Human Care Ministries
Matthew 25:40 "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these --- my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
In the 6 months period (February through July 2008) Lutheran Refugee Services has resettled in the Omaha area a total of 226 such refugees ("our brethren").
Pilgrim Lutheran has as well been very active in that refugee resettlement effort... So much so that Lutheran Refugee Services of Nebraska recently recognized Pilgrim Lutheran Church of Bellevue (together with as the two "Most Outstanding Refugee Sponsoring Congregations of 2008"
Pilgrim Luther today remains very active in the refugee resettlement effort and continues to seek additional volunteers to assist in this effort. So be they Pilgrim Members (or not) Lutheran (or not) Christian (or not) really does "matter not"... All that is necessary for any volunteer (including you) to be effective is a caring heart and a willingness to help a less fortunate/displaced brethren. For information on how you too can work through Pilgrim Lutheran and Lutheran Refugee Services to help with this effort; contact either Ron Musch
RJM1947@COX.NET or Herb Barelman
HBARELMAN@COX.NET
That effort is now (as of mid 2008) focused primarily on the Karen ethic group refugee families who have been forced from their homes in Myanmar (formerly Burma) by a combination of ethnic persecution (from the ruling military junta) and the recent tropical cyclone which further decimated their native land... As a result they come to us with little more materially than the lint in their pockets and the clothing that they wear, so they really do require "
The Whole Nine Yards" upon their arrival.
http://www.lfsneb.org/howyoucanhelp/thewholenineyards.pdf
The Nebraska affiliate of Lutheran Refugee Services information is available at:
Nebraska Affiliate:
Pilgrim Lutheran Church