Helping to provide more stable shelter, water purification, and sanitation are among the “next steps” LCMS World Relief and Human Care (LCMS WR-HC) and the ministry’s many partners are tackling as part of the Synod’s long-term response in a poor country plunged into even greater need.

Assisting local Lutheran congregations so they can reach out to hurting communities will continue to be the focus of LCMS relief efforts in the months and years to come, says Rev. Glenn F. Merritt, director of Disaster Response for LCMS WR-HC.

Merritt and an LCMS assessment team traveled to Haiti just days after the Jan. 12 disaster that killed an estimated 200,000 and left 1.5 million homeless. He later joined a another LCMS team offering support to their exhausted Haitian counterparts – men who serve congregations as they cope with their own families’ losses. The LCMS pastors also comforted earthquake survivors in hospitals and refugee camps. “After a disaster, people need someone to listen as they speak about what has happened,” said LCMS WR-HC’s Rev. Carlos Hernandez, another team member.

The Synod’s mercy arm sent a Mercy Medical Teams (MMT) of health care volunteers to staff a clinic at First Lutheran Church in Jacmel and helped open food programs at Lutheran churches in the hard-hit cities of Jacmel and Port-au-Prince. Today, staff working with LCMS World Mission in the neighboring Dominican Republic continue to coordinate shipments of food and water – urgently needed provisions made possible by generous LCMS WR-HC donors who, to date, have given $2.3 million for the Haiti earthquake response.

The needs in Haiti are overwhelming, but LCMS WR-HC donors are helping to make a difference. “Help comes one person at a time,” said Rev. Matthew Harrison, LCMS WR-HC executive director, who provided pastoral care in Haiti after the earthquake. “We are helping people – many, many people – one person at a time.”

In southern India, a total of 1,000 families will receive rice and other provisions made possible by a $34,170 grant from WR-HC to the India Evangelical Lutheran Church (IELC), an LCMS partner church. The assistance comes after October monsoons triggered floods described as the region’s worst in 100 years.

Ravi Jesupatham, India country coordinator with WR-HC, is overseeing the distribution of emergency relief kits that began in October and continues through early December. After the flooding, Jesupatham called the Indians’ plight “appalling and heartbreaking.”

WR-HC and the IELC are focusing on villages and slums that have an IELC presence and have been largely neglected by other relief efforts. One such area is the slum near the city of Vijayawada, where the local IELC church and the homes of the pastor and some 25 IELC families were destroyed.

After a 7.6 magnitude earthquake devastated West Sumatra on Sept. 30, WR-HC sent deployed staff to the hard-hit Indonesian city of Padang. More than 1,000 people were killed and hundreds of thousands of homes “vanished,” according to the assessment report that also tells of many orphaned children and homeless families.

WR-HC provided a $30,000 grant for food, medicine, tents, and other necessities for Indonesians living in refugee camps. The Protestant Christian Batak Church (HKBP) and Ya-Peka HKBP (the church body’s humanitarian partner) are distributing the relief supplies. HKBP church leaders and WR-HC have worked in partnership since the 2004 tsunami.

As the recovery continues, survivors also are getting tools and building materials to repair their homes. In early December, Rev. Tumpak Sianturi, a WR-HC staff member based in Indonesia, reported from Padang that “conditions are getting better now, but the supplies from some sources are stopped already except from the government and some [organizations] like us.”

“Without this ministry, about 400 families each month will either go without enough food or will go without much of the fresh fruit, vegetables, milk and cheese products that this food pantry provides,” said Deaconess Rachel Mumme, a deployed LCMS World Relief and Human Care (WR-HC) staff member based in Berlin. “The food pantry ensures that those families who live in this part of Marzahn do not have to go hungry.”

In October, WR-HC provided a $1,000 emergency grant to the Berlin-Marzahn congregation, the youngest mission congregation of the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church, an LCMS partner church. Although the grant provides only a small portion of the total needed to buy another truck, it adds to the fund-raising effort spearheaded by Rev. Hartwig Neigenfind, who started the mission congregation in 2000.

To keep the food pantry operating out of the church, the congregation rents a refrigeration truck. But members cannot afford to continue such an expensive arrangement indefinitely, Mumme says. They are eager to replace the truck, which burned while parked overnight on a Berlin street in a fire that remains under investigation.

In addition to giving away several tons of fruits, vegetables, bread and milk products each week, the congregation also invites people who visit the food pantry to worship with them and offers opportunities for pastoral care. Appropriately, these German Lutherans call their ministry Laib und Seele – “bread and soul” in German.

“We talk a good deal about the body of Christ – that if one member is hurting, then the others hurt with it,” Mumme said. “Knowing about this congregation and the challenges they have gives us an opportunity to care for this member, through our prayers, with our gifts, and, for some, even in person. Caring for those in need is simply a part of who we are as Christians. The sufferings of others are ours, and our suffering theirs.”

To learn more about the Berlin-Marzahn mission congregation, contact Mumme at rachel.mumme@lcms.org.

The September 30 earthquake caused the greatest death and destruction in what may be an unprecedented number of recent disasters in the Asian region, said WR-HC Asia Regional Director Darin Storkson. “Disasters happen all the time here, but this may very well be the most we’ve seen in such a short amount of time,” said Storkson. “Lately, it almost seems like a disaster a day.”

Asians also are reeling from a typhoon in Taiwan, tsunami in Samoa, and flooding in the Philippines. On October 2, people in the Philippines were bracing for yet another typhoon heading toward a country already devastated by Typhoon Ketsana, which left 293 dead.
In Sumatra, Storkson says communication and travel are difficult but that he has been in contact with local partners about relief needs. WR-HC worked with the same partners after the 2004 tsunami devastated Southeast Asia.

In the U.S., WR-HC Director of Disaster Response Rev. Glenn F. Merritt is working with ministry partners to respond to relief needs, primarily in American Samoa. On September 29, a powerful tsunami crashed into Samoa and American Samoa in the South Pacific, killing hundreds. Congregations in Hawaii and California are working with Merritt to direct funds to survivors.

Donations are urgently needed to help people who have lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods in Asia. “We have staff on the ground and Lutheran partners to work with, but we need funds to respond to such a great number of disasters and people in need,” Storkson said. “Of course, we know that Americans are facing their own economic challenges, and that makes us even more grateful for any sacrifices they can make to help us to reach out to suffering people in other countries.”

In six rural communities of Vietnam’s Phu Tho Province, a unique bank makes four-legged loans and helps turn around the lives of families struggling with poverty and malnutrition.

Some 130 families already take part in the “Cow Bank,” a project sponsored by LCMS World Relief and Human Care and LCMS World Mission in partnership with Vietnam’s National Institute of Nutrition (NIN). Instead of a cash loan, the bank provides a cow to poor farm families. Instead of repaying their loan with money, the families give their first calf to another needy family.

One recent loan recipient is Nguyen Thi Tinh, the mother of eight children. Tinh can use her new cow to boost her family’s income by selling calves. Some families also use their cows to transport tools and crops.

The Cow Bank is helping to reduce extreme poverty in these “overlooked” communities northwest of Hanoi. Seventy-seven percent of the households lack enough to eat and as many as 29 percent of the children suffer from malnutrition, according to surveys conducted in conjunction with the Cow Bank project.

The micro-credit bank is only one facet of a $60,000 hunger and poverty reduction effort now in its second phase. The project also targets improved health care and support for kindergarten programs by:

• Equipping six community health clinics where families receive basic health care and free medicines. Most importantly, children get free vaccinations.


• Supplying six community kindergartens with necessities ranging from clean water tanks to blankets. Children also benefit from a daily high-nutrition snack.


• Assisting 12 of the poorest households with making basic sanitation upgrades.

Since 1995, LCMS World Mission has worked as a registered non-profit in Vietnam. In 2007, Vietnam’s NIN recognized LCMS World Relief and Human Care and LCMS World Mission for nutrition and poverty reduction efforts.

Support from caring Christian donors through LCMS World Relief and Human Care make possible the Cow Bank and other projects that touch lives in Vietnam and worldwide.

LCMS World Relief and Human Care (LCMS WR-HC) provided a $3,300 grant to the Lutheran church body in Myanmar to help survivors in an area severely damaged by the cyclone but overlooked by other relief organizations. The grant assisted some of the poorest families in the Hlaingtharyar Township, north of Yangon.

The grant was part of a project jointly sponsored by LCMS WR-HC, LCMS World Mission and the Garuna Foundation (a U.S. organization that supports ministry in Thailand and surrounding countries) that provided money for:
• supplies to rebuild homes
• food for cyclone survivors
• scholarships for students to attend the government school
• repairs to the local Lutheran church, which serves as a popular community center

Phase 2 of the LCMS WR-HC grant is in the works and will provide an additional $11,000 to the National Lutheran Church of Myanmar for continuing relief efforts.

The May 2, 2008, Cyclone Nargis hit the Irrawaddy delta region, killing some 150,000 people and leaving 1.5 million homeless. In the days immediately following the disaster, LCMS WR-HC alerted LCMS members in the United States to the tragedy and issued an appeal for donations to help survivors.

LCMS WR-HC provided additional support to the Burmese people through its inter-Lutheran partner, the Baltimore-based Lutheran World Relief (LWR). To date, the Synod’s mercy arm has directed a total of $65,500 to LWR to help provide food and shelter assistance and clean water for cyclone survivors. The LWR response has been part of the global aid alliance, Action by Churches Together.

The cyclone’s 120-mile winds destroyed or badly damaged homes that are largely built of bamboo, with roofs covered by dried palm leaves. Home losses added another challenge in a community where many children suffer from malnutrition and unemployment runs high.

When the Burmese people expressed surprised at the assistance from LCMS WR-HC, Rev. Edwards spoke of Jesus’ love. He said the grant is one way to demonstrate the love of God and to help suffering neighbors.

Even before the cyclone, LCMS WR-HC had partnered with the Myanmar Lutheran Church. From 1999 to 2003, LCMS WR-HC provided funds for a childcare facility in the Thingangyun Township, another poor community. Each month, Rev. Edwards travels to the children’s center to lead worship.

The MMT that opened the door to the HKBP clinic was the first to travel to Indonesia. Nine LCMS medical volunteers and four staff members treated 1,128 Indonesians in February in the impoverished communities of Jakarta and Banda Aceh. Although nearly four years have passed since the tsunami, the MMT saw many people “still dealing with a lot of emotional and physical fallout,” said Maggie Karner, LCMS WR-HC’s director of Life and Health Ministries and a MMT program leader.

The team cared for Indonesians suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes, and ailments stemming from poor sanitation and nutrition. But before discussing health concerns, many patients wanted to talk about the life-changing disaster. MMT volunteers met a woman who lost all of her children in the waves. The team’s bus driver said he was the only survivor from his family of 11. “We heard about losses that we can’t even fathom,” said MMT volunteer Janet Sandersen, a registered nurse from Longmont, Colo.

Mercy Medical Teams provide care in poor communities often overlooked by other agencies and where LCMS WR-HC can work with local partners. In Indonesia, one such local partner is the HKBP church.

Volunteers are medical professionals who pay their own expenses. The 10th MMT departed April 13 for Kenya, where the team planned to offer five clinics in Atemo and Kisumu. Another Kenya trip is set for July 3-12, followed by a trip to Madagascar, Oct. 21-Nov. 1. To learn more about being a MMT volunteer, or helping to provide needed funds or medical supplies, contact Jacob Fiene, LCMS WR-HC manager of medical and material resources, at
jacob.fiene@lcms.org or (800) 248-1930, ext 1278.

Rev. Carlos Hernandez, director of districts and congregations and Rev. Glenn Merritt, director of disaster response, both with LCMS World Relief and Human Care, did on-site assessment, working with Pacific Southwest District leaders and local pastors.

Numerous wildfires burned 500,000 acres in southern California fueled by dry conditions and strong Santa Ana winds. At least five deaths and more than 45 injuries were reported. Losses were estimated at $1 billion in San Diego alone.

“There is much smoke, ash, and a very eerie feeling,” wrote Sue Neff, parish nurse representative for the Pacific Southwest District. “It is terrible for anyone but especially those with respiratory problems.”

More than half a million residents in seven southern California counties evacuated their homes, as thousands of homes were destroyed. President George Bush declared all seven southern California counties disaster areas, making residents eligible for FEMA and other federal assistance.

Despite their own situations, LCMS members joined the relief efforts. Three LCMS congregations opened as evacuation centers. One church distributed goods to thousands of evacuees at Qualcomm Stadium, home of the San Diego Chargers, and Del Mar Fairgrounds. At least one pastor provided spiritual support at Qualcomm Stadium.

“The churches in the Pacific Southwest District have responded very well to the dangers in their communities. We appreciate all the prayers and support from our brothers and sisters across the Synod,” wrote Pacific Southwest District President Rev. Dr. Larry Stoterau.

Using the country’s love of baseball and ministry to children, especially those with disabilities, LCMS workers are reaching out to people in need in Dominican Republic.

Rev. Walter Ries and Danelle Putnam work in partnership with the Dominican Republic Partners Forum, including LCMS World Relief and Human Care, LCMS World Mission, Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services, Central American Lutheran Mission Society (CALMS), St. Michaels Lutheran Church in Ft. Myers, Fla., and Marco Lutheran Church in Marco Island, Fla., to share mercy with the Dominicans.

Baseball camps

The small community of Palmar Arriba in northern Dominican Republic is a baseball town. Jose Reyes, a star player for the New York Mets, grew up in the poverty-stricken town.

Rev. Walter Ries doesn’t play baseball. But with the assistance of CALMS and a team led by Palmer Muench from Brandenton Sports Academy in Brandenton, Fla., he led a baseball camp in Palmar Arriba with great success. He has since developed relationships with coaches and a number of players.

“Baseball has been a catalyst to open many doors,” writes Ries in a report to the forum.

He hopes to offer a second baseball camp in 2008 for coaches in the larger city of Santiago.

Disability services

The Dominican Republic government provides limited services to families with children who have disabilities.

Barb Below, director of recognized service organizations for LCMS World Relief and Human Care, makes friends with a young boy at a government facility for children with disabilities in the Dominican Republic.

“Many families don’t have the resources to safely care for their children with disabilities at home,” said Barb Below, director of Recognized Service Organizations with LCMS World Relief and Human Care. “In some situations it is safer for them to place their children in a state-run institution.” Many parents have come to this conclusion, and about 40 children are currently on a waiting list to enter government facilities.

Missionary Danelle Putnam developed a relationship with the director of the country’s facilities for children with disabilities, and is making strides to improve conditions for institutionalized children.

She asked Putnam to submit a proposal to assess the system and facilities. With the help of Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services and IMPACT, Putnam worked with a team to assess the facilities and submit the proposal, suggesting the Dominican Republic commit the money usually spent to operate the facilities on supportive services for families and alternative care for the children. For example, providing a stipend and training for families would enable parents to care for their own children at home. Funding would also provide group home opportunities, foster care homes, and physical, occupational and other therapy for the children.

Every Friday, an eyeglass clinic is held at the city church in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan – the country’s capitol city. Alexander Bykov, the examiner, tests walk-in client’s vision and fits them with free eyeglasses.

“After the client is fitted with free eyeglasses, their smiles indicate how happy they are to see clearly or read for the first time in a long time,” writes Tim Nickel, central Asia facilitator for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS).

The LCMS has worked in Kyrgyzstan since 1998. More specifically, LCMS World Relief and Human Care has financially supported eyeglass clinics in Kyrgyzstan since 2003. In the first year and a half alone, LCMS staff members estimate they saw 7,000 residents in need of eye care.

A high percentage of Kyrgyzstan residents are literate and many like to read. After a certain age, many people cannot read due to poor vision. Eyeglasses are fairly cheap, but in the post-Soviet economy, many suffer from poverty and are unable to afford vision care or eyeglasses.

With financial assistance from LCMS World Relief and Human Care, the Lutheran church in Kyrgyzstan has provided free eyeglasses to thousands of people since 2003.

Bykov is able to purchase eyeglasses by the thousands, at a $1.00 or $2.00 a piece from a wholesale distributor and store them at church facilities. And because they are given away for free, town people line up to receive their own pair.

The eyeglass team also travels to villages throughout the country, often times staying several days at a time in each place. They frequently work in villages where churches are established. They work in cooperation with church leaders or village administrators to distribute “tickets” to patients. The team can examine 15-20 people each day.

In October 2007, Nickel visited the team as they worked in the village church in Rotfront, about one hour and 20 minutes from the city. A group of residents took breaks from working the harvest fields to attend the clinic.

“They were so happy with the atmosphere that they wanted to stay awhile in the house church. This friendly and welcoming atmosphere is established by the friendliness and warmth of Bykov and Alymkan,” writes Nickel. “For all those who are served, it is certainly worth every effort and deserves support.”