LCMS Director of Disaster Response Training, and Rev. Eric Johnson, President Southern District LCMS, to survey extensive damage from Hurricane Laura and discuss recovery plans. Tim Hetzner was able to bring Rev. Eric Johnson donated funds to be used to help meet immediate needs within the Southern District.
During this visit, they met with Pastor Charles Miller from St. John Lutheran Church in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Pastor Shane McCoy from Trinity Lutheran Church in Sulpher, Louisiana, and also visited Grace Lutheran Church in Orange, Texas to see the damage at each of these churches. St. John Lutheran sustained the most damage.
Pastor Miller stated that his home is badly damaged, as well as the homes of most of his congregation members. He is extremely thankful that everyone made it through the hurricane safely and trusts that God will provide for their needs. Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Disaster Response plans to open a camp at St. John Lutheran Church in Lake Charles as a base for volunteers. Once the camp can be safely opened and damage assessments are in process, Lutheran Church Charities will determine what assistance can be coordinated to support recovery efforts.
Lake Charles and surrounding towns may not have power restored for at least the next 4-6 weeks. They currently do not have safe drinking water, which will also take some time to restore. This will be a very long recovery process for many Louisiana coastal cities.
While the group was at St. John Lutheran Church, Lutheran Disaster Care from Arlington, Texas, brought a trailer of supplies that two Texas Lutheran Early Response Teams (L.E.R.T.) had assembled. This included 200 flood buckets, 3 generators, gas, face masks, kitchen kits, quilts, Bibles and devotionals. They all helped unload the supplies into the church for distribution.
Hurricane Laura has caused much destruction, but with your generous donations, Lutheran Church Charities can make a difference by showing the Mercy, Compassion. Presence and Proclamation of Jesus Christ to those suffering and in need.
Storm Recovery Update: Northern Illinois
On Monday, August 10, Northern Illinois experienced a rare derecho with sustained winds of 60 – 90 mph and 15 confirmed tornados, causing widespread property damage throughout many cities.
Since the storm, approximately 75 LCC Disaster Response Teams (L.E.R.T.) chainsaw and heavy equipment operators have completed work at 39 homes, which we served through 19 different Northern Illinois District churches located in their disaster-affected cities. It has been a privilege to serve these homeowners in the name of our Lord.
I had the pleasure of meeting all of you as helped me and my family with the overwhelming clean-up after the tornado made a mess of our property.
To everyone, it was a hot couple of days, and you all selfishly gave everything to help us out, always smiling. We can't thank you enough. Thank you again and God bless you all. Homeowner from Marengo, Illinois
Storm Recovery Update: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
This same derecho barreled through Cedar Rapids, Iowa before hitting Illinois with 100 mph winds causing major destruction to homes, businesses, farms and crops. Kathy O’Day, Director of Disaster Response is currently discussing a possible Lutheran Church Charities L.E.R.T. chainsaw and heavy equipment deployment with Rev. Dr. Dean Rothchild, Iowa East District Disaster Response Coordinator and Jason Koepnick, King of Kings Lutheran Church L.E.R.T. Team Leader. Jason is assessing damage and coordinating all volunteers for the disaster response in Cedar Rapids and would welcome any assistance LCC Disaster Response could provide. Lutheran Church Charities Disaster Response L.E.R.T. teams are continuing to respond and serve with the Mercy, Compassion, Presence and Proclamation of Jesus Christ to those suffering and in need. LCC never goes where we are not invited. We NEVER charge those we serve. We pick up all of our travel and meal costs. We put boots on the ground within 24 hours (often fewer) from the time we get the invite. Please consider a donation to the LCC Disaster Response General Fund or LCC Disaster Response 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. Your Donations Help Feed Haitians in Need Already being hit hard by the pandemic, Hurricane Laura has wreaked havoc in Haiti causing widespread devastation, bringing torrential downpours, flooding, power outages, and other damage that killed 21 people. The combination of wind, driving rain and runoff from the mountains rushing to the sea, damaged and destroyed homes, ruining some possessions and washing many belongs away. Lutheran Church Charities continues to send emergency relief funds to Haiti through our Haiti Mission Partners towards critical items. Funds are needed to provide emergency food, bottled water, tarps and supplies to patch roofs and walls. We are helping to provide food for elderly and at risk families, mostly single parent families. Due to a lack of good government financial policies and the international lock downs of COVID-19, inflation has become outrageous. The exchange rate has gone up in just one year from 40 Haitian gordes to $1.00 U.S. to 125 Haitian gordes to a $1.00 U.S. In practical terms that means that food that cost $10 US a year ago costs more than $30 now! Please let people know that what they do in the name of Jesus Christ in Haiti is truly the difference between life and death for many of our brothers and sisters. We thank you so very much but the real reward comes not from us but from the King of Glory himself. God bless you all! Because of Christ, Helen Roenfeldt Please pray for LCC Haiti Mission partners and the Haitians as they recover from yet another disaster. If you are so moved, please donate generously to help LCC support the recovery efforts in Haiti.
Lutheran Church Charities was invited by Jeremy Sanders, Battalion Chief, Cal Fire, Employee Support Services, to bring the LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs to be with the first responders protecting life and property of those affected by the California wildfires. As thousands of firefighters continue to battle dozens of fires in California, two LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry teams continued to give much needed emotional relief to hundreds of firefighters working out of two base camps in Northern California. LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Aaron (St. John’s – Napa, California) and Micah (Light of the Valley – Elk Grove, California) and their teams met firefighters and support teams at Cal Fire base camps at the Alameda Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, California, and Napa Valley Fairgrounds in Calistoga, California throughout the week.
Aaron Comfort Dog has been busy traveling between the Pleasanton and Calistoga Cal Fire Base Camps serving the firefighters and support staff from all over the West Coast who are battling the LNU Lightning Complex Fire and the Santa Clarita Unit (SCU) Lightning Complex Fires in Northern California. These fires alone cover almost 700,000 acres. These brave heroes have been out on the line for 14 days. They are hot, exhausted, and missing their families and pets. Some are anxious as they await their orders to either finally go home or to be re-assigned for another 7- 14 days. Most just grabbed on to Aaron and hug him for a long while. Sometimes even tears surfaced as they told us about their dogs at home and how they miss their families. Aaron Comfort Dog and his team have been to so many fire base camps through the years that we oftentimes hear from a distance, “Is that Aaron?” It is reassuring to know that our visits make an impact and that these selfless heroes remember us. We are blessed to be the hands and feet of Jesus! Micah Comfort Dog went to the Alameda County Fair Grounds in Pleasanton to provide comfort to the SCU firefighters and support staff. It was a great visit with many of the firefighters mentioning how much they missed their dogs and that Micah made their day. Some of the support staff were joking about who Micah loved the most. It was an honor to be there as the firefighters were going out and those coming back in after being out for 24 hours. There is a village of people that support the firefighters, such as the food service, laundry, security, facilities, training, and accommodations, air-conditioned sleeping units, keeping the grounds clean, etc. The SCU fire has burned 383,157 acres as of Monday morning and is 60% contained. Please pray for these courageous men and women who put their lives on the line to stop these dangerous and destructive fires. God bless them all and those affected by these fires.
“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” (Isaiah 40:1) LCC never goes where we are not invited. The LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry NEVER charges those we serve. We pick up all of our travel and meal costs. We put boots and paws on the ground within 24 hours (often fewer) from the time we get the invite. Please consider a donation to the LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry so that we may continue to show the Mercy, Compassion, Presence and Proclamation of Jesus Christ to those suffering and in need. LCC Thanks Members from St. John Northbrook, Illinois, for Generous Donation Charlene Lemke presented a generous donation on behalf of members from St. John Lutheran Church in Northbrook, Illinois, to Vida Johnston, LCC Director of Operations, to continue the mission and ministries of Lutheran Church Charities. In 2014, St. John’s opened its building to LCC to train future comfort dogs for its K-9 Ministry. In 2015, St. John deeded the building and property to LCC and continued to hold worship services in the church. That summer, LCC moved its headquarters to the Northbrook property. In 2019, St. John Lutheran Church closed with members attending the last worship service on Easter Sunday. The staff at LCC thanks the members of St. John for their generous donation, servant hearts and many years of dedication to Lutheran Church Charities.
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