Often on days like this, I am moved in remembrance of stories. Perhaps this day invokes memories of women whom you have loved and who have loved us. Perhaps you remember the fierce women from the sacred texts — my personal favorite: the Daughters of Zelophehad (Numbers 27). Maybe you reflect on women who have led their communities and world and need no introduction, from girls like Malala Yousafzai to women like Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and ELCA International Leaders scholar Leymah Gbowee to those who names have been hidden like Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaughan, most recently illuminated in the major film “Hidden Figures.”

The global agenda for women is driven by a seminal meeting of the United Nations “Fourth World Conference on Women” in 1995 in Beijing. It was at this meeting that Former Secretary of State – and then-First Lady – Hillary Clinton brought to prominence the phrase “Women’s rights are human rights; and human rights are women’s rights.”

Each year, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) convenes the “Commission on the Status of Women” (CSW), the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. This year marks the 61^st year since the United Nations First World Conference on Women (Mexico City), and the theme for CSW this year is “Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Changing World of Work,” a critical theme for those of us dedicated to a just world where all are fed.

Take this quick quiz to see how much you know about women in the global economy!

UN Women

ELCA World Hunger is a founding member of the ELCA Young Adult Cohort, a group of young adults engaging at the intersection between faith + justice. One of the signature leadership experiences of this Cohort is at the UN CSW, and beginning next week, this group will again join hands, stories and voices together to learn, convene and strive toward a just world where are all are fed and all might flourish. You can follow along with the larger movement through Ecumenical Women online and on social media by following @ELCAWorld Hunger (Twitter and Instagram) and on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, with the #ELCAYACohort hashtag.

ELCA Global Church Sponsorship and ELCA Global Mission leaders often also join the Lutheran delegation at UN CSW and have produced some great materials for ELCA congregations and friends to use on this day. This International Women’s Day booklet is a great place to start, full to the brim of excellent ideas to learn, share and support this ministry.

But perhaps my favorite parts are the smiling faces that greet us on the front cover and throughout the materials. These are the women whose stories we know and can journey alongside as they build stronger communities and a more just world.

I could write about many of them by name and you can learn more about the ELCA International Leaders program and meet some of them in this video. But today, I leave you with an example of how our work together as a church is interconnected, or as Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton says, “We are church together!”

On the top left corner of this booklet cover is a woman named Julinda. Julinda is the executive director of the Women’s Crisis Center, a ministry of the GKPS church in North Sumatra, Indonesia. I have written more about her ELCA World Hunger supported work and ministry here. Julinda has advocated at the UN CSW (pictured below), is also an international women leader and has participated in one of the signature leadership events, a series of seminars hosted in Wittenberg Germany, birthplace of the Reformation, for women from the Global South to come together for conversation and ongoing reformation.

In this 500th anniversary year of the Reformation, let us:

• Remember those who have walked before – and especially today, the women who continue the journey.
• Give to support this ministry into the future – “Always Being Made New: The Campaign for the ELCA” is making this possible for ministries like ELCA World Hunger and ELCA International Women Leaders.

From stories of Leymah and Julinda to those who will advocate and educate at next week’s UN CSW, we are church together. Join us. (Have a “her-story” to share? Check out Lutheran World Federation’s “Women on the Move” her-stories project.)

2016 UN CSW Delegation, Julinda pictured second row, second from the right.

Mikka McCracken is the Director of Planning and Engagement for ELCA World Hunger.

Mikka McCracken

On February 20, 2017, the United Nations formally declared a famine in South Sudan. According to the UN, 4.9 million people, more than 40 percent of the country’s population, are in need of urgent food, agriculture and nutrition assistance. By July, at the height of the lean season, this number could grow to 5.5 million people or about 47 percent of the national population. One million children are already acutely malnourished.

The declaration of famine means people have already started to die from hunger.

In addition to South Sudan, the UN is warning of looming famine in three other countries, as well: Yemen, Nigeria and Somalia.

CNN/IPC Global Partners

This famine brings up memories of famine seasons past and is interconnected with other challenges in the region. Just last week, the UN warned of the greatest refugee crisis in Africa, the 1.5 million people fleeing the increasing conflict in South Sudan bound for Uganda, which will triple Uganda’s refugee population in just six months.

This weekend, I’m headed to the Sierra Pacific Synod’s high school youth event under the theme verse Psalm 27:14 –  “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!”

As people of faith, we can take comfort and refuge in this familiar psalm, and yet, we see the ever-present reality of bodily and spiritual hunger. So what are people of faith to do in the “in-between times?”

One of Martin Luther’s many Reformation contributions was to redefine “vocation” as more than just a 9-to-5 occupation. For Luther, according to Swedish theologian Gustaf Wingren, “vocation belongs to our situation between baptism and the final resurrection.” American theologian Frederick Buechner further defines vocation as “where your greatest gifts meet the world’s deepest needs.”

Friends of ELCA World Hunger, what is our vocational call in the face of despair and famine? How might our greatest gifts come to bear to meet the world’s deepest needs? Let us gather, pray, break bread and go out to serve in the many ways God has gifted us — for such a task as this and time as ending hunger.

Mikka McCracken is Director of Planning and Engagement for ELCA World Hunger. This post originally appeared in ELCA World Hunger’s “Go and Do News,” a monthly publication for ELCA World Hunger Leaders.

Modeled partially after a similar activity hosted by hunger leaders in the Florida-Bahamas Synod, Rocky Mountain Synod youth participate in a “hunger meal” hosted at Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church in Fort Collins, Colorado.

On a cold January weekend this year, the Rocky Mountain Synod was a buzz with 400 middle school youth, adults and peer ministers gathered for fun, fellowship and formation under the theme “Reform.” From participating in ELCA World Hunger’s “Act 2Day 4 Tomorrow” activities to sharing a hunger meal and food packaging, hunger was at the forefront of the Rocky Mountain “reforms.”

“We put on a hunger meal to raise awareness,” said Sophia, a sophomore and peer minister from Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Fort Collins, Colorado.

“The kids are divided into different groups with different social classes, and they get different amounts of food. As you go up [the classes], there are fewer people in each class. I was the cook for the meal,” said Anand, a classmate of Sophia’s at Poudre High School. “I volunteer at the foodbank a lot, and many times, even though they were getting food, it wasn’t always the best or healthiest. That inspired me,” Anand went on to share.

Sophia [left] and Anand [right] are friends from Poudre High School. Sophia is a peer minister and member of the Rocky Mountain Synod hunger team. She and Anand both used their unique skills to raise awareness to end hunger — together.

The youth also took part in packing food kits for local non-profits that help feed people experiencing homelessness and hunger in the area. Rocky Mountain Synod hunger leader Carol McDivitt from King of Glory Lutheran Church in Loveland did the pre-work of calling local agencies and cleared the local food packing projects to make sure the food was usable for the groups.

When asked what message she hopes the hunger meal conveys to the youth, Sophia responded, “I want people to realize that they can make such a huge difference, that they are making a difference. World hunger is being solved; it’s actively being solved. It’s important to remember that even if it does feel hopeless, it’s not.”

Two youth from Lutheran Church of Hope in Broomfield, Colorado, with the prepared packages.

Way to go, Rocky Mountain Synod youth! #untilallarefed

Teen pregnancy is both a personal and a social issue, and teenage mothers often must face personal, psychological effects as well as social stigma.  In the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, managed in part by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), most of the teenage mothers have experienced familial rejection and sexual- and gender-based violence. In the long term, many may also face depression, forced marriage and social rejection.

The LWF child protection department plays a major role in minimizing the factors that lead to teen pregnancy and in working to ensure the well-being of teenage mothers and their children.  The intervention and psychosocial support LWF provides is critical to their safety, health, and wellness. This program at Kakuma is supported in part by ELCA World Hunger.

Nyamok was only three years old when she and her siblings fled violence in South Sudan in 2002. They eventually made their way to Kakuma. Nyamok’s older sister, Nyaduk, cared for her until 2014, when Nyaduk left the camp to return to South Sudan.

In 2013, when she was 14, Nyamok was impregnated by a 25-year-old man from her tribe at the camp.  The man ran away after learning about the pregnancy, despite attempts by the community to arrest him. Nyamok faced both the personal effects of sexual violence and the social stigma of teenage pregnancy.  Shortly after finding out she was pregnant, Nyamok dropped out of Unity Primary School in Kakuma, losing hope of ever being able to finish her education.

Nyamok received counseling support from LWF Child Protection and enrolled in a support group for teenage mothers. This support helped her feel encouraged enough to return to school in 2015, one year after her daughter was born. Returning to school was not an easy choice. According to Nyamok’s cultural traditions, once a girl is pregnant, she is expected to marry. Nyamok did not marry, though, and faced stigma and isolation from other students her age. Still, she remained determined to continue her education.

In 2016, Nyamok sat for examinations for her Kenya certificate of Primary Education and did excellently, scoring in the top two percent of students. She is now trying to enroll in secondary school to pursue her dream of protecting girls and women as a lawyer.

Because of the support she received, Nyamok can now see a bright future for herself and her daughter. “God has a plan for each one of us,” she says. “I can tell that one’s attitude toward education is an important factor to success.” Her message to other child parents is hopeful: “Many people have gone through many hardships, but they have accomplished in life. You, too, can do that.”

Despite the challenges that refugees like Nyamok face, their resilience and hard work and the support of LWF make it possible for them to thrive. Through the LWF child protection department, ELCA World Hunger continues to accompany Nyamok and other teenage mothers as they pursue their dreams at Kakuma.

Photos: Lutheran World Federation

Aware of the special challenges refugees, migrants, and displaced persons face, ELCA World Hunger has long supported companions and partners that work with people who have been forced to leave their homes for a variety of reasons.  Partners like Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) are critical actors in this work.

Donald Trump’s recent executive order to halt refugee resettlement in the United States for 120 days has elicited concern, fear, anger, and confusion from members of the ELCA, our ecumenical partners and our international companions.  In response, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton released a statement reminding Lutherans and other Christians of our gospel call “to welcome the stranger and treat the sojourner as we would our own citizens.”  At this point in time, we may also be reminded of Martin Luther’s admonition to preachers:

“Those who are in the office [of ministry] and are called to do so shall rebuke their [rulers] boldly and openly…To rebuke rulers is not seditious, provided it is done in the way here described: namely, by the office by which God has committed that duty, and through God’s Word, spoken publicly, boldly, and honestly.”[1]

Below are some key resources that may be useful to those called to “speak publicly, boldly, and honestly” about the recent executive order and its effects.

1. ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton affirms the ELCA’s commitment “to continuing ministries of welcome that support and build communities around the country and stand firmly against any policies that result in scaling back the refugee resettlement program.”
2. The Lutheran World Federation, the World Council of Churches and ACT Alliance jointly issued a statement, calling the ban “an abysmal failure of compassion and responsibility.” LWF also has a short video with a powerful reminder: “Refugees lose many things when they flee, but never their human rights.”
3.  ELCA’s Social Message on Immigration (1998)
4. ELCA World Hunger offers some food for thought in this blog post on Lutheran faith and refugees.
5. Hear the story of the Kafley family resettling in Chicago, Illinois, thanks to support from ELCA World Hunger and RefugeeOne.
6. Learn how  St. Andrew’s Refugee Service in Cairo, Egypt, accompanies refugee youth with warm meals, psychosocial support and education.
7. Hear the reactions of refugees awaiting resettlement as they get news of the ban in Dadaab, the largest cluster of refugee camps in the world.
8. Advocate for change. Join ELCA Advocacy in lifting your voice in support of refugees and migrants by participating in this critical advocacy action. Visit Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), a long-time partner of ELCA World Hunger, and learn steps you can take to advocate for refugees and migrants.
9. The intercessory prayer for February 5, 2017, from Sundays and Seasons is particularly timely and scripturally relevant, for those with a subscription. For those without a subscription, LIRS offers some great resources for remembering refugees in your worship and prayers.
10. Support the ongoing accompaniment of refugees and many other programs made possible by gifts to ELCA World Hunger. Through ELCA World Hunger, this church supports needed programs in refugee camps, protection and advocacy for migrants and refugees, and resettlement efforts through our network of companions and partners. Consider ELCA Good Gifts, such as feeding a refugee family for one week or for one month.

[1] Luther’s “Commentary on Psalm 82,” Luther’s Works vol. 13, pages 49-51. Quoted in Carter Lindberg, “Luther and the Common Chest,” in Carter Lindberg and Paul Wee, eds., The Forgotten Luther: Reclaiming the Social-Economic Dimension of the Reformation (Minneapolis: Lutheran University Press, 2016.)

Photo credit Faith Kagwiria/LWF

In northeast Kenya, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) helps manage the largest cluster of refugee camps in the world. At their peak, the Dadaab camps were home to nearly 500,000 people, most of whom are children, women, elderly and people with disabilities who have fled conflict in Somalia, one of the countries included in President Donald Trump’s travel ban. Today, 240,000 refugees remain at the camps, though Dadaab is slated by Kenya for closure later this year. For many young people, the camp is the only home they have known. It is safer than their countries of origin, but like other refugee camps, Dadaab was not meant to be a permanent home.

LWF, with support from members like the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), is working with other agencies to provide sufficient, equitable education, food and health care at the camp, but many residents still struggle to meet their needs. While the care they receive is critical, many refugees still long for a permanent home of their own. Refugees often spend years in Dadaab waiting for resettlement in a new country or repatriation to their country of origin. Resettlement is a lengthy ordeal, with numerous background checks, interviews, and delays. Some refugees at Dadaab have been in the process for up to nine years.

Abroon*, a refugee from the Dagahaley camp in Dadaab, has been working toward his family’s resettlement since 2008. The news of the executive order was a significant blow to his hard work and hope.

“Finally, I had completed all the processes and was waiting for flight confirmation,” he says. “The ban simply means that the United States of America does not want refugees, and I am very demoralized. If someone stops you from going to his house, then you have no option but to go away and look for where you will be accepted and you can belong.”

Shire, a refugee in Kambioos camp, was also disheartened.

“The ban by the USA has just made me make a decision to withdraw my resettlement case,” he says. “It has been a long and tiresome process, but now I concede defeat.”

The President’s executive order for suspension of admission of refugees into the United States sent shockwaves through Dadaab. The immediate effects reverberated around the world as officials struggled to understand the order’s implications for enforcement. But in Dadaab, the effects were not merely confusing but dispiriting. Bashiir, a refugee from Ifo camp in Dadaab remarked,

“I had just finished the whole resettlement process and was only waiting for flight confirmation. Now my case is unknown. After the announcement, I could not sleep and it feels like my dreams and aspirations have been shattered.”

When the executive order was implemented, refugees awaiting travel were sent back to the camps to wait for more information. Because they were planning for resettlement, some had quit their jobs in the camps or sold their possessions to other refugees. Asad, from Ifo camp, had a flight confirmed for January 29, 2017. He notes with frustration,

“I was already in the USA in my mind, and I had finally been able to get this opportunity to belong. When I return to the camp, where do I start from? I had sold and given out all my belongings and even said goodbye to my friends. What does a human being do? I even have the ticket in my hand.”

Culan, a single mother with a disability and three children was also left in a serious lurch.

“I had bought items for my travel and back at the camp I have nothing to go back to but the many problems that exist,” she says.

While some commentators in the United States downplay the significance of the refugee ban because of its intended 120-day duration, those three months put refugees in Dadaab ever-closer to the closing of the camps. For many, it closes one possible avenue away from the violence they fled. Representatives of the LWF note that Somali refugees in Dadaab fear returning to the conflict they once escaped. Dubad, a Somali refugee, had been trained for work in motor vehicle maintenance at Dadaab, with support from LWF. “I passed my exams and even secured a job in Somalia, but due to threats on my life and family problems, I had to return to Kenya to seek refuge,” he says. Being from a minority clan in Somalia leaves Dubad at risk from ethnic violence.

“The announcement has left me hopeless since it feels like every time I seek an opportunity to get better life for me, my family and children, I get a challenge.” Unlike Asad, Dubad had not yet sold his belongings or purchased a plane ticket. But the emotional and psychological cost of Trump’s executive order have been difficult to bear. “My life is still at a threat, and I do hope things get better and that President Trump stops this discrimination and rejection.”

Even those who were not in the process of being resettled are confused and afraid. Lennart Hernander, LWF World Service’s program representative in Kenya-Djibouti, notes that young people were particularly disheartened, losing hope in the resettlement process entirely. Other refugees with family already living in the United States are fearful that their resettled relatives will be deported. These same relatives are often a vital form of assistance, sending remittances to their family back in the camp so they can buy the essentials they need to survive in Dadaab.

The United States, once the source of hope for many refugees seeking resettlement, safety and a new start, has become for some a symbol of exclusion and rejection. Ishaar, a refugee in Hagadera camp and also from a minority clan in Somalia, echoes Dubad’s sentiments:

“I had already been confirmed [for resettlement] and told that my process was successful and to travel on February 28, 2017, to the USA. I thought I was going to be safe, but now the USA has rejected me. Where do I belong since I cannot go back to Somalia for I fear for my life?”

For some, a sliver of hope remains that as borders against resettlement seal and the date to close Dadaab grows closer, new possibilities will be opened by welcoming communities around the globe. But in the wake of the executive order from the United States, the fearful prospect of returning to the places they fought so hard to escape draws closer to reality.

ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton released a statement yesterday that affirmed the ELCA’s commitment “to continuing ministries of welcome that support and build communities around the country” and to “stand firmly against any policies that result in scaling back the refugee resettlement program.”  Read the full statement here.

*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of the persons quoted in the article. Quotes are courtesy of LWF World Service, Kenya-Djibouti.

This story is also available as a bulletin insert as part of ELCA World Hunger’s newest “reproducible stories” series. Click here to download a copy.

Yohannes (not pictured) was 16 when he arrived in Cairo, Egypt, alone. He made his way to Egypt from Eritrea, in East Africa. It was an arduous journey from Eritrea, through Sudan and, finally, to Egypt.  Along the way, food was hard to come by. Yohannes had lost weight and was not well.

Upon arriving in Cairo, Yohannes came to St. Andrew’s Refugee Services (StARS) seeking help. He had not eaten for two days, so the first thing StARS provided was a warm, home-cooked meal. StARS, a program supported by gifts to ELCA World Hunger, offers unaccompanied refugee children food, education and psychosocial support.

Through gifts to ELCA World Hunger, StARS feeds 350 refugee children two meals a day, four days a week. And, with the help of the program, Yohannes has learned about nutrition, budgeting, and services available to him in Cairo.

Unaccompanied children in Cairo often live together in overcrowded apartments so that they can afford the rent. Some receive a small amount of financial support from the United Nations once they register, but most find it very difficult to make ends meet. Financial support from the ELCA and other partners allows StARS to employ a refugee as a chef and to provide part-time work to six young refugees as kitchen assistants and cleaners. Without this work, they would have no means to support themselves as they struggle to survive in Cairo.

For Yohannes and other unaccompanied refugee youth, StARS provides something else that is crucial to well-being – the chance to be children. The program provides food, education and, importantly, a safe space for playing sports and building friendships. “If StARS did not exist, I would go without food for the entire day,” Yohannes said. “Nobody can study with an empty stomach.”

“And here I get the chance to learn and to be with my friends.”

According to UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, over half of the world’s refugees are children. Many have experienced or witnessed violence, exploitation, trafficking and abuse. Yet, the children’s resilience helps them cope in new communities, if they are given the support they need to make new friends, learn and play.  Faith-based organizations like StARS help make this possible.

Today, Yohannes is attending school. He has a brighter future thanks to the support of ELCA World Hunger and St. Andrew’s Refugee Service.

(For more on Lutherans and refugees, see here. Visit ELCA World Hunger on Vimeo for “The Kafley Family” story to hear one family’s story of finding a new home in Chicago, with the support of ELCA World Hunger and RefugeeOne.  To learn more about refugees and resettlement, visit Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service at www.lirs.org, a long-time partner of ELCA World Hunger.)

It’s game time!

While you are cheering on your team and celebrating with family and friends— let’s help tackle hunger together!

From kickoff to final whistle, Team Atlanta and Team New England will seek to outdo one another for the sake of the gospel. The fans that donate the most through their team page to ELCA World Hunger by midnight Central time on February 5 will help their synod take home the title of ELCA World Hunger Champion — regardless of the outcome on the field. Whether your favorite formation is 3-4, 4-3, or 3:16, you can send your nickels and dimes to support your team!

Team New England and Team Atlanta are currently neck-and-neck and asking for your support!

Check out New England Synod Bishop Jim Hazelwood’s video of encouragement! (Direct link – goo.gl/3AwWdc).

And not to “deflate” the competition, but the Southeastern Synod Facebook page notes some attractive incentives for “super” gifts, starting at just $100 for an autographed picture of Bishop Julian Gordy!

In last year’s challenge, Team Denver and Team Carolina came together to raise over $75,000 for the cause! So come off the sidelines to join the fight against hunger. We can truly do more together.

Be sure to send us your game day photos, and may the best team win — so we can all tackle hunger together! #gameon #ELCABigGame #ELCAWorldHunger

(Thanks to Lizzy Croghan at Creative Coworking, Evanston, Ill., for the image of Martin Luther)

Community gardens are a great way to build community and provide nutritious food for your congregation and your neighbors. This week, ELCA World Hunger is grateful to welcome Ed Merrell as a guest blogger to offer his expert tips for community gardeners as we move into the fall and winter. Ed is an Independent Seeds Professional. He engages with seed-centric charity organizations and other agricultural groups. In this capacity, he applies his extensive seed industry skills and experience to provide relevant information and solutions.

His 35+ year career in the vegetable and flower seed industry included plant breeding to develop new and improved varieties, domestic and international seed production, quality assurance and seed testing, seed processing plant operation, and quality information systems. Ed is a member of Advent Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Morgan Hill, Calif.

If you are planning a new garden or growing an existing garden, ELCA World Hunger’s Community Gardens How-To Guide is a great resource to help! It has practical advice and suggestions from community gardeners across the ELCA, along with resources for tying your congregation’s garden to your worship life through prayer and education.

Download ELCA World Hunger’s Community Gardens How-To Guide: goo.gl/Q2G3Yb;

Order a free printed copy: goo.gl/tsdr1q

For community gardens, autumn is a productive time. If your congregation already has a community garden, activities could include finishing the harvest and assessing the gardening year. Or, if your congregation is thinking about creating a community garden, it could be a good time to start planning.

1. Review the Past Season

Congregations with established community gardens can consider updating their garden map showing what crop was grown where and how productive each crop was. If you sowed seed, did it germinate well? Were pest problems observed such as soil-borne organisms like cutworms, flying insects, or animals? Were preventative actions taken and what were the results? Did any plant diseases occur? All the information you gather can be added to your previous community garden experience in that location and will help you plan for next year.

2. Tap Local Expertise

If you have not already connected to a source of local gardening expertise, consider contacting the County Cooperative Extension office or the Master Gardener organization.  These experts share firsthand knowledge of local growing conditions, vegetable varieties adapted to your area, fertilization and watering recommendations, and pests and how to control them.

3. Update Your Planting Plan

Use your garden maps from previous seasons to plan crop rotation and avoid planting the same vegetable in the same space. A 3-year rotation plan is often recommended. Crop rotation reduces the likelihood of diseases on next year’s plants and promotes healthy soil. If you have remnant seed of a variety that germinated well and yielded tasty produce, you may want to sow that same seed again next season. By storing the seed packets in a cool, dry place, you preserve the seed viability and improve the chances that the seed will germinate well next year.

4. Re-vision and Re-imagine

Successful community gardens start with a vision. As you plan for next season, ask these questions. Is the community garden fulfilling the vision statement that you wrote? Does it meet a community need? Is the congregation support sufficient in terms of volunteers and financial resources? The next few months are a good time to consider these questions and assess what worked well, what needs to be improve, and make plans for next year.

5. Get Started!

If your congregation is discerning whether to create a community garden, the ELCA World Hunger Community Gardens How-To Guide (download: goo.gl/Q2G3Yb; order printed copy: goo.gl/tsdr1q) is a great place to begin.  In autumn, planting time seems far away. But it’s never too early to start creating a community garden. As the guide describes, understanding your community’s needs and assets and the capacity of your congregation to create a vision for your garden will take time.  Are there some experienced gardeners willing to share their expertise? Can you make this an intergenerational activity? There are tasks for everyone from young children sowing bean seeds to adults building raised beds to seniors sharing their recipes for fresh produce. In addition, you will need some funding and some land for your garden.

6.  Keep Costs Down

Raised beds, an irrigation system, garden tools, etc. for your new community garden can cost money. To keep expenses under control, look for websites like Freecyle.org, Trashnothing.com, or other sites where people offer for free what they don’t need or ask for what they want. Craigslist.org has free offers too. Reduce, reuse, and recycle helps everyone and preserves God’s creation.

7. Find Good Quality Seeds and Young Plants

Selecting good quality seeds and young plants is critical to success. Seeds labeled “Packed for year 20__” or “Sell by mm/yy” should be sown during that year or before the sell-by date. Store seeds in cool, dry conditions to preserve viability. Young plants should be free of disease (discolored leaves or stems) and free of insects (worms, aphids, etc.)

8. Find Partners

Consider reaching out to other faith communities and ask if they would like to help your congregation start a community garden. The opportunity for people of faith to work side-by-side planning, growing and nurturing, and harvesting a community garden can build lasting relationships.

Gardening is enjoyable in every season!  Get started today!

The story of Advent is a story of hunger—a people’s hunger for salvation, the fleeing holy family’s hunger for safety, and the world’s hunger for a new day. It is a season when we await the one who will “give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death” (Luke 1:79a).  Advent hope draws us into the world as people of promise, people for whom the “shadow of death” cast by deep hunger and poverty around the world is not God’s final word to God’s people. In Advent, we reflect on how far the Lord has led us and how far we have yet to go toward a world in which all are fed.  As we prepare for the arrival of God’s Son, this season offers an important opportunity to reflect on the mystery and excitement of the promise from God.

This Advent, we invite you to journey with ELCA World Hunger through the scripture readings for this season. This study takes us through each week of Advent with devotions based on the lectionary, questions for reflection, prayers and hymn suggestions. The study can be used as a guide for worship, adult study forums or personal devotions at home. Blessings related to our church’s response to hunger and poverty are also included.

Each week’s theme:

• Shared vulnerability (Matthew 24)
• The “good fruit” of repentance (Matthew 3)
• Care for creation (Matthew 11; Isaiah 35)
• Finding God in unexpected places (Matthew 1)

The Advent study is available for download in English here (http://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/WH_Advent%20Study.pdf?_ga=1.241313474.1341912399.1476461047).

Questions, comments or feedback on the resource can be directed to hunger@ELCA.org. For more ELCA World Hunger resources, visit ELCA.org/Hunger/Resources.

May you and your community be blessed, enriched and challenged by this Advent resource, and may the stirrings of the season take root within you.

La historia del Adviento es una historia de hambre—el hambre de salvación de un pueblo, el hambre de seguridad de la sagrada familia y el hambre de un nuevo amanecer del mundo. Es una época en la que esperamos a aquél que dará “luz a los que viven en tinieblas, en la más terrible oscuridad” (Lucas 1:79a). La esperanza del Adviento nos introduce en el mundo como un pueblo de promesa, para el que “la más terrible oscuridad” proyectada por el hambre y la pobreza profunda en todo el mundo no es la última palabra de Dios para su pueblo. En el Adviento reflexionamos sobre qué tan lejos nos ha guiado el Señor y qué tan lejos nos queda aún por avanzar hacia un mundo en el que todos sean alimentados. Mientras nos preparamos para la llegada del Hijo do Dios, esta temporada ofrece una importante oportunidad para reflexionar sobre el misterio y emoción de la promesa de Dios.

Este Adviento, te invitamos a un recorrido junto con el Programa de la ELCA para Aliviar el Hambre Mundial a través de las lecturas de las Escrituras para esta temporada. Este estudio nos lleva por cada una de las semanas del Adviento con devocionales basados en el leccionario, preguntas para la reflexión, oraciones y sugerencias de himnos. El estudio puede servir como guía para la adoración, en foros de estudio para adultos o para devocionales personales en el hogar. También se incluyen las bendiciones relacionadas con la respuesta de nuestra iglesia al hambre y la pobreza.

El tema de cada semana:

• Vulnerabilidad compartida (Mateo 24)
• El “buen fruto” del arrepentimiento (Mateo 3)
• El cuidado de la creación (Mateo 11; Isaías 35)
• Dios en lugares inesperados (Mateo 1)

Este estudio está disponible en español. Puedes descargar la versión en español aquí (http://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/WH_Advent_Study_esp.pdf?_ga=1.241435074.1341912399.1476461047).

Las preguntas, comentarios o sugerencias sobre el recurso se pueden dirgir a Hunger@ELCA.org. Para consultar más recursos sobre el Programa de la ELCA para Aliviar el Hambre Mundial, visita ELCA.org/Hunger/Resources.

Que tú y tu comunidad sean bendecidos, enriquecidos y desafiados por este recurso de Adviento, y que el espíritu de esta época se arraigue en sus corazones.