Hope Amid Hometown Crosses

HMCs built in Louisville used after plane crash tragedy.

Hearts were heavy with deep sorrow last week in Louisville, Kentucky. The tragic crash of United Parcel Service’s Flight 2976 took the lives of three crew members on board and at least 11 people on the ground, which shocked and devastated a community grieving alongside union workers and aviation professionals.

For Lutheran Church Charities volunteer Clyde Lang, a Louisville native, it was a lesson about God’s timing and being prepared as His vessel.  

Back in the spring, Lang has reached out to LCC’s Hearts of Mercy & Compassion ministry, wanting to help build crosses after seeing them around the country. From May to October, he had constructed 18 for LCC — which turned out to be more than enough for the memorial site in his hometown.

“I never imagined using them in my own community,” Lang said. “But I am so glad that we were here, to be with those grieving.” 

With the crosses Lang made as part of the HMC  ministry, LCC responded quickly to an invitation from Rev. Eric Estes, Pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Louisville, to bring HMC staff, volunteers, and K-9 Comfort Dogs Eternity and Magdalene (Cornerstone Lutheran - Carmel, IN) to minister and care to first responders, medical staff, and families affected by the tragedy.

When Sarah Sekki, director of LCC Hearts of Mercy & Compassion, learned that Clyde’s crosses were already in place, she made plans for the 6-hour drive from Chicago to Louisville.

Just a few hours away were K-9 Comfort Dog teams Eternity and Magdalene in Carmel, IN, who also could make the drive to Northern Kentucky.

The group arrived Thursday in time for a candlelight vigil sponsored by the Teamsters Union Local 89, bringing hearts and crosses for the public to sign. With representatives from the mayor’s office, the Teamsters, Independent Pilots Association, and American Federation of Labor, the K-9 Comfort Dogs’ presence brought calm and serenity to a group still reeling from the shock of the crash.

On Friday, the Eternity and Magdalene teams made visits across the city, presenting hearts filled with messages of love, thanks, and prayer for those who had been carrying so much emotion. Visits included the Okolona Fire Station, University of Louisville Health Hospital, and the Louisville 911 Call Center.

At each stop, firefighters, doctors, nurses, and dispatchers all got on the ground to pet Eternity and Magdalene for a moment to exhale and talk with LCC handlers.

That evening, the teams set up hearts and crosses at the Louisville Waterfront, site of a second memorial event. During the program, the tragedy’s 14th victim was named, which gave Eternity and Magdalene a fresh opportunity to provide comfort and compassion. Families, coworkers, and friends held each other close as they cuddled in with the dogs and around the crosses.

Each heart and cross stands as a symbol of love, reminding the community that God has not left them. His mercy, hope, and people surround them even in the heaviest sorrow.

Please continue to lift up the Louisville community, the families who lost loved ones, and all who have served so faithfully through this tragedy. May God’s comfort meet them in the midst of their grief and bring peace in the days ahead.

Moments of Assurance, Connection, and Trust

LCC asked K-9 Comfort Dog handlers who deployed to Louisville last week to describe their time spent with the community, first responders, and medical personnel.

Assurance
“We bring assurance of God’s love to those suffering in the midst of tragedy.”

Connection
“Our presence provided a way to connect and to show support and comfort to those serving the community.”

Trust
“I wasn’t sure I should go to a Louisville. When we got there, we didn’t have a ton planned, but we had to trust that God would open doors for us, and He did — the vigil, the firehouse, the hospital. All of the people we met trusted us with their stories, which will remain with me forever now as a part of mine. Giving up control and trusting in Him allowed me to show up and be present where I needed to be.”

Enlightening
“I was trying to think of words to describe eye-opening. Nothing could’ve prepared me for what I heard and saw when I was there. From the 911 dispatchers to seeing a group of people who didn’t know each other pray together, this is why I love what we do so much.”

Grateful
“I heard many times, ‘Thank you for coming here.’ Whether that was at the vigils, the firehouse, the hospital, or the dispatch center, we just kept hearing, ‘Thank you for coming and also for thinking about us.’ I am grateful that there are those in this ministry that are willing to give of their time and resources to come to a community that is hurting to bring the Mercy, Compassion, Presence, and Proclamation of Jesus.”