More than a century ago, Crisfield, Maryland, was the “Seafood Capital of the World.” Although its commercial fortune has declined through the decades, it is still a very beautiful small seaside city along the eastern shore of Maryland. On October 29, Crisfield and the surrounding county of Somerset were hard hit by Super Storm Sandy.. Hundreds of homes were damaged and destroyed. Yet, unlike their neighbors in New York and New Jersey, they have been largely overlooked by the media.

In mid-December 2012 I had the opportunity to visit Crisfield, hosted by Pastors Cindy Camp, Phil Huber and Thom Sinnott, our LDR affiliate in the area. On this trip I was able to listen to and learn from local residents and leaders about how they have responded to Sandy.

As is the case with disasters, some of the problems after the event are not really new but are heightened issues which existed prior to the disaster. A couple of these I learned about in Crisfield, were in regard to its demographics as one of the poorest and most ethnically segregated areas on the eastern shore of Maryland. Nearly 20% of residents live below the poverty line (as compared to 9% statewide) and over 42% are African American. This has led to a significant amount of ethnic tension which runs the risk of creating more roadblocks on their road to recovery; Some of the ways this potentially plays out in communities are that the most vulnerable often do not have access to adequate information on how to seek help. And the segregation between groups often prevents the formation of effective Long-Term Recovery Groups, which are the backbone to disaster recovery in communities.

Yet, as is also the case in disasters, there resides the opportunity for the Spirit to break through and new opportunities and ways of being to emerge. One such occasion in Crisfield is work of our affiliates Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries and Lutheran Partners in Disaster Response (LPDR). These organizations, were active in this area soon after the storm connecting with the community. Spearheaded by Pastors Phil Huber and Thomas Sinnott, they have also worked diligently to reach out to the different ethnic, religious and civic groups within the community, with the goal of facilitating the formation of a Long-Term Recover Group.

This hard work has begun to pay dividends when in December the Somerset County Long Term Recovery Committee was formed with a membership that truly represents the diversities of the community. This group will work in collaboration to other civic groups, government agencies and churches to provide case management, volunteer support and other vital function to assist families and individuals affected by Sandy on their road to recovery. Our hope and prayer is that this committee will not only be an effective community based organization helping affected residents and family to find their “new normal,” but will also be a forum for community members to have meaningful discussions about their common challenges and shared future.

As many of us are still struggling to make sense of the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, I have been reflecting on what it means to truly be present for people in the midst of their tragedy, to walk with them, to accompany them. These questions brought to mind the recent ELCA delegation to the East Coast to express our solidarity with those affected by Superstorm Sandy.

From November 30 and December 2, the delegation visited communities and congregations affected by Superstorm Sandy in New York and New Jersey. What stuck out to me and what made this visit particularly momentous was that it is the first time in our church’s history where the delegation was accompanied by leaders from three Lutheran church bodies from around the world. Representing the Lutheran World Federation as the “living letter of comfort and hope” were the Bishop Elisa Buberwa of the Northwestern Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania; Bishop Cindy Halmarson, of the Saskatchewan Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada; and the Rev. Dr. Veikko Munyika of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia.

As a member of the ELCA delegation, I feel particularly honored to have had the three leaders riding with me during those four days. It was a privilege to get to know them on a more personal level and to deepen my appreciation for their dedication to being the “living letter” of accompaniment. To begin with, all agreed to take part in this delegation and its intense schedule with very short notice and graciously embraced the very packed visit, despite their jetlag. But what most moved me was in every congregation and community we visited, these three leaders would listen and listen and listen, listening and embracing the pain, anger, uncertainties and the hope expressed by those who were directly or indirectly affected. Joining Bishop Hanson and our ELCA colleagues, they would ask the questions: What has changed for you in the last few weeks? What has given you hope? What do you want to see in the near future?

In thinking through the experience several moments came to mind that highlighted the impact and importance of the trip:

Bishop Halmarson addressing Metro New York bishops conference. Bishop Halmarson from Canada was actually a native of Connecticut. Her down to earth style and affinities with the affected communities made her pastoral embrace particularly effective and meaningful for all. On a number of occasions, she commended the ELCA for the willingness to accept our vulnerability by receiving the pastoral visit from leaders of the Lutheran communion. Such actions help deepen the meaning and reality of accompaniment throughout our worldwide communion. On a more personal level of accompaniment, Bishop Halmarson took on the role of navigator, guiding me through the busy streets and bridges of New York and New Jersey as I drove the unfamiliar terrain.

Bishop Buberwa addressing Metro New York bishops conference. On the first day, Bishop Buberwa was the preacher for the morning worship service at the pastor’s retreat of the Metropolitan New York Synod (MNYS), with which his diocese has a companion relationship, before our visit to affected areas. Before he preached, Bishop Buberwa gently presented a check to Bishop Rimbo on behalf of the people from his Diocese in Tanzania. That simple act of giving by fellow Lutherans from across the globe saw a lot of teary eyes around the room. The next day, I joined Bishop Buberwa at the same table when we gathered at Zion Lutheran Church, Staten Island to listen to the community. In the middle of the conversation, he asked a very simple yet important question in his soft spoken and compassionate voice, “How about the children?” That question generated rounds of very lively discussions among those around the tables. It is heartening to hear the resilience of children and how all of them learn to care for others in the aftermath of the event.

Rev. Dr. Munyika surveying the damage on Staten Island. Dr. Munyika from Namibia was on his first trip to the U.S. and expressed it was very impactful for him. He recalled how he and his compatriots felt extremely isolated during their struggle for independence several decades ago. In the midst of feeling completely shunned by the world community, he discovered members of the ELCA and our predecessor bodies were actively supporting their cause. That act of accompaniment gave them hope and renewed their strength. For this visit, he promised to share what he heard and saw with the wider Lutheran Communion when he returned home – not only the stories people heard from the news media, but more importantly the stories of those whom he touched and heard.

It is always good to know that we have friends, not only in our neighborhoods and backyards but also in all corners of the earth through our Lutheran communion and beyond. Through these individuals and communities the presence of Christ is made manifest in our lives as we walk in the valley and the shadow. These acts of accompaniment are truly a gift.

As the newest member of the Lutheran Disaster Response team at ELCA churchwide office, I am in a unique position to appreciate the complex process and the “ecological system” of disaster response from various perspectives. I can easily put on the hat of a regular concerned citizen and a consumer of news during this time…and I do. In the last few days, I have been “devouring” news about every moment of Hurricane Sandy. The wrenching stories of our fellow citizen fighting for their lives through the stormy night, the epic winds, flooding and destruction, together with the heroic actions of the firefighters, police and national guard have kept me fixated on the TV and computer for hours on end. If that were the only hat I wore, I know Hurricane Sandy would be out of my mind when the next news cycle came around in a few days.

But as a part of the Lutheran Disaster Response team, I have the privilege to wear another hat, the hat of someone who is a part of a wider community which is determined to accompany affected individuals and communities on their road to recovery. The work we have done as a team in the churchwide office these last few days is not really what you would describe as “sexy”. We have spent a lot of time talking with folks who have been providing relief and care for others while also working through their own shock and loss; these are our church leaders as well as leaders of social ministry organizations affiliated with our church. We have participated in numerous conference calls with our national partners – the Red Cross, Salvation Army, NVOAD, FEMA, the Methodists and Presbyterians, just to name a few. In close collaborations with numerous units and departments within the churchwide organization, we are finding ways to refine our communication and fundraising strategies, and the list goes on. While we judiciously share resources with our affiliates on the ground to support their relief work as first responders, we are also preparing to embark upon the usually less dramatic yet crucial aspect of disaster response – long-term recovery.

It is indeed a privilege to be able to see and appreciate the disaster response process from multiple perspectives. Disaster response is not just what happens the few days or months after a disaster. Accompanying those affected on the road to recovery is a long and at times difficult process. We are very grateful that in our country we have an elaborate and developed system, which functions much like an “ecological” system; this system includes actors from all sectors – the public and private as well as faith-based organizations, civic societies and engaged citizens. We are appreciative that Lutheran Disaster Response is able to play a role in this system. While on a national level we specialize in long-term recovery, through our network of affiliates and churches around the country we are able to engage locally in actions immediately after a disaster.

Please join us in this ecological system of disaster response; for I believe that it is not simply a human ecological system, but is God’s ecology. For most of us this call is not for immediate action on the East Coast, as responding agencies work to stabilize the situation. Yet we can all be a part of this ecology in faith as ardent prayer warriors, as donors, and eventually as volunteers for long-term recovery.

And, please do not forget our sisters and brothers in the Caribbean, in areas of the world that do not have as extensive of a response system that we have in this country. Hurricane Sandy has played havoc on them as well. They too are in need of our prayers and resources. Thank You.

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Dear Friends,

Warm Greetings!

My name is Pastor Joseph Chu and it is with great joy and thanksgiving that I officially enter into the second week of my new position as the Associate Program Director for Lutheran Disaster Response. I want to thank Pr. Michael Stadie and all my colleagues at the Congregational and Synodical Mission Unit of the ELCA for their kindness and support as I become “oriented” to my new role of service.

Coincidentally, Hurricane Isaac landed at New Orleans around the same time I started my learning and orientation for this position three weeks ago. Since then, I have had the opportunity to be part of the conversations between our staff at the churchwide office and leaders of Social Ministry Organization affiliates and ELCA synods in the Gulf Coast states regarding our collective responses to the damages caused by Isaac. Through the process, I have found myself deeply touched and impressed by the dedication and knowledgeableness of each of the leaders in that area.

Dealing with Isaac reminds me of my experience with disaster responses over the years. In my first call as the pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in South Central Los Angeles between 1990 and 1993, we experienced one of the most disruptive civil unrests in this country in April 1992. In the aftermath of the unrest, Messiah Lutheran Church worked closely with neighboring ELCA congregations, the synod, local ELCA institutions, as well as community organizations to respond to the short-term and long-term needs of the community. It was a spirit-filled experience to work alongside members, volunteers and colleagues in providing immediate relief to those affected and implementing long-term programs designed to strengthen the community. The events of those days have helped shape me professionally and personally.

A decade later, between 2004 and 2009, I served as the program director for Asia and the Pacific for ELCA Global Mission, with a special focus on international development and relief in the region. In December 2004, a mega-earthquake and tsunami struck a number of south Asian countries, causing huge death tolls and unprecedented destruction across the region; the carnage in vulnerable communities of Indonesia and India was particularly tragic. Working collaboratively with ELCA colleagues, leaders of various faith-based institutions in the U.S. and companion church bodies and institutions across the Pacific Ocean, we provided immediate relief and implemented programs focused on sustainable, long-term recovery. The major purpose of these programs was disaster preparedness and mitigation.

Through both of these experiences I have found the stories of those who had lost their homes, processions and loved one haunting and unforgettable. But even more powerful is the sight of rebuilt villages and strengthened communities, like those that I visited towards the later stage of the recovery in India and Indonesia. Through it all, I have experienced the Spirit of God and the grace of God at work at every stage.

I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve the ELCA in this new capacity. In weeks and months ahead, I look forward to my continued education of our good work in domestic disaster response and how it fits into our common calling as followers of Christ. Thank You.