Many have written asking about the Typhoon aftermath. The northern half of the island is okay. The southern half is devastated. Perhaps you saw footage of the six story hotel that fell into the river. That hotel is near a popular hot-spring area on the south east coast. The hotel was 100 meters from the river edge originally. Erosion over two days of rain (rain of close to seven feet) removed that 100 meters of water front and caused the hotel to fall into the river.

We are fine. Congregation members are okay. The Taiwanese are mourning. Could be 1,000 dead. Real numbers will take time to come up with. Just watched Chinese news channel showing one village of 200 homes. Village population was 1,300. When the rain was increasing the river’s swath, the people walked up hill to safety. Then the mountain slid. There are two houses now visible out of the 200. 33 copters have been working and have found maybe 300-400 people. It is so sad you can’t watch the news without being moved to tears. Pray there is some way Christians may use this opportunity in a God pleasing way.

Read more from an AP article.

Missionary to Taiwan

After the initial clean up by the congregation and lengthy discussions about how to refurbish, it was decided that the congregation would do the majority of the work themselves. Committee on Relief received a call from Pastor Eckhart requesting help with the refurbishing of the kitchen, fellowship hall, and bathrooms. Pastor Philip Schupmann contacted Pastor Richard Warnecke at Christ, Pewaukee, Wis., who coordinated a group of 15 members to travel over to Minnesota City to help finish the work. View the photo slideshow of the volunteer group and some of the work they did.

Archive articles:

• WELS Committee on Relief dedicates $30,000
• Families Seriously Impacted
• Update from Goodview Trinity
• Read more articles

Pastor Phillip Schupmann received the following information from Pastor Mike Duncan regarding relief efforts to the Pakistani Refugees: 

Two million refugees have fled the Swat Valley in Pakistan. Fighting between the Taliban and the Pakistani Army has caused millions to leave their homes. This has caused great suffering. Some have been killed in the crossfire; others have perished from exhaustion.  The Committee on Relief is providing $3,000 in funds to the refugees to provide food, such as dried milk and bread, as well as small items such as water coolers. Remember the people of Pakistan in your prayers and ask God to use these crises to lead many to a knowledge of the gospel in Christ. Our Synod has been providing Christian materials in the Urdu language  – the main language of Pakistan – to more than 18,000 Pakistanis. The booklet, The Promise, has also been translated into Pashto and distributed to the area where the fighting is taking place. While some copies were destroyed by the Taliban, we have reports that some members of the Taliban actually kept the materials and showed an interest in them.

Thanks,
Pastor Mike Duncan

The river will continue to rise, people will continue to evacuate, and the national guard will continue to serve. Current levels are over 20 feet and are expected to crest around 21.6 feet.
 
So far the dikes and sand bags are holding.  However, there have been three locations where the dikes began to give way.  The National Guard dispatched the helicopters, heavy truck and earth movers to quickly repair the fault. Some homes were overtaken, but no lives lost.
 
South of Valley City the dam was compromised and the town of Katheryne was evacuated.
 
The Valley City Mayor requested 1,400 of the approxamately 3,200 homes and businesses were to evacuate, the parsonage and church are both in that area.  We plan to stay until the water comes up or the sewers back up.
 
With the money provided from WELS Committee on Relief to St. Paul’s, we purchased:

• a portable generator
• extension cords
• plastic bins
• hoses
• shop vac
• mops and buckets
• squeegees
• sewer drain plugs
• 4000 cfm carpet fan
• a pressure washer
• sump pumps

So far we have spent just under $2,000 of the $3,000 given.

St. Paul’s  Lutheran Church
Valley City, N.D.

WELS Committee on Relief recently helped with $3,000 in humanitarian aid to Albania. Also the following thank you was received from a family affected by the flooding in Fargo-Moorhead, N.D., area: 

Dear Members of the WELS Committee on Relief,

We are members of Shepherd of the Valley in West Fargo, N.D., who have been adversely affected by the flooding of the Red River in Fargo-Moorhead.  Our children, grandchildren, fellow church members, and other volunteers worked tirelessly to save our home and other homes on our street. They sandbagged, monitored pumps day and night, and moved as many of our possessions as they could to a higher level.   However, on March 26, we and our neighbors were forced to evacuate due to water coming over our roads.  We have been living with our daughter and family in Bemidji, Minn., since then.

Our basement, garage, and shop sustained considerable damage when we had to turn off water and power; and we could no longer monitor the several pumps that we had running.  Many appliances and items were destroyed (furnace, hot water heater, water softener, washer, dryer, freezer).

Several other of our church families were also impacted.  Our pastor and other church members spent time helping all of us in our efforts to keep the water out of our homes.  We deeply appreciate all the labor and prayers offered in our behalf.  Pastor contacted your committee, and you have responded generously with a monetary donation.  We humbly accept this assistance which will help defray our many expenses.

We trust in the Lord and look to Him for guidance as we deal with the massive clean-up job ahead of us.  Our confidence and joy rests in the assurance of Easter Sunday:  Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!    “O Lord, You promise that in all things You work for the good of those who love You.  Help us see Your loving hand in this time of trouble.  Save us from doubt, relieve our anguish, and lead us through these dark days with the light of Your presence.”  (CLW, p. 137)  Glory be to God!

Larry and Vivian Weseloh
Moorhead, Minn. 

Keep up-to-date on WELS Relief news or to make a donation, visit www.welsrelief.net.