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.”

Manojkumar and Lavayna are from underdeveloped villages outside of Bangalore, India, where illiteracy is common and resources for people experiencing deafness are rare. It is the only school for deaf students in more than a 60-mile radius.

A classroom of students at Eph Phatha Lutheran School for the Deaf in India sign “I love you”. The school receives financial assistance from LCMS World Relief and Human Care.

With a $20,000 grant from LCMS World Relief and Human Care, and cooperation of LCMS World Mission, Manojkumar, Lavayna and 44 other students are taught by three specially-trained teachers and cared for by a cook, watchman and housemother.

Rev. D.S. Christudoss, director of India Evangelical Lutheran Church Deaf Ministry, says the team “works around the clock,” and without LCMS World Relief and Human Care, the children might not receive the care and education they need.

“The school plays a vital role in education and in giving new life to the deaf children,” he said.

United Evangelical Mission-India provides sponsorship to 17 students for their physical needs, but there is great need for more student sponsorships.

The school opened its doors in 2003, with eight students. Since then, Rev. Christudoss estimates the school has served nearly 1,000 children and adults in the India Evangelical Lutheran Church (IELC).

Manojkumar

When Manojkumar began attending the school three years ago, he didn’t speak. But since then, he has blossomed. He now speaks well, better than most students at the school.

He is described as active, charming, a good helper and loving to his peers.

He excels in Carom board, a game combining chess, billiards and other games, cricket and other sports. He won Carom board and drawing prizes at state-level competitions.

Manojkumar attends Eph Phatha Lutheran School for the Deaf in India where he learned to speak and excels in board games and sports.

Lavayna

Lavayna’sfamily is from a poor village where people were not friendly to her.

Her parents were initially apprehensive to let her go, but eventually agreed to let her attend the school and live at the hostel. Gradually Lavayna made friends at the school. Now she writes letters to her parents and does well in school.

While Lavayna struggles with speech, she excels in dance. She won prizes in dance at both an inter-school competition and the state level. She is learning to cook and garden after school and likes playing, skipping and drawing.

Both students will begin pre-vocational training next school year along with their regular academic training.

Lavayna attends Eph Phatha Lutheran School for the Deaf in India. She loves to dance and won awards at the state level.

U.S. jazz artist Erin Bode and her band traveled to South Africa in 2006 to record a CD with the Themba Girls choir. Together, they toured the U.S. promoting their CD and unique partnership in support of educational opportunities for underprivileged South African youth.

The “Themba Girls” who perform on a new CD with the Erin Bode Group are recent graduates of the residential high school in Dirkiesdorp, a village southeast of Johannesburg and the Themba Trust headquarters. Bode and her band visited the school as part of a fund-raising project sponsored by LCMS World Relief and Human Care.

Since 1989, LCMS World Relief and Human Care has provided a number of grants for Themba ministries. Sinethemba High School for boys opened in the mid-1980s to provide education opportunities in a caring, Christian environment. Siyathemba High School for girls began in 1995. The two schools serve a total of about 500 students. The Themba foundation also started a thriving preschool, which now operates independently, and a clinic that provides AIDS testing and counseling.

The Themba Girls with the Erin Bode Group CD benefits the Themba Trust, a nonprofit organization that ensures educational opportunities for South African youth like the student pictured here.

Themba depends on charitable support to operate the schools and other youth and community development programs. At the girls school, five students squeeze into a room about half the size of a typical U.S. dorm room. Bathrooms and showers are in a separate building.
The foundation covers the boarding and tuition costs of about a third of students at both high schools. Each year, Themba must raise at least $300,000 to cover their boarding and tuition costs for needy students.

Because of the tragic impact of HIV/AIDS, Themba also provides for a growing number of “unexpected beneficiaries.” When a student loses a parent to HIV/AIDS, the foundation arranges for financial assistance so the student can remain in school. Each year, about 10 percent of Themba’s families struggle with payments due the death of a family “breadwinner.”
Proceeds from the new CD will be used by the Themba Trust for scholarships for needy students at both high schools. The foundation also wants to start a music center to offer students vocal and instrumental training.

The four-phase project is expected to take two months and cost more than $46,000. Lucumo residents began the project in October, in hopes it will be completed before the rainy season.

LCMS World Relief and Human Care awarded more than $21,000 to the project and LWR committed another $15,000. A neighboring town, Lunahuana, also gave $3,300 toward the project. Lucumo has otherwise received little assistance from government or church sources.

After a recent trip to Kenya, four men from North Dakota and one from Minnesota launched an ambitious effort to build 24 orphan rescue centers and provide scholarships for orphan support.

They will use an existing rescue center as their model to build new facilities for 50 children for about $40,000 (USD) each. Annual sponsorship will cover the needs of one child at the orphanage, including food, clothing, medicine and schooling. The first rescue center will break ground in Mombasa, Kenya.