Sometimes in this broken world, times of joy and relaxation turn into times of fear and loss. 

This is what happened to visitors to the Bite of Seattle festival last week. 
The city lost two innocent lives and saw four others injured due to gang violence erupting at the event at Seattle Center. 

After the event, the city hosted what they called a “silent vigil” where attendees could gather, mourn together and remember those who passed. 

K9 Comfort Dog Sharon (St. Luke’s - Federal Way, WA) and her handlers were there to bring comfort to a community in shock. The team also placed Hearts of Mercy & Compassion for mourners to sign. ​

While there, they met and comforted community members, employees working the festival, and family members of the victims. 

When a visitor asked about the HMCs on display, the team responded that they were gifts for the families. 

The woman took a step back in disbelief and said, “Really?!” with a smile. The team learned that she was a family member. 

The ministry collaboration brought so much love to the community that one of the volunteers stated, “Having the HMCs there added an extra layer of connection with the community. It meant the world to us to have them there!”


In Beecher, IL, Peace Lutheran Church discovered that straight-line winds partially tore the roof off its school and crashed it into the steep roof of the church, causing some of the trusses to break and damaging the roof and side wall.​

This week, the church (pictured) began tarping the gash and stabilizing the roof with scaffolding. Peace will be out of its building for months and will meet at another church in town.

The damage was part of the multi-day storms across the Midwest that spun up multiple tornadoes and blasted 100 mph straight-line winds through Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, causing numerous towns to suffer severe damage and knock down power lines and lots of trees. An EF-3 tornado was confirmed July 28 near Appleton, Menasha, and Neenah, WI.

As a result, roads have been blocked and power out for multiple days, which hampered Lutheran Church Charities and other responders begin the cleanup and recovery process. In the days since, LCC Disaster Response and LERT crews have assessed more than 40 sites across both states and completed work in over nine communities. LCC is working with at least 9-10 churches and helping numerous congregation members in Illinois and Wisconsin. “There are pastors who have reached out to LCC for the first time,” said Deac. Kathy O’Day, Director of LCC Disaster Response. “Cleanup work will continue into next week with a lot of lift work still to do.”

LCC’s K-9 Comfort Dogs serve as comfort-givers in hospitals, encouragers on the scene of tragedies, and day-brighteners at schools.​

Last week, they served as an object lesson — over a Zoom conference call — for a LCC-led Bible study lesson for children in Haiti attending a chapel service.

Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dogs-in-training Blessed, Forgive, Harmony, Journey, Sarah, and Trinity demonstrated — with some volunteer apprentice trainers — some of the commands they know.

LCC K-9 Trainer Sophia Apodaca explained how the comfort dogs help people who are sad, scared, lonely, or hurting. But when they first began training, the puppies didn’t know how. They had to learn.

Now a year old, the comfort dogs are growing in size and understanding.

“They learn a little each day; we grow in our faith the same way,” Apodaca shared. “When we’re afraid, Jesus stays with us. When we sin, Jesus forgives us and helps us learn.”


In March, six U.S. Army Reserve soldiers of the 103rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command were killed in action during a drone strike at the Port of Shuaiba in Kuwait. The Des Moines, Iowa, unit returned from deployment and, this month, had the opportunity to grieve their fallen service members at a Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program event in Dallas, TX.

Nearly 150 National Guard and Reserve Service members — plus many families — came to mourn, and five LCC K-9 Comfort Dog teams from Texas and Oklahoma and one Hearts of Mercy & Compassion team joined together to meet, talk, pray, and sometimes just be silent with them during a period of somber reflection and honor.

The HMC team from Christ the Redeemer in Tulsa, OK, erected six purple HMCs for attendees to sign, and they quickly filled with messages of respect, admiration, and grief.​

Right beside them were Kare 9 Military Ministry Dog Joy (Gloria Dei – Houston, TX), Kare 9 Military Ministry Dog Pax (St. Paul – Fort Worth, TX), Persis Comfort Dog (Christ The Redeemer – Tulsa, OK), Olive Comfort Dog (St. Paul – Fort Worth, TX), and Triton Comfort Dog (Messiah – Plano, TX).

As the Army soldiers and families came through, one group at a time, stories flowed about the people who passed.

- One gentleman was affectionately referred to as “Mr. Mountain Dew”, by a number of service members close to him. 
- Another young service member reflected that he had not been “this close to death before”, having not experienced loss in in personal life, at the young age of 20 years old.  
- Another U.S. Army mate shared his feelings of loss, as the service member who passed was just about to celebrate his 21st birthday and they had made plans to mark the occasion together.  Instead, this man shared, he was out alone on his fallen friend’s birthday and lifted a glass in his memory. 

The fallen heroes include:
• Maj. Jeffrey O'Brien, 45, of Waukee, Iowa
• Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida
• Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Spotsylvania, Virginia
• Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska
• Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota
• Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa

LCC volunteers noted that there was a reflective, peaceful atmosphere around the hearts, as each group came through, remembering the lost. 

The division chaplain struggled to write on each heart, having known each of the soldiers personally.  Similarly, many of the soldiers took their time, coming back to the hearts time and again, choosing intentionally what to write.  

“We are so thankful that these hearts will be gifted directly to the families of the service members who died,” said Sarah Sekki, Director of Hearts of Mercy & Compassion. “We pray that they will be strengthened throughout their grief journey.”

K-9 Comfort Dog handlers, similarly, witnessed unique “God moments.”

Kim Gastler, a veteran and handler for Kare 9 Military Dog Joy handed out challenge coins to service members. “Everyone loved the coins and some were really surprised to receive one,” he said. 

Steve and Roxy Hurry, handlers for Comfort Dog Persis, spent time with a young family with two small children. Facebook messages had sustained the couple during those long months away. He enjoyed seeing Persis and when the Roxys presented him a stuffie dog, tears flowed. “Our dogs brought him back to … the reality of being home,” Steve shared.

Paul and LaRae Witsaman with Kare 9 Military Dog Pax said their “God moment” was simply sitting with soldiers and “just giving them peace.” They listened to stories and handed out stuffies to the kids. One mom, a kindergarten teacher with two kids, needed prayers and long hugs. “It felt like she was just hanging on. She was so grateful to the comfort dogs.”

Terry Young, who was with Comfort Dog Olive, is a veteran who had done a tour of duty in Kuwait in 1999 while in the U.S. Air Force. He said having the hearts and crosses right next to the comfort dogs provided a natural flow. “People could reflect and leave notes to the fallen soldiers, and then they could be comforted by the dogs and have the opportunity to talk about their experiences — and potentially be prayed for,” he said. “having been through many line of duty deaths myself, I can see how this was a blessing.”
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Also with Olive was LuAnn Kelly, who spent a lot of time with a 22-year-old woman who is a single mom and caregiver for her mother. She had a tattoo that was a tribute to the fallen soldiers. It is 6 lines and the spacing had meaning with fading ashes falling beneath it. She said many in her unit got the tattoo including the Chaplin.

With Triton Comfort Dog were Jane and Jerry Baedke, who talked with a family who had a soldier still making recovery visits to Walter Reed Hospital. While his arm is limited, he made an effort to sign all six hearts. The Baedkes prayed with him, his wife, two children and his mother, who had tears in her eyes. Triton picked up on the emotional vulnerability and positioned himself on the soldier’s foot during the prayer.

LCC thanks the following volunteers who served on this outreach:

K-9 Comfort Dog Teams

Kare 9 Military Ministry Dog Joy  
⁠Kim (U.S. Navy) and Karen Gastler

Kare 9 Military Ministry Dog Pax 
LaRae Witsaman 
Paul Witsaman MP (U.S. Air Force)

Persis Comfort Dog
Roxy and Steve Hurry

Olive Comfort Dog
Bob Hampton 
Samantha Hosti 
LuAnn Kelly
Trista Schweitzer
Terry Young MP (U.S. Air Force / Air National Guard)

Triton Comfort Dog
Jane and Jerry Baedke


Hearts of Mercy & Compassion Team
Sandy Cooper 
Ed and Diane Fager 

Lutheran Church Charities staff and volunteers are preparing deployment plans to Wisconsin and across Northern Illinois this week to bring disaster response assistance and spiritual care after severe storms with hail and an EF-3 tornado hit Monday afternoon causing widespread damage across both states.

The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado packed winds of more than 136 miles per hour near Appleton, WI, calling it “extremely dangerous.” Reports of extensive damage have come in throughout the Fox River Valley and Lake Winnebago, especially the towns of Appleton and Menasha, including homes destroyed, trees split and shredded, and debris everywhere. Tens of thousands are without power. 

In Northern Illinois, roadways were temporarily blocked by downed trees and storm damage, roofs ripped off, buildings collapsed, and some flash flooding. Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) crews were already at work yesterday in Frankfort, IL, with requests coming in from Wheaton, Homewood, Markham, and Steger. 

LCC plans call for Spiritual First Aid™-trained volunteers to join them in caring for homeowners shaken by the storm, bringing care, compassion, and the presence of Christ to these hurting communities. They'll also serve at Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) events being planned in both states.

"This round of severe weather has hit close to home for us at LCC," said President/CEO Rev. Chris Singer, who has been in contact with Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod district officials and LCMS pastors since Monday. "LCC has dearly loved volunteers, teams, and church affiliates in Appleton, Greenville, and across Northern Illinois. They are already at work caring for their neighbors, and LCC is eager to work alongside them to bring comfort and compassion to these hurting communities."​

Late Monday, President Rev. Dr. Nathan Meador of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s South Wisconsin District and President Rev. Dr. Allan Buss of the Northern Illinois District invited LCC to bring Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) volunteers and Spiritual First Aid™-trained caregivers to their regions to assist in storm cleanup and care, compassion, and the presence of Christ to these hurting communities.

LCC has also been in communication with LCMS pastors in Appleton, WI, Greenville, WI, and Beecher, IL.
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LERT crews in Northern Illinois are responding to requests for assistance in Wheaton, IL, and Frankfort, IL, starting today, said LCC Disaster Response Director Deaconess Kathy O'Day. 

Meanwhile, LCC affiliate churches Faith Lutheran in Appleton, WI, home of K-9 Comfort Dog Hagar and a Hearts of Mercy & Compassion team, and Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran in Greenville, WI, home of K-9 Comfort Dog Samaria, report that their communities were severely impacted and are providing help to neighborhoods, including opening up to those who need power. 

Rev. Singer is calling on LCC supporters to pray for those impacted by these powerful storms and for the first responders who are working to assist communities.

“Today, our neighbors who have been affected by these storms and a tornado are in great need. They’re scared and shaken. Let’s lift them up in prayer and respond with generous support, providing shelter, comfort, and hope in the name of Jesus,” Rev. Singer said. “We ask that the Holy Spirit would be near to them now amid the shock and devastation.”

LCC sends volunteer ministry teams as a reminder to hurting communities that people across the nation love and support them. LCC seeks to provide those impacted by natural disasters with opportunities to process their trauma and receive messages of love and hope, ultimately finding the solace that can only come from Jesus. 

Thanks to you, Lutheran Church Charities will BE THERE to provide the mercy, compassion, presence, and proclamation of Jesus Christ to those who are struggling, suffering, and in need.