For over a year, the generosity of LCC donors and friends supported Rev. Karl Fay, Senior Pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Palatine, Illinois, in assisting a member family in relocating and reuniting their loved ones from Pakistan. Pastor Alfred Emmanuel and his family are very thankful for the love and support shown to his family since their arrival and during their transition to life in America. They still can’t believe how much love, support, and prayers they have received. They thank God every day for His mercy and protection during their journey.
 
Additional donations for the family were presented to Pastor Fay by LCC Staff member Deb Baran. This financial assistance need has now been met.

LCC received a letter from Gulfam and Anila Emmanuel to thank donors and friends for helping Gulfam’s younger brother, Alfred, and his family reunite after 20 years apart.
 
To our friends and sponsors at LCC,
 
Words cannot express how grateful we are for the generous help you provided in bringing Alfred and his family from Pakistan to live in the United States.
 
The funding for their airfare here, several months of utilities and rent, and other initial needs, plus the donation of furniture, household goods, food, clothing, and even a car were blessings beyond anything we could possibly have provided for them. The faithfulness of prayer warriors was a special blessing to us all, without those prayers we would still be struggling!
 
Life is much different here than in Pakistan; it was draining just to get the family through all the governmental processes, school registrations, job applications, and orientation required to begin a new life. We would never have been able to do any of this without your help, prayers, and support! The family is grateful to God for His provision for them through you, and wishes to thank everyone who provided financially, or with tangible gifts, or who prayed

It’s impossible to thank each person individually: everything provided was needed, so an answer to our prayers. We are truly grateful for the support they’ve received, and would ask that you continue to pray for the family as there are more adjustments to be made.
 
Praise God from whom all blessings flow, and thanks to all of you!
 
Gulfam and Anila Emmanuel
 
CLICK HERE to read the entire thank you letter from the Emmanuel Family.

Christ the King Thanks Donors for a Much-Needed Snowblower

Last week, LCC volunteers Richard and Bonnie Habegger delivered a much-needed snowblower to Christ the King, Chicago, Illinois. Geri Brazeal, the Pastor's wife, was in tears when accepting the donation.
 
She shared how awesome God was in answering her prayers. During the recent snowstorms, she watched her 74-year-old husband, Pastor John Brazeal, outside shoveling snow around the church, the parsonage, the senior house, and the house next door all by himself.
 
Fearing for his safety and health, she prayed for her husband's protection and safety and then contacted LCC with a request for a snowblower. On Wednesday morning, her request appeared in the Make A Difference Newsletter. That morning within hours, a donor called LCC with a donation of a snowblower, which was delivered Thursday morning

LCC’s Partnership with St. John Lutheran Church of Schaumburg and Salam Christian Fellowship has blessed several ministry partners with their donations enabling these ministries to continue to serve people in the name of Jesus.

Christ the King, Chicago, Illinois, will be receiving a gas stove to replace the non-working stove in their senior house that is a home for five seniors. They will also be receiving a freezer that will enable them to store frozen food until they can give it out to people in the tent cities they serve or the people that come to their pantry at the church for food.

On Tuesday, the Midwest Veterans Closet received a donation of men's and women’s clothing and shoes. Thank you to LCC volunteers Terry Styka and Margo Kritzka, who delivered the donation. On Wednesday, LCC's volunteer Roger Plummer delivered a load of draperies and linens for the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and living rooms with his SUV. They will soon be receiving donations of household items, kitchen dishes, pots and pans, small appliances, electrons, and children’s books.

On Thursday, LCC's volunteer Ginny Feldmann and a crew from a moving company came to pick up furniture to furnish a safe house for Muslim women who have converted to Christianity and are victims of contracted honor killings. According to the tenants of Islam, because they have brought shame on their families, the families disown them and hire someone to kill them. The furniture donations will help to furnish the bedrooms for the women who will find a sanctuary there.

On Monday, February 25, LCC Volunteer, Bob Morris, presented donations received to Christ the King Lutheran Church and School in Chicago, Illinois. Pastor John and Principal Geri Brazeal continue to be overwhelmed by the outpouring of generosity, which always arrives at a perfect time. Their whole community ministry is not only with the students of the school and the congregation, but they also serve senior citizens with housing and food needs. Your donations are Making a Difference in the lives of so many who are served by Christ the King.

Pictured from the left are Lophane Laurent, Field Director with Mission Haiti, and Pastor LaVenture. Pastor LaVenture lives in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, but serves an impoverished congregation high in the mountains. He travels there a couple of times a week up terrible rocky roads that could be considered wide goat paths on the back of a motorcycle taxi that may or may not be well maintained.
 
Having his own transportation will save him a great deal of money and give him more independence and flexibility to serve his congregation. He is immensely grateful and praises God for those who have shared their resources so generously.

Donated meals and food are always a blessing! Thank you for your continued support for serving the least of these. "Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me." Matthew 25:45

Lutheran Church Charities sends your donations to Haiti through our Haiti Mission Partners – Mission: Haiti & Ministry in Mission – who use them towards critical items needed to help save and improve the lives of the people of Haiti.

Food
 
$30 buys 2 weeks of food for an elderly poor person and may mean the difference between life and death.

DONATE — FOOD FOR HAITIAN ADULTS AND CHILDREN

Your donations allowed Lutheran Church Charities to support the effort to bring a sea container with food, shoes, clothes, donated church pews and furnishings, and miscellaneous useful supplies to Haiti.

Your donations made Christmas special in Haiti for the orphans. The orphans had a gathering in the church to celebrate and receive food and gifts provided by generous donors like you.

"To My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, on behalf of my children and myself, I would like to thank everyone working with Lutheran Church Charities. The gifts, prayers, and support have meant so much to us. I can not express in words how much this means to me and the girls. Thank you so much!"

If you are so moved, please prayerfully consider continuing to support this family as they cope with the loss of their husband/father while trying to manage the many financial burdens they face. Their strong faith rests in the promises and hope of Jesus Christ.

Immanuel Hillside’s Put Your Hands Together – Food Distribution Ministry (PYHT-FDM) held its first food distribution of 2021 on Friday, January 22. Nine LCC ministry partners received food to deliver to their communities.
 
God has indeed blessed this ministry and our ministry partners' work as they reach out to their communities. Chicago Hope Church and Immanuel Hillside both received a 20ft box truck full of food to distribute this week. The following partner ministries participated in the distribution:

•   Breakfast With Baby – Carol Stream
•   Chicago Hope Church – Chicago
•   Christ the King – Chicago
•   Immanuel – Bartlett
•   Immanuel – Des Plaines
•   Immanuel – Hillside
•   Living Christ – Arlington Heights
•   St. Paul – on Canfield, Chicago
•   Voice of Hope Mission – Lombard

LCC thanks donors for making a difference in the lives of a single mother with 4 children in their time of need.

Just before Christmas, Lutheran Church Charities was contacted by Chi Alpha Pi sorority alumnae about a need for a car for a single abused mother of 4 children. LCC was able to provide a donated car through Our Redeemer, the local LCMS church.
 
Kate Hickey, a Chi Alpha Pi sorority alumna and attorney in Hawaii, has now helped this single mother become the owner/operator of a licensed and insured home cleaning business.
 
This mother acknowledges that this new business venture would not have been possible without the generous donation of a well-maintained car from Lutheran Church Charities for her use. This mother believes the vehicle has been an "amazing blessing!"

As she told Kate, "For the first time in my entire life, I now have a car, a business, a bank account, savings, and the ability to earn a living wage to support my kids. I still need to find a new place to live, but this is now possible. Things aren't easy – I'm still a single mom with four kids - but the future is crazy bright, and I'm happy."
 
Pastor Bueltmann at Our Redeemer also continues to reach out to this family with ministerial help to meet their spiritual and emotional needs. He stated, "All of the assistance provided to this single mother is making a huge difference in putting her in a position to better care for her family."
 
The story is a wonderful example of working together as brothers and sisters in Christ around the country to bring the mercy, compassion, presence, and proclamation of Jesus Christ to someone in need.

Thanks to your generous donations, orphaned children and adults in Haiti celebrated a wonderful Christmas. Through your gifts, LCC shared the love of Jesus with our Haitian brothers and sisters.

LCC wants to THANK everyone who helped us on our once a year 12/31 Annual Fund Campaign to cover our operating expenses. What comes in for our 12/31 Yearly Appeal determines our budget, which starts February 1st. Thank you for your support!
 
ISSUES WITH THE MAIL
 
We have been contacted by donors wondering if we got their donation check and, in some cases, found out we have NOT. The mail has been and continues to be running SLOW, to say the least.
 
Also, we have sent out thank you letters acknowledging your gift, and some have been returned because the Post Office says the address is wrong – WHICH WE HAVE VERIFIED IT IS NOT. We are trying to scan and email you the letter and also drop it in the mail again.
 
We sincerely apologize for any confusion, which is beyond our control, and we hope it all gets worked out soon! If you have any questions, please feel free to call us.
 
Thank you again for Making a Difference!

Through Your Gifts, LCC Shared the Love of Jesus this Christmas with the Children in Haiti's Tent City

Through your generous donations, LCC was able to send the children a Christmas present of food. We received pictures of their Christmas party and this note from Lophane Laurent, Field Director, Mission:Haiti:
 
Blessings to you my friends from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I want to wish you a Merry Christmas from our kids in your program. They were so happy today to receive this gift from you and I want you please to thank all our sponsors and donors from the children and their parents. We gave two weeks of food for their families for Christmas in this difficult time. May God continue blessing you all and we will continue praying for you and your families and your ministry. 
 
Blessings,
Lophane

Thanks to Your Generous Donations, LCC was able to Provide Salaries for 49 Teachers in Haiti

Dear Friends of the Haitian Lutheran Mission Project,
 
Lophane and the principals of the 7 schools we support are wishing all our donors and followers a very blessed Christmas. We have been able to send each of our 49 teachers $200 (6 months salary of $25 per month plus a $50 bonus) in time for them to feed their families on Christmas.
 
Merry Christmas and many, many thanks.
 
Susan Gross,
Haitian Lutheran Mission Project

LCC donors brighten Christmas for four Christ the King, Chicago, Illinois families from their school with Christmas gifts under the tree after a year in which each of these families were impacted by tragedies.

LCC received a thank you note from Pastor Don Love for additional donations received to help support a young widow with two small children.
 
Merry Christmas to You Tim, and all your staff.
 
I just wanted to say thank you once again for all your help! They are all deeply appreciated and are a very big blessings in a deeply difficult time. Thank you for all your hard work for the Lord.
 
God's Blessings,
Pastor Don Love
Faith, Merrill & St. John Lutheran Church, Hamburg, Wisconsin

The Friday before Christmas, the Put Your Hand Together Food Distribution Ministry of Immanuel, Hillside, Illinois served more LCC ministry partners than ever before.
 
The following ministry partners received cases of frozen meals and sandwiches; cases of shelf stable food supplies, snacks and blankets that they could give away to families in need this Christmas season:

• Breakfast With Baby / Our Savior – Carol Stream
• Christ the King – Chicago
• First St. Paul – Chicago
• Good Shepherd – Des Plaines
• Immanuel – Des Plaines
• Immanuel – Hillside
• Jehovah El Buen Pastor – Chicago
• Lutheran Church Charities – Northbrook
• Midwest Veteran’s Closet and Pantry – North Chicago
• Phil’s Friends – Roselle
• St. John – Country Club Hill
• St. Paul, Canfield – Chicago
• St. Paul – Oak Lawn
• Vida y Fe Church – West Dundee
• Voice of Hope Mission – Lombard