Lutherans

ENGAGE the WORLD

November December 2013, Vol. 2, Issue 2

 ENGAGE the WORLD

November December 2013 vol. 2 no. 2

Lutherans
inspire

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Showing Mercy Through Housing LCMS Snapshots

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Everlasting Mercy

While We Were Still Sinners

The Moment for Mercy

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Engaging the Church in the work of witness and mercy across the globe in our life together. LUTHERANS ENGAGE THE WORlD is published bi-monthly by The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod. 2013 The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod. Reproduction for parish use does not require permission. Such reproductions, however, should credit LUTHERANS ENGAGE THE WORlD as a source. Print editions are sent to LCMS donors, rostered workers and missionaries. An online version is available (lcms.org/lutheransengage). To receive the print edition, we invite you to make a nancial gift for LCMS global witness and mercy work. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are property of the LCMS.
1-888-THE LCMS (843-5267) www.lcms.org

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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engage
The Moment for Mercy
I DONT REMEMBER iT, do you? It was the ultimate moment of mercy in my life the moment when a bit of water washed over me and these words were spoken: I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Thats THE moment of mercy for every child of God, and it is that moment that drives the children of God to acts of mercy toward their neighbor. In the words of Luther: What benefits does Baptism give? It works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare. As Gods people bear mercy to those devastated by disaster, homelessness and poverty, or to immigrants, young people and the elderly in need of help, there is always an eternal dimension that accompanies it. That eternal dimension, the mercy of God in Christ for the world, is at the forefront of and permeates our LCMS mercy work. Its one of our six mission priorities: We perform human care in close proximity to Word and Sacrament ministries. Our hands-on care points people to the cross of Christ, to His font and altar, and to pulpits that proclaim the eternal mercy of God for the world so that those who are helped in body are also helped in soul, for eternity. I hope you enjoy the stories weve assembled in this issue of Lutherans Engage the World . They represent but a tiny glimpse of the merciful care provided on a daily basis throughout the world through the LCMS through our congregations, districts, Synod ministries, RSOs and our many partners across the country and around the world. Pamela J. Nielsen Associate Executive Director, Communication Services

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10 Questions Network of Mercy

Redeeming Life Maternity Home Update 

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S TA F F Mark D. Hofman David L. Strand Pamela J. Nielsen Erica Schwan Melanie Ave Megan K. Mertz Carolyn A. Niehoff Chrissy A. Thomas

involve
Leading by Faith & Example Funding the Global Mission

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executive director, mission advancement executive director, communications executive editor manager of design services staff writer staff writer designer designer

E D I t O R I a L Off I ce 314-996-1215 1333 S. Kirkwood Road St. Louis, MO 63122-7295 [email protected] www.lcms.org/lutheransengage

Cover image: Improving housing in economically depressed neighborhoods such as the north side of St. Louis is one of the many ways the LCMS shows mercy.
PHOTO: DAN GILL FOR THE LCMS

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10 Questions
by Melanie Ave

with the Rev. Ross Johnson

1.

You did not grow up Lutheran but discovered Lutheranism as a young adult after being raised Catholic and then attending evangelical churches. What struck you?
I began to realize that there was a church out there that had a doctrine that clearly articulated what I believed. The more I read, the more I found that Lutheranism put my theological puzzle pieces together. I feel like I found Christianitys best-kept secret in Lutheranism.

I will be able to comfort people with the Word of Christ.

Aha! 3.

What is one of your favorite parts of being a pastor?

Seeing people grow spiritually. Those Aha! moments are very rewarding, especially when we confirm people from other traditions who come to us in spiritual desperation. It is very satisfying to watch our congregation growing in the Bible Belt while it remains faithful to the Lutheran liturgy and Confessions.

2.

Describe what it has been like being a pastor in Alabama after growing up in California.

4.

How will you begin to learn and train for the new job?

Its been an amazing experience, the highlight of my life. When you open up your life to the Lord you have no idea where Hes going to take you. But when the Lord is guiding you, its going to be blessed.

Im blessed to have the Rev. Glenn Merritt to work with. I get to learn from the best, someone who has years and years of experience, before he retires in nine months. Hes going to be mentoring me, so itll be a smooth handoff.

How do you think the new job will be different or the same as serving a congregation?
I wont have an altar where Im doing Word and Sacrament ministry to a defined group of people. When I approach people who have been devastated by disaster, I will first approach them as a pastor reminding them who they are in Christ and how the Lord will get them through. I will be able to comfort people with the Word of Christ.

6. 9.
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Could you describe what it was like to be part of a team from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind., that traveled to Slidell, La., following Hurricane Katrina?

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What do you say to people who ask: Why does God allow disasters and suffering?

8.

What makes you tick?

I love working with people. I love being able to help others.

When disaster touches down, it touches down on an entire community. Everybody needs assistance and aid. When the church goes in after a disaster, they bless the community equally as well. Its a great opportunity.

Whats one word that friends or family use to describe you?

Driven.

Learn more http://blogs.lcms.

org/2013/rev-ross-johnsondiscusses-lcms-disaster-response

Melanie Ave is senior writer and social media coordinator for LCMS Communications.
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PHOTOs: GETTY ImAgEs/ISTOcKpHOTO

Well never understand why God allowed something to happen. We do know that we live in a fallen world. When disasters happen, its a sign that we are no longer living in a world that is a paradise. But we do know that something Satan meant for evil can be turned into something that will bless that community. The rest of the world may say, Oh, that place is devastated. Although it may be devastated, the Lord will eventually use it for good.

How does your Lutheran faith inform your day-to-day life?

It gives me hope that even though we live in a sinful, broken world when we die in the Christian faith, the one true faith, we have the hope of spending eternity in heaven where there is no longer any pain, suffering, disasters or anything else.

PHOTO: REV. ROss JOHNsON

he Rev. Ross Johnson was recently named the director of LCMS Disaster Response. In September, he began nine months of training under the current director, the Rev. Glenn Merritt, who will retire at the end of June 2014. Prior to joining the staff at the LCMS International Center in St. Louis, Johnson served as pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fairhope, Ala.; as a chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserves in Afghanistan and Kuwait; and as an LCMS missionary in Venezuela.

Carolyn Conner stands in front of her new home, left, and the model home, right, in the Nazareth Homes development in St. Louis. Conner will become the developments rst resident this fall.

Lutheran Housing Support CEO Nicole Ridley discusses the Nazareth Homes development with members of the Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis.

Vacant houses line College Avenue in the College Hill neighborhood of St. Louis.

Showing Mercy Through Housing

by Melanie Ave

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Security cameras monitor the Nazareth Homes construction site.

PHOTOs: DAN GILL FOR THE Lcms

Nazareth Homes in St. Louis College Hill neighborhood is the latest neighborhood transformation by LCMS National Housing Support Corp., or Lutheran Housing Support (LHS) one of only a few faith-based housing organizations in the United States. LHS aims to restore and revitalize neighborhoods that are anchored by LCMS congregations actively engaged in collaborative mercy.
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LCMS 2013 Grant for LHS:

$200,000
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Continued on next page.

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Women On Mission President Gail Olson, left, and Vice-President Anna Paul, right, introduce homebuyer Carolyn Conner, center, to College Hill Neighborhood Association President Bill Butler during a tour of the Nazareth Homes development.

ST. LOUIS It sounds clich, but its true. When Carolyn Conner becomes the first homeowner this fall in the Nazareth Homes development in St. Louis historic but struggling College Hill neighborhood, it will be her dream come true.

Nazareth Homes

t also will be bricks-and-mortar

proof of the latest neighborhood transformation by LCMS National Housing Support Corp., or Lutheran Housing Support (LHS) one of only a few faith-based housing organizations in the United States. The LCMS created the separately incorporated nonprofit in 2007 to provide resources and support to LCMS congregations, districts, Recognized Service Organizations and their partners engaged in affordable home ownership and neighborhood revitalization efforts. The agency receives annual support from the LCMS. This year, it received a $200,000 grant to offset the cost of operations. LCMS departments also provide administrative support to LHS. LHS aims to restore and revitalize neighborhoods that are anchored by LCMS congregations actively engaged in collaborative mercy. The organization provides access to capital and customized consulting services for underserved neighborhoods. Helping LCMS congregations keep Christ in their communities is at the heart of the organizations ministry. Were supporting efforts that help people people who deserve to have the basics: safe and affordable housing, said LHS CEO Nicole Ridley. Its really 4
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about helping to transform lives and neighborhoods across the country, where in most cases both the people and the communities have been abandoned. We strive to do what Christ calls us to do, and that is to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Supporting Affordable Housing for 40 Years

The LCMS took a leadership role in the Nehemiah housing development in Brooklyn, N.Y., which began in the late 1970s, becoming the first denomination to commit financially to the effort. Years later, after more than $400 million was spent in affordable-housing construction, the Nehemiah program had dramatically transformed the struggling community. Nehemiah with more than 4,000 homes constructed is now a model for successful, faith-based neighborhood renewal. In addition to Nehemiah, LHS has partnered with congregations and community leaders in the Ezra Housing project in Chicago and the Lutheran Community Outreach Center in Fort Wayne, Ind. From 2011 to 2013, LHS provided grants totaling $397,413 to 31 organizations and project support to 71 organizations in 16 states. To help congregations understand the needs of their communities in preparation for potential housing work, LHS connects

them with the LCMS Gospel Seeds outreach initiative. The initiative provides four-day training workshops to help congregations understand the unmet and underserved needs in their communities. Meetings are scheduled and conducted with agencies serving the communities around LCMS congregations. Congregations also receive follow-up support through demographic studies. The church needs to go out and meet the neighbors with the goal of identifying mercy needs and serving those needs, said the Rev. Dr. Carlos Hernandez, director of LCMS Church and Community Engagement.

Work Begins in College Hill

LHS provides direct services only in St. Louis, where it began working in the College Hill neighborhood in 2007 at the request of St. Paul Lutheran Church, which was founded in 1872. In the last 40 years, the College Hill neighborhood has undergone a radical change from a vibrant historic community on St. Louis old north side to an economically ravaged neighborhood. In the early 1990s, members of St. Paul made improving the neighborhoods housing a priority.
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Members of St. Paul Lutheran Church in College  Hill in St. Louis pray at the end of a recent service. The small congregation made improving the neighborhoods housing a priority.

LHS came alongside the church and, with funds provided by the Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis in 2007, arranged for urban design consultants to create a revitalization plan for the neighborhood. St. Paul member and College Hill resident Teri Rose, 55, a retired auditor, said Nazareth Homes has breathed hope into the future of her beloved neighborhood. We have to think and remember that Moses was in the desert 40 years, she said. This is something that isnt going to happen overnight. Its a very difficult ministry.

Were supporting efforts that help people people who deserve to have the basics: safe and affordable housing. Nicole Ridley, chief executive officer of
Lutheran Housing Support

circumstances that just shouldnt be, Olson said.

Houses Rise in College Hill

In August 2013 amid much celebration, the first house in the 20-unit Nazareth Homes development was completed and is serving as the developments model home. The list price for the 1,300-plus-square-foot homes, built in partnership with a local builder and Laborers for Christ workers, is $85,000. This fall, Conner, a 50-year-old traffic court clerk and bank transaction processor, will leave her nearby family home and move into her own new house next door. The St. Louis native has dreamed of owning a new home since she was a little girl. As we get older our dreams dont always come to pass, Conner said. It just so happens that this one is. Im very grateful. Ridley said 20 more people are currently enrolled in financial education courses and are in the pipeline to purchase homes in College Hill. Our Lord commands us in the 12th chapter of Mark to love our neighbors as ourselves and Christ Jesus, in His ministry on earth, provided us the most perfect example of living this command through His attention to both the spiritual and bodily needs of His people, Ridley said. Housing ministry embodies that command.
www.nationalhousingsupport.org www.lcms.org/gospelseeds
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LHS and Its Many Partners

Retired respiratory therapist Liz Henderson, 70, has lived in College Hill for more than 40 years. As part of LHS work, her leaking roof was fixed, her house painted and porch rails installed on her house. In all, 70 residents like Henderson received house-repair assistance in College Hill, spearheaded by LHS. A majority of the repairs were completed by Lutheran Church Extension Funds Laborers for Christ. Without help from LHS, Henderson said she would not have been able to afford the repairs. I enjoy all the Lutheran association people who come and help us better our
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homes, Henderson said. They have brought us together. Ridley said the work of LHS could not be done without its many partners. In College Hill, LHS is also working with Wells Fargo and Women On Mission. Women On Mission provided a $54,000 grant that funded homebuyer education scholarships to prospective buyers and $2,500 down payment and closing cost assistance grants to buyers in the Nazareth Homes development. Wells Fargos grant of $50,000 is directly supporting the development costs of the first two Nazareth Homes. Women On Mission is a faith-based group of women many of them members of St. John Lutheran Church in Ellisville, Mo. that has distributed $360,000 in grants to groups working in College Hill in the last six years. Women On Mission President Gail Olson, 62, who lives in Chesterfield, a suburb of St. Louis, said she believes once housing is stabilized in College Hill, then other issues in the community such as crime, education and employment can be addressed. There are some wonderful, wonderful individuals that live in that community in

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PHOTOs: DAN GILL FOR THE Lcms

witness, mercy, life together

LCMS Mercy Medical Teams, made up of short-term volunteers, provide desperately needed health care to patients in underserved regions around the globe. Clockwise from top, nurse Meredith Davis of Portland, Ore., holds a newborn baby that she assisted with delivering via an emergency C-section in Madagascar; Dr. Bob Thukral from Rockford, Ill., left, assesses a patient in Haiti; and volunteers staff a pharmacy in Madagascar.

LCMS|SNAPSHOTS

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LCMS Recognized Service Organizations (RSOs) are independent organizations that serve to foster the mission of the LCMS, reaching into communities to provide services beyond the scope of traditional church ministry. Some 300 social-service and education organizations around the country currently hold RSO status with the LCMS. Clockwise from top, a father congratulates his son on his preschool graduation from Lutheran Social Services of Indianas Childrens Village; a staff member, left, with Lutheran Senior Services of St. Louis helps a resident; a client of Cedar Lake Foundation in Louisville, Ky., receives help with her meal; and a little girl holds a backpack at the Ysleta Lutheran Mission in El Paso, Texas.

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LCMS deaconesses are full-time professional church workers, trained to share the Gospel through works of mercy, spiritual care and teaching the Christian faith. Top, deaconess student Faith Fretham, center, visits with two women. Bottom, African deaconesses deliver supplies to homebound people.

Tell us your WMLT story

Please send your parish or district photos to:
[email protected] OR Lutherans Engage the World, 1333 S. Kirkwood Road, St. Louis, MO 63122

LCMS Disaster Response responds to immediate and long-term needs following natural and manmade disasters, working through LCMS districts and congregations, international Lutheran churches and other partners. Clockwise from top, young Japanese volunteers help out following the tsunami/earthquake; volunteers attend Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) training in August 2013 in Decatur, Ill. The LERT program trains individuals to respond with Christian care and practical service following disasters; and members of the Associated General Contractors of Oklahoma State Building Chapter deliver a truck of donations to St. Johns Lutheran Church in Moore, Okla., following a tornado that devastated the area.

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nvolve

Children in Tanzania demonstrate how to properly use a bed net during a skit in 2012.

Jonathan Jon and Rebecca Hendrickson Frank Cho and Sandra Osladil Cho Brian and Joy Harms

Jeff and Nancy Bilezikian

Chris and Ann Muskopf

Faith Example
Several young, Boston-area professionals faithfully support their congregations and the work of the church through the Lutheran Malaria Initiative, serving as role models of Christian stewardship.
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Leading By

&

by Melanielcms.org/givenow/globalmission Ave and Martha Mitkos

AFRIcA pHOTOs: JONATHAN ERNsT FOR LMI

t First Lutheran Church of Boston and Trinity Lutheran Church in Worcester, Mass., there is a group of young professional couples serving as role models of Christian stewardship. Meet Brian and Joy Harms, Frank Cho and Sandra Osladil Cho, Chris and Ann Muskopf, Jonathan and Rebecca Hendrickson, and Jeff and Nancy Bilezikian. The couples faithfully support their LCMS congregations, but they also make it a priority to support other worthwhile causes. For each of them, the Lutheran Malaria Initiative (LMI) a partnership of the LCMS and Lutheran World Relief struck a chord. They all gave significant donations to support the initiative, which aims to mobilize U.S. Lutherans in the global fight to eliminate malaria deaths in Africa. Pastor Ingo Dutzmann of First Lutheran Church of Boston, where most of the families attend and who played a key part in spreading the message about LMI to his congregation, said he hopes the selflessness of the families serves as an example to others. Most of these folks Ive prepared for marriage, baptized their children, rejoiced with and cried with, Dutzmann said. They are my extended family, and I love every one of them. Hence, when I ask for an extraordinary commitment, they listen and pray about it. Plus, LMI sells itself with its arresting message. The families stand out among the generous donors who support the ministries of the LCMS. Many LCMS supporters are retired individuals who give from their investment earnings, not income, said Terry Biesboer, senior mission advocate with LCMS Mission Advancement. As I met these families, I witnessed young families with small children, new mortgages, real people not made up of wealth, he said. But they lead by their faith and encourage others within their congregations to look outside themselves to make a difference. Mark Hofman, executive director of LCMS Mission Advancement, said younger donors are vitally important to the church. Young people bring a perspective, capacity and a special heart toward mission and a compassion that helps shape how

the church fulfills its mission over a longer period of time, he said. Joy Harms, 35, a part-time speech pathologist and mother of three, said LMI touched her heart because most of the 700,000 people who die each year from malaria in Africa are pregnant women and children.

They lead by their faith and encourage others within their congregations to look outside themselves to make a difference.
Terry Biesboer, senior mission advocate, LCMS Mission Advancement To think theres a world of moms out there who watch the other children in their community die and say, Please Lord, dont let that be my child, she said. I cant fathom that. Its so different from our life experience here. But there by the grace of God go I. What if I were born in Africa instead of the U.S.? It could be any of us. Marketing executive Frank Cho, 39, said he became more impressed with LMI the more he learned about it. He liked the role LCMS partner churches in Africa play in implementing malaria education and prevention programs and distributing bed nets in their communities. There really are boots on the ground there making a difference, he said. Chris and Ann Muskopf, both 37, said they appreciate the fact that 100 percent of donated funds go directly to LMIs work in Africa. It made so much sense on so many levels, said Ann Muskopf, an occupational

therapist. And most of all, the Gospel is being shared as people are being saved, hopefully in body, but also in soul. Frank Chos advice to others about what causes they should support? Look inside your heart. You shouldnt do it because of a checkthe-box-off kind of thing, he said. I think you really have to believe in it. You really have to be moved to do it on your own belief versus what someone tells you or because of peer pressure. His wife, Sandra Osladil Cho, 35, also a marketing executive, said she started giving at age 11, using her babysitting earnings. Her support of LMI was just an extension of what she learned as a child about stewardship from her Lutheran schoolteacher parents. Ive never missed what Ive given, and I dont expect that to ever change, she said. Ive always been very well provided for by God. Im very blessed and there are plenty of people who arent. If I can share, I love to. Financial consultant Jonathan Jon Hendrickson, 35, encourages people to make giving a part of their regular lives and budgets. Giving to others makes you feel good, lightens your heart especially when its going toward good causes in which you can see an impact, he said. I give as much I can, as Im able. I want to be able to share in the wealth that God has helped me create. Most all of the families said they see themselves as stewards of Gods money. Imagine the faces of the people in need, Joy Harms said. Imagine standing next to them in conversation. Imagine them in your home, looking at your flat-screen TV, your full pantry. And then imagine telling them, No, I dont have enough to share with you. Of course you do have enough to share. Jeff Bilezikian, 45, who works in real estate, said he believes in the good intentions of faith-based organizations and often supports their work. I think like anything else, they make mistakes too, but they have a pure, good meaning at heart, he said. If you have the opportunity to give, I think you just have to do it.
Martha Mitkos is the LMI director for the LCMS. u www.lcms.org/malaria
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Aging Services
headquarter locations

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Social Services
headquarter locations

Immigrant Services
headquarter locations

Lutheran SocialMinistry RSOs

In many cases, these RSOs have multiple sites where they provide services within their geographic region.

THINKStOCK

Counseling Services
headquarter locations

Disability Services

headquarter locations

Children and Youth Services

headquarter locations

Social-Ministry Recognized Se
A Recognized Service Organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is independent of The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod (LCMS), but its operations foster the mission and ministry of the church, its program activities are in harmony with the Synod, and it agrees to respect and not act contrary to the doctrine and practice of the Synod.
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Find out more: www.lcms.org/rso

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ervice Organizations (RSOs)

Lutheran social-ministry RSOs are part of Lutheran Services in America, a social-service organization providing services to RSOs that serve one in every 50 Americans in the areas of health care, aging and disability support, community development, housing, and child and family strengthening.
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2013 LCMS

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Mercy
EVeRLASTING
A cross and agpoles serve as a memorial marking the area where the tsunami rushed in and carried away lives and homes in the seaside city of Constitucon, Chile.

by Pamela J. Nielsen

t could have been anywhere Japan; the Jersey Shore; Moore, Okla.; or Boulder, Colo. anywhere where people were tucked soundly in bed early on a Saturday morning.
crushed as buildings collapsed on top of them; whole families were washed away as the ocean rushed in and out. Some 700 lives were lost and 1.5 million homes and other buildings were damaged beyond repair, leaving countless

It could have been a tornado, a

flood or a hurricane. This time, it was an 8.8-magnitude earthquake that changed the lives of millions when it rocked the central region of Chile at 3:30 a.m. on Feb. 27, 2010. The quake, one of the strongest ever recorded, sped up the earths rotation and shifted the earths axis nearly three inches. The subsequent tsunami and multiple strong aftershocks added further insult to injury. Thousands were

thousands suddenly homeless. As Lutherans in central Chile watched the news reports with the rest of the world, they could not stand idle. With few people and fewer resources, the Confessional Lutheran Church of Chile (ILC-Chile) quickly and carefully organized to respond. What could they do? What difference could they make? The church leaders determined to assemble teams that would make the 350-mile journey to the region at the epicenter of the earthquake.
Pastor Omar Kinas points to the height the tsunamis water and debris reached in the building that now houses the new Lutheran congregation and community center in Constitucon, Chile. lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

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IsTOcKpHOTO/THINKsTOcK

Each team, made up of a variety of volunteers with particular skills, among them medical, psychological and construction workers, also would include a Lutheran pastor. The Rev. Cristian Rautenberg, president of the ILC-Chile, explained that it was a priority to send in pastors who could provide soul care, both for the volunteers who would surely see and experience horrific suffering as well as for the victims of the earthquake whose lives were forever changed. When the Lutherans arrived in the cities of Talca and Constitucon, the people were stunned Why would you come so far to help us? We are not Lutheran, there are no Lutherans here, why did you come? Because of Christ Jesus and His mercy for us on the cross, explained the Lutherans. Today, almost three years later, the Lutherans are still there bearing mercy in rich and wonderful ways. In fact, in each of these cities, there is a new congregation gathered around a Lutheran altar, pulpit and font, Images of the earthquake and tsunamis destruction in Constitucon, Chile. Almost three years later, a boat that along with a community center was washed onto land remains a symbol of the disaster. that provides mercy and care to help people get back on their feet through job training, childrens programs and other services. Baptisms and confirmations have resulted. Disaster Response to partner with it. LCMS disaster dollars helped to provide temporary housing for several thousand Thats the Lutheran difference. Mercy people in three refugee camps, along leads to Gospel proclamation where lives, with supplies and materials used by the crushed by sin and death, are restored ILC-Chile in its ongoing disaster response forever in Christ Jesus. to this day. And you think what I do is about Merritt and the Rev. Carlos disaster response? It is about the ministry Hernandez, director of LCMS Church of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, exclaimed and Community Engagement, made the Rev. Glenn Merritt, director of LCMS several trips to Chile, walking alongside Disaster Response, in his opening members of ILC-Chile, providing counsel remarks to the church leaders attending and expertise born of their extensive the first South American Lutheran disaster-response experience. Merritt, Disaster Response Conference held in who is retiring in 2014 after eight years Santiago, Chile, this past September. leading LCMS Disaster Response efforts, In the aftermath of the earthquake, has personally been on the scene of no the Chilean church invited LCMS fewer than 240 disasters around the world.

The example I use around the world is the example of Chile, Merritt said, because it has touched peoples lives in time and for eternity.

Equipped for Mercy

LCMS Disaster Response has evolved since the time of Hurricane Katrina, when we, like our nation, realized we were not prepared to respond to the magnitude of suffering caused by the storm. At the time, the LCMS Council of Presidents met with then Executive Director of LCMS World Relief and Human Care Rev. Matthew Harrison, setting the course for current LCMS Disaster Response efforts. Today, the LCMS has one or more trained disaster coordinators in each of our 35 districts. When disaster occurs in a community, the responsibility to respond and assess the situation begins with the local congregation, which then may request the capacity of the district, working through the district disaster coordinator, who in turn may request LCMS Disaster Response assistance. Merritt explains, So rather than top-down, it is turned the other way. The congregation is on the top and as much as we are asked, we supply the
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The Lutheran Difference

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A little boy in Talca, Chile, dressed in traditional clothing, plays with a kite string. Kites are favorite childrens toys in this patriotic nation.

The Liska family Carlos, Lorena and daughters Malena and Malina did much to help with the disaster response in Constitucon. Today, they live in a new home behind this new Lutheran parish and community center, where they serve as lay missionaries.

support requested from the Synod, through the district, to the local congregation. Internationally, we work with our partner churches, using the LCMS regional directors (RDs) as disaster coordinators. We can provide emergency relief grants, volunteer teams and expertise to our partner churches. However, we never come unless we are invited, said Merritt. When disaster strikes, the LCMS is able to respond swiftly because of the generosity of those who give for disaster response. Unrestricted gifts allow us to immediately respond, providing needed resources for the local district and congregation. Disaster dollars also enable disasterpreparedness training for the districts and our partner churches through disaster conferences like the one in Latin America. As Merritt wraps up nearly a decade of bearing mercy in some of the most difficult and trying situations, he is hopeful that the lessons he and Hernandez have learned and the training they have provided across our country and the globe will result in a global Lutheran disaster-response network that is ready to respond with Christs everlasting mercy whenever and wherever disaster strikes.
Pamela J. Nielsen is the associate executive director for LCMS Communication Services. www.lcms.org/disaster www.lcms.org/video/ChileEverlastingMercy

A sign announces the new congregation formed as a result of Lutherans bearing mercy in Talca, Chile the Confessional Lutheran Church and Community Center.

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Redeeming Life Maternity Home

LIFE

by Megan K. Mertz

This duplex was purchased in June to become the site of Redeeming Life Maternity Home, which ofcially opened in early November.

onths before Redeeming Life Maternity Home in Sanford, Fla., opened its doors, Executive Director Sheryl DeWitt was already receiving weekly referrals from local crisis pregnancy centers looking for a place to send pregnant women in difficult situations. The new maternity home, which was first featured in the January issue of Lutherans Engage the World, officially opened on Nov. 2 and is one of only two Lutheran maternity homes in the country.
by Megan K. Mertz

LIFE
by Megan K. Mertz by Megan K. Mertz

he Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Sanford, Fla., has fewer than 150 members, yet it is taking on big projects in this community just outside Orlando. Tiny seeds planted and watered by God grow into major ministries, like the community garden the church started to

PAMELA J. NIELSEN/LCMS

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feed the hungry. Last spring, this garden produced more than 4,000 tomatoes and other vegetables. But the idea of the community garden isnt the only seed God has planted at Redeemer. Years ago, the idea of starting a maternity home was set in the minds of Rev. Ed and Sheryl DeWitt an impossible task at the time.
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The project started 25 years ago as

the dream of the Rev. Edward and Sheryl DeWitt and later their congregation, the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. After securing the appropriate zoning approvals and purchasing a duplex across the street from the church with the help of Lutheran Church Extension Fund, their dream became a reality. But there was still a lot of work to do. The building had to be completely gutted and remodeled to create a single-family unit with five bedrooms for residents and one for a residential director. We did a reroof. Weve torn out walls. Weve cut the slab to put in new bathrooms. Weve scraped the popcorn off the ceiling. We even peeled paint off the walls, said Ed DeWitt. But as the saying goes, many hands make light work. The LCMS FloridaGeorgia District and many nearby LCMS congregations provided donations and sent volunteers to help with the demolition. In addition, local businesses donated building materials and labor. Through the LCMS domestic grant program, the Synod also provided $26,475 in start-up funding. Its just been amazing to watch what God is doing and how Hes bringing

everybody together to work on this project, Many volunteers from the LCMS and the community at-large contributed their said Ed DeWitt. time, talents and treasure to help make the maternity home a reality. This is not just a ministry of Redeemer, its a collaborative effort to try to save babies Lutheran in identity, will serve as a national and women, said Sheryl DeWitt. It touches model for Christian mercy in our church people because its a real, tangible way to body, said Maggie Karner, director of LCMS reach out with the love of Christ. Life and Health Ministries. Although This project the DeWitts shows that mercy can This project shows that mercy expect the be an integral part of can be an integral part of every maternity every congregations congregations presence in its home to reach presence in its community. And this holds true capacity in just a community. And this even for small congregations. few weeks, work holds true even for Maggie Karner, director of LCMS Life and continues. With the small congregations, Health Ministries help of Residential because it should Director Rachel be noted that this Woolery, they began developing a life-skills project has been initiated and executed by program for residents. The DeWitts also plan a small congregation in a very economically to purchase a nearby quadplex to convert challenged area. Yet Redeeming Life into transitional housing for residents after has recruited many stakeholders in the they have given birth. The new mothers community and church at-large, she said. will be able to stay in transitional housing Thanks be to God that through Him, all for up to two years while they further their things are possible. education and look for employment. It is my hope that this ambitious proMegan K. Mertz is a staff writer for LCMS Communications. life mercy project, which is enthusiastically

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PHOTOs: SHERYL DEWITT

Update
Planting Seeds of

Jorge Mazariegos, vicar and music director at San Pablo

The Rev. Alex Merlo, right, talks with Juan Castro, a member and custodian at San Pablo.

by Megan K. Mertz

While We Were
I wake up thanking Him for this opportunity, De Len said. I know why He had me come to this country: to serve Him at San Pablo.

hen Juan Castro first came to Iglesia Luterana San Pablo, a Hispanic ministry in Aurora, Ill., he was entangled in a self-described violent lifestyle of addiction.

My heart was empty, the Mexico City native recalled. Castros sister invited him to San Pablo, where he was welcomed by the pastor, the Rev. Alex Merlo. Now Castro eagerly serves as church custodian, witnessing to anyone who will listen about the grace of God in his life. Castros story is not unique. Many members of San Pablo have stories about how God changed their lives through the ministry, and they tell them each November during the annual Fiesta de San Pablo. My marriage struggled. I felt lonely, said Rocio De Len, an immigrant from Guatemala who couldnt even afford to buy a bed when she came to San Pablo three years ago. After attending a marriage-enrichment weekend with her husband and taking English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes at San Pablo, her marriage was strengthened and she is now serving as the churchs office assistant and in other ministries. 16
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An Unlikely Heritage
San Pablos vibrant ministry to Auroras Latino community takes place in a building where German was once spoken. In 1857, a group of German immigrants founded St. Paul Lutheran Church in Aurora, the mother church of San Pablo. Generations later, as the Latino population in the area grew, Merlo was called to St. Paul to start a Hispanic ministry. In 2005, San Pablo became a chartered LCMS congregation when St. Paul moved. Merlo felt called to stay and continue the ministry. With the LCMS Northern Illinois Districts help, San Pablo purchased the church and school complex from St. Paul. Another nonprofit now rents part of the

space, which helps pay the mortgage. The forefathers of St. Paul Lutheran Church never thought that 150 years later there would be Latinos worshiping in the same location in their own native language, said Merlo, with a smile. Thats what we celebrate now. The forefathers vision continues. Our goal is not to have a building; our goal is to build the kingdom of God in Aurora. But we need a place to operate, he said. Although San Pablo is a Hispanic ministry, its a place where anyone can feel comfortable. The sermon is preached in both Spanish and English, and some songs are in English. Merlo reaches out to people in their preferred language, whether thats Spanish or English. He says many second- and third-generation Latinos know English best because its the language they learn in school.

Witness through Mercy

San Pablo reaches out to the community in many ways. The church gives away more than 80 bags of groceries and household items each month. Congregation members are encouraged to take two bags one for themselves, if they need it, and one for a friend in the
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This bag of household items will be given to someone in need.

When the congregation of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Aurora, Ill., moved to another location, San Pablo chose to stay in the community.

nspire

Still Sinners


neighborhood. The church also cooks a big banquet once a month for the neighborhood that usually draws about 200 people. In the basement of the church office, Merlo runs a food pantry stocked with rice, beans and other items donated by local churches. When church staff members encounter hungry people in the community, they invite them to come to San Pablo to take what they need to feed their families. If people matter to God, they have to matter to us, says Merlo, who is constantly looking for new ways to fill needs in the community. Another way the church is meeting a need is through its multilevel ESL program. About 150 people enroll in the program each year. Learning English helps new immigrants become more confident in their communication skills and enables them to obtain better opportunities in the U.S. San Pablo is a wonderful balance of acts of mercy preceding but then immediately followed up by Word and Sacrament ministry. Its a congregation that truly is not only located in a needy community, but [its members] actually serve their own neighbors, said LCMS Northern Illinois District President Rev. Dan Gilbert.

San Pablo is a wonderful balance of acts of mercy preceding but then immediately followed up by Word and Sacrament ministry. Its a congregation that truly is not only located in a needy community, but [its members] actually serve their own neighbors.
LCMS Northern Illinois District President Rev. Dan Gilbert

Growing the Kingdom

When St. Paul and San Pablo split in 2005, San Pablo had about 65 members. Since then, that number has grown to 240, thanks to the working of the Holy Spirit through the congregations acts of witness and mercy. Now San Pablo also has two daughter congregations mission starts in the Chicago suburbs of Elgin and Plano led by members who are now studying to become LCMS pastors. So far, seven Latino

men have been called to become pastors through the Center for Hispanic Studies at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, because of their experience at San Pablo. San Pablo is like a plant nursery, said Vicar Jorge Mazariegos, where the seeds of faith are planted, grown and sent out. Mazariegos and Walter Ramirez, another one of San Pablos vicars, found their calling through the theology classes Merlo teaches at San Pablos La Escuela para Misioneros School for Missionaries. The school, which trains and equips people to become missionaries in their own neighborhoods, has 17 new students this year. Merlo hopes one day to expand the program into San Pablos empty school building to teach people about LCMS doctrine and raise up more Latino church leaders. I came only looking for theology classes, said Ramirez, who belonged to a different denomination at the time. Three months later, I said, Pastor, I want to move to your church. I saw good theology, clear doctrine. After taking entry-level theology classes at San Pablo for two years, Ramirez was
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LCMS Investment in Hispanic Ministry:

$184,960

asked by Merlo if hed like to attend the seminary. Ramirez is now completing his vicarage in church planting, and he leads the Plano congregation, which began in February. Following in San Pablos footsteps, the Plano congregation offers handyman classes to teach job skills and fill a need in the community.

The Body of Christ

From the beginning, San Pablo has been blessed with the support of many partners. Over the years, the congregation has received guidance, technical assistance and encouragement from the Synods staff. The Rev. Dr. Carlos Hernandez, director of LCMS Church and Community Engagement, has made multiple visits to San Pablo, and earlier this year he conducted an abbreviated Gospel Seeds training program there. The Gospel Seeds program helps congregations connect with neighbors and local agencies in order to identify and reach out to meet the most critical needs in the community. Lutheran Church Extension Fund and the district also have worked diligently with San Pablo as it struggles to pay its mortgage following the economic downturn. In the near future, the district hopes to organize a campaign to help San Pablo retire its debt so that offerings can go to ministry rather than mortgage payments. In addition, about 15 LCMS congregations provide for the ministry in various ways, offering prayer support, food donations and even sending volunteers to serve on an advisory council that helps new immigrants deal with complicated issues. God is in action here. You can see it, said Merlo, as he reflected on the divine healing that has transformed the lives of those struggling with alcoholism, addiction, broken relationships and other sins. Even in an ordinary place like Aurora, Ill., Christ uses His servants to collect lost, broken sinners to Himself, giving them His grace to support each other and serve Him in their life together as the Body of Christ.
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From its founding in 1857, this LCMS church has changed in many ways over the years. But whether its members speak German, English or Spanish, San Pablo remains dedicated to celebrating Gods grace, growing in the faith and sharing the Good News through its ministries of mercy.

The Rev. Alex Merlo holds bags of rice and beans from San Pablos food bank.

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nvolve

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Ascending

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Impact
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for

I recall the sainted president of the LCMS, the Rev. Dr. A.L. Barry, telling me many years ago how he read the Bible through regularly, but with different themes in mind. You notice diamonds youve never seen before, he said. I began reading the Scriptures with the eyes of mercy and compassion some 12 years ago, and the texts keep giving up treasures new and old. Jesus is the tender mercy of our God (Luke 1:78). Jesus came to have mercy. Jesus loves to have mercy. Jesus lives to have mercy! And those who follow Him do the same. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the worlds goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does Gods love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth (1 John 3:1618). It has been my deepest pleasure and honor in life to be able to witness the mercy of Christ demonstrated through the people, the churches, the missions and the partners of the Missouri Synod all over the world. So many times when in the field, while hearing the grateful and often tearful thanks of recipients of love, I have wished more than anything that I could have each of you tag along with me to behold what Ive seen: the love of Gods people shown in the most horrid circumstances all over the globe. When the simple compassion of Christ is tied together with the powerful word of God for forgiveness, love and hope, the result is astounding mercy. We are honored to serve you, the LCMS, and even more honored to give you a tiny glimpse of what you and your church accomplish every day by Gods grace, all over the world, year in and year out. In the compassion of Jesus, Pastor Matthew C. Harrison President, The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod

Mercy

The

Moment

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