[DistUpd] Special Haiti Relief Information

[District Updates]

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January 15, 2010
Special Haiti Relief Issue

In this issue:

Greetings in the name of our loving Lord and Savior, Jesus.

This special edition of the Email Update contains information on many of the Lutheran responses and relief efforts taking place for the people of Haiti. More information is available by following the web links in each article.



 *   President Kieschnick Responds to the Haitian Earthquake
 *   LCMS Begins Earthquake Response Efforts
 *   Orphan Grain Train Responds to Needs
 *   Lutheran World Relief Offers Aid to Earthquake Victims
 *   CTS Reaches Out to Victims in Haiti
 *   Free Bulletin Inserts for Haiti Relief
 *   Serve on a Mercy Medical Team to Haiti This Spring



PRESIDENT KIESCHNICK RESPONDS TO THE HAITIAN EARTHQUAKE
To:                   The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod
From:              President Gerald B. Kieschnick
Subject:           LCMS response to Haitian earthquake
Date:                January 14, 2010

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As I write this letter, news of what is being called the largest earthquake to hit Haiti in more than 200 years is being covered nationwide by the media. Only hours after receiving reports of the magnitude 7.0 earthquake, we began preparing to reach out to the people of Haiti with critically needed assistance. We will be disbursing, through LCMS World Relief and Human Care, significant dollars to meet immediate and longer-term needs.

Many lives have been lost, extensive property has been damaged, and terrible suffering has been inflicted upon people trapped in collapsed buildings in a country already challenged by longtime political strife and poverty. We praise God that our missionaries in Haiti are confirmed to be safe. In addition to an LCMS World Mission GEO (Globally Engaged in Outreach) missionary and family stationed in Haiti, there are at least three short-term mission teams in the country from LCMS congregations and mission organizations from Nebraska, New York, and Wisconsin. We are working to confirm the safety of pastors and others in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti (ELCH), which has been a partner church of the Missouri Synod's since 2001. While communications are still sketchy, we believe Rev. Marky Kessa, president of the ELCH, is safe.  We are continuing our efforts to reach our other dear brothers and sisters in Christ in Haiti.

The LCMS, working cooperatively through LCMS World Relief and Human Care, LCMS World Mission, Lutheran World Relief in Baltimore, Concordia Publishing House, and our U.S. and Haitian partners, will strive to serve the ongoing needs of the people of Haiti who have lost loved ones, homes, possessions, and means of livelihood as a result of this devastating natural disaster.

With deepest gratitude I thank the generous LCMS members who have already responded with financial gifts for the people of Haiti.  Within 24 hours, more than $100,000 has been received.

We invite and urge our other dear brothers and sisters to help in this work. The links below will connect you with giving opportunities and provide you with information and resources for speaking about this tragedy to members, families, and friends.

Giving
Donations are urgently needed to provide relief efforts in Haiti. Gifts may be accepted online at http://givenowlcms.org.

Information

 *   For the most recent updates of the LCMS relief effort in Haiti, visit www.lcms.org/worldrelief<http://www.lcms.org/worldrelief>.
 *   To learn more about LCMS GEO missionary Alyssa Stone and her role in Haiti, visit www.lcms.org?15195<http://www.lcms.org?15195> or view her print-ready prayer card at www.lcmsworldmission.org/prayercards<http://www.lcmsworldmission.org/prayercards>.

Resources
Among the many materials available from LCMS ministries, these are some of the resources our members may find most useful:

 *   For congregational use:  Bulletin insert: <http://www.lcms.org/ca/worldrelief/dnews/> www.lcms.org/ca/worldrelief/dnews <http://www.lcms.org/ca/worldrelief/dnews%20>
 *   For young adults/adults: "Where is God Now" - 60 devotions specifically written for times of disaster, chaos, and grief:  http://bit.ly/5OgH9j
 *   For adult Bible study and reflection: "Comfort for Christians" - a four-part study by Rev. Roger Sonnenberg: http://bit.ly/8Rp7Et
 *   Also for adults: "For the Faint of Heart" - by Craig Parrott http://bit.ly/8qw2UK <http://bit.ly/8qw2UK%20>
 *   For teens/young adults: "Why? A Resource Kit for Talking to Students about Disaster & Tragedy" - www.youthesource.com/Index.asp?PageID=7082&Function=View&ArticleID=1329<http://www.youthesource.com/Index.asp?PageID=7082&Function=View&ArticleID=1329>
 *   For children: "I Will Not Be Afraid" - by Michelle Medlock Adams: http://bit.ly/6hqURs

Finally, but most importantly, I ask for your prayers as we respond to the needs of the Haitian people so tragically affected by the quake. With deep sincerity I give thanks to our almighty heavenly Father for keeping our missionaries safe. In addition, I pray for all those in Haiti whose lives have been devastated by the death of loved ones, personal injuries, loss of home and possessions. Moreover, I pray that God will bless our work in Haiti, along with that of many other humanitarian agencies, to relieve the suffering of those who have been so tragically impacted by the earthquake. Finally, I pray that the peace of God that passes all understanding, through Jesus Christ our Lord, will be of great comfort to all those affected by this horrendous disaster.

The peace of the Lord be with you all!
Gerald B. Kieschnick
President
The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod


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LCMS BEGINS EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE EFFORTS
As estimates of the loss of life and destruction in Haiti emerged following Tuesday's magnitude 7.0 earthquake, LCMS World Relief and Human Care (WR-HC) began responding, while members of LCMS congregations prayed for the safety of their mission teams who were in the Caribbean nation at the time of the quake.

"The unfolding drama in Haiti calls for unlimited mercy on the part of the people of the LCMS. The needs are urgent and overwhelming right now," said Rev. Glenn F. Merritt, WR-HC director of disaster response. "I appeal to God's people to respond as generously as possible during this most difficult time."

Haitians piled bodies along the devastated streets of their capital, Port-au-Prince, on Wednesday after the strongest earthquake to hit the nation in more than 200 years crushed thousands of structures, from schools and shacks to the National Palace and the U.N. peacekeeping headquarters. An untold number of people were still trapped.

Haitian President Rene Preval said the devastation was so complete that he estimated the death toll would run into the thousands. International Red Cross spokesman Paul Conneally said an estimated 3 million people may have been affected by the quake and that it would take a day or two for a clear picture of the damage to emerge.

Safe after the quake is a missionary family, Alyssa Stone and her two daughters, who live west of the capital where the shaking wasn't as strong. Stone is a deaconess intern from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne.

Also reported as safe are at least three short-term mission teams in Haiti from LCMS congregations and mission organizations in Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, and Wisconsin.

Jason Christ, director of Christian education at First Trinity Church in Tonawanda, N.Y., was glad to receive text messages Tuesday evening from 14 members of the church's mission team who had arrived in Haiti on Monday.

"They are all OK," he said. He also said the group, which includes Rev. Chuck Whited, are in Les Cayes, about 120 miles away from the hard-hit capital. This was the sixth time a team from the church had visited Haiti to work at an orphanage there.

News of the quake triggered numerous calls and e-mails to LCMS Life and Health Ministries Director Maggie Karner, who had been preparing to send the first LCMS WR-HC Mercy Medical Team (MMT) to Haiti in March. The day before the quake Karner had sent out an MMT recruitment appeal to LCMS pastors and congregations asking for physicians, pharmacists, and other medical professionals to volunteer for the team that is scheduled to serve in Haiti March 11-21.

"Our preliminary legwork for the first MMT team to Haiti in March will serve us well as we prepare to respond," Karner said Tuesday night. "Perhaps now, because of this tragedy, people will see the desperate need in Haiti and prayerfully consider how they can use their gifts and talents."

To learn more about the MMT trip to Haiti, contact LCMS WR-HC's Jacob Fiene at 800-248-1930, ext. 1278, or jacob.fiene at lcms.org<mailto:jacob.fiene at lcms.org>.

To donate to LCMS World Relief and Human Care, click here<https://catalog.lcms.org/givenow/Gift_Input.asp?ID=800>.


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ORPHAN GRAIN TRAIN RESPONDS TO NEEDS
Orphan Grain Train, in cooperation with LCMS World Relief and Human Care<http://tracking.etapestry.com/t/11290993/392762908/53595691/0/>, will ship 513,216 "Kids Against Hunger" meals (two semi-loads) to Haiti next week. Orphan Grain Train is shipping to Haiti both by air and by sea.

A semi-load relief shipment of food sent last month arrived on January 6 and is being used to respond to the disaster. Each semi-load contains 256,608 meals. The next two semi-loads will leave Norfolk the week of January 17. Other relief shipments are in the planning stage. "Kids Against Hunger" volunteers in Hastings, Lincoln, and Norfolk, Nebraska, prepared the "Kids Against Hunger<http://tracking.etapestry.com/t/11290993/392762908/53981281/0/>" meal packets. Food distributions are intended for all people in need, regardless of church affiliation.

Cash donations of any amount will help the survivors in Haiti. Shipping one semi-load to Haiti costs more than $5,000 in transportation costs. Checks may be sent to Orphan Grain Train, PO Box 1466, Norfolk, NE 68702-1466. Please write "Haiti" on the memo line.

You may also give online by credit card at www.ogt.org<http://tracking.etapestry.com/t/11290993/392762908/53523232/0/>. Click "Donate Now<http://tracking.etapestry.com/t/11290993/392762908/53514374/0/>" and fill out the requested information. You will receive an email confirmation when your gift arrives in Orphan Grain Train's bank account.

Thank you for your support and helping send Relief for Human Need Worldwide!


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LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF OFFERS AID TO EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS
Baltimore, January 13, 2010 - A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the small island nation of Haiti on the evening of January 12, the worst earthquake to strike the region in more than 200 years. Thousands are feared dead; the quake's epicenter was located just 10 miles from the capital city of Port-au-Prince.

"As the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, the people of Haiti will desperately need the help of the international community in the wake of this horrifying disaster," says Trevor Knoblich, LWR's Program Coordinator for Emergency Response. "A large response will be needed to even begin helping the people of Haiti," he adds.

Throughout the night and into the morning powerful aftershocks, some as strong as 5.9 magnitude, continued. The initial quake toppled the presidential palace and destroyed the shanty homes where most Haitians live. Their homes destroyed, people are in the streets with nowhere to go.

The greatest damage appears to be concentrated in Port-au-Prince, where critical services, such as electricity, water, and phone services are severely affected. Access to the capital city is limited due to debris and other obstacles on the roads. Reports of injuries and death tolls are still unknown because of communications problems; however, early indications suggest a large number of causalities and extensive damage.

Haiti, by virtue of its location and its overwhelming poverty, is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters. Before the earthquake, people were still struggling to recover from the devastation caused by a succession of tropical storms that struck Haiti in 2008, killing hundreds, causing floods, destroying crops and leaving thousands homeless. Lutheran World Relief has supported that on-going recovery effort in partnership with World Neighbors.

LWR has committed an initial $1,000,000 to the relief effort, and will reevaluate that commitment as new reports emerge. LWR is currently planning a two-phase relief and recovery response through their partners on the ground in Haiti. LWR is also responding through the Action by Churches Together (ACT) alliance to support immediate relief efforts of food, water, medicine, and shelter.

LWR will continue to evaluate the needs on the ground as search, rescue, and relief efforts are updated. Every dollar donated to this life-saving effort is critical to providing the necessary emergency support to the people of Haiti.

Lutheran World Relief president John Nunes adds, "We ask that you pray for the people of Haiti and for our local partners on the ground with whom we have lost contact. Lutheran World Relief will work expeditiously to put your prayers and gifts to work to save lives in Haiti."

Donations to the Haiti Earthquake fund can be made by phone at 800-LWR-LWR-2, online at lwr.org<http://lwr.convio.net/site/R?i=o6pc5En0pIhrkil30zvMOA..>, or by mailing a check or money order to Lutheran World Relief Haiti Earthquake Relief, P.O. Box 17061, Baltimore, MD 21298-9832.


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CTS REACHES OUT TO VICTIMS IN HAITI
Although it is thousands of miles away, the victims of the Haitian earthquake are held closely in the hearts and prayers of the faculty, staff, and student body of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana. "This is a time when we go to the word of Jesus for guidance as we are tragically made aware of how frail and fragile human life is," offered Dr. Dean O. Wenthe, CTS President.  "We encourage you to join your prayers with ours and lift up your hands with us to help those in Haiti." A video of Dr. Wenthe's comments may be found on the seminary's website, www.ctsfw.edu<http://www.ctsfw.edu/>.

In fact, there are CTS students and family members who are currently in Haiti. Deaconess Intern Alyssa Stone and her daughters, Andrea and Kristin, are in La Cayes which was not in the epicenter of the quake. Alyssa has been able to make contact with the U.S. and reports that some houses did collapse and there was some panic, but there is not the extreme damage as seen in other areas of the country. There are others in the seminary community who are still awaiting word from family members and we continue to hold them up in prayer.

Dr. Wenthe also explained that the seminary will be sending a team of students and faculty to assist in Haiti as soon as they receive clearance to travel. Those interested in sending support for this mission may donate by going to www.ctsfw.edu/supporthaiti<http://www.ctsfw.edu/supporthaiti>, or by phoning 260-452-2212. Information on how to support the efforts of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod's (LCMS) World Relief and Human Care relief effort may be found on the same webpage.


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FREE BULLETIN INSERTS FOR HAITI RELIEF
As news of what is being called the largest earthquake to hit Haiti in more than 200 years reached LCMS World Relief and Human Care on Tuesday, the Synod's mercy arm began preparing to reach out with much needed assistance and working in cooperation with Lutheran partners.

To help you communicate the LCMS response to this large-scale disaster with your congregation members this Sunday, LCMS World Relief and Human Care has prepared a bulletin insert. Please feel free to reproduce the insert, available in black and white or full color, for use in educating members about the urgent need for prayer and financial support for our Lutheran brothers and sisters in Haiti who have lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods.

Click here to download a color PDF<http://www.ne16.com/t/11288797/564516256/53981208/0/>
Click here to download a black and white PDF<http://www.ne16.com/t/11288797/564516256/53981209/0/>

Congregations may also consider collecting a congregational gift or special door offering to strengthen and support our men and women who will respond to disaster in Haiti in the weeks and months ahead. Thank you!


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SERVE ON A MERCY MEDICAL TEAM TO HAITI THIS SPRING
LCMS World Relief and Human Care offers medical professionals opportunities to volunteer abroad in underserved regions. We are in desperate need of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other medical professionals to work with Lutherans who share Christ's mercy. Pastors also are needed to serve as team chaplains. Teams work in conjunction with LCMS partner churches and local clinics to care for both body and soul.

Since 2006, Mercy Medical Teams have provided free medical care to more than 10,000 people in some of the world's most vulnerable communities. Teams care for people suffering with HIV/AIDS, malnutrition, parasites, dysentery, serious wounds, infections, malaria and other tropical diseases, and illnesses associated with unhealthy drinking water and sanitation. We treat both adults and children (including many youngsters orphaned by AIDS) and provide our own pharmacy for dispensing free medications. Please take a minute to watch a brief Mercy Medical Team video at: http://www.lcms.org/?16362<http://www.ne16.com/t/11251026/564516256/53978269/0/>

Today, our most desperate need is for a physician to volunteer with our Mercy Medical Team that will serve March 11-21 in Haiti. If you know of physicians interested in short-term missionary medical service, please touch base with Jacob Fiene immediately using his contact information listed below.


Whether you have medical skills or a sincere heart for service, please consider becoming a Mercy Medical Team volunteer. Learn more at http://www.lcms.org/mercyteams<http://www.ne16.com/t/11251026/564516256/53978270/0/>. For a leader's perspective, log on to the Mercy Medical Team blog at http://mercyandmedical.blogspot.com<http://www.ne16.com/t/11251026/564516256/53978271/0/>.

Please e-mail Jacob at mercyteams at lcms.org<mailto:mercyteams at lcms.org> or call toll-free 800-248-1930, ext. 1278.


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Blessings on your weekend,
Nichole Hetz
Nebraska District LCMS
Director of Communications
1-888-643-2961
nicholeh at ndlcms.org<mailto:nicholeh at ndlcms.org>
www.ndlcms.org<http://www.ndlcms.org/>

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