**Urgent Request**

John Elliott, the District Disaster Response Coordinator has asked that an urgent call be put out to all of our congregations for drivers to take flood buckets to Lumberton, North Carolina. Needed are 1 or 2 teams to be able to transport the buckets from their storage facility in Plant City, Florida and deliver them to Lumberton, which is just outside of Fayetteville, where these buckets are urgently needed. These teams would need to be able to rent a truck, the cost of which will be reimbursed by the District.  The round trip for this would take approximately 3 days.
Please email John Elliott directly at jelliott@flgadistrict.org with contact information and he will get back to you.  He is currently in Indiana at a National LCMS  Disaster Response meeting.


 

Update from the LC-MS FL-GA District Office 

 
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus: We’ve fielded a more than a few questions here at the District office regarding Disaster Response and we’d like to get a few things published.
  1. Thank you for responding and asking how you can help.  It is wonderful to see the people of God eager to respond with acts of Mercy.
  2. The Florida-Georgia District is in pretty good shape.  Trinity Lutheran Church in Holly Hill, FL (Daytona area) has sustained the most damage and work is progressing to get estimates for that work.  So yes we had some damage within the District but it appears manageable.  Should you wish to contribute to the repairs in Holly Hill please contribute to the District Disaster Response Fund.  This fund helps run the FL-GA Disaster Response efforts, especially to member congregations in the FL-GA District, as they are needed.
  3. We are going to concentrate on ensuring Trinity in Holly Hill is put back into shape and providing resources toward the recovery efforts in both Haiti and the Carolinas.  Assessments are ongoing in Haiti and the flood waters are just now starting to recede in the Carolinas.  The Southeastern District has asked us to respond with flood buckets.
So what can YOU do now?
  • Pray for God’s guidance, comfort, and care for His people and all people affected by the flooding.
  • Donate to the funds listed below.
  • Volunteer to help to get the flood buckets to South Carolina (immediate need) to Hilton Head and Charleston and then help with clean up in the Carolinas.  (see above urgent request for drivers)
Once we get information regarding the points of coordination in the clean-up efforts we will pass them along. If you have further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our District Disaster Response Coordinator, John Elliott at jelliott@flgadistrict.org.
–John Elliott, Business Manager, DDRC, The Florida-Georgia District, LCMS
 

An Update on Haitian Efforts

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,  In partnership with Lutheran Church Charities, we have prepared and distributed $10,000 worth of food that will feed over 400 families for a week. I have had the opportunity to meet with church and community leaders, pastors and friends. Early last week, I was able to talk with Rev. Ross Johnson, of LC-MS World Relief and Human Care, Rev. Ted Kray, LC-MS Director for the Caribbean and Latin America and Tim Hertzner, of Lutheran Church Charities. All of our discussions were very encouraging pertaining to partnership, cooperation and transparency in our recovery work in Haiti.
The south is now open all the way to Jeremie and while there is much destruction, food, water and assistance is moving into LesCayes and Jeremie. We have seen convoys of food and UN trucks headed to the places in need. People wade across a flooded street while Hurricane Matthew passes through Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
I feel as though the larger agencies can respond to the overwhelming food and immediate needs better than we can. We have helped a couple of isolated areas and we may do more but I think that overall, the scope of the need is so far beyond our ability those needs are best left to UNICEF, FOOD FOR THE POOR and other international organizations. Most of those agencies will leave in a short time and we can fill the vacuum that is left.
We excel at helping individuals and that is what is needed to get the economy moving in the South again. Where I believe we can best help is in the area of targeting isolated areas of need, like the 5 houses and school in Kenskoff that have experienced winds high enough to remove their roofs, and Jean-Louis where the church lost 1/3 of the roof and the gardens were flooded. I also believe that we can assist in the redevelopement of agriculture, fishing, and replacing herds, flocks, tools and business supplies to get the economy moving again in the South. Goats are about $50. each, a flock of 25 laying hens is $250. and a chicken coup and feed runs another $500 or so. I’m not sure of the cost of the small fishing boats, nets and lobster pots, but I will meet with Pastor Paul Toulotte before leaving Haiti to get those figures.
We will continue our Community Health Outreach and the microloan and other educational programs. I think if we focus on getting people back to work will be the best use of our funds and best for the people of Haiti. The more people that are earning a living the less pressure there will be on outside food and support.
Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. I will have more figures etc. later on. But as people ask how they can help, this is what we will be doing – helping the places that are being overlooked and helping Haiti get back to work. So, we aren’t going to collect clothes, shoes, or anything that needs to be shipped. It is expensive, and most of that is overkill. We will be asking for donations to purchase those things needed to give people their lives back.
Thank you for however you can help.
Because of Christ, for the Cause of Christ,
Helen M. Roenfeldt, Executive Director, Mission: Haiti
 

Where to Donate

 
To support Trintiy Holly Hill please contribute to the District Disaster Response Fund. To do this, go to the bottom left of the District web page http://flgadistrict.org it will link you to the donation page. Use the “Other” category and dentoe in the blank box how you’d like the donation to be used.
For aid to Haiti you can contribute to Mission Haiti at http://missionhaiti99.org/ or the Synod’s Disaster Relief efforts at http://www.lcms.org/disaster.

For the relief efforts in the Carolinas, you can contribute directly to Synod http://www.lcms.org/disaster or the Southeastern District Disaster response efforts via http://www.se.lcms.org/donate. (Either one works as we are all working together on this.)

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging….
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. -Psalm 46