“…As we do our part, envisioning a world where disasters don’t threaten lives and all are fed.”

Rev. Dr. Andrea Walker

Nearly 14 million people in southern Africa are facing hunger due to the worsening drought, according to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). One of the most affected in the area is Madagascar. WFP has estimated that over 1.9 million Madagascans have been affected by the drought.

Our companion church, the Malagasy Lutheran Church, has reported 6 affected synods, mainly in rural areas located a great distance from urban areas.  They have estimated that about 1300 people have died from lack of food or poisoning from eating plants not suitable for consumption. The Reverend Dr. Andrea Walker, the ELCA’s Global Mission Area Director for the region said, “The drought and flooding in Madagascar continue to threaten the lives and particularly the health and well-being of women and children in the affected areas.”

In our baptismal covenant, we proclaim that we are called “…to serve all people, following the example of Jesus.” Thanks to your generosity, the Lutheran Disaster Response continues to answer the call.

The Lutheran Disaster Response has committed $53,153. These funds will allow us to accompany the Malagasy Lutheran Church as they plan to provide immediate, life-saving support to 3,250 families. The primary focus of the assistance will be given to pregnant women, vulnerable children, disabled and elderly people.

What you can do:

Pray
Please pray for all those affected by flooding and drought. Remember those who have lost everything and all those who are working to respond. You can use these prayers and resources in your worship services. 

Give
Gifts to Lutheran Disaster Response will be used to provide immediate, life-saving aid.
Connect:
To learn more about this situation and other LDR response:

• Sign up to receive Lutheran Disaster Response alerts.
• Check the Lutheran Disaster Response blog.
• Like our Facebook page.

Children in the Zaatari Refugee Camp, located near Mafraq, Jordan. Opened in July 2012, the camp holds upwards of 20,000 refugees from the civil war inside Syria. International Orthodox Christian Charities and other members of the ACT Alliance are active in the camp providing essential items and services.

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

– Galatians 6:2

Conflict and high levels of violence have continued throughout Syria. It has caused one of the largest refugee/migrant incidents the world has seen in decades. Over 3 million Syrian refugees have fled to neighboring countries. About 1.5 million of them have fled to Jordan with roughly 12,000 still waiting outside the border to gain entry. The number of refugees in the country has put a strain on the Jordanian economy. The lack of financial support coupled with the impossibility of attaining work visas has created a sense of hopelessness among the refugees. To help restore hope in the people, our partners Lutheran World Federation/ Department of World Services have established the “Peace Oasis” in Za’atari Syrian Refugee Camp in Jordan. At the Peace Oasis, Lutheran World Federation offers Syrian refugee youth and young adults psychosocial support, conflict mitigation, recreational skills. They also offer informal education and vocational training. They are being taught skills such as hairdressing/barbering and sewing that will leave them with income-generating skills for the future.

With all of these efforts, the majority of refugees are still living far below the Jordanian poverty line and there is still an overwhelming number of people who are failing to meet their basic needs. Bishop Elizabeth Eaton recent visited the camp and said, “We believe that the cross of life is where there is suffering. It certainly is in that camp in Jordan.” As a body of Christ, we are called to carry each other’s burdens. And thanks to your generous donations, the ELCA has committed another $70,000 to respond to this continued crisis. These funds will go towards providing cash assistance to help with basic needs such as rent, food, clothes, etc., for the most vulnerable in Jordan.

To Give to the Syrian Refugee Crisis please visit the Middle East and Europe Refugee Crisis Give Page.

For more information on Bishop Eaton’s Visit:

http://www.elca.org/News-and-Events/7806

For more information on the Syrian refugee crisis in Jordan visit:

UN: http://www.unhcr.org/569d17876.html

LWF: https://www.lutheranworld.org/content/jordan-0

LDR: https://blogs.elca.org/disasterresponse/syria-cold-temperatures-warm-hearts/

Nepal Earthquake: Six Months Later

ELCA News Service

CHICAGO (ELCA) – Some members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) affected by wildfires in Northern California said that their faith, family and friends sustained them during a difficult time.

“God and my faith and my family and friends got me through,” said Craig Waters, a member of Galilee Lutheran Church in Kelseyville, Calif., who lost his home in Anderson Springs, a community near Middletown. He said about 180 of the 200 homes in his neighborhood were destroyed. “The neighborhood is wiped out but the spirit is still there. There is definitely a resurrection feeling. All of our stuff is gone, everything is wiped out, but it hasn’t killed the spirit,” said Waters, whose family has been in the community for several generations.

Devastations caused by the Valley Fire

Two fires, which started days apart in September, burned more than 200 square miles and are estimated to have caused almost $2 billion in damage. Six people died and thousands of people evacuated from their homes. The Valley fire, located about 90 miles north of San Francisco, destroyed almost 2,000 structures including nearly 1,300 homes. In addition to Waters, two other families from Galilee Lutheran lost their homes in the fire.

Robert Hamilton, a lay leader from Galilee, said the congregation is helping out in the community by collecting money, donating their time at shelters and at workshops focused on surviving trauma. “It’s about us going out into the community and helping wherever we can,” he said. Hamilton said much of what is needed in the first few weeks is helping people regain stability in their lives. “A lot of kids are going to school in places that are not their home school, but they’re going somewhere. The bus routes are all disrupted. People are scattered everywhere. So just trying to get the kids stable and feeling like everything is OK again. It’s tough,” he said. Hamilton said an effort is underway to help provide students with backpacks, school supplies and athletic equipment – “things the students are used to having but now all that stuff is gone.”

On Oct. 11, the congregation celebrated its 50th anniversary. Plans for a celebration had been in the works for over a year and Hamilton said the gathering was “an opportunity to see that life goes on” and also a reminder of what means most to the community during this time. “The care of the spirit is something we hope we don’t lose once the tragic aspect of (the fire) goes away. People have really come together to help each other out,” he said.

Destructions caused by the Valley Fire in Lake County, CA

The Rev. Mark Holmerud, bishop of the ELCA Sierra Pacific Synod, attended the congregation’s celebration and also toured the fire-damaged area. “Growing up in Southern California, I thought I had seen fire damage before,” wrote Holmerud in a Facebook post describing his visit. “But the Valley fire grew more than 50,000 acres in twenty-four hours, or 25 acres per minute. It was clear from the damage we saw today that there was no way to ‘stand your ground’ to protect your home, no way to drive to safety if you waited too long to evacuate.”

Mountain Ranch Lutheran in Mountain Ranch and Faith Lutheran in Murphys are two ELCA congregations located in the area of the Butte fire, which destroyed about 71,000 acres in Amador and Calaveras counties. Five families from Mountain Ranch lost their homes, including William Jungemann, who evacuated his home on Sept. 10. When he returned to the area one week later, he found that his home had been destroyed by the fire. “In the long run I got out of there with my life and we got all our animals out of there and everything else is a plus. We have something to go on with,” said Jungemann.

The Butte Fire burns everything to the ground near Mountain Ranch, CA

Rob Westerhoff, president of Faith Lutheran, said his congregation is assessing the situation and is ready to help wherever needed. One of the members is a real estate agent and is helping to find temporary housing for families in the community who lost their homes. On Oct. 15, Westerhoff and Holmerud traveled through the areas affected by the Butte fire. “Much as I saw on my tour of the damage caused by the Valley fire in Lake County, the damage from the Butte fire was almost too much to take in. We saw many burned out homes, cars, and other structures. The devastation this fire has caused to thousands of people was all around us,” wrote Holmerud in a Facebook post. “It will take 12 to 18 months – if everything goes as well as possible – for these families to rebuild their homes. Counselors and therapists are on hand at schools and community centers to help with the sense of loss, grief, depression and post-traumatic-stress syndrome counseling.”

Assistance is available from various levels of government for immediate relief but is often insufficient to address the needs of the most vulnerable ones in the long term recovery phase of a disaster

Lutheran Disaster Response is working with Lutheran Social Services of Northern California to provide care and comfort to those whose lives have been impacted by the fires, focusing on long-term need. “This process is about being the church and doing what we do best – being faithful and walking with people in need,” said Nancy Nielsen, deputy director of Lutheran Social Services of Northern California. “We need to be present, to listen and to respond thoughtfully. “We are in the process of transitioning from the response and relief stage to the recovery stage,” said Nielsen. “The recovery will be a very long process. It’s a marathon and not a sprint. It will take years, requiring a lot of patience and perseverance.”

Holmerud ended his Oct. 11 Facebook post asking for prayers. “Prayers for all whose lives have been forever changed by the Valley and Butte fires. Prayers for the firefighters and first responders who risked their lives to save many more homes than the number which were destroyed.” “I’m feeling the prayers,” said Waters. “I don’t know how people get through things like this without faith. I guess they do, but I don’t know how.”

Please consider supporting the response in Northern California by visiting the Lutheran Disaster Response giving page.

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