2007 LCMS World Relief and Human Care Convention Video Report

Recently, the staff of LCMS World Relief and Human Care have been discussing the upcoming Synod convention to be held in Houston, TX, July 2010. A part of conventions is to report what has happened over the past triennium. Consequently, we are discussing what has occurred in the realm of disasters and the relief efforts provided as well as other human care projects from the past three years. As might be expected, the recent earthquake in Haiti is first and foremost on our minds, especially among those of us who traveled to Haiti. As we ponder how to present our work from the past three years to the Synod in Convention, I thought I'd share with you the convention video report from 2007. Lots of memories return recalling the events of July 2007. Right after the convention, I went to Brazil for the 11th Luther Congress in Canoas. No doubt many more memories will be made this summer in Houston.

The report we gave to the 63rd Regular Synod Convention in 2007 covers several natural disasters: Hurricane Ivan (16 September 2004), Asian Tsunami (26 December 2004), Hurricane Katrina (28 August 2005), Tornado Greensburg KS (4 May 2007). Not sure about you, but I remember where I was at when the news first reported each of these events. The video also thanks the people, agencies, and entities of the MIssouri Synod for assisting in these disasters. The Tsunami of 2004 took about 230,000 lives, similar to the death toll of the earthquake in Haiti. However, the damage from the tsunami was limited to a few hundred yards to maybe a 1/2 mile or so from the shore. The earthquake in Haiti destroyed a stretch of land equal to the distance from Collinsville, IL to Ellisville, MO. Both disasters ended many lives in a few moments and left a stretch of devastation. Even five and six years after the Asian Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, all that was destroyed has not been rebuilt. Something to consider, if New Orleans with the heavy equipment and assistance of the US Government is not entirely back as it was before Hurricane Katrina after five years, how long will it take Haiti to rebuild?

At the 2007 Convention, a certificate of Grateful Commemoration was also presented to the convention for the assistance provided by the Districts, congregations, people, and institutions of the Missouri Synod that provided help for those in need from Hurricane Katrina. The certificate was signed by the Synod President and all the District Presidents, as well as by Matthew Harrison, the Executive Director of LCMS World Relief and Human Care.

(Click Photo to See Larger Image)

(Click Photo to See Larger Image) 

President Kieschnick Signing the Commemoration with Matthew Harrison