It’s been a week since the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti. In that time you have showed your overwhelming support for the people of Haiti with cash donations and prayers.

Please know that LWR is putting your gifts to good use. We’ve been working with partners on the ground to ensure that the people of Haiti get access to food, water and shelter.

Many of you have asked what else you can do to help. I am writing today to alert you of an opportunity.

Today, along with partners at Church World Service, we sent a shipment of health kits and layettes to Haiti. That shipment depleted our stock of health kits in the Maryland warehouse. And we will need many more to fulfill needs in the coming weeks and months.

Will you help us fulfill the need for health kits, quilts and school kits? We want to bring relief and comfort to the people of Haiti, but we also need to continue to fulfill requests from around the world. To do this, we need your help. Here’s how:

• Continue to give generously.
• Make health kits, quilts and school kits. There are several ways to get them to our warehouses:
  • Drop your items off at one of our warehouses, or one of the year-round collection sites:
    
    • LWR Warehouse in South St. Paul, MN
    • LWR Warehouse in New Windsor, MD
    • Urban Servant Corps office in Denver, CO
    • Church of the Brethren office in Elgin, IL
  • Bring your items to one of the spring Ingathering collections – check here to find out if there’s one in your area.
  • Mail your items to one of our warehouses.

Thanks for being God’s hands and heart to those in need in Haiti and across the world. I look forward to sending you more reports on how your love is helping to restore lives.

Shingling funds have been set up at both churches as both churches are looking at replacing the shingles on the roof.  Eidsvold is in need of immediate replacement of the south facing shingles.  First Lutheran Church is considering the shingling project in the next couple of years.  At either church you may give a special donation to the shingling fund by simply placing it in the Sunday offering plate or by mailing it to the parish office or the appropriate financial secretary.  Please clearly mark the check and the envelope that this is for the shingling project.  At each church this is a major project that will require substantial funds to complete.  Your donation is very much appreciated.  For more information about the details of the project you may consult the president of either congregation or the Property Board at First (Wayne Anderson and Roger Jacobson) or the trustees at Eidsvold (Chris Davis, Arnell Cummins, Jeff Folland, Shane Olson).

ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE

First Lutheran Church on February 17 at 7:00 p.m. for both First and Eidsvold

The penitential season of Lent will begin with an Ash Wednesday service at 7:00 p.m. at First Lutheran Church for all the members of the parish. There will be no supper serve on this traditional fast day.  There will be no confirmation classes but the confirmands are required to attend the service instead. 

LENTEN SERVICES

Regular Lenten services and suppers will begin on February 24 at First Lutheran Church with a supper served by the youth at 6:00 p.m. and the service beginning at 7:00 p.m.  However the sermon series will begin on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17, on “The Sign of Jonah” (Luke 11:29) which is, of course, the resurrection of Jesus.  Along the way we will explore repentance, prayer, deliverance, providence, and second chances – the themes of Lent.

Together, we can fight the flu.

This Sunday marks the beginning of the annual observance of National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW). This flu season has presented our community with a unique challenge to fight a new type of influenza -- the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.

The H1N1 flu is a serious disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that between mid-April and November 14, 2009 , 47 million people in the United States were infected with the 2009 H1N1 flu, more than 200,000 people were hospitalized, and over 9,800 people died.

Influenza is unpredictable and we do not know the likelihood of a future wave of H1N1 flu, but we do know that vaccination is the most important step in protecting against influenza. Protect yourself, your family and your community by getting vaccinated. Visit www.flu.gov to find the closest vaccination clinic and learn more facts about the H1N1 flu. Show your love to your family and our community by keeping yourself and those close to you healthy; get yourself and your family vaccinated.

First and Eidsvold alternate gathering a collection on the first Sunday of the month for the Kittson County Care & Share food pantry.  Please bring purchased boxed or canned goods.  The food shelf cannot accept homemade or home canned food items because of state regulation.  Thank you for your donation.  The schedule is

January 3 First

February 7 Eidsvold

March 7 First

April 4 Eidsvold

The schedule for the monthly communion service at The Meadows assisted living facility has been changed to 2:00 p.m. on the second Friday of the month at the request of the Meadows.  In January this will be the 15^th so that more residents will be able to participate.  We know this is technically the third Friday of January, but we are not counting the holiday, January 1, so the pastor's every other Friday event at The Meadows evens out.  The monthly communion schedule at the nursing home will remain the same as before.  The Faith Circle Bible study at The Meadows will remain on the same schedule as before.  This new schedule is on the calendar in thie paper newsletter and this website.