Lutheran Church Charities
  • Home
  • 12/31- Give Now
  • About
    • Staff >
      • All Staff
      • Leadership
      • Disaster Response
      • Ministry Development/Donor Relations
      • Hearts of Mercy & Compassion/Crosses for Losses
      • K-9 Ministries >
        • Staff
        • Trainers
        • Volunteer Trained Dog Handlers
      • Communications/IT
      • Operations
      • Board of Directors
      • Board of Directors Advisors
      • Spiritual Advisors to the President/CEO
    • Mission
    • Employment
    • LCC In the News >
      • Recent
      • Affiliates
      • Featured
      • Archives
    • Articles
    • Social Feed
  • Ways to Give to LCC
    • Donation Policy
    • LCC General Fund
    • Disaster Response
    • LCC K-9 Ministries
    • Non-Monetary Donations
  • Disaster and Crisis Response
    • Disaster Response >
      • Give Now
      • Training and Certification
      • Volunteer
    • Crisis Response
    • Care Carding
  • K-9 Ministries
    • Request a K-9 Comfort Dog Visit
    • K-9 Comfort Dogs >
      • About
      • Give Now
      • Meet the Dogs >
        • Affiliate Ministry Members
        • LCC Staff K-9 Comfort Dogs
        • K-9 Comfort Dogs In Training
        • LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs - Permanently Deployed
      • K-9 Apprentice Trainer
      • Articles
    • Kare 9 Military Ministry >
      • About
      • Give Now
      • Meet The Kare 9s
      • Meet The Kare 9 Squad
      • Kare 9 Articles
    • LCC K-9 Police Ministry >
      • About
      • Give Now
      • Meet The K-9 Police Ministry
      • LCC K-9 Police Ministry Articles
    • LCC K-9 Court System Fund - Ezra
    • Partners in Comfort >
      • Veterinary Services
      • Grooming Services
    • Acquiring an LCC K-9 Comfort Dog
  • Hearts of Mercy & Compassion
    • About
    • Volunteer
    • Hearts of Mercy & Compassion Coloring Pages
  • Current Needs
    • Families in Need
    • Ministries in Need
    • Vehicle Donations
    • Your Donations Make a Difference
    • International Missions >
      • Haiti
      • Ghana >
        • C-WoW Health for Ghana
        • C-WoW Wells for Ghana
      • India
      • Ethiopia
      • Israel
  • Volunteer
    • Disaster Response/LERT
    • Hearts of Mercy & Compassion/Crosses for Losses
    • K-9 Apprentice Trainer
    • Volunteer Opportunities
  • WORD Bible Study
    • WORD - Live Course
    • WORD - Online Courses
    • WORD - Short Courses & Small Groups
    • WORD Classroom
    • Daily Devotions
    • Travel Opportunities
  • Resources
    • Food Equipment Ministry Outreach
    • Listen to Learn / Speak to Serve
    • Ministry Resources
    • Parent Resources
    • Face Mask Project
    • People EncourAGING People
    • Bag Mat Project
    • Items Available >
      • Items Free for the Asking
      • Items Available to a Ministry
      • Non-Monetary Donations
  • Contact Us
    • Request for Prayer
    • Subscribe
  • Shop
    • Store
    • Amazon Smile
    • Christianbook.com

#SantaFeStrong

5/21/2019

 
On the weekend of May 17 – 18, seven LCC K-9 Comfort Dog teams from Texas gathered together to share the mercy, compassion, presence and proclamation of Jesus to Santa Fe High School and the community. LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs: Damaris (Memorial – Katy, Texas), Elijah (Our Redeemer – Wichita Falls, Texas), Gabriel (Messiah – Houston, Texas), Joy (Gloria Dei – Houston, Texas), Martha (Bethany – Austin, Texas), Phoebe (St. Paul – Fort Worth, Texas), and Triton (Messiah – Plano, Texas) and their teams were honored to serve in Santa Fe.
The teams were in the high school all day on Friday and finished the afternoon by attending a Tree Planting Dedication that is in remembrance of those that lost their lives. On Saturday, the teams divided up and spent time at the Resiliency Center, call center, fire stations and a faculty sponsored kickball event at the local park. Later in the afternoon, all seven teams reunited at the fairgrounds and participated in a community event that included many activities for people to participate in. There was music therapy, making “stress balls”, painting rocks, creating a tile mural and, of course, seven golden retriever Comfort Dogs to meet and love on. The evening was finished with a candlelight vigil. The community sang worship songs and heard from God’s Word and then we closed with singing “Jesus Loves Me” as our candles lite up the evening.

It was an honor to be invited, and we were welcomed and thanked wherever we went. Glory be to God!

Carol Lisk, handler and caregiver for Joy Comfort Dog, shares thoughts on what it means to serve the Santa Fe community:   

“One year following the tragic events at Santa Fe High School, I stand in the library for a moment of silence to remember those whose lives were lost on that tragic day. I am filled with an overwhelming mixture of emotions. My eyes fill with tears of sadness, but also in joy. Sadness for innocence lost, lives taken senselessly, fear and pain for those who continue to mourn and struggle. Joy, and a strong sense of peace and hope, for the love exhibited by and for the community, the kindness of total strangers, the resiliency of the students and faculty, and the understanding that we all rise by lifting others.    

One year ago, in my own small circle of the on-going nightmare, our church (Gloria Dei Lutheran Church) sent pastoral staff to hospitals, worked with families affected, attended a prayer vigil that evening, and made a phone call that brought some much-needed help to a hurting community. They called for a legion of golden angels, also known as Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dogs. They came within hours, from across Texas initially, and then from across the country. They came with dogs and handlers who stopped their lives to be there. They came with stuffed dogs, ministry cards with dogs’ pictures, “dog tags”, and most importantly with the ability to share unconditional love, a sense of calmness in the storm, a listening ear, and the love of Jesus to share through these beautiful creatures of God and their amazing handlers.

On that fateful day, I never imagined that one year later I would be standing in the school as a handler of a Comfort Dog. Alongside their teams, Comfort Dogs Joy and Gabriel have spent many hours over the past 12 months at Santa Fe High School. We go because we care. We go because we love. We go to share the Mercy, Compassion, Presence and Proclamation of Jesus Christ. We go because we have seen the strong bond the students, faculty, counselors, and parents have formed with these loving dogs. Time after time, tears are shed, hugs are given, prayers are lifted and hopefully one more person is one step closer to healing.  The entire LCC community has supported Santa Fe throughout this journey. When Joy and Gabriel were voted honorary homecoming queen and king, and Joy was unable to attend, Damaris Comfort Dog and her team stepped right in to act as Joy’s substitute. Seven Comfort Dogs have returned for the anniversary of that fateful day, to show their ongoing love and support for the Santa Fe community.

While there are too many personal and private interactions to recount, they have been seen and felt by those involved, and are forever held close by those of us who have experienced them firsthand. We treasure the Santa Fe community, we lift them up in ongoing prayer, and every one of us feel honored to be a small part of the healing of that community.”

Please join LCC in continuing to lift up our LCC K-9 Ministry teams in Texas as they serve those still hurting and healing in Santa Fe.
Donate - LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Fund

Comments are closed.

    Categories

    All
    "22"
    All
    California Wildfires
    Crisis Response
    Crosses For Losses
    Dayton
    Disaster Response
    Displaced Children
    El Paso
    Families In Need
    Florida
    Ghana
    Haiti
    Hearts Of Mercy And Compassion
    Hearts Of Mercy & Compassion
    Hurricane Florence
    Hurricane Harvey
    Hurricane Irma
    Hurricane Maria
    Hurricane Michael
    IL Flooding
    International Missions
    In The News
    Jefferson City
    Job Openings
    K-9 Comfort Dogs
    K-9 Court System - Ezra
    K-9 Police Ministry
    K-9 Travel Expenses
    Kansas
    Kare 9 Military Ministry
    Kentucky
    Kind Words For K9s
    Kind Words For LCC
    Las Vegas
    LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs
    LERT
    LERT Mercy In Action
    Linwood
    Madison
    Maryland Great Falls
    Milwaukee
    Ministries In Need
    Ministry Resources
    Mississippi
    Missouri
    Molson Coors
    Myanmar Scholarship
    Nebraska Flooding
    NE Flooding
    Ohio
    Parkland
    Prospect Heights Fire
    Recommended Reading
    Santa Fe
    Scrub Buckets
    Special Appeals
    STEM School
    Sutherland Springs
    Taylorville
    Texas
    Thank You From LCC
    Thousand Oaks
    Tornadoes In Tennessee
    Watseka
    WI Flooding
    Wisconsin
    Your Donations Make A Difference

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017

    RSS Feed

Location

Contact Us

Lutheran Church Charities
3020 Milwaukee Ave.
Northbrook, IL 60062
Local: 224-257-4389
Toll Free: 866-455-6466
Fax : 866-451-1476
LCC@LutheranChurchCharities.org

Follow Us

LCC Disaster Response
LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs
LCC Kare 9 Military Ministry
LCC K-9 Police Ministry
LCC Hearts of Mercy & Compassion
  • Home
  • 12/31- Give Now
  • About
    • Staff >
      • All Staff
      • Leadership
      • Disaster Response
      • Ministry Development/Donor Relations
      • Hearts of Mercy & Compassion/Crosses for Losses
      • K-9 Ministries >
        • Staff
        • Trainers
        • Volunteer Trained Dog Handlers
      • Communications/IT
      • Operations
      • Board of Directors
      • Board of Directors Advisors
      • Spiritual Advisors to the President/CEO
    • Mission
    • Employment
    • LCC In the News >
      • Recent
      • Affiliates
      • Featured
      • Archives
    • Articles
    • Social Feed
  • Ways to Give to LCC
    • Donation Policy
    • LCC General Fund
    • Disaster Response
    • LCC K-9 Ministries
    • Non-Monetary Donations
  • Disaster and Crisis Response
    • Disaster Response >
      • Give Now
      • Training and Certification
      • Volunteer
    • Crisis Response
    • Care Carding
  • K-9 Ministries
    • Request a K-9 Comfort Dog Visit
    • K-9 Comfort Dogs >
      • About
      • Give Now
      • Meet the Dogs >
        • Affiliate Ministry Members
        • LCC Staff K-9 Comfort Dogs
        • K-9 Comfort Dogs In Training
        • LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs - Permanently Deployed
      • K-9 Apprentice Trainer
      • Articles
    • Kare 9 Military Ministry >
      • About
      • Give Now
      • Meet The Kare 9s
      • Meet The Kare 9 Squad
      • Kare 9 Articles
    • LCC K-9 Police Ministry >
      • About
      • Give Now
      • Meet The K-9 Police Ministry
      • LCC K-9 Police Ministry Articles
    • LCC K-9 Court System Fund - Ezra
    • Partners in Comfort >
      • Veterinary Services
      • Grooming Services
    • Acquiring an LCC K-9 Comfort Dog
  • Hearts of Mercy & Compassion
    • About
    • Volunteer
    • Hearts of Mercy & Compassion Coloring Pages
  • Current Needs
    • Families in Need
    • Ministries in Need
    • Vehicle Donations
    • Your Donations Make a Difference
    • International Missions >
      • Haiti
      • Ghana >
        • C-WoW Health for Ghana
        • C-WoW Wells for Ghana
      • India
      • Ethiopia
      • Israel
  • Volunteer
    • Disaster Response/LERT
    • Hearts of Mercy & Compassion/Crosses for Losses
    • K-9 Apprentice Trainer
    • Volunteer Opportunities
  • WORD Bible Study
    • WORD - Live Course
    • WORD - Online Courses
    • WORD - Short Courses & Small Groups
    • WORD Classroom
    • Daily Devotions
    • Travel Opportunities
  • Resources
    • Food Equipment Ministry Outreach
    • Listen to Learn / Speak to Serve
    • Ministry Resources
    • Parent Resources
    • Face Mask Project
    • People EncourAGING People
    • Bag Mat Project
    • Items Available >
      • Items Free for the Asking
      • Items Available to a Ministry
      • Non-Monetary Donations
  • Contact Us
    • Request for Prayer
    • Subscribe
  • Shop
    • Store
    • Amazon Smile
    • Christianbook.com