Early this morning severe storms with high winds, and in some places tornadoes, pounded the South and Midwest. One of the heaviest hit areas was Alabama, where the storms and tornadoes led to two confirmed deaths in Birmingham, AL. Soon afterward the governor declared a state of emergency. Search and rescue work continues in heavier hit Montgomery, AL. We have also heard from our companions in the region that Faith Lutheran Church in Clay, AL was not damaged, but the building has lost power and some members of the congregation have been affected.

The state has also been in the midst of recovery from storms on April 27, 2011 that struck the northwest part of the state. One of the affects of this was major damage to Christ Lutheran in Cullman, AL. You can read more in this Field Report and at the LDR Volunteer page.

In these coming days, please keep all those affected in prayer, that God may bring them comfort. Also, keep the first responders, members of the Southeast synod, Pastor Larry Richardson and Faith Lutheran as well as the Lutheran Ministries of Alabama in prayer, that God may give them strength and patience for the days ahead.

As we learn more please check the ELCA Disaster Response webpage and the Lutheran Disaster Response site for more information. If you are in the area and want to know more please contact Ron Turney (ron.turney@lmal.org) or Heather Turney (heather.turney@lmal.org) of Lutheran Ministries of Alabama (205-259-6480).

Last week the Lutheran World Federation’s Department of World Service (LWF-DWS) gained certification from Humanitarian Accountability Partnership (HAP) International. To give some context to what this means, here is a an overview of HAP’s purpose from their website:

[HAP] International is a multi-agency initiative working to improve the accountability of humanitarian action to people affected by disasters and other crises….The vision of HAP International is a humanitarian system with a trusted and widely accepted accountability framework, which is transparent and accessible to all relevant parties. Its mission is to make humanitarian action accountable to its intended beneficiaries through self-regulation by its members linked by common respect for the rights and dignity of beneficiaries.

What this means is that LWF-DWS engages in disaster response in a people-centered way. There response makes sure that those with and for whom they work are being treated with respect, that they are given voice in the process, and the response does not ignore but builds on the strengths already existent in the community. They are living out the understanding that all are created in the image of God, instilled with a fundamental dignity as part of God’s good creation and to be treated as such.

So congrats to LWF-DWS on there certification and keep up the good work!

To read more about how the process worked check out the LWF-DWS post: DWS Certification Shows People at Center of Humanitarian Response

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Gifts to ELCA International Disaster Response allow the church to respond globally in times of need. Donate now.

Driving home from work yesterday I was listening to National Public Radio and heard a report on the situation developing in the Jonglei state of South Sudan. It was an informative piece describing the deteriorating situation with tribal clashes between the Lou Nuer and Murle tribes. Unfortunately, there was no mention of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). It was a nice reminder of how this blog can help share how the ELCA and our partners are engaged in disaster response work around the world. For in Jonglei, the LWF is very active and has been on the forefront of the response.

I invite you read the third update from Arie Den Toom, LWF South Sudan Representative, on how the situation and response are developing: South Sudan – 3rd Sitrep on the conflict in Jonglei State

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Gifts to ELCA International Disaster Response allow the church to respond globally in times of need. Donate now.

The Action by Churches Together (ACT) Alliance is mobilizing its funding channels to respond to the situation in Jonglei. The response is being implemented by the Lutheran World Federation. The situation in Jonglei has been declared a “humanitarian disaster area” by the government in Juba. Two local ethnic groups, the Lou Nuer and Murle, have continued escalating violence of the past few months, leading the UN to estimate more then 60,000 people being displaced.

To learn more, read the ACT Update: ACT launches humanitarian response, calls for peace in Jonglei.

Also, you can read an earlier post with situation reports from LWF: South Sudan: Crisis Unfolds in Jonglei State.

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Gifts to ELCA International Disaster Response allow the church to respond globally in times of need. Donate now.

Last February ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson visited Haiti and was escorted by the president of the Lutheran Church of Haiti, Pastor Joseph Livenson Lauvanus. As part of that trip Pastor Livenson walked Bishop Hanson up to an old building outside of Gressier, just west of Port-au-Prince. Pastor Livenson asked the bishop what he saw, to which he replied, “An old sugar factory.” Pastor Livenson replied that what he saw was:

A place of hope for my community. I see a community center where my brothers and sisters are learning.

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Two years ago today the largest earthquake in over two hundred years struck Haiti. Mixed with the already impoverished conditions of the country, the powerful quake left 220,00 dead (including ELCA seminarian Ben Larson), 300,000+ injured and 1.5 million homeless. The immediate response was overwhelming in size and scope as relief agencies around the world began to respond and people began to give. In the ELCA alone more than 13 million was given through ELCA Disaster Response.

Yet, as the full extent of devastation became known, people realized that much more was at play here than the aftereffects of a major disaster. Part of the issue was that relief work is focused on bringing people back to normalcy as they put their lives back in order after a tragedy. In Haiti the “normalcy” prior to the earthquake was over 70% of the country living on less than $2/day, 86% of the people in the capital Port-au-Prince living in slums where half of the city had no access to latrines and only one-third had access to clean water. As people began relief (short-term) efforts they quickly realized their actions could also contribute to development (long-term) opportunities in the country.

Haiti relief efforts has become a watershed moment in how we understand disaster relief and international development as part of a holistic response. As we look back today in somber remembrance of those lost and the lives impacted by this tragedy, I believe it a fitting tribute to see what we have learned about creating better capacity to mitigate the effects of disasters and learning how to connect this work with longer-range development.
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