Aid to Ukraine

We were all shocked by the news of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but the response of our congregation was immediately, "what can we do to help?" Your attitude of serving the needs of those affected by the conflict was overwhelming. In March/April a special offering was collected for the Ukrainian relief effort. From that door offering and other mission funds we had available, we were able to donate a total of $16,652.00 dedicated to Ukrainian relief from members and friends of COS. We first sent $536 to Lutheran World Relief in order to have that money count toward their limited matching gift campaign. Another gift was later sent to Lutheran World Relief of $409 and the remaining $15,707 was sent to Mission Central (affiliated with the LCMS and located in Mapleton, IA).

We wanted to share with you updates of how that money is being used to provide relief and assistance to those in need.

We are so happy that your congregation is so "mission minded" and I want to give you the latest detail. My co-worker, Mark Hofman, was just here at Mission Central and he has been working hard on the Ukraine Project with us. He has the latest information directly from the field.

From Mark Hofman: Below is a list of the disbursements either made or in process for disbursement to support Ukrainian relief efforts:

To/For	Country	Amount Requested	Amount Disbursed	Description
Short-Term Emergency Aid
Bp Maschewski – St Paul Lutheran	Ukraine	$20,000	$20,000	Aid to displaced in Lviv, Lutskfor, Vinnysia, Eastern Ukraine (food, medicine, accommodations, documents, clothing
Bp Maschewski – St Paul Lutheran	Ukraine	$25,000	$25,000	Aid to displaced in Lviv, Lutskfor, Vinnysia, Eastern Ukraine (food, medicine, accommodations, documents, clothing
Bp Maschewski – St Paul Lutheran	Ukraine	$20,000	$20,000	Medicine
Rev. Sorin Trifa – Concordia Luth.	Romania	$22,000	$22,000	Transportation of refuges
Rev. Sorin Trifa – Concordia Luth.	Romania	$20,000	$20,000	Food, shelter, temporary housing
Mindaugas Sabutis – ELCL	Lithuania	$16,887	$16,887	Accommodations, hygiene kits, clothing for Ukrainian families
Bp Einars Alpe – ELCL	Latvia	$9,000	$9,000	Food, shelter, medicine, spiritual/pastoral care to refugees in Riga, Saldus and other towns
Kaiserslautern Ev. Luth Church	Germany	$10,000	$11,000	Resettlement of Ukrainian refugees in Kaiserslautern, Germany
Martin, Slovakia	Slovakia	$40,000	$43,000	Resettlement and care of refugees in Martin, Slovakia
David Jurech	Czech Rep.	$11,000	$11,000	Resettlement and care of refugees in Prague, Czech Republic
Congregation in Pilsen, CzRep	Czech Rep.	$14,000	$14,000	Resettlement and care of refugees in Pilson, Czech Republic
Medium-Range Support Projects
SELK Refugee Support (SELK)	Germany	$55,000	$55,000	Support management and refugee startup supplies
SELK Refugee Support (SELK)	Germany	$55,000	$65,000	Support management and refugee startup supplies
Rev. Sorin Trifa – Concordia Luth.	Romania	$289,000	$84,000	Resettling refugees in Romania
ILSW/SELK/LCMS (Old Latin School)	Germany	$109,000	--	Housing and caring for refugees at the Old Latin School in Wittenberg, Germany

Disbursements like these are being made in response to the “boots on the ground” requests coming from LCMS church partners. The Office of International Missions (OIM)-Eurasia is also planning to hold back some portion of donated funds to support the Ukrainian Rebuild phase, and to support any resettlement services by LCMS congregations should the displacement come to that.

Not all of the requested funds may have been released because information we requested that hadn’t been received at the time of the report date below. The dollar amounts are as of the date of the request, based on the currency conversion rate on that date. In the Medium-Range category, it would not be unexpected to see global church partners, like Germany, submit multiple requests as additional, specific needs and opportunities to serve displaced Ukrainians come to the surface. We’ve heard stories from individuals like Rev. Sorin Trifa that many refugees are transiting through countries close to Ukraine, seeking safety in other countries such as Norway, Germany and Great Britain, often where family or friends are residing.

In terms of stories to share, here are a few:

--https://reporter.lcms.org/2022/funds-for-ukraine-serve-varied-needs/

--https://reporter.lcms.org/2022/let-love-be-genuine-more-help-for-ukraine/

--https://reporter.lcms.org/2022/amid-war-in-ukraine-the-churchs-mission-remains/? fbclid=IwAR3ROSSMrFYMbfRyv9nmYlviN52EHitG7apHs8X7X6hBV7bmAhmjkCwtfF0

--https://www.facebook.com/LCMSEurasia

One inspiring development that’s making its way out into the church is that the Old Latin School in Wittenberg, Germany is now a home for Ukrainian refugees, and the SELK is calling a pastor to just serve them. All of that is possible because loving people like you (Christ Our Savior) make a conscious choice to show Christ’s love to the displaced. 

Dear Pastor Dean, Linda, and members of Christ Our Savior congregation,

I give thanks for the many ways that you and your congregation are sharing the hope of Jesus. As war continues to rage in Ukraine, and the ripple effects are felt around the globe, we all need glimpses of that hope.

Because of your love, Lutheran World Relief has committed $7 million to respond to the crisis in Ukraine, and we expect to increase this amount as we receive additional support. With more than 4.6 million refugees fleeing to other countries and more than 6.5 million individuals displaced in Ukraine, the needs grow daily.

I've attached our latest <situation report> that details the ways in which we are responding in Ukraine and Poland. Here are a few key highlights:

• In Ukraine, we are supporting health facilities by providing supplies such as surgical and wound care kits, IV kits, defibrillators and stretchers. We are also providing ongoing support to six facilities that are being used to shelter internally displaced persons. Your love will provide nearly 60,000 nights of shelter for people who need a place to stay.
• In Poland, we are distributing emergency cash and vouchers to more than 1,300 refugee families for the next three months. We’re also integrating a referral system at these sites to protect women and children from sexual exploitation and abuse.

None of this would be possible without your generous care and support. Thank you for all the ways you are caring for God’s people.

In gratitude,
Jon Diefenthaler, LWR Church-Relations Advisor 410-852-2870