ELCA Global Links – May 2016 – Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rahway NJ

Construction begins on the Lutheran Center and Clinic in South Sudan!
We have been sharing information about the Lutheran Center and Clinic that will be built in Juba, South Sudan, for a number of months and are thrilled to share some pictures of the work that is now under way. After the groundbreaking ceremony last fall, construction has begun and some of the substructures are now up. Click here to visit our Facebook Page and see the photos we received of the construction progress.

Do you know about AMMPARO?
AMMPARO is the ELCA’s comprehensive strategy for “Accompanying Migrant Minors with Protection, Advocacy, Representation and Opportunities.” This strategy was forwarded by the Church Council to the Churchwide Assembly for its adoption in August. Learn more about it at ELCA.org/AMMPARO. There you will find the full strategy document as well as some video resources, including a mother and child’s story and how one synod is responding. In addition, you will find program opportunities for your congregation or synod to get involved! ELCA Advocacy, Welcoming Congregations and the Guardian Angels program are options to check out.

Returns to the Holy Land
All Jerusalem and West Bank YAGM alumnae share a passion for helping others and comprehend the complex reality of life in the place they once called home. Click here to read a recent article that was published in Living Lutheran that shares the stories of some of the YAGM alumni who have returned to Jerusalem since their year of service. YAGM alumni Janelle Neubauer learned that “as a U.S. citizen, I am part of what is happening in Israel/Palestine regardless of how I feel or whom I support.”

Walking together
Erik and Tauna Roth have been called to serve in Tokyo, where Erik leads the English-speaking congregation. Recently, they came to understand accompaniment through a story about their daughter, Nozomi. As they reflect on what it means to be a missionary and to serve around the world, the importance of being fully present with one another trumps all else.

Sights, smells, sounds, touch
Heidi Gerrish is spending her Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) year in Montevideo, Uruguay. As is often the case, it can be difficult sometimes for YAGM volunteers to write a full blog post about all that is happening around them. In Heidi’s recent blog post, she writes about her senses, which have the power to transport us to Montevideo alongside her.

Lutheran Disaster Response
Lutheran Disaster Response brings God’s hope, healing and renewal to people whose lives have been disrupted by disasters in the United States and around the world. Recently, Lutheran Disaster Response has begun working on responding to the earthquakes in Japan and Ecuador and the spring storms in the U.S. Want to learn more? Visit the Lutheran Disaster Response website to learn about the ways this church is providing fast and effective support to communities in need.

A new normal
Just over a year after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake devastated villages in Nepal, life is slowly starting to be rebuilt. The ELCA, through Lutheran Disaster Response, works with its partners in Nepal to provide ongoing relief and development to Nepali who are rebuilding. Many look back on this disaster with sorrow, but for some, it brought hope. “Before the earthquake, we rarely came together, often just to celebrate festivals,” said Pundeshori Shrestha, a woman whose village was taken by the earthquake. “We didn’t know each other well. But now, after the disaster, we work together, we communicate, we know each other much better as we come together.”

Volunteer in Mexico
Spend a week in Oaxaca City or in the jungle working to promote sustainable solutions for some of the most marginalized communities in Mexico together with Mexican non-profit Amextra. Work with eco-technologies in Oaxaca or in environmental conservation in Chiapas while also learning about the bigger picture that leads to poverty and environmental degradation. Choose June 6 – July 2 or Aug. 7-13. Click here for more information or visit amextra.org/seeds.

Calling all Thrivent Choice members!
ELCA Global Church Sponsorship has recently been added as an organization that is available to receive funds through the Thrivent Choice program. If you are a Thrivent member, consider supporting us as we send missionaries and volunteers, train leaders, plant churches and help support the growth in existing churches.

Give today!
To make an online gift to God’s work around the world, click here. Thank you!

Link to Global Links
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Learn more
To find out how you can sponsor a missionary or global ministry or support International Leaders through ELCA Global Church Sponsorship, visit elca.org/globalchurch.

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