This is an excerpt from a blog posting on Leaves from a Lutheran Notebook. Anne is posting from Bratislava, Slovakia, where she serves the Bratislava International congregation as a Global Mission Horizon Intern. Anne’s husband, Sean, is an ELCA volunteer missionary teaching at the Lutheran highschool in Bratislava. Help ELCA Disaster Response “be there for the long haul” after flooding. Donate online at www.elca.org/giving Learn more at www.elca.org/disaster –Sue-s

Water
Posted: 15 Sep 2008 08:27 AM CDT
It is the feast day of Our Lady of Sorrows, patron saint of Slovakia and a national holiday. Sean and I are listening to Morning Edition via whyy.com at almost 3pm, getting ready for school tomorrow and still recovering from a whirlwind week (teaching, sermoning, etc.) It’s been raining lightly all day, a gentle, welcome tapping on our windows that makes me glad to be inside, warm and cozy. I love days like this, especially after it has been so brutally hot.

Water can be comforting, joyful, renewing, and such a relief. Water is also powerful and frightening. Six hours after I gave a children’s message on the joyful experience of using water to remember our baptism, Pastor Kristi at St. Luke’s in Park Ridge, Ill., responded to flooding in the United States with a children’s sermon on Noah, and God’s rainbow promise to never destroy the world.

Water has as much potential for destruction as it does for sustaining creation–it is absolutely essential to life and can be absolutely deadly. God uses this powerful sign to make powerful promises to humanity: you will not be destroyed, you are my children, you are forgiven.

Lots of prayer requests on my mind today! Let us pray for the search and rescue workers in Galveston and for everyone still waiting for them.
Let us pray for everyone trying to get the basics in Houston: power, drinking water, gasoline for generators, food. May the relief efforts reach and assist them in their times of need.
Let us pray for everyone in the South and Midwest impacted by Hurricane Ike–bless relief agencies and home and business owners who will be “in it for the long haul” for recovery and rebuilding.
Let us give thanks for God’s life-giving gift of water: water used for cleaning up after storms, to sustain the people who are in the midst of recovery, and to remind all of us that God loves us, forgives us, and gives us new life.

The picture above is of us praying at the end of the children’s message, yesterday. We had so much fun sprinkling water on the congregation! You can see the kids are suppressing giggles, here. Water is a lot of fun when it isn’t in hurricane form.

There are two opportunities to highlight from ELCA World Hunger partner Lutheran World Relief: (1) LWR’s “Virtual University” sessions, and (2) LWR’s study tour to Colombia. Blessings, Sue

LWR Virtual U is a monthly, interactive, online speakers’ series that directly connects you with LWR’s global team of experts. Each hour-long class is accessible online with audio and visuals; or with audio only by a toll-free telephone call. Expert, experienced LWR staffmembers teach each class and answer your questions.

The first class of the 2008–2009 session, “Fill the Bowl, responding to the global food Crisis” will be held on Thursday, September 18, at 7:00 Central Time.

The classes take place from September 2008 through April 2009, on the third Thursday of each month, at 7 p.m. Central Time. Participate in all or as many classes as you wish. If you can’t join the live session, the courses are recorded and posted online for participation at your convenience. Register now at lwr.org/university to receive updates and log-in directions, which are issued each month.

LWR Study Tour to Colombia
LWR will host a study tour to Colombia, February 11-22, 2009. While in Colombia, Study Tour participants will witness first hand LWR’s work with Latino-Mestizo, Afro-Colombian, and other indigenous communities. Participants will interact with people who directly benefit from LWR’s work in supporting the rights and interests of internally displaced persons in Colombia.

“Although U.S. policy toward Colombia has improved, the Peace Sanctuary Churches still face many challenges. Peace in Colombia is possible, but it will require the continued work of courageous people in Colombia and strong advocates in the U.S. It is our hope this Study Tour
to Colombia will help strengthen our commitment to building peace,” says Rebecca Phares, LWR’s director for public policy and advocacy.

Estimated cost for this LWR Study Tour is $3,300, which includes round-trip airfare from Houston, Texas, and lodging, meals, insurance and ground transportation while in Colombia. This estimate does not include travel to and from Houston and personal spending money.

This extraordinary opportunity to see the work of LWR in Colombia is limited to 15 U.S.-based travelers. To apply for this LWR Study Tour, or for more information, contact Rebecca Lange-Thernes at rthernes@lwr.org or 410-230-2737. The application deadline is November 17, 2008.

Statement on Hurricanes, September 12, 2008
A message from Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you…. Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you….” (Isaiah 43:1-2,4a)

As I write, yet another hurricane is threatening the Gulf Coast. This one is only the latest in a seemingly endless series of storms that have brought hardship, destruction, fear and even death to brothers and sisters in the Gulf Coast and the Caribbean, especially Haiti. The relentless destruction reminds us that the rebuilding of lives continues in other areas that have been affected by floods, tornadoes, fires and other disasters.

I call on you to respond in the midst of danger and loss. While some are preparing for storms yet to come, others are fleeing from storms, and still others are rebuilding in the aftermath of disasters. I ask you to respond with your prayers, your generous gifts of time and money, your volunteer hours and skills, the open doors of your homes and churches, and your commitment to a sustaining presence for the long haul. Visit ELCA Disaster Response for updates, for downloadable bulletin inserts, and for ways to make contributions online.

These expressions of our faith remind us that we are called by name and are bound together by our baptisms into community with those who suffer. Thank you for your generous and sustaining response in the midst of the disasters.

God’s work. Our hands.
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Below, find an informative ELCA News Posting about ELCA International Disaster Response in Cuba and Haiti. Learn more and give to the response effort at www.elca.org/disaster

ELCA NEWS SERVICE
September 12, 2008
08-153-MRC

Lutherans Work to Meet the Needs of People in Cuba, Haiti
CHICAGO (ELCA) — Some of the greatest needs in Cuba and Haiti are securing food and clean water for survivors of the 2008 hurricane season, according to Megan Bradfield. In an effort to respond to the needs of people in the two Caribbean islands, members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) provided funds Sept. 11 to help secure life-sustaining resources. Through ELCA International Disaster Response, Lutherans provided an initial $25,000 to support immediate relief effortsin Haiti, said Bradfield, associate director for international development and disaster response, ELCA Global Mission. The funds were sent to the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), which continues to conduct damage assessment and organize hurricane recovery efforts there.

Tropical storm Fay, Hurricane Gustav, Tropical Storm Hanna and Hurricane Ike struck Haiti this season. Action by Churches Together (ACT) reported that the storms killed 328 people and devastated the land. According to an ELCA Disaster Response alert, families in Haiti were already struggling with the “silent disaster of hunger and extreme poverty” prior to being struck by the storms, which further drove people away from life-sustaining resources.

“Receiving food from external resources is not a luxury; it is a necessity to save lives, particularly in Haiti,” said Bradfield. Because Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, the impact of disasters on its most vulnerable citizens is disproportionate. Often citizens lack access to the basics of life, let alone what is needed to rebuild, she said. “Extreme poverty and disasters create a vicious cycle of impoverishment for the economically poor. The lack of financial resources to purchase means for cooking, for example, causes people to cut down trees to use as charcoal,” said Bradfield. When multiple storms strike, the deforestation enables mudslides to occur, making communities further vulnerable. This is the circumstance in Haiti, she said.

Storms Fay, Gustav and Ike also struck Cuba. Gustav damaged an estimated 100,000 homes in the western part of the island. Through ELCA International Disaster Response, Lutherans gave an initial $10,000 to support the humanitarianefforts of Church World Service (CWS) in Cuba. CWS will usethe funds to purchase material aid — blankets, medicine, hygiene and baby kits — for survivors of the storms. The ELCA participates in the work of CWS and is a member of the LWF — a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergency situations worldwide. It is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the LWF, both in Geneva. The ELCA is a member of the WCC. Coordinated by ELCA Global Mission, International Disaster Response channels its funds through international church organizations and relief agencies. Funds provide for food, medicine, drinking water, emergency shelter and other materials for survivors of disasters.

I’ve seen him multiple times over the past 9 years—a man whose station in life could lend itself to invisibility quite easily but whose invisibility is a product of those around him, not his own misfortune. This man is blind.

He leans with his back against the wall, crouching slightly near the two lone payphones in the long corridor at the Washington El train stop here in Chicago. The muffled jingle of change in a tattered Styrofoam cup grows louder as one approaches him and then fades away as one quickly flies by, on the way to somewhere seemingly more important.

I bet thousands of other train-riding Chicagoans, upon hearing this story, would know exactly who I’m talking about. Like any other person who is homeless and whom we might encounter anywhere else, the call to action is simple. But do we listen to that call? More importantly, do we really SEE this man while whizzing by?

That is a personal question, one that I cannot answer for everyone, however Jesus expects us to SEE him–not to look in his general direction, but to actually SEE him. We must not contribute to an invisibility that grows exponentially by the throngs of people who pass him by without so much as a penny, a hello, or even an acknowledging glance cast in the direction of someone who may not even know it.

We raise money and work on behalf of those who are hungry and poor and, in some cases, living with disabilities. The ability to see is a gift and a responsibility, as is the ability to act. If we are blessed with either or both of these gifts, let us honor those gifts and resist the tendency to blend in with the masses for fear of missing the next train.

–Aaron Cooper is writer-editor for ELCA World Hunger

A few months ago, I wrote a blog post about how natural disasters contribute to hunger, and how those living at or near poverty are disproportionately vulnerable. Following that line of thought, it’s hard to imagine how things could get much worse in Haiti. First they were hit by Tropical Storm Fay. Hurricanes Gustav and Hanna followed, and Ike now threatens. According to the BBC, 200 people have been killed by these storms so far, tens of thousands have been displaced, and hundreds of thousands need assistance. And it’s not just minor assistance. The same BBC article says 200,000 in the city of Gonaives have not eaten in three days and potable water is hard to find. And as one would expect, homes and livelihoods have been destroyed. But perhaps the biggest problem is that few in Haiti have the resources to really do anything about it.

Such an onslaught of natural disaster would be difficult for the people and government of any country to bear, but in a place like Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, it’s especially devastating. Already struggling with extreme poverty, hunger, and rising food prices, the people of Haiti rioted earlier this year and threw out their prime minister. Now, with the hurricanes, rice crops have been destroyed and fruit trees have been blown down, an especially large problem in a place where two-thirds of the population are involved in agriculture. The loss of crops can only add to the long-term suffering, hunger, and political instability.

The short-term is no better. With thousands displaced and no food to be found, Haiti’s government is ill-equipped to help its people. With such a poor economy, infrastructure like roads and communication systems weren’t great before the storms. Wind and water damage have made them even worse, hampering aid efforts and posing longer-term challenges for rebuilding. What’s more, poverty has led to deforestation in Haiti, exposing soil which is now washing away in mudslides. Besides the immediate danger caused by mudslides, there are future ramifications: loss of topsoil, reduction in vegetation, and long-term degradation of the environment.

In a place where poverty is so widespread and the government so uncertain, it’s hard to imagine how Haiti will recover. Certainly we Western countries have a role to play, both in the immediate, urgent need for food and water, and also in assisting with lasting, sustainable changes.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for a case study on the causes of hunger, read up on Haiti. It highlights several factors, including: a history of corrupt, unstable, and ineffective governments; an insufficient and inaccessible education system; lack of employment opportunities; poor infrastructure; a degrading environment; and a susceptibility to natural disasters in the form of hurricanes. It’s not a comprehensive list, but it’s a frighteningly good start.

Tonight I came across this picture of my daughter, Annie, eleven years old at the time, with a poster project for a class. It seems to be a “What do I want to do when I grow up” assignment. Some of the images she included were predictive: a picture of a pastor, a diploma, and the words “Making money while making a difference.”
So why bring this up in the Hunger Rumblings blog? I am struck at the wisdom of a girl knowing that she can grow up to make money and make a difference. AND! It’s not either/or it’s both/and. I am humbled by the people in my life, like Annie, who hear God’s call and answer “Here I am, send me.”
Finally, I’m wondering how I would complete a vocational poster assignment at this age and stage in life. Think about it. What would you include on your poster?
Blessings on your day, Sue-s

Here is part of a cheerful e-mail from Kris L., mission director at Atonement Lutheran Church in St. Cloud, Minn., reporting on the congregation’s recent “Stirring the Waters” event. Sue-s

Hi! Just wanted to let you know that our church did our own version of the”Stirring the Waters” event that you did at last summer’s ELCA World Hunger Leadership Gathering. We had so much fun and it was so well received. We made the frontpage of the St. Cloud Times [Check out the the front-page article and the great photo of the event that appeared in the St. Cloud Times on August 25, the day after the event.–SES.]

We added a few stations…One of them we called “H2O & Creation Care”. Members of our Creation Care Team at Atonement staffed the table and encouraged people to use reusable bottles instead of bottled water. In addition to the ELCA website, I found some great resources on the Presbyterians for Restoring Creation (PRC) website (http://www.prcweb.org/) including a bottled water quiz. The answer to the last question includes this fact:”The UN estimates that if the world took half of what it now spends onbottled water ($100 billion per year) and invested it in water infrastructure and treatment, everyone in the world could have access to clean drinking water.” Isn’t that amazing?

[Kris and the Creation Care Team made good use of the new ELCA World Hunger water bulletin…”Let justice roll down like waters.” It’s available to order from Augsburg Fortress. Enjoy! Sue]

Nancy M. came in to work with a page of Valentine stickers. Nancy explained that her four-year-old daughter, Anika, gave her the stickers this morning “to give to anyone who is feeling sad or bad or has done really good work.” I gratefully accepted two of the stickers–“Love Bug” and “Bugs and Kisses”–and I will wear them all day. Thank you, Anika.

I’m a big fan of affirmation, and I’m not alone, so I make an effort to be affirming. I’ve been known to tell colleagues that they’ve earned an “A” for the day. In addition to a good tip, I like to write “Thanks for the great service!” on top of the restaurant’s copy of my credit-card charge. It tickles me to ask to speak to a phone representative’s supervisor to acknowledge a job well done. I try to always give credit where credit is due. I pat myself on the back by placing a sticker on the calendar when I work out in the morning.

Once, in a staff meeting, the question was asked, “How do you like to be affirmed?” The varied answers were surprising. For me, the best affirmation is personal vs. generic, at-the-time vs. when it’s expected, and is often secondhand (as in “I heard so-and-so say such-n-such about your work on the this-n-that.”). Please comment below and share how you like to be affirmed/encouraged/thanked.

In the coming days, consider seizing opportunities to offer thanks/affirmation/encouragement, especially to those in your realm who are engaged in anti-hunger and anti-poverty efforts. Please comment below and share one of your “seize the affirmation opportunity” stories.

Who knows? Maybe someone will offer you an “A” for the day, a gold star, or a Valentine sticker.

Affirming blessings,
Sue-s