ELCA Disaster Response's Blog
 

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Alabama: Federal Emergency Declared in Two Counties, Hold on Volunteers

The president has just declared two counties in Alabama (Jefferson & Chilton) federal disaster areas. This means they are now able to receive federal funds to help them respond to the effects of severe storms, tornadoes and flooding early last week. Other counties maybe included once the total assessment of damages has been carried out. You can read more about it in the FEMA News Release.

Due to the immensity of damages and the large turnout of volunteers the city of Clay has put a hold on volunteer involvement until they have a coordinated “volunteer day” on February 11. To learn more see the city’s Volunteer & Donors page.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Field Report: Minot Visit and Pastor’s Respite Retreat

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

My name is Matthew Ley and I am the Program Interpreter for ELCA Disaster Response. Last week I had my first trip to Minot, ND to check in on the progress made since the flooding from this past summer and to host a respite retreat for the local ELCA pastors. It was a bit of a roller-coaster event emotionally as I learned about and saw first-hand the devastation caused by the flooding. However, because of this event I was able to connect with an amazing set of ordained and lay leaders of this church. I figure the best way to get across what happened is to walk you through the days.

Tuesday, Jan 24, 2012
My first introduction to Minot after the airport was arriving at Sherie & Pat Heine’s house around 11:30pm. With hotels being booked solid with oil workers and people working around the disaster, my search for rooms were met with either no’s or price tags upwards of $160/night. And so Sherie, Western North Dakota Synod Vice-President, and her mother, Pat, graciously agreed to house me during my time. Although it wasn’t official until Toughy, their dog, made sure I passed muster.

After a long day of travel it was great to start my time met by welcoming faces and an hour of relaxing conversation. The best part of my time in Minot was coming to realize that these welcoming faces are as abundant as the destruction is wide-spread. It is humbling to be a stranger so well-received as welcomed neighbor and brother by a community in the midst of grief and trauma.

Wednesday, Jan 25, 2012
Starting nice and early, Sherie and I attended a 7am meeting of ecumenical partners for Hope Village. Hope Village will be located on the grounds of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church (LCMS) an ecumenical effort to streamline and share the process of hosting and registering volunteers. When it opens in April 2012 volunteers will have the option of housing and food offered by the ecumenical community in Minot. Also all work orders will funnel through Hope Village, helping to create efficiency and transparency in the process. To learn more check out their website, www.hopevillage.org and to volunteer call the toll free number, 1-855-720-9804.

After the meeting and an important stop for coffee, Sherie, Katie Nesdahl (Greater Minot Area Strategy Coordinator) and I visited Bethany Lutheran Church. This congregation was unaffected as it sits just up the hill from the crest of the flooding. Since that time it has hosted the staff and congregation of Christ Lutheran Church which sat in the midst of the flood plane. Here we met Pastor Janet and Pastor Gerald of Bethany Lutheran as well as Pastor Dave and Pastor Mike J. of Christ Lutheran. Pastors Dave and Mike had agreed to give us a tour of the flooded areas.

The tour was an eye-opener as we continued to drive while the area of damage went on, with block after block of damaged buildings. Listening to them point out particular houses and buildings and give personal stories of the occupants drove home that even though this damage is wide-spread–each of these buildings has a story that stretches back to June 22, 2011 and beyond. “Here’s Pastor Jon’s house.” “That resident had lived their for 50 years.” “The dike at the school was just 2 inches short of the crest.”

They also walked us through Christ Lutheran to show us the extent of the damage to their building. The congregation had already invested around $250,000 just to get the building to a place where they can now make a decision as to what to do next. It was a theme I heard many times during my visit. With the flood plan for the community not yet determined and with the continuing influx of oil workers, people at times are investing time, talent and treasure towards unknown futures. This is probably why I heard and felt such a strong sense of faith in the community. “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me” takes on a deeper meaning in a place like this.

I spent the afternoon meeting with the Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) staff working in Minot. The team consists of Rhonda, Marcy, Terry and Becky and functions like a well-oiled machine. I also got to meet Shirley, Director of Lutheran Disaster Response in North Dakota, while she was on one of her many visits to the area. One of the great joys of the visit was getting to reconnect with Terry. Way back in 2008, Terry and his wife Jacki led a youth trip to Chicago for which I was their counselor. Small world! I was very impressed by watching the team in action as they attended the local Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) meeting, worked out of their FEMA trailer in the Our Savior’s parking lot or had impromptu meetings in the cafeteria at the hospital. It really drove home the LDR saying of where Lutherans respond to disaster, that is Lutheran Disaster Response.

We finished up the day with a great home cooked meal by Pat consisting of noodles enough to feed an army!

Thursday, Jan 26, 2012
Pat and her programmable coffeemaker quickly topped the list of my new best friends as yet again a hot and ready cup of joe was awaiting me in the morning. This really helped sustain me through a long day. It started with the LDR staff gaining even more appreciation for how well they work together as they continue to find the best ways to connect all the working pieces of disaster response.

I then had the privilege of lunch with Bishop Mark Narum, Sherie and Katie. Bishop Narum is one of those people that fully embody the title they carry. His presence is calm, his responses insightful and his heart about as big as North Dakota. The three of them really helped me understand the role of the synod within this response as they look to care for pastors, churches and congregants hurting. Western North Dakota is truly blessed with their leadership.

In the afternoon Sherie took me see the home of Pastor Heather who lives in Minot but serves two rural congregations unaffected by the flood. Pastor Heather showed us around and shared that over 100 volunteers had come through LDR to help with their house. She said this flood has really shown her what it means to be the Body of Christ. She’d known how to preach it before but now she was getting first-hand experience as to how it was lived. After our time with Pastor Heather, Sherie took me around to see the rest of the churches we had not gotten to yesterday. We saw Zion Lutheran and Bread of Life, two non-flooded churches both which have hosted flooded congregations. During the drive we talked about the ups and downs that come from congregations sharing space. One of the most enlightening pieces for me was how interconnected, aware and interdependent the pastors and congregations were. More about this in my thoughts on the Respite Retreat.

Then we were lucky enough to catch Pastor John from Zion Lutheran at home where he was working with his family on their flooded home. He told us about how the water was up to the step just below the landing on their stairs, about 5 feet deep on the first floor. As he shared his family’s story I was again reminded that all of these homes I was seeing have a story like Pastor John and his family.

We then visited Peace Lutheran in Burlington, about 7 miles from Minot, where we saw even more flooded buildings. We were led around by Diane, a member of the congregation who also had her home flooded. An amazing woman giving time out of her own tragedy to support the church she loves. Peace Lutheran had its basement and much of its youth space flooded. They have been working with Mission Builders to start work on an above ground addition that would be less prone to future flooding.

To close out the day we visited First Lutheran which sits very close to the river but was saved from the flood waters by the emergency dikes built just outside its doors. Unfortunately, the back up from flood waters reversed the flow in the plumbing and flooded the basement. As Pastor Mike P. walked us through the damaged space I was struck by something both Sherie and Mike said. “It smells clean down here.” I realized I’d heard it a few other times during our visits to damaged homes, many of which had sat in water for weeks. This had led to a lot of mold build-up. For many residents a clean home was not just something you saw but something you smelled.

Friday, Jan 27, 2012
This was a day of transition as I moved from the act of situational update to the pastor’s respite retreat, hosted and Metigoshe Ministries, about 2 hours from Minot. I was able to have a fuller conversation with Pastor John in the morning at the local coffee shop to hear more of how things have been going on the ground. It was a valuable time and helped me in gaining more perspective on the situation.

I then picked up Greg, the speaker for the retreat, from the airport, introduced him to the LDR staff and collected some supplies before heading up to Metigoshe. We then enjoyed the two hours which come from putting a psychologist and a theology student in the same vehicle! A great set of conversations to say the least.

After arriving and setting up in the beautiful retreat center at Metigoshe we began welcoming the arriving pastors. It was great getting to meet them and their families as they came in. We started our time together with a great meal prepared by Angelina, reminding me of the camp meals I ate while working at Sugar Creek Bible Camp which was very fitting since one of the pastors at the retreat, Pastor Taryn, was someone I knew from our times working at Sugar Creek. It was a joy to reconnect with her, meet her husband Pastor Christoph, and their gorgeous new baby girl, Maggie.

After dinner we had a short devotional focusing on Jesus and his ability to take respite amidst the turmoil of ministry to help set the tone for the retreat. This was then followed by what was probably the highlight of the retreat for me a rousing game of Kooties. I’m not going to lay out the rules in total but suffice to say it involves rolling a dice, drawing a “Kootie”, doing some higher level math and yelling “KOOOOTIE!!” It was a lot of fun and really helped set a relaxed mood. Thanks to Pastor Janet for sharing the family game.

Saturday, Jan 28, 2012
This was a very relaxed day with a little structure. Greg led the group through a morning and an evening session on stress, trauma, grief and resilience that led to some great group discussions. As stated above what I most gained from these sessions was a sense of how through this disaster the pastors had come to know each other, share of themselves honestly and realize the power in interconnectedness and even interdependence. What I really appreciated was seeing how this intense situation had not driven them to take interconnectedness in the direction of cloistering, where those from the outside are kept at bay. They are stronger for the connections forged through tragedy and were still open to allowing Greg and I to join the process. What a gift to be a truly welcoming community and to be one truly welcomed.

The rest of the day was spent doing whatever one’s heart desired. It was great to see parents skating with kids on a little pond, a lone sledder out on the hill, couples just taking a walk on the snowy trails, a few started and abandoned puzzles, some intense card games and just great, relaxed conversation. I myself started to feel the sense of respite.

In the evening we had a small prayer service that served to close out our official time together. It was a very simple service that involved some singing and readings. The liturgy includes a set of short bible readings that the worship leader can choose to read from. I figured it wasn’t my place to say what would speak to the experience of those gathered so I left it open for people to read as they felt moved. What followed was very powerful for me as nearly every passage and a few psalms were read, by a pastor here, a spouse there and their children. God’s word is a powerful foundation on which we build.

Sunday, Jan 29, 2012
In the morning we had another wonderful camp breakfast and then had a rousing worship service with Metigoshe Lutheran and supporters of Metigoshe Ministries as they installed the camps new executive director, Pastor John Halvorson. It was a treat to hear Bishop Mark preach and see Pastor Gerald of Bethany Lutheran light up as he presented Pastor Halvorson. The service was also filled with camp songs from the ages that brought me back.

After a celebration lunch it was time for me to say my goodbyes and to accept the gracious offer of Pastor Michon of Augustana Lutheran to drive me back to the airport. The ride was of course accompanied by another great two hour conversation on life, ministry and wood carving in shop class. Then it was onto the plane to head back to life in Chicago.

A wonderful experience and one I am extremely grateful for. Thank you to the Western North Dakota synod, the local clergy in Minot and the staff of LDR. In the midst of responding to disaster the light of Christ is shining bright in Minot and the surrounding communities.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Alabama: Severe Storms and Tornadoes Hit the State

Early this morning severe storms with high winds, and in some places tornadoes, pounded the South and Midwest. One of the heaviest hit areas was Alabama, where the storms and tornadoes led to two confirmed deaths in Birmingham, AL. Soon afterward the governor declared a state of emergency. Search and rescue work continues in heavier hit Montgomery, AL. We have also heard from our companions in the region that Faith Lutheran Church in Clay, AL was not damaged, but the building has lost power and some members of the congregation have been affected.

The state has also been in the midst of recovery from storms on April 27, 2011 that struck the northwest part of the state. One of the affects of this was major damage to Christ Lutheran in Cullman, AL. You can read more in this Field Report and at the LDR Volunteer page.

In these coming days, please keep all those affected in prayer, that God may bring them comfort. Also, keep the first responders, members of the Southeast synod, Pastor Larry Richardson and Faith Lutheran as well as the Lutheran Ministries of Alabama in prayer, that God may give them strength and patience for the days ahead.

As we learn more please check the ELCA Disaster Response webpage and the Lutheran Disaster Response site for more information. If you are in the area and want to know more please contact Ron Turney (ron.turney@lmal.org) or Heather Turney (heather.turney@lmal.org) of Lutheran Ministries of Alabama (205-259-6480).

Monday, January 23, 2012

LWF: Department of World Service Certified as People-Centered

Last week the Lutheran World Federation’s Department of World Service (LWF-DWS) gained certification from Humanitarian Accountability Partnership (HAP) International. To give some context to what this means, here is a an overview of HAP’s purpose from their website:

[HAP] International is a multi-agency initiative working to improve the accountability of humanitarian action to people affected by disasters and other crises….The vision of HAP International is a humanitarian system with a trusted and widely accepted accountability framework, which is transparent and accessible to all relevant parties. Its mission is to make humanitarian action accountable to its intended beneficiaries through self-regulation by its members linked by common respect for the rights and dignity of beneficiaries.

What this means is that LWF-DWS engages in disaster response in a people-centered way. There response makes sure that those with and for whom they work are being treated with respect, that they are given voice in the process, and the response does not ignore but builds on the strengths already existent in the community. They are living out the understanding that all are created in the image of God, instilled with a fundamental dignity as part of God’s good creation and to be treated as such.

So congrats to LWF-DWS on there certification and keep up the good work!

To read more about how the process worked check out the LWF-DWS post: DWS Certification Shows People at Center of Humanitarian Response

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Gifts to ELCA International Disaster Response allow the church to respond globally in times of need. Donate now.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

South Sudan: Update on LWF Response

Driving home from work yesterday I was listening to National Public Radio and heard a report on the situation developing in the Jonglei state of South Sudan. It was an informative piece describing the deteriorating situation with tribal clashes between the Lou Nuer and Murle tribes. Unfortunately, there was no mention of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). It was a nice reminder of how this blog can help share how the ELCA and our partners are engaged in disaster response work around the world. For in Jonglei, the LWF is very active and has been on the forefront of the response.

I invite you read the third update from Arie Den Toom, LWF South Sudan Representative, on how the situation and response are developing: South Sudan – 3rd Sitrep on the conflict in Jonglei State

Friday, January 13, 2012

South Sudan: ACT Alliance Responding Through LWF in Jonglei

The Action by Churches Together (ACT) Alliance is mobilizing its funding channels to respond to the situation in Jonglei. The response is being implemented by the Lutheran World Federation. The situation in Jonglei has been declared a “humanitarian disaster area” by the government in Juba. Two local ethnic groups, the Lou Nuer and Murle, have continued escalating violence of the past few months, leading the UN to estimate more then 60,000 people being displaced.

To learn more, read the ACT Update: ACT launches humanitarian response, calls for peace in Jonglei.

Also, you can read an earlier post with situation reports from LWF: South Sudan: Crisis Unfolds in Jonglei State.

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Gifts to ELCA International Disaster Response allow the church to respond globally in times of need. Donate now.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Haiti: From Old Sugar Factory to A Center of Hope

Last February ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson visited Haiti and was escorted by the president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Haiti, Pastor Joseph Livenson Lauvanus. As part of that trip Pastor Livenson walked Bishop Hanson up to an old building outside of Gressier, just west of Port-au-Prince. Pastor Livenson asked the bishop what he saw, to which he replied, “An old sugar factory.” Pastor Livenson replied that what he saw was:

A place of hope for my community. I see a community center where my brothers and sisters are learning.

It is that type of foresight that has turned this site of rubble into a place of restoration and hope. For today this same site is covered by people working, learning and laughing. Here, through donations to ELCA Disaster Response and other partners, the Lutheran church in Haiti is building a complex that includes a K-12 school, a vocational training school with 40 current students enrolled in their 18-month program, an office building, a guest house and if Pastor Livenson has anything to do with it (which he does) a convention center!

I was able to speak to Pastor Livenson this morning to get an update on the situation in Haiti on the second anniversary of the earthquake that struck the country exactly two years ago. He told me of the remembrance service they had this morning at the site with 8 members of Ben Larson’s family, an ELCA seminarian working in Haiti who was killed in the earthquake. He shared of how this remembrance was not just for honoring those who had been lost and the hard road he and his brothers and sisters have walked over the past two years, but to celebrate the blessing of support they have received from all quarters. This blessing of God as he called it has given hope to those who saw nothing but despair. He wanted to make sure that I shared this hope has done more than words can describe to help the church and people of Haiti as they continue to reject the concept of being a people in the rubble and embrace their identity as a people of resurrection, bringing new life out of destruction.

In closing he told me that he and the church in Haiti will continue to pray for us as he knows from just looking around him that we have been praying for them.