Lutheran Church Charities Disaster Response (DR) was invited by Rev. Dr. Paul Naumann at St. Michael Lutheran Church in Portage, Michigan, to provide chainsaw assistance and debris removal with heavy equipment following devastating tornadoes that swept through. Portage and Kalamazoo on May 7 causing widespread destruction.
 
On Sunday, May 19, LCC Director of Disaster Response Kathy O’Day and DR Equipment Manager Jamie Miller, along with 18 LCC Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) chainsaw volunteers, began a two-week deployment to assist residents affected by this tornado.
 
Town officials from Portage and Kalamazoo expressed their appreciation to the LCC Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) volunteers for serving in their communities and continue to refer homeowners to the LERT team for assistance daily.

During the first week of deployment, LCC LERT volunteers completed 14 work sites, with three of these being two- and three-day jobs, due to the extent of the tree damage on their property.
 
One of these homeowners with so much damage was a widow, Mrs. R., who had multiple trees down around her home, with several leaning on her roof. When we met her, she was distraught, in tears, and frustrated with her insurance company who was not returning her calls after assessing the damage.
 
After the team arrived and began clearing her many trees, she had tears of joy and sincere gratitude for the hard work and Christ-like care shown to her. She told us she felt it was the “first time she could truly smile and have hope for recovery since the tornado.” She was also very touched by the cross and homemade quilt given to her and told us she would treasure them.

The destruction and trauma experienced by many residents is widespread, but the spirit of community and faith has provided much-needed hope, encouragement, and help in beginning the long recovery process. It has been a blessing to listen to the survivors' stories and offer a word of encouragement and prayer as we served those in need.
 
Lutheran Church Charities thanks our generous donors and volunteers for their willingness to serve. We appreciate your faithful prayers and support for all of the communities affected by the catastrophic tornadoes and those responding to assist.

Lutheran Church Charities Disaster Response (DR) has been invited by Rev. Dr. Paul Naumann at St. Michael Lutheran Church in Portage, Michigan to provide chainsaw assistance and debris removal with heavy equipment. The towns of Portage and Kalamazoo experienced an EF-2 tornado with 135 mph winds on May 7 causing widespread destruction. It was on the ground for 11 miles and 300 yards wide, beginning one block south of the church.
 
On Sunday, May 19, LCC Director of Disaster Response Kathy O’Day and DR Equipment Manager Jamie Miller, along with eighteen LCC Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) chainsaw volunteers, began a two-week deployment to assist residents affected by this tornado. This deployment is occurring only six days after LCC LERT volunteers returned from a two-week deployment to Nebraska, also for tornado response work.

LCC LERT draggers, chainsaw, and heavy equipment operators spent the last two days working at the home of a St. Michael’s congregation member who had approximately 30 trees downed and several more damaged on his property surrounding his home, as well as debris from his neighbors home which took a direct hit and was destroyed. He did not know how he would even begin to take care of the damage but is now feeling blessed to have a “church family” so willing to help him until it is cleared. 

Mr. R. had several of his and three of his neighbor's trees all leaning and hung up in one of his trees. He and his neighbors had no idea how all of these could be taken down safely and at what cost. They were pleased with the work this LCC lift team has been doing for the past two days and the professionalism shown with their rigging techniques and lift placement to safely and efficiently remove so many of these dangerous leaning and hung trees and limbs.

St. Michael has been very welcoming to the LCC disaster response team and is willing to serve their neighbors. Please pray for all those affected and the team deployed to bring the Mercy, Compassion, Presence and Proclamation of Jesus Christ to those suffering and in need!

On April 26, nineteen EF-2 and EF-3 tornadoes tore through Nebraska leaving a trail of destruction in many communities. Lutheran Church Charities Disaster Response had been asked by Rev. Ross Johnson, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) Director of Disaster Response, to provide chainsaw and debris removal assistance with heavy equipment in communities around Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church in Omaha, Nebraska, with Mick Onnen, Nebraska District Disaster Response Coordinator.
 
The Northern Illinois District volunteer deployment to Nebraska has ended. We were able to serve 32 homeowners with chainsaws, lifts, and heavy equipment, as well as give some blessing buckets and gift cards from local churches. Deaconess Kathy O'Day, LCC Director of Disaster Response (DR), and LCC DR Equipment Manager Jamie Miller, along with 27 Northern Illinois District Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) chainsaw volunteers, served from April 29 through May 10 with volunteers from several other districts.

Mr. and Mrs. H. rode out the storm in their home and found themselves facing significant damage to their property. The sound of their roof being torn off and trees snapping filled their home with fear and uncertainty. Their barn, crucial for their livelihood as they raised pigs and chickens, was completely destroyed in a matter of seconds.
 
Feeling overwhelmed by the devastation and unsure of how to begin the cleanup process, they were grateful for the support of their fellow Lutherans who came to their aid. They not only received practical help in cleaning up the debris but also experienced the comforting presence of Christ's love within their community.

One of LCC's final work sites was at the home and ranch of Mr. and Mrs. McG. Despite minimal damage to their home, the devastation to their horse stables and barn, along with the multiple downed trees on their property, left them feeling overwhelmed.
 
However, the team's swift and efficient work in making their property safe brought them a newfound sense of hope and relief.
 
Mrs. McG. stated, “All week we have felt overwhelmed and at a loss, but in one day, you have given us hope and lifted our burden.” She gave the team several hugs and thanks for assisting and caring for them during their time of need.

Mr. and Mrs. G. lost their home and had their wooded property severely damaged by the tornado.
 
Despite the loss and damage they faced, Mrs. G. took the time to express her sincere gratitude in a thank you note sent to us for the assistance they received, and the mercy and compassion shown to them.
 
“Thank you so much for coming and serving! We could not feel more uplifted and cared for during this whole ordeal. It was truly an honor to meet you and your team. We came home last night and we will head back for Mother’s Day weekend to get more things arranged. Take care! We are truly thankful for people like you!”

Mick Onnen, the Nebraska District Disaster Response Coordinator, sent a message of gratitude expressing his thanks to all those who served and supported the disaster response efforts in the district.

Lutheran Church Charities thanks the following LERT volunteers for their willingness to serve:

Illinois
Alleluia, Naperville - Ann Quigley, Rachel Rogers
Good Shepherd, Elgin - David Vollrath
Immanuel, DeKalb - Pete Springmire
Immanuel, Dundee - Carl Fischer, Matt Flynn, Terry and Denise Fuelling, Doug and Kelley Hoyt,
Al Navarro
Immanuel, Shobonier - Fran Collier
Lord of Life, Elburn - Mark Holstein, Kevin Krage, Terry and Mary Kramer, Vince Miller, Larry Zagorski
Prince of Peace, Palatine - Jim Beckley
St. John, Wheaton - Marty Johnson

Wisconsin
 St. Paul's, Janesville - Lark Sanders
 Prince of Peace, Menomonee Falls - Roger Kautz
 St. Paul, Grafton - Mark and Beverly Brueggemann

The destruction and trauma experienced by many residents is widespread, but the spirit of community and faith has provided much-needed hope, encouragement, and help in beginning the long recovery process.

It has been a blessing to listen to the survivors' stories and offer a word of encouragement and prayer as we served those in need.
 
Lutheran Church Charities thanks our generous donors and volunteers for their willingness to serve. Thank you for your faithful prayers and support for all of the communities affected by the catastrophic tornadoes and those responding to assist.

he destruction and trauma experienced by many residents are widespread, but the spirit of community and faith is providing much-needed hope, encouragement, and help in beginning the long recovery process. It is a blessing to listen to their stories and offer a word of encouragement and prayer as we serve those in need.

Lutheran Church Charities thanks our generous donors and volunteers for their willingness to serve. Thank you for your faithful prayers and support for all of the communities affected by the catastrophic tornadoes and those responding to assist.

Lutheran Church Charities held a Basic LCMS LERT chainsaw operation and safety classroom instruction at Walcamp in Kingston, Illinois, on May 3. This class was co-led by LCMS Chainsaw Certified Instructors and LCC advanced team leaders Marty Johnson and Ed Boerman.

On Saturday, May 4, thirty basic and advanced chainsaw-certified LCC staff and LERT team members worked as chainsaw and heavy equipment operators and draggers to clear downed and dead trees, limbs, and brush from the camp. Bill Indelli, Walcamp Executive Director, expressed his sincere thanks for all of the work completed to prepare the property for campers.

The eighteen first-time chainsaw operators received individual instruction and guidance from advanced team leaders as they began to safely practice felling and bucking trees and limbs, as well as serving with chainsaw team members.

LERT chainsaw volunteers from the following Illinois, Indiana, and North Carolina churches were in attendance:

Illinois
Christ the Rock, Rockford
Good Shepherd, Frankfurt
Heartland, Normal
Immanuel, Batavia
Immanuel, Belvidere
Lord of Life, Elburn
Prince of Peace, Palatine
St. John's, Union
St. John, Wheaton
St. Paul, Rockford
Trinity, Lisle
Trinity, Roselle

Indiana
Christ Lutheran, Valparaiso

North Carolina
Eternal Shepherd, Seneca

A total of 31 individuals participated, representing various teams and churches across Illinois.

It is good to see how the disaster response ministry is continuing to grow with volunteers willing to share the mercy, compassion, presence and proclamation of Jesus Christ in service to those suffering and in need.

In South Barrington, LERT volunteers worked at seven homes in one circle block. The homeowners were so thankful for the assistance. One posted on the LCC Disaster Response Facebook page, “My husband and I are eternally grateful to the men and women that came out to assist us. They were all so kind and compassionate. Thank you all for the amazing work you are doing!”

In Hoffman Estates, LERT volunteers worked at the home of a recent widow and stroke survivor who had an uprooted pine tree in her front yard and a very large topped oak tree in her back yard. The team had to fell the remaining 15-foot trunk and remove numerous fallen limbs. She couldn’t believe that we would so willingly do all of this and at no cost. She was in tears when presented with a cross from her tree and thanked everyone present for their care and hard work. 

A very large and diseased pine tree was topped and needed to be felled for safety reasons at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Palatine. The church's LERT team took care of this to make the grounds safe and received thanks for their willing service.

Lutheran Church Charities LERT volunteers will continue to be available to assist homeowners who have damage from these storms. Please pray for all of the communities affected by these devastating storms, including the LCC Disaster Response volunteers and staff that help during the recovery process.

If you are so moved, please donate to the LCC Disaster Response Fund so that we can BE THERE to show the Mercy, Compassion, Presence and Proclamation of Jesus Christ to those suffering and in need.

Anna Piro shared the team's sentiment, "We all worked well together, falling into the tasks at hand. As you can imagine, there has been much joy and laughter throughout our trip with each other and those we worked with. Belize was good to us, and we have loved the people we met at Camp Concordia and Good Shepherd."
 
The Northern Illinois District and Lutheran Church Charities thanks each of these volunteers for their willing service in Belize. The Lutheran Mission Belize posted the following thanks on their Facebook page: "We are so grateful for the hard work of these Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) volunteers this past week! They took down damaged and diseased trees in several locations throughout Belize, including at Camp Concordia. They have been a blessing!"

There were a total of 19 in attendance from the following teams or churches in Illinois:
Christ the Rock, Rockford
Immanuel, Belvidere
Immanuel, Dundee
St. John, Union
St. Paul, Rockford
Trinity, Lisle

It is good to see how the LCC Disaster Response ministry is continuing to grow with volunteers willing to share the mercy, compassion, presence, and proclamation of Jesus Christ in service to those suffering and in need.

CLICK HERE to learn more about getting trained to serve as a LERT volunteer.