Dear sisters and brothers,

My name is Mike Nevergall, and I serve as Associate Program Director of Lutheran Disaster Response.  My colleague, Kevin Massey, and I are in North Dakota and Minnesota this week for what has become an all too regular event – the annual cresting of the Red River of the North.  I wanted to share with you some of what we have seen and heard this week and ask you to continue praying for the people here.

A washed out road, just west of Harwood, N.D.

Similar to large hurricanes, which are given names, each flood is different, as if it has its own personality.  The story of this flood is overland flooding – farm fields and rural roads, small towns and isolated areas.  The crest in the Fargo/Moorhead area, which happened over this past weekend, came in at 38.75 feet, about two feet shy of the record from 2009.  The overland flooding, however, appears to be the worst in recent history.

On Monday evening, we had the chance to ride along with Pastor Jeff Sandgren, of Olivet Lutheran Church in Fargo, as he drove to Harwood to deliver hot meals to the National Guard troops stationed there.  Near Harwood, a small town about eight miles north of Fargo, the water from the Red River, and from the nearby Sheyenne River, is nearly four miles out of its banks, and about 20 miles of the interstate have been closed all week.

Outside of Harwood, I met a farmer as he left to walk his dog.  His home was completely surrounded by water, with some of his outbuildings already under, and the road was completely washed out less than 100 yards from his driveway.  He described to me that the hardest part of the flood fight is the exhaustion from lack of sleep.  “The sump pump kicks on every three minutes,” he told me, “and you don’t dare fall asleep at night for fear that you won’t hear if it stops working.”  You can imagine how that exhaustion compounds – this is the third major flood here in as many years, and this year’s flood fight started on Valentine’s Day.

LDR staff help put together chicken dinners for first responders at Olivet Lutheran Church (Fargo, N.D.)

I am so proud of the Lutheran churches and people we have met here in the valley.  As I already mentioned, the people of Olivet Lutheran have been serving hot meals to first responders – police, fire, highway patrol, National Guard – as they work tirelessly to keep people safe.  The people of First Lutheran, also in Fargo, have partnered again with the Salvation Army to make sandwiches by the thousands to deliver.  Bonnie Turner, with Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota, is playing a key leadership role with community groups in coordinating the response on both sides of the Red River.

Even as new disasters happen, we recognize that disasters take months or years, and not weeks, to clean up and be recovered.  Yesterday, we visited with Pastor Del Moen and the members of the Wadena Otter Tail Long-Term Recovery group.  Last June, a tornado tore through Wadena and the surrounding communities, leaving more than 100 damaged homes in its path.  Pastor Moen has been a key leader in the ongoing recovery process, and I am truly proud of his service.

A home outside of Wadena, MN, which was destroyed by last summer's F4 tornado.

So what can you do today to help?  First, I cannot say enough about the power of prayer and what it means to these courageous survivors. Please pray for the people here, for their patience and strength, for their emotional and spiritual health.  Second, the national media has given very little attention to this flood, especially after the larger towns appeared to be safe.  Help us tell this story. Whether by e-mail or on Facebook, send this along to a friend, tell them about what is happening here and encourage them to pray as well.  Finally, I ask you to consider making a gift to the U.S. Floods fund, and we will make sure that it gets to those who need it most.

Thank you for your ongoing support of this important ministry of our church!

In service,
Mike

“… but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
— Isaiah 40:31

Sisters and brothers in Christ,

Sunday August 29th, 2010 marks the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina making landfall on the Gulf Coast. Across our country, and even around the world, there will be solemn remembrances as we keep alive the memories of the people and the places that were lost to that terrible storm. The passing of time cannot fully heal, but only lessens, the anguish and grief felt in the days that followed the disaster.

I encourage Lutherans everywhere to take time Sunday August 29th to remember in your worship and prayer all of the people affected by Hurricane Katrina. Please especially remember the pastors and people of the ELCA Texas Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod, the ELCA Southeastern Synod, and the LCMS Southern District who have served so faithfully in the five years following Katrina. The ELCA Worship and Liturgical Resources Unit has produced excellent worship resources to assist in these commemorations and has posted examples of prayer vigils created by congregations in the ELCA. To download these resources, click here.

I also want to encourage you to think about the five years that have passed since Hurricane Katrina. Living in an Easter world of faith and hope, we recognize that it is our response to tragedy, that which follows, that truly defines us. Indeed, on Sunday August 29th 2010 we remember the amazing things that have happened along the Gulf Coast since August 29th, 2005, which cannot be summed up or defined merely by a single day.

In these five years, we remember the courage and steadfastness that the people of the Gulf Coast have shown in rebuilding their communities. We give thanks to God for their witness.

In these five years, we remember the countless many who prayed and gave gifts to support the work of the church in these communities. We give thanks to God for their faithfulness.

In these five years, we remember the more than 50,000 Lutheran volunteers who have traveled from near and far to help their neighbors in need. We give thanks to God for their enduring generosity.

In these five years, we remember thousands of Lutheran young people who gathered in New Orleans as a hopeful witness of the Resurrection. We give thanks to God for their energy and their service.

In these five years, since August 29, 2005, God has been showing us signs of help, hope and healing in these and many other ways. So let us remember together all of these five years, as we continue to accompany and comfort those who mourn, and in deep gratitude for the many signs of continued recovery.

In Christ,
Rev Kevin Massey – Director – Lutheran Disaster Response

Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

We continue to monitor the devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and pray fervently for all those who have been affected. Indeed, while the long-term effects of this tragedy will be felt by all of us, for those whose lives and livelihoods have been directly impacted, the needs for help are acute and overwhelming.

Earlier this week, Jessica Vermilyea, disaster coordinator with Lutheran Social Services of the South, took part in an ecumenical listening tour into the bayou marsh areas of Plaquemines Parish in southeastern Louisiana. As part of this group, Jessica heard from fishermen, business owners, and other local leaders about how the oil spill is affecting them, even as many of them continue to struggle with recovery from Hurricane Katrina.

We have received numerous inquiries from Lutherans around the country about volunteering in some capacity along the Gulf Coast. At this moment, only people who are being specifically trained and equipped by BP are being permitted to work directly in the clean-up process. This has much to do with the health and safety risks of handling the crude oil. In the future, opportunities may emerge for other types of volunteer roles, and each state in the area is receiving names of volunteers who are interested in helping. To register, follow one of the following links:

Louisiana: volunteerlouisiana.gov
Mississippi: volunteermississippi.org
Florida: volunteerfloridadisaster.org
Alabama: servealabama.gov

Several questions have been raised about whether a national funding appeal should be launched in response to this tragedy. Our commitment has always been that we will find the most efficient ways possible to use financial contributions to meet unmet needs that arise from disaster. At this time, BP has pledged that it is their responsibility to pay for all costs related to clean-up as well as to reimburse those who have experienced a loss of income as a result of the spill, and anyone seeking to file a claim can do so directly through the BP Web site. Given the unique nature of this situation, we will not be seeking funding for this response.

Instead, we lift up the unfolding needs of those in the many states affected by flooding and tornadoes so far this spring, including as recently as this past weekend in Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois. I ask you to consider giving a gift to support the responses getting underway in places like Yazoo City, Mississippi and Nashville, Tennessee. Click here to give today.

In the mean time, we will continue to listen for emerging unmet needs along the Gulf Coast and for meaningful ways that we might engage there. As we do, I ask for your continued prayers for the beautiful land and people of the Gulf Coast as they struggle to overcome this continuing tragedy.

In service,
Rev. Kevin A. Massey
Director