Christian Aid and Relief Blog – WELS

DISASTER RELIEF DISPATCH – July 2024

2024-08-09T13:36:21Z

DISASTER RELIEF DISPATCH – July 2024

Dear disaster relief volunteer,

Welcome to the Disaster Relief Dispatch! This blog will be published six times each year and is intended to keep our volunteers informed about disaster relief news, opportunities, and best practices.

This month we’d like to discuss background checks. When you signed up to be a WELS disaster relief volunteer you were asked to submit to a background check. Why do we do this?

First, it’s about protection. Background checks help to protect our volunteers, congregations, and WELS Christian Aid and Relief enabling us to work safely as we enjoy the respect of the communities where we deploy.

Second, and even more importantly, it’s about love. Background checks help protect the hurting people we serve. Disasters bring stress and trauma into the lives of the people who have experienced them. Background checks help to take one more worry off their plates. Often, we deploy to areas where there are schools. We work with families where children are present. We help people to retrieve their valuables, family heirlooms, and precious memories from the field into which a tornado has scattered them. Background checks help to assure the people we serve that the volunteers who are clearing debris from their yard and sifting through their personal possessions to see what can be saved are safe. They have been checked and vetted. Many come to disaster areas to take advantage of others. They come to steal, loot, and perpetrate fraud. They are there to take advantage of people during a time of weakness. Background checks help us to assure the people we serve that they can trust us. We have come to help.

It should be noted that we are not alone in requiring background checks. Just about every disaster relief organization requires them, including FEMA, Team Rubicon, Samaritan’s Purse, LCMS Disaster Response, and many others.

Thanks for reading! Please reach out to me with any questions, comments, or suggested topics. And, as always, thanks for your willingness to serve those impacted by disaster.

In Christ our compassionate Savior,

Pastor Dan Sims
Director, WELS Christian Aid and Relief
daniel.sims@wels.net

WELS Christian Aid and Relief Volunteers

Volunteer Form

Volunteer form

Parental consent volunteer form

The parental consent volunteer form needs to be filled out by the parent or guardian of any minors wishing to volunteer for Christian Aid and Relief projects.

Parental consent form

Support for Missionary Steve Witte’s family

2024-07-03T13:57:14Z

Dear friends in Christ,

By now, most of you are aware of the terrible tragedy that has befallen the Witte, Kuehl, and Henselin families. We join you in fervent prayer to our heavenly Father for our dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

WELS Christian Aid and Relief has been working with synodical leadership to determine the best ways for us to assist the families. We are partnering with Christian Family Solutions to provide counseling to family members and others impacted by this tragedy. In addition, we are exploring other ways that we can help in the coming days and weeks.

Some of you have reached out and asked about donations for the families. The best way to do that is to give directly to the families or to make use of the support pages that have been set up to assist them. Here are the links that we have at this time:

Go Fund Me Page for the Kuehl Family

Give Send Go Page for the Henselin Family

We will share more information about how to support the families as it becomes available.

Thank you all for your care, concern, and compassion. Please continue to remember the families in your prayers.

Jesus lives!

In Jesus, our compassionate Savior,
Pastor Dan Sims
Director, WELS Christian Aid and Relief
wels.net/relief

North Mankato, Minnesota Flooding

2024-07-03T13:44:26Z

Mark Vancleave/AP - CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/24/us/rapidan-dam-collapse-risk-minnesota/index.html?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2COm3sUkzdm74cvGCkDU0IhU-EAj_ck0oRAf_9E29aRQjVy_Ph-XCR_7M_aem_B6jsdY-7YWEAMOIOXfrZVg

Dear friends in Christ,

In recent days the Midwest has been very busy weatherwise: thunderstorms, wind, flooding, tornadoes. We are keeping our eyes on all these situations. One development that we are watching very carefully is the potential collapse of a dam in Mankato, Minnesota, where there are a number of WELS and ELS churches and schools. We are in touch with district leadership in all impacted areas and will post updates as needed.

In the meantime, please join us in prayer: Merciful Father, you are the ruler of weather, wind, and wave. The skies open at your command and the gales blow only where you tell them to. Use your almighty power to protect those who are in the path of storms and floods. Watch over both lives and property. According to your will, minimize damage and loss. Move the hearts of many to help those who are hurting. And protect all first responders who are in harm’s way. We leave all this in your gracious and mighty hands, trusting that your decisions will be for the good of those who love you. Amen.

RECENT UPDATE – 6/27/2024:

Pastor Marques Nelson of St. Paul’s in North Mankato, Minn.: “Thank you all for your prayers! God has certainly been hearing and answering them. We were quite concerned on Monday morning when we heard that the dam was beginning to fail. We are in lower North Mankato, in the Minnesota River Valley. We have a large early childcare ministry, and I was imagining having to go up into the upstairs Sunday School rooms in the church if lower North started to flood. (We have pictures on the walls downstairs of people canoeing through town 70 years ago). Thankfully, the dam didn’t collapse, and the water pressure has been relieved as it goes around the dam. We still had parents come pick up their children early on Monday to be safe! We are so thankful for the careful emergency planning of our city leaders. They worked quickly to create an earthen levee on the lowest spots near the river. We also have high flood walls in town. So far, our church and schools are fine, and we think we have seen the worst of it, but please keep everyone around here in your prayers. The water continues to rise downstream of us in places like St. Peter which also has a church and school. There are still a lot of families farms and businesses dealing with loss of property and certainly wet basements in the area. Keep them in your prayers.”

In Jesus, our compassionate Savior,
Pastor Dan Sims
Director, WELS Christian Aid and Relief
wels.net/relief

Donate Now

Tornadoes in Mountain Home, Arkansas

2024-07-03T13:16:10Z

On Wednesday, May 29, Pastor Dan Sims, the director of WELS Christian Aid and Relief, and Mr. Jim Bublitz, one of CAR’s disaster relief leaders, visited the area surrounding Mountain Home, Arkansas to assess damage from three recent EF-3 tornadoes. Pastor Dan Schmidt of Trinity Lutheran Church served as our guide. While the damage is severe in places, local emergency management and other disaster relief agencies have the clean-up work well in hand. There is no need for WELS CAR to deploy volunteers to the area. However, we will be working with our congregation in Mountain Home to assist families who experienced loss, especially one family that lost their entire home. Please continue to remember those impacted by these storms in your prayers.

In Jesus, our compassionate Savior,
Pastor Dan Sims
Director, WELS Christian Aid and Relief
wels.net/relief

Donate Now

Prayer: Lord, our compassionate and gracious God, open our eyes to see the needs of people in our communities and move us to show compassion. We thank you that, through the support of WELS Christian Aid and Relief, our churches can do more to help our neighbors in need. May our compassion for others reflect your compassion for them and our trust in you. We pray that your Holy Spirit will use our efforts to communicate that we love because you first loved us. May your gospel move many more to believe in you. Amen.