Orphan Grain Train - "Relief for Human Need Worldwide"

Regional Divisions

June 2011 Mid-Atlantic Branch Newsletter

The Lord provided, again!

Thanks to so many of you the warehouse is bare- yes bare, well almost. A few boxes remain which will be sent out in the near future when we have packed sufficient boxes to fill a container.

On Friday June 17th we were able, with the help of about 30 teenagers and others, to load a 53ft semi headed for Lutheran Social Services in MacArthur, Ohio. The load included household items, clothing and medical equipment. This semi went to MacArthur, Ohio which is the second center which Lutheran Social Services has added. At MacArthur items were sorted and appropriate ones sent to Alabama for distribution to those in the flooded out area. The people in Ohio and Alabama have been blessed by what you have donated and helped to sort, pack and load. And so, the Lord not only provided the items to be shipped but the people to sort, pack and to load 970 apple boxes, plus furniture, bicycles, sewing machines, a washing machine, a dryer and much, much more.

Boxes in the warehouse ready to ship.

On the following Friday June 24th we loaded a 40ft container bound for Haiti. The Lord again/still was at our side as we loaded 650 apple boxes of clothing plus 15 pallets of food. The Lord provided three willing youth and seven able bodied men to do the loading, just the right amount of help for this project! Loading apple boxes is quite easy; loading pallets is a different story. You just don’t lift a pallet by hand. Two blocks from the warehouse a fork lift repair and Rental Company loaned us a fork lift to help in loading. The Lord also provided an operator who had been helping at the warehouse and had the experience of operating many types of equipment. The flour, brown sugar, tomato sauce, pasta, Spam, cinnamon, canola oil, and baking powder are all items which will be distributed by our counterpart in Haiti.

The assembly line at work.

In addition to the food there were over 2400 wonderfully made Pillowcase Dresses from various parts of the U.S. including Florida, Delaware, Colorado, West Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Some of the dresses came from local schools which had a sewing class and others from various organizations. The local TV Channel 10 showed the dresses and girls from one of the local schools. The young Haitian girls will be pleased with what you have done. Also, there was more than 3200 pair of flip flops for those in need. Thanks to Christ Memorial’s VBS and other churches in the Delaware Valley area the “Undy Sunday“ provided more than 1000 pair of underwear for both boys and girls. All in all, the container destined for those in need in Haiti should be a real blessing to God’s people who have very little and need very much. Thanks to all who became involved in the process.

Putting the finishing touches.

There were many people asking “What are you doing for the boys?“ We have received a pattern for Boy’s Shorts and are in the process of transferring it to an e-mail program. The finished e-mail will be ready in a week or so and we will be happy to send it to you at your request. The shorts will be sent to those boys in need along with more Pillowcase Dresses as they come in. There is a never ending need for countries such as Haiti, and so we continue to help those in need.

On Friday July 8th we started to give the warehouse a thorough cleaning. We will, with your help, start to sort and pack the mounds of clothing which have been accumulated. Volunteers are needed to get the clothing sorted and packed in order to load the next truck and/or container for those in need. We will be sorting and packing each Wednesday and Friday starting this July. The packing area is air conditioned, and there is a large fan in the sorting area. And on Fridays we have those delicious donuts. Come out and enjoy the opportunity to help others who are in need of clothing and other items which are lacking in their lives. Contact Cliff Kraft at 610 420 0380 or Roger Hazzard at 302 883 1760 for questions or directions.

To do all of the above we must raise funds. If you have insurance or investments with Thrivent, your Choice Dollars can be sent to Orphan Grain Train, Mid Atlantic Division by contacting Thrivent and designating Orphan Grain Train, Mid Atlantic Division as your choice for the distribution of your Choice Dollars. No cost to you, but a benefit to those in need. The cost to send a container to Haiti is in excess of nine thousand dollars ($9,000). The cost of the food which we sent was close to nineteen thousand five hundred dollars ($19,500). The cost to send a truck to Ohio is over nine hundred seventy-five dollars ($975). In addition we have warehouse expenses of rent and utilities. All of these funds must be raised by the Mid Atlantic Division. Of course financial contributions are always eagerly accepted. Some congregations put Orphan Grain train in their yearly budget. Would you prayerfully consider this approach to mission work?

One of our fund raisers this year is the 7th Annual Live and Silent Auction which will be held at the Sheraton Hotel in Frazer, PA on Sunday October 16th from 4:30 to 8pm. A light snack will be served and the items will be many and varied. Dinners, framed pictures, restaurants, airline tickets, golf outings, Disney passes and theatres will be part of the items offered. Is there something you would like to offer for the auction? Call Cliff Kraft and talk with him about that special item. Mark your calendar now for that date!

We give thanks to God for the opportunity to serve Him by serving others. In His plans He has provided opportunities for us to serve others. Let’s take advantage of those opportunities.

To God alone be the glory.
Cak 6/29/11

Shorts for Boys Around the World

Do you have a heart for clothing children in need? With your sewing skills and a little fabric you can create a pair of shorts that will mean a great deal to a boy. Christ Memorial Lutheran of Malvern, PA, has once again teamed up with Orphan Grain Train to send 2,000 shorts to boys in Haiti and by January 31, 2012.

Last spring our drive to send 1,000 pillowcase dresses to needy girls in Haiti received an overwhelming response of 2,140 from more than 15 states! Thank you to everyone who so generously gave of their time and skills to make that possible! Many participants asked what they could do for boys. In response, we have produced a simple-to-use pattern for shorts.

Why are we excited about this program?

We did it once before for girls, we can to it again for boys!
The shorts pattern is easy to make. You can even use pillowcases.

Orphan Grain Train has already reserved space on a container to ship the shorts to Haiti from their Wilmington, DE, warehouse. Missionaries in Haiti are prepared to distribute the clothing to those most in need along with the Gospel message.

What can you do?

Click on the links below for easy patterns and instructions for sewing shorts in three sizes.

Boys Shorts Pattern LARGE
Boys Shorts Pattern MEDIUM
Boys Shorts Pattern SMALL
Boys Shorts Directions

These shorts can be made as simply or as creatively as you would like! Make as many as you want. Ask friends and family to help. Organize a group to get together to make shorts; last spring church groups, schools, and Girl Scouts, came together just to sew. Forward this email to someone you know who might be interested in helping our campaign. This is also ideal for young adults to use as a service project!

For a Youtube video of children in Haiti receiving shorts and dresses, click on the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8l1vv1I1ZY

Where do we send the shorts?

Christ Memorial Lutheran Church, the collection site, is at 89 Line Road, Malvern, PA, 19355; phone 610-644-4508. Shorts can be dropped off or mailed, on or before January 31, 2012, between the hours of 9 AM and 3 PM weekdays, or 8:30 AM to noon on Sundays.

CA-AZ-NV Newsletter

http://ogt.org/images/uploads/CA,AZ,NV_Aug_2011.pdf

2011 Wisconsin August Newsletter

http://ogt.org/images/uploads/2011_Wisconsin_August_Newsletter.pdf

2011 April Wisconsin Newsletter

http://ogt.org/images/uploads/2011_Wisconsin_April_Newletter.pdf

Minnesota S. 2010 Activity Report

Shipments

Feb. 5 - 300 apple boxes of linens to Rochester Medical and Relief for Haiti.
Feb. 18 - 959G Toshkent, Uzbekistan (container)
Mar. 9 - Norfolk, NE - Medical Supplies - linens, back packs, soap, etc.
Jul. 15 - Eastern Heights, St. Paul - 10 wheel chairs for shipment of container on 8-9-10.
Jul. 20 - Norfolk, NE - Medical supplies, 420 apple boxes of blankets, 15 desks, 15 chairs, and 12 waste baskets
Aug. 6 - 1027G - Eastern Heights, St. Paul to Tajikistan
Sep. 24 - 1041G - container to Tajikistan
Oct. 8 - Relief to Hammond, MN - cleaning supplies from Norfolk, NE
Nov. 1 - Norfolk, NE - 321 apple boxes, mercy kits, 12 boxes miscellaneous
Nov. 9 - 1068 to Haiti, container of food (canned corn, peas, and beans). Split cost with Wisconsin Branch.

Relief for Haiti

An appeal was sent out to all Branches for blankets to send to Haiti by the National OGT office. Our truck went to all four of our warehouses and collected what blankets they had and took them to Norfolk, NE. A third grade teacher read in the newsletter that blankets were needed and told her students about it. They wanted to do something so they asked the other students and their families to bring blankets for Haiti to the school. They were hoping to get 100 blankets and ended up collecting more than 300 blankets. Glory be to God!

Fish Feeds Served in 2010

Mar. 26 - Christ the King Spencer, IA
May 30 - Zion Lutheran Hopkins, MN
Jun. 13 - Martin Lutheran High School Northrop, MN
Jul. 18 - Lutheran Church of our Savior Windom, MN
Aug. 29 - First Lutheran Glencoe, MN
Sep. 12 - Emmanuel Lutheran Milbank, SD
Sep. 19 - Trinity Lutheran South Shore White Bear Lake, MN
Sep. 26 - Trinity Lutheran St. Francis, MN
Oct. 3 - Peace Lutheran Rock Rapids, IA
Oct. 10 - Mount Calvary Richfield, MN
Oct. 17 - St. Johns Lutheran Stewartville, MN
Oct. 31 - Emmaus Lutheran St. Paul, MN
Nov. 7 - Immanuel Lutheran Lakefield, MN

As Fish Feeds are our main fundraiser we would like to thank everyone that sponsored, helped, or contributed their support for a Fish Feed or any other support given the Orphan Grain Train. Anyone wishing to sponsor a Fish Feed in 2011 should contact Hank Wiemann at 507-831-4804 or Loren Ulbricht at 507-662-6270 or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Fish Feed Schedule For Balance of 2011

Aug.14, 2011 - Emmanuel Spirit Lake IA
Aug. 21, 2011 - Our Savior Windom MN
Aug 28, 2011 - First Lutheran Glencoe MN
Sept 11, 2011 - Trinity St. Francis MN
Sept 18, 2011 - Trinity South Shore White Bear Lake MN
Sept 25, 2011 - Emmanuel Milbank SD
Oct. 2, 2011 - Peace Rock Rapids IA
Oct. 9, 2011 - Trinity Mountain Lake MN
Oct. 16, 2011 - St. Johns Stewartville MN
Oct. 23, 2011 - Emmaus St Paul MN
Oct. 30, 2011 - Mount Calvary Richfield MN
Nov. 6, 2011 - Immanuel Lakefield MN

June and July 2011 News

COLORADO WEST BRANCH

Orphan Grain Train
JUNE AND JULY 2011
John 14:18 reads ” I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you”

LUGA #2-Orphanage near Luga Russia.

Peace Lutheran has supported this Orphanage for several years now. We have posted pictures of the children for quite some time. Maybe soon the poster will again be on display. The approximately 35 children that get care at this orphanage are specials needs children. Some live at the facility permanetly, some go home on weekends and others may just attend for the day. The funds needed to keep the facility going has been set at $10.00 a month per sponsor and $280.00 is needed for one month at a time. This means we need 28 sponsors a month to meet this goal. With the Lord’s help we have been able to keep up until so far. This $10.00 a month will provide medicines, shoes, food etc. Those of us that have taken this on have felt a real bond with the children there. It would be a great blessing if the Lord would touch your heart and help these children. Please contact Dick Tuers for more infornmation. He can be reached at 303-424-1212.

GARAGE SALES

Dorothy Curtis and her gang have held two sales this year. These sales are a lot of work but are a big plus for funds in the treasury. THESE TWO SALES HAVE GROSSED $2,600.00 +. Please do call her at 303-424-4074 for usuable items and if you feel motivated -help-.!! She will hold more sales.

PILLOWCASE DRESSES

This is not a fund raiser but under the watchful eye of Ursula Tuers has been a great outreach. These dresses can be sewn from pillowcases or a regular pattern using some of that material that seems to fill many of our closet shelves. Little girls always need dresses !! Call Ursula for a pattern or even fabric and other notions needed. Phone # 303-424-1212. She was able to ship close to 116 dresses in our CWB boxes. These boxes were labeled ‘HAITI” and sent to the International Warehouse in Norfolk, NE, and will be put very soon on a container bound for Haiti.

A slight correction to the May Peace Progress-we received dresses from Mt. Olive in Loveland not Longmont.

QUILTS

Are always needed. We are asking for usuable tie quilts. We have been told that all sizes are welcome. Baby to Grandma and Grandpa ones.!

FISH FEEDS

We have held the one at Peace Lutheran on April 3, and with Thrivent chipping in a generous amount we were able to raise $1,675.00.
More Feeds are acheduled: May 15th at Beautiful Savior in Broomfield, May 22 at Gethsemane in Northglenn, July 17th at Mt. Hope in Boulder,and Gloria Christi in Greeley on July 24th. This leaves August 14rh at Peace with Christ in Ft. Collins and Risen Savior in Broomfield on August 28th.

This does it for now. We do want to thank everone again for all of their work, donations and participation in these projects. God does send the laborers when and where needed.

Philippians 2:13 reads ” for it is God who works in you both to will and to do according to his good pleasure.

http://www.ogt.org
Respectfully submitted by : Anita Boette
Call Lou for information: Lou Boette- 303-453-1270

Central Nebraska March Newsletter

http://ogt.org/images/uploads/2011_March_Central_NebraskaNewsletter.pdf

Wisconsin January 2011 Newsletter

http://ogt.org/images/uploads/Wisconsin_Branch_January_2011_newsletter.pdf

Pillowcase Dresses Needed

http://ogt.org/images/uploads/Pillow_Case_Dresses_article_for_web_.pdf

Instructions for Pillowcase Dresses

http://ogt.org/images/uploads/Latest_Pillow_Case_Instructions.pdf

Winter 2011 Mid-Atlantic Newsletter

http://ogt.org/images/uploads/2011-1-20_Mid_Atlantic_Newsletter.pdf

Central Nebraska January 2011 Newsletter

http://ogt.org/images/uploads/Jan_2011_Central_Nebraska_Newsletter.pdf

Mid-Atlantic Branch Fall 2010 Newsletter

http://ogt.org/images/uploads/Mid_Atlantic_Branch_Fall_2010_Newsletter.pdf

Minnesota South Branch 2009 Activity Report

http://ogt.org/images/uploads/MN_S_2009_Activity_Report.pdf

North Dakota Branch 2010 Update

http://ogt.org/images/uploads/ORPHAN_GRAIN_TRAIN_North_Dakota_Branch.pdf

Wisconsin October 2010 Newsletter

October_2010_Newsletter_10—27-2010.pdf

Central Nebraska October 2010 Newsletter

Central_Nebraska_October_2010_Newsletter.pdf

LLL Employees Help Orphan Grain Train

http://ogt.org/images/uploads/May_11_18_2010_LLL_Employees_Help_OGT.pdf

Central Nebraska July 2010 Newsletter

http://ogt.org/images/uploads/2010-July-Central-Neb-Newsletter.pdf

If you would like to make a donation in support of the Central Nebraska Branch, you can donate online via our secure Online Giving Page. Under Gift Information select Where Most Needed. Go to the comment section at the bottom of the page and type in Central Nebraska Branch. Checks can be mailed to the Central Nebraska Branch, P.O. Box 1565, Hastings, NE 68902-1565.

Wisconsin July 2010 Newsletter

http://ogt.org/images/uploads/2010-07-22_Wis.nwsltr_.vol_.6_issue3_.pdf

Central Nebraska Division Now Open Three Days Per Week

Greetings Everyone,

We are ready to schedule groups to come and work with us. You can call me a (308) 382-9051 (home) or (308) 227-2835 (cell) to schedule. I am asking that the group not be any larger than seven (7). We are limited a little on work space. Any size less than seven is welcome.

Our warehouse hour are:
Mondays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Wednesdays, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Thursdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Thank you in advance, and blessings to each of you.
Arlene Doremus

The warehouse address (not the mailing address) is 427 N. Shady Bend Rd., Grand Island
Please mail and make donations payable to:
Orphan Grain Train Central Nebraska Division, PO Box 1565, Hastings, NE 68902-1565.

We do not have a phone at the warehouse, so if you have any questions, call Arlene Doremus at (308) 382-9051 or (308) 227-2835. If you need directions or more information on how to find the warehouse, don’t hesitate to call.

Eastern Michigan Regional Division

Please contact Cyndi Major at (989) 624-6008 to volunteer or to make a contribution. An alternate phone number is: (989) 652-2515
Our mailing address is:
Orphan Grain Train Eastern Michigan Division
PO Box 75
Frankenmuth, MI 48734
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Central Nebraska Regional Division

Wisconsin Style Fish Feeds - 2011

Wed. Mar. 9 - Waverly - Peace Lutheran Church, 9831 N. 145th St. 5:45 P.M.
Sun. Mar. 13 - Red Cloud - Zion Lutheran Church, 840 N. Franklin, 5:00 P.M
Sun. Apr. 3 -Beatrice - St. Paul Lutheran Church, at school,930 Prairie Lane, 11:00 A.M.
Fri. Apr. 8 -Franklin - Grace Lutheran Church (John White of Phillipsburg, KS)
Sun. Apr. 10 - Waco - St. John Lutheran Church, 1011 Road U, 10:45 A.M.
Sun. May 1 - Auburn - St. Paul Hickory Grove Lutheran Church, 72796 634 Ave., 11:00 A.M*
Sun. May 22 - North Platte - Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1400 E. Street, 11:00 A.M.
Sun. Jun 5 - Burwell - St. John Lutheran Church, 308 N. 8th.St. - 11:30 A.M.
Sun. Jun 5 - Grand Island - Trinity Lutheran Church, 212 W. 12th. - 12:30 P.M.
Sun. Jun 12 - Lexington - Sponsored by Trinity Lutheran Church, Memorial Park, 11:30 A.M.
Fri. Jun.17 - Hastings - Sponsored by LLL Hastings area, Prospect Park, 5th and Laird, 5:30 P.M.
Sun. Jun 19 - Shelton - St. Paul Lutheran Church, 705 A Street, 11:30 A.M.
Sun. June 19 - Palmer - St. John Lutheran Church,504 Utica Ave., 11:30 A.M
Sun. June 26 - Kramer - St. John Lutheran Church, 11400 W. Panama Rd. Crete, NE - 11:00 A.M.*
Sat. July 9 - Kearney - Zion Lutheran School Gym, 2421 Ave. C - 11:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M.
Sun. Jul 17 - Hampton - St. Peter Lutheran Church, 381 H, 11:30 A.M
Sun. Jul. 24 - Seward - St. John Lutheran Church (LWML), 919 N. Columbia, 12:00 P.M.
Sun. Jul. 31 - Deshler - Trinity (Hebron) & St. Peter (Deshler) Deshler Lutheran School - 11:00 A.M.*
Sun. Aug. 28 - Central City - St. Paul Lutheran Church, 820 G. Ave, 11:45 A.M
Sun. Sep. 11 - Utica - St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1100 D Street, 11:00 A.M
Sun. Sep. 11 - Cedar Bluffs - St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, 300 S. 2nd - 11:00 A.M.*
Sun. Sep. 18 -Shickley - Zion Lutheran, 402 N. Murray, 11:00 A.M.
Sun. Sep. 25 - Minden - St. Paul Lutheran Church, 206 N. Colorado, 11:30 A.M.
Sun. Sep. 25 - Beatrice - 1st Trinity Lutheran Church, 11668 West State Highway #4 - 11:00 A.M.*
Sun. Oct. 9 - Grand Island - Peace Lutheran Church - 1710 N. North Road
Sun. Oct. 16 - Fairbury - Grace Lutheran Church, 1100 G Street, 11:30 A.M.
Sun. Oct. 30 - Rosemont - Calvary Lutheran Church, 2013 Rosemont Ave., 11:30 A.M.*

* Beatrice will do these fish feeds
Please consider hosting a “Fish Feed” for Orphan Grain Train, Central NE Branch, Grand Island.
For scheduling call: Beth Stark, Central NE Branch, OGT Fish Feed Contact Person - 402-463-8263

Wisconsin April 2010 Newsletter

http://ogt.org/images/uploads/2010_April_Wisconsin_Newsletter.pdf

Missouri-Illinois Spring 2010

Pastors Heed the Call to Help at Orphan Grain Train in St. Louis
By Gerald Perschbacher

About a dozen Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod pastors from congregations in the St. Louis area descended on the Missouri-Illinois Division center in south St. Louis to express their Christian faith through labor, April 20. Thresa Jacobsmeyer, volunteer coordinator, and the Rev. Eldon Winker, division chair, coordinated the effort. Assisting was Gerald Perschbacher, division board member and staffer for Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Volunteers concentrated on yard work, painting, and the moving of donated items. They received a tour of the facility to show how the former Concordia Seminary structure (built in 1908) was still functioning for the good of the Church more than a century later. While they were involved in the work effort, the pastors also witnessed various agencies that came to the center to receive food and other items for distribution through outreach efforts in various locations in and around St. Louis.

Instead of holding a regular gathering on pastoral matters, the group wanted to exert muscle and do a hands-on service project. Similar projects at the division center have been done by at least one department from the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod International Center and by staff members from the Int’l Lutheran Laymen’s League headquarters (Lutheran Hour Ministries). A local Lutheran high school and other institutions with Lutheran connections also have assisted in past years.

The involvement of each outside organization allows for Orphan Grain Train’s Missouri-Illinois division to tell its story on meeting the needs of people who are precious in the eyes of the Lord.

Interestingly, when the pastors conversed during the painting on April 20, the conversation was about preaching and pastoral matters, so participants maximized their time with a two-fold accomplishment!

The division explained that nearly 40 associations, organizations, and outreach efforts are blessed through Orphan Grain Train efforts locally. The Missouri-Illinois Division also extends its influence through shipments of items overseas and to domestic disasters sites such as those devastated by Katrina.

“Diapers from T-Shirts Project” at Rocky Mountain Division

This will be a wonderful mission project, not only for Haiti, but wherever there is a need. The diapers are bundled four to a pack with two large safety pins per 4-pack. Illustrated directions in Adobe Acrobat format are available by clicking here.

Kansas Division 2009

Orphan Grain Train - with worldwide humanitarian aid and disaster relief supplies
John 14:18 - “I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.”

A recent National Convention of the Orphan Grain Train was held at Norfolk, Nebraska with 16 people from Kansas as part of the 345 attendees. Eight speakers, four breakout workshops and a 50-minute opening devotion and 30-minute closing devotion were a part of the convention. Convention speakers told about the tornado recovery efforts in Greensburg, Kansas, the Katrina disaster area, and Hurricane Ike in the Houston gulf coast area. Thank yous were given to Orphan Grain Train for much assistance to these disaster areas. Plan to attend the next Orphan Grain Train convention the weekend of September 17-18, 2010.

In 2008, Orphan Grain Train shipped 147 semi-loads and containers with another 50 smaller units delivering aid. This past August, four overseas shipments went to Armenia, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan and items from the Lutheran Laymen’s League went to Nicaragua, including Bibles, medical equipment and supplies, clothing, bicycles, sewing machine and disinfectants. There were 16 domestic shipments that included backpacks-bedding-blankets and Bibles, clothes -shoes, toys, desks, school supplies household items - stove, microwave and refrigerator.

Since January 1, 2009, the Kansas Division has sent to the national warehouse in Norfolk: 53 hospital beds, 15 walkers, 74 pieces of medical equipment and 67 boxes of medical supplies, six pieces of optometry equipment, 532 pieces of new underwear and socks, 565 lbs of unsorted clothes and blankets, 2,500 boxes of sorted clothes, 815 boxes of new clothes and backpacks. 330 quilts, 200 sleeping bags and small denim lap quilts, 2,500 insulin syringes, 52 arm chair desks and 50 bicycles.

Thank you for your support to help meet shipping costs. The Orphan Grain Train web site is http://www.ogt.org where you can find six articles written about OGT by the Norfolk Daily News. Orphan Grain Train Kansas Division, c/o Bud Heisterman, RR 2 Box L26, Luddell, Kansas 67744-9753 or Orphan Grain Train, PO Box 1466, Norfolk, NE 68702.

Ysleta Lutheran Mission of El Paso, Texas
At the Orphan Grain Train Convention, one of the sectional breakout sessions was a Ysleta Lutheran Mission presentation by Trisha Heimer, the daughter-in-law of Rev. Karl Heimer who was unable to attend this year’s convention because he was conducting a funeral. Trisha thanked Orphan Grain Train for its many loads of humanitarian aid. With six pastors and a vicar they serve 15 communities along the border and into Mexico. One of the neighboring communities they are trying to help is Sparks with 793 households and 2,974 people who were trying to rebuild after a severe flood. This past year the Ysleta Mission received help from 1,600 volunteers. The area they serve has felt the closing of 150 factories along the U.S.-Mexico border. They welcome your prayers, cash donations and volunteers hours that you can provide.

Rocky Mountain Division Summer 2009

Orphan Grain Train Rocky Mountain Division
Warehouse Location: I-76 and Colorado State Highway 385, Julesburg, CO 80737

Warehouse hours are Wednesday and Saturday mornings, 9 to 11 A.M. We close the day before a holiday and on holidays so our volunteers can enjoy the day with their families. Our volunteers have sent ten (semi-load) shipments from the Julesburg warehouse in 2008 and four shipments in the first half of 2009.

So many wonderful miracles have happened to us we thought it would be nice to share them with you:

1. We have a satellite collection point at Epiphany Lutheran Church, Castle Rock, Colorado which is about 20 miles south of Denver. They have been collecting clothing for us since 2003. Ken and Dottie Bockelmann and their volunteers have been doing a wonderful job. We are so thankful for Epiphany Lutheran for allowing us to help the needy. A few years ago, Epiphany congregation also collected the $4,000 needed to purchase our truck.

2. Since Orphan Grain Train is still working at the Katrina relief area, I thought I could share with you two stories. Back in 2005 our Sedgwick County Sheriff received a telex from a sheriff in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, thirty-six hours after the hurricane hit. He was desperately in need of clothing, shoes, diabetic and other medical supplies, disposable diapers and bottled water. Several sheriff’s departments in our area got together and collected the medical supplies, diapers, and water, and loaded it into a National Guard troop truck. Then they drove out to our Orphan Grain Train warehouse, where county inmates loaded the rest of the truck with the needed clothing, covered everything with tarps, and left directly for Hattiesburg. The drivers took turns driving, and arrived within 24 hours of the telex!

A second Katrina miracle. The Sisters from St. Patrick Catholic Church, Sidney, Neb. called us right after Katrina. They knew we were doing relief, and they wanted to know what they could do to help. We asked them to collect hygiene items, and gave them a list of items. They did one better, they contacted the Sidney Public High School to compete with their Catholic School to see who could collect the most items. Three days later we received a phone call from the Sidney HS Principal to come and pick up the items, there were so much, these items were all over the halls and creating a hazard. These items were all taken to St. John’s Lutheran Church in rural Ogallala, Neb. where men, women and children were waiting with gallon Zip-lock bags for assembling. As soon as they were done, Heinz Piehl and John Heidemann drove the completed packets (37 large boxes full) in our Orphan Grain Train truck straight to Norfolk, Neb., where they were loaded on the next semi truck headed to New Orleans!

3. 2007. We needed to move from our previous John Deere warehouse, and nothing in town or anywhere near was suitable. Our board members voted to build. One acre of land was donated to us. Blueprints, title work, appraisal, some of the surveying, some of the actual building, and some town services were donated. Many grants were received, and an interest free loan was given to complete the warehouse. Praise the Lord!

4. Quilts. We receive quilts from over twelve churches in our area. All of these lovingly sewed quilts give comfort to needy people, both in the states during disasters, and overseas.

5. Thrivent Financial Chapters continue to match monies collected during fundraisers, to help us pay for shipments.

6. May 2008. Windsor, Colorado suffered a tornado. An ABC reporter was on scene that afternoon and gave the list of immediately needed items. Windsor is about 150 miles from Julesburg. After receiving permission, early the next morning several men loaded our truck with 248 boxes full of quilts, baby and children’s clothing, jeans, and shoes and drove to the distribution point in Windsor. It was a scene that Heinz Piehl and Paul Kerschner will never forget. The Windsor volunteers were in “awe” that help could come so fast!

7. Box Butte Hospital in Alliance, Neb. continues to donate good medical equipment for missions. When Heinz arrives with our truck, all available employees come out and help, and then donate their own extra clothing.

8. Kathy Most and her crew from St. John’s Lutheran, in rural Ogallala, Neb. continue to collect and pack clothing for us!

9. Our volunteers are the most wonderful, giving people, who come faithfully twice a week to do the Lord’s Mission Work as HE has taught us! Our Board members give of their time and talents consistantly. Brad Brackhan comes whenever needed, Paul Kerschner gets our boxes from Greeley and brings them out to us and comes whenever needed, Ken and Dottie continue to sort and pack, and our Treasurer Kathy Schwartz continues to work for us, after working all day at the bank! Thanks to Dick Dawson and Jan for managing the Julesburg Warehouse. You do a great job. Thanks to all of you!

One final note, we all give thanks for John Heidemann, who gave so much time for a Mission that he loved. He is missed.

Respectfully submitted, Carol Piehl, Secretary
Orphan Grain Train, Rocky Mountain Division
For more information call: (970) 474-4815

Indiana Spring 2009 Activity Report

The volunteers of the Indiana Division of Orphan Grain Train find themselves serving those in need closer to home these days as they reach out to those severely impacted by the distressed economy.

Eugene Wint, Division chairman, reports that the local unemployment rate has reached 15%—almost double the national average. The automotive manufacturing industry in Indiana has been particularly hard-hit.

“We are receiving more and more requests for all types of items to help families put their lives together,” he said. More than 20 charitable and service organizations that help people in legitimate need make referrals to the Division. Semi-loads of clothing and other items have gone to various locations within 300 miles of the warehouse located in Azalea in southern Indiana.

“We are looking for a source of food to supply local food banks,” said Wint. “The demand for food has doubled in the past six months,” he added.

The Division continues to provide furniture, appliances, kitchenware and various items to those who have repaired and remodeled their homes damaged by the flood in central Indiana last year. Wint explained that the Division has a close working relationship with the Columbus, Ind., office of the Red Cross, which presented the Division with one of 15 plaques given out in grateful appreciation for its service during the June 2008 flood.

As soon as funds allow, the Division will ship a container to Cambodia where Rev. Chuck Groth is serving on the mission field. The container is being sponsored by the Indiana District of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod office in Fort Wayne. Several congregations contributed to its contents. Another semi load was recently sent to the Appalachian Mission of the Methodist Church in Beverly, Kentucky.

“God continues to offer us opportunities to serve our fellow man,” Wint concluded. “Our prayer is that He will continue to lead, guide and direct our work to fulfill our mission.”

“If a person having material possessions sees his brother in need, and does not share with him, where is the love of God in him?” (I John 3 v.17).

Iowa West 2009 Activity Report

The Ida Grove, Iowa, warehouse is open on Tuesday mornings from 8 A.M. to 11 A.M. for packing and receiving. The warehouse opens at other times when groups make arrangments for working.

This year’s activities include:

April 21, 2009 Container loaded and shipped to Uzbekistan with used clothing, bedding and medical equipment.

Volunteers at Ida Grove, Iowa, hoist hospital bed into container for Uzbekistan.

Medical equipment finally loaded with only a few cubic feet left at the end of the container. Boxes of clothing and other supplies will fill out the load.

Shipment to Uzbekistan is loaded, and volunteers are ready for lunch.

On March 3, 2009, another shipping container was sent to Latvia filled with used clothing, shoes, wheelchairs and crutches.

Wisconsin Shipments During 2009 and Convention News

Wisconsin Division January 2010 Newsletter (pdf format) (Includes all Wisconsin Division shipments for 2009)
Thank you to everyone who helped bring “Relief for Human Need Worldwide” in 2009!

Wisconsin Division November 2009 Newsletter (pdf format) (Wisconsin Division Convention Issue!)

Maryland Division

Orphan Grain Train Needs YOU

The Orphan Grain Train, Maryland Branch has been quite busy with recent shipments of clothes, medical supplies (including over 1,000 crutches!), canes, sanitary kits, wheelchairs and bedding to Cameroon, Nicaragua and most recently, Kyrgyzstan. Even with these shipments, though, we are running out of room. We have graciously been given a plot of land in Millersville, Maryland, and are actively raising funds for the creation of a warehouse to store supplies in between shipments. If you are able to make a donation in support of this effort, you can donate online via our secure Online Giving Page. Under Gift Information select Where Most Needed. Go to the comment section at the bottom of the page and type in Maryland Branch Warehouse. Checks can be mailed to the address below with Maryland Warehouse in the memo line.

The Orphan Grain Train, Maryland Branch, is currently collecting clothing, medical supplies and sanitary supplies for our next shipment to Haiti. If you have donations for the Orphan Grain Train Maryland Branch, please contact Elfie Eberle at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or Ron Phipps at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Thank you for you support and helping send Relief for Human Need Worldwide!

Maryland Branch mailing address:
Orphan Grain Train Maryland Branch
c/o St. Paul Lutheran Church
31 Roscoe Rowe Blvd.
Annapolis, MD 21146
(410) 544-1621

Maryland Branch Helps New York Flood Victims

On a chilly early afternoon of Monday, November 28, a loaded cargo van arrived at Zion Lutheran Church in Owego, New York at the request of Pastor Aaron Schian. The town was devastated when the rain from tropical storm Lee began falling September 6 and poured 11 inches over the next two days. The Susquehanna River rose from 17 feet to 38 feet between 6 a.m. September 7 and 6 a.m. September 8. Then the gauge that measures the surge broke, but the river kept rising. "It was like a horizontal Niagara Falls," said a Salvation Army worker. "It was fast, it was high and it was loud."

One resident said, "Everybody's life is on the lawn." The mayor said that 90 percent of the homes on the north side of the Susquehanna River took in water. Some will have to be leveled and many more will take months to repair.

Seeking to help his community, Pastor Schian contacted Elfie Eberle, chair of the Orphan Grain Train, Maryland Branch. Housed at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Annapolis, Orphan Grain Train is a nearly all-volunteer, humanitarian, Christian organization that shares material resources with people who are in need, wherever they are. The pastor said he had a particular need for blankets and quilts. He noted that "there are still around 1,000 people without power and that means, of course, without heat. The blankets and quilts will be such a great gift to the people here in Owego."

Elfie immediately put the word out and in a matter of a few short weeks, the ladies of Annapolis Evangelical Lutheran Church, along with the ladies of St. Paul's made 67 bright and beautiful quilts! Supplemented by donations from many other churches, some as far away as Salisbury, Maryland and Hampton and Williamsburg, Virginia, a total of 300 quilts and blankets were loaded in the van along with 30 mercy kits (a bath towel and wash cloth wrapped around hygiene supplies, such as toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, etc.)
The quilts and blankets arrived just in time. The supply at Zion Lutheran Church had dwindled to just a few.
Special thanks to all of those who helped.

Kyrgyzstan Feature:

Kyrgyzstan is a former Soviet Republic about the size of Nebraska with a population of 6 million people. It is 95% mountainous and actually looks very similar to Switzerland. When the Russians left in 1991, they closed all their munitions and textile factories and the collective farm system collapsed. That left the country with an unemployment rate of 80%. This coupled with the shaky democracy and the corruption have left many of the nation’s citizens hopeless.

The Lutheran mission is a beacon of light in a very dark place. The gospel, the good news, brings hope where there is none. Orphan Grain Train ships containers of clothing, school supplies, medical supplies and equipment. 300 shunts have been supplied to the Ministry of Health which means that 300 lives have been saved. Each year, 50 societies are chosen out of the hundreds that apply and receive monthly allotments of hygiene supplies, clothing, linens and school supplies. We support 7 orphanages, 10 groups of seniors who craft items to sell for their support, 14 churches and bring help to hundreds of individuals in and out of the church.

Here is a quote from a letter from a Kyrgyz mother: “Thank you so much for the warm boots you have supplied Sasha. He now can go to school and go out and play. God bless you.“

Cameroon Feature:

OGT sent a container to Cameroon during November 2010, but guess what? The container did not come back. Instead, it was purchased by Lutheran Hour Ministries to be kept there and used as a place for a newly established sewing school. Once windows and doors were cut into the container, the 40 sewing machines, fabrics and sewing supplies were put in place to start the school. Aimed at women who been sexually abused, this school will offer new opportunities to learn skills that these women would not have had access to otherwise.

In addition to sewing supplies and medical supplies, clothing and brand new school supplies filled the container. This was the first time OGT has shipped to Cameroon.
Pastor Sam, Lutheran Hour Ministries director for Cameroon, tells us that this first shipment from OGT will open the door for opportunities to share the Gospel.

Here are some pictures of the items sent to the Hospital in Ngaoundere. These pictures were taken by the authorities of the Hospital upon reception of the medical supplies in Ngaoundere, a town situated about 900 kms away from Douala where the container was received and 600 kms away from Yaounde.

Nicaragua Feature

Nicaragua is the second poorest country in our hemisphere. This country has suffered for decades from corrupt governments and devastating natural disasters, including hurricanes, volcanic eruptions and the aftermath of mud slides. The MD DIVISION mission is located in Chinendega, which has an unemployment rate of 70%.
For ten days, earlier this year, a group of dedicated OGT volunteers from the Maryland Branch flew to Nicaragua and helped sort the shipment into the local warehouse, while other volunteers took certain supplies, such as IV holders and other sterile medical supplies immediately to the hospital. Among other activities, volunteers took a tour of the area hospital and prison; as well as taught kids necessary hygiene routines like brushing teeth and a couple hosted a mini Vacation Bible school.

The containers that were shipped to Nicaragua included medical equipment and supplies, fabric and sewing machines to support the sewing school, clothing, linens, school supplies, school desks and dental equipment. Through the generous hearts of so many, the Maryland Branch was able to send this shipment to support area schools, churches, hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes that so desperately need this support.
We still need your help. If you are able to donate any of the above items, please email us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Ricardo, Director of Lutheran Hour Ministries in Nicaragua sent some pictures that were taken recently in Matagalpa city. These photos are of a LHM Bible course graduation of about 70 kids. Each graduate received a certificate of conclusion and a small toy. The toys were sent by Orphan Grain Train in the last container.

Children graduating from Bible course

Children with their diplomas

Each child received a toy.

More Nicaragua Photos

Feeding The Children

One of the 14 churches we supply with clothing, toys, baptismal fonts, altars.

One of the 14 Christian schools we support with supplies and equipment.
You too can support a child for one year in one of these schools with $90.

A child with one of our wheelchairs which gave her mobility.
Many people come for the life giving crutches, canes, and walkers we ship.

Orphan Grain Train Aiding Haiti

Also, Orphan Grain Train, Maryland Division, is planning to ship a 40-foot container to Haiti soon. In addition to medical supplies and other materials, we need clothing sorted and packed from churches. If you are able to help, please contact Elfie Eberle at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or Ron Phipps at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Thank you for you support and helping send Relief for Human Need Worldwide! Cash donations of any amount will help the survivors in that beleaguered country. Checks may be sent to Orphan Grain Train, PO Box 1466, Norfolk, NE 68702-1466. Please write “Haiti” on the memo.

California Arizona Nevada February 2009 Report

THANK YOU
The California-Arizona-Nevada Division of Orphan Grain Train wishes to express our appreciation to the congregations and Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) Societies for their wonderful support with the outpouring of gifts for Undie Sunday in February of 2008. This effort primarily occurred throughout the Pacific Southwest District but we also received generous amounts of Undies from the California-Nevada-Hawaii District of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). As these undies and socks were packed a total of 230 boxes were tallied. Delivery of 150 boxes to the Orphan Grain Train warehouse at Norfolk, Nebraska was made in April of 2008 to be distributed as needed. Eight boxes were given to Lutheran Border Concerns Ministry and Melissa Salomon, Director of Lutheran Hour Ministries/Mexico, is using the remainder for ministries in Tijuana. Go to http://www.cptlnmexico.wordpress.com to read the story of one woman, 104 years old, who was delighted with a gift of underwear.

UNDIE SUNDAY - 2010
Plans are underway to hold a second district-wide Undie Sunday on February 14. 2010. The PSW District LWML has graciously agreed to assist us in this endeavor again. Donations of new socks and underwear for men, women and children will be gathered. These undies will be sent to an area where the need is greatest.

LWML MISSION GRANT FOR NEW TRUCK
The ladies of the Pacific Southwest District LWML graciously voted to award a $10,000 grant to purchase a new truck for our division at their convention this past June in Las Vegas.
Our previous truck due to its age and upkeep needed to be retired.
A new truck will allow us to pull the 14-foot trailers when necessary to pick up donations from the many wonderful donors of items for ministry and to transport these gifts in kind where needed.
Most of our support is now given to ministries in Tijuana through the office of Lutheran Hour Ministries/Mexico. Melissa Salomon is the Director of LHM/Mexico.

ANOTHER THANK YOU TO ALL THE QUILTING GROUPS
Crown of Life - Sun City West, AZ
Risen Savior - Chandler, AZ
Epiphany - Chandler
First - Culver City
Holy Cross - Cypress

FOR SALE
We have received the donation of a Class A motor home. Our Division is not able to put this gift to good use. It is a 1989 Suncrest, 29-ft. with a Queen Bed. Equipment includes air conditioner, microwave, furnace, side-by-side refrigerator, gas generator, cruise control, luggage rack and ladder, stabilizer jacks, spare tire and carrier, and trailer hitch. It is currently being stored in Lancaster. Please call Steve Rice, (661) 305-0561 or Cliff Shout, (661) 945-4428 for further information.

LOOKING FOR A WAREHOUSE
Our division would like to expand our humanitarian operations but we need a warehouse to do so. Ideally we are looking for space that could be donated in the Southern California area. Please contact Norm Everhart, (909) 986-7005 if you are acquainted with someone who would have this kind of knowledge.

DIVISION OFFICERS
Chairman, Norm Everhart, (909) 986-7005
Vice-Chairman, Laverne Mirly, (626) 358-7291
Secretary, Steve Rice, (661) 305-0561
Treasurer, Cliff Shout, (661) 945-4428
Pastoral Advisor, Rev. Dr. Lee Settgast, (714) 630-3478
Newsletter Editor, Shirley Anderson, (619) 421-5269

IN MEMORIAM
The Lord called home on September 17, 2008 our previous chairman, Don Anderson.

I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you. John 14:18

YOUR HELP NEEDED
First, thanks to everyone for giving your financial support as well as gifts in kind to Orphan Grain Train whether it is to our Headquarters in Norfolk, Nebraska, or to the California-Arizona-Nevada Division.
Second, to purchase a new truck for our division will require additional funds beyond the wonderful $10,000 grant from the Pacific Southwest Lutheran Women’s Missionary League.
Funds are also needed to pick up and transport donated items where most needed.
If the Lord so moves you, please send your donation made payable to: Orphan Grain Train, Inc.
Send to: 555 Manzanita St, Chula Vista, CA 91911

Name_____________________________________________

Address___________________________________________

City/State/Zip ______________________________________

If you are a Thrivent member please fill out the GivingPlus form and return it with your donation so it may grow:
GivingPlus_Form_2008.pdf
GivingPlus_Instructions_2008.pdf

If you would like to print this report, a Adobe Acrobat .pdf file copy is available here:
2009-02_CalifArizNev_Newsletter.pdf

Spring 2009 Minnesota North Collecting New Socks and Undies

All congregations in the Minnesota North District are invited to collect new socks and undies (men’s, women’s and children’s) for Orphan Grain Train and bring them to the in-gathering at the Minnesota North District Convention, April 27-29, 2009, at Madden’s Resort, Brainerd, Minnesota. These items will be sent to help meet the needs of children in the Texas missions and other countries where new items are allowed. For more information, please call Gene Pasche (Director of Orphan Grain Train Minnesota North Division) at (320) 589-2796.

Missouri-Illinois Winter 2008-2009

Story and photos by Gerald Perschbacher

Dozens of volunteers descended on the Orphan Grain Train Missouri-Illinois Division workcenter on Tuesday, March 3. But it was unlike any other workday. That’s because the volunteers were from the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) World Mission department. More than 50 divided into teams to tackle tasks in the pantry, sort donated clothing and household items, do yard work, work on quilts, and paint. Some participants worked on the premises of Holy Cross Ev. Lutheran Church, which owns the St. Louis property being used by OGT.
Synodical officials labeled it LCMS World Mission Day, permitted by executives to augment the focus and achievements of employees who are mission-minded. Vicki Helling coordinated synodical volunteers.

Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod staff volunteers gathered for a devotion at the start of their work day in Saint Louis.

Sorting clothing was one of many activities for a full day.

Quilt-making was also performed.

Cleaning pews was a courtesy to Holy Cross Lutheran Church which is across the street from Orphan Grain Train’s workcenter.

The exterior of the workcenter and Holy Cross Lutheran Church were raked and groomed.

In other Orphan Grain Train news:

The Rev. David Bueltmann, president of the LCMS Central Illinois District, recently delivered several boxes of quilts made by volunteers. He accomplished the delivery while coming to St. Louis for meetings, thus showing prudent use of time, energy, and resources. These quilts will be earmarked for special uses through Orphan Grain Train as needs arise.

Also in the news:
Thirty-five Global Care Packages were delivered to the Orphan Grain Train Saint Louis work center in February, reports Chuck Koopmann, Lutheran Hour Ministries Ambassador at Zion Lutheran Church in Macon County, Mo.

Koopman wrote: “During my tour I observed ladies sorting, folding, and placing clothing into boxes, a room full of clothing waiting to be sorted, a pallet of clothing market for shipment to Uganda, a store room on the second floor that contained bicycles with balloon tires waiting for shipment to Africa. In another room ladies were sorting and boxing food for distribution to food pantries and a man was checking small appliances to see if they worked prior to distribution to those in need. Praise God for these volunteers. What a wonderful way for these Christians to give thanks to their Lord and to help others.”

Thanks to Orphan Grain Train, Mr. Koopmann returned home with 15 boxes of fresh bread which he presented to the Macon Food Pantry. “I felt so blessed to be the conveyor of your two boxes and even more grateful to have them multiply into fifteen boxes. A wonderful example of how our good and gracious God works. The sharing of your gifts, time and talents was multiplied and returned seven times to others in Macon County,” he told his congregation.

Minnesota South Fall 2008 Report

The year 2008 has been a busy one with the Minnesota South Division of Orphan Grain Train taking on a project in Sudan, Africa. Our shipping date was moved up about three weeks and we did make the deadline. On June 25 a full container and one about a third-full of the supplies needed for the project were picked up in Truman, Minn. and sent to Norfolk, Neb. where the second container was filled with more items. On Aug. 13 the two containers from MN South Division along with the medical clinic provided by the Missouri-Illinois Division left on their long journey to Sudan, Africa with the first stop in Omaha, Neb. for inspection.

Irrigation piping is prepared for loading into a shipping container.

Volunteers will go over when the containers reach their destination to install the fence and water lines and to re-assemble the farm equipment with the help of the Sudanese people. They will be trained in all phases at the same time.

This project has been a very uplifting experience for all involved. We all felt the presence of God with us as all of the materials were gathered and prepared. I want to thank everyone that was involved in the project in any way from donating items, volunteering their time, financial support, and especially their prayers. Funding is still needed for the project over and above what is raised at our Fish Feeds. Continue to keep this project in your prayers that the containers will arrive at their destination as scheduled and that the volunteers will be kept safe during their stay.

Getting close to full.

Winter 2009 Report

ANOTHER THANK YOU TO ALL THE QUILTING GROUPS
Crown of Life - Sun City West, AZ
Risen Savior - Chandler, AZ
Epiphany - Chandler
First - Culver City
Holy Cross - Cypress

IN MEMORIAM
The Lord called home on September 17, 2008 our previous chairman, Don Anderson.

I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you. John 14:18

Name_____________________________________________

Address___________________________________________

City/State/Zip ______________________________________

If you would like to print this report, a Adobe Acrobat .pdf file copy is available here:
2009-02_CalifArizNev_Newsletter.pdf

Missouri-Illinois Winter 2007

From Marilyn Bertram:

The New Year is here, and now it is time for thinking and planning this year’s activities. Looking back, we thank God for the many blessings showered upon us: volunteers who have made so much possible and donors who have provided financial support to send four containers to needy people within a year’s time. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord!

The Mongolian container arrived in Ulaanbaatar in mid-December and was released by customs on Dec. 22.

Dorothy and Rudy arrived back to the U. S. after two weeks in the Far East. I am sure they are “loaded” with new ideas.

Another shipment of hats (about 2,000) was delivered to the Center Jan. 8.

Packing and sorting goods for Uganda is priority one, especially fabric and notions for their sewing cottage industry.

Carlinville had a collection of health kit supplies and is boxing them at their church rather than having a workday in St. Louis.

Most of the food pantry supplies have been sorted.

A total of 47 gifts amounting to $11,340.89 have been received by Missouri-Illinois Division since Fall. Of these, $1,575 has been or will be matched by Thrivent. I thank all of you who have helped to raise these funds and encourage you to keep up the pace. The Lord is surely blessing your efforts.

Fall 2007

From Harold Gessner:

Our volunteer workers meet each Friday at the warehouse and process used clothing. We have been delivering used clothing to contacts domestically as well as those in Liberia, Africa. A Christian congregation on the Spirit Lake reservation has been the recipient of clothing for some time.

A few weeks ago, Northwood, N.D. was hit by a tornado which did damage to the entire village of 1,200 people. All homes were damaged from minimal to completely destroyed. A call for quilts came to us from Lutheran Disaster Response.

Tornado damage in Northwood, N.D. Photos by Avonne Gessner.

We answered the call with some 300 quilts and with the help of local volunteers we drove from house to house delivering them. Many volunteers have entered the town and have cleared debris, broken trees, tossed about automobiles, houses and the like. Restoration is well in progress.

Volunteers distributing quilts.

Distributing quilts.

It warmed my heart to visit our local hospital, upon request, to witness and speak to a group of long-term residents in wheel chairs who gathered to put together sewing kits to be distributed to needy women in Liberia.

A new facility for the loading of containers in Minot, 80 miles from our Bottineau warehouse, will permit us to place our containers on rail and ship to the east and west coasts.

Our prayer is that all things work together for the good of the Kingdom.

ND-OGT Harold Gessner.

Fall 2007

From Jeannette Stensland:

We are thankful for all the help we are getting to serve God’s people!

South Dakota Regional Division recently was the recipient of a Thrivent award of $400 in supplemental funds for a benefit Wisconsin-style fish dinner held in September at Emanuel Lutheran Church, Milbank. In October a sausage dinner was held at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Watertown and money received there will also be supplemented by Thrivent.

Above: Dianne Hammond, representing Thrivent Chapter 30581, presents the check to Vernon Koopman, treasurer for the South Dakota Division of Orphan Grain Train Inc. Also shown are several of the volunteers who assist at the new packing site in Milbank.

Presentations about Orphan Grain Train were made to the South Dakota District Pastoral Conference in Spearfish as well as the LWML Milbank and Yankton zones’ fall rallies. The Milbank zone rally, held at Wilmot, included an ingathering of materials and funds greatly needed for shipping them.

Several quilts have been donated by St. John’s Lutheran Church in Wolsey and Mt. Calvary in Huron.

Thank you all once again!

Kyrgyzstan shipment photos

May 3, 2007 - Orphan Grain Train’s Wisconsin Regional Division makes numerous shipments of clothing and medical supplies to Kyrgyzstan and other countries and areas of need each year. The following photos are from one of the most recent shipments this spring.

Boxes of relief from a storage trailer (right) will be transferred to the overseas container (left).

Each box has been carefully hand-packed by a volunteer at a Wisconsin Division sorting station.

Volunteers taking inventory.

The volunteer loading crew waiting for the next pallet to arrive.

Almost done! Each shipping container holds over 1,000 boxes of relief.

Loaded and ready to begin the trip halfway around the world.

Lincoln (Neb.) Regional Division

On April 12th, 2007, our third container of relief supplies left the warehouse bound for Armenia. We thank and praise God for answering all of your prayers on our behalf which made this possible. And we thank God for answering the prayers of the people of Armenia, Uzbekistan, and Belarus through your support of Orphan Grain Train. Please keep us in your prayers.

We are now accepting donations of bedding, clothing, stuffed toys and medical equipment (that is, canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs) at our warehouse in Lincoln. Donations may be dropped off only on Fridays from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. The address is 2500 Kimco Ct. #103. This is two blocks west of the service road that runs alongside 27th St at the railroad overpass between Leighton and Teresa streets. Come in from Teresa St. or State Fair Park Dr.

If your congregation would like to sponsor a Wisconsin-Style Fish Feed fundraiser for the Orphan Grain Train Lincoln Division, and/or if you would like to have a speaker come talk about the work of the Orphan Grain Train, please contact Mr. LaVerne Thomas at (402) 423-3903.

Missouri West Division

Fall 2008
Rev. Alfred Rodewald of the Missouri West Division (with clipboard) asked four members of his family to help him and Steve Krause load 810 filled boxes onto an Orphan Grain Train semi-trailer on November 8. The family had gathered from California, Iowa, Kansas City, and South Africa for his granddaughter’s wedding later in the day.

Winter 2008
Orphan Grain Train, Missouri West Division at Concordia transferred 900 boxes of humanitarian goods on Feb. 29 to Orphan Grain Train International at Norfolk, Neb., for distribution to where most needed worldwide. People in western Missouri had donated the men’s, women’s and children’s clothing. The clothing was sorted and packed by men and women volunteers in the Concordia area and at Jefferson City, Lone Elm and Norborne. Everet Hinck, Jim Evert, Homer Nierman and Robert Frerking of Concordia placed a total of 20 wrapped pallets each containing 45 boxes of goods onto an Orphan Grain Train semi-trailer from Norfolk.

Fall 2006
Orphan Grain Train Missouri-West Regional Division received 3,950 items of children’s clothing from the June 23-25, 2006, Lutheran Women’s Missionary League Missouri District convention ingathering in Columbia, Mo.

District Vice President Martha Kleindienst of Jefferson City, whose service committee arranged the ingathering, reported the items ranged from infant sizes to size six and most items were new or nearly new.

Also received through the ingathering were 177 new pairs of children’s shoes, donated by Darling Shoe Co. of St. Louis, and $262 in donations to help Orphan Grain Train with shipping costs.

The service committee sorted and boxed the donated items, then loaded the boxes into vehicles of women who would be returning to Concordia from the convention. The boxes were brought to the Concordia sorting center and were later trucked to Orphan Grain Train headquarters in Norfolk, Neb., for distribution.

The convention ingathering also brought in 4,025 skeins of yarn. The yarn was divided, with half of it going to the women’s prison at Vandalia and half to a women’s knitting group at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in St. Louis. The women at Abiding Savior knit afghans for Orphan Grain Train and other humanitarian groups.

Missouri-West President Alfred Rodewald (left) and Roger Kammeyer in a recent photo with a trailer fully loaded with more than 1,200 boxes of winter clothing ready for delivery worldwide.

Missouri-Illinois Spring 2006

From Marilyn Bertram:

We have received an interesting assortment of donations the past several months:

4,000 pairs of shoes and boots purchased by LCMS World Relief for $2 per pair. The winter boots were shipped to Mongolia; the summer boots will go to a warm climate.
2,000 pairs of shoes confiscated by a police department as a result of a patent infringement were given with the stipulation that they must be shipped overseas. These were mostly summer shoes; many of them will go to Trinidad.
20,000 to 30,000 summer and winter hats. These came by way of Basket of Hope, an organization that brings joy and hope to families with children suffering from cancer. That organization is distributing a portion of the hats; the winter hats will go to Mongolia. Some were also hand-carried to Uganda and Poland; from there they will be distributed in Ukraine.
Good office furniture and office pod dividers were received and are being donated to Norfolk for their new office building.

A container was shipped to Uganda Dec. 17 and arrived this past week. Its contents were 800 pounds of powdered milk, a special instant food supplement, computers, manual typewriters, school supplies, soccer balls, pastoral and religious material and churchware, clothing, blankets, and much more.

A container was sent to Mongolia Mar. 4 and is scheduled to arrive next week. Its contents were blankets, clothes, medical supplies, vitamins, and a 22 cubic foot 220volt/50Hz new refrigerator, school supplies, stuffed animals, etc.

Our next container will be shipped to Trinidad this summer.

A presentation was made to a local area Thrivent group, and they made a special ingathering. Displays featuring Orphan Grain Train will be at the Central Illinois District and Missouri District LWML conventions in June. A $10,000 grant request will be on the Northern Illinois LWML Convention ballot.

Another presentation and very successful yarn ingathering was made at an Illinois LLL Zone Rally.

Missouri-Illinois Katrina Relief Efforts Page

Orphan Grain Train Has Come to Southeast Nebraska!

An organizational meeting took place May 19th, 2005 at Lincoln Lutheran Jr/Sr High School. Committees established included Warehousing, Fund Raising, Projects, and Disaster Services.

Elected Officers
Board of Directors

The Lincoln Division of the Orphan Grain Train thanks you for all of your prayers and other support for our mission. God has surely heard your prayers. The very first meeting of the board was held on May 19th, 2005 and on July 19th, 2006 the very first shipment of relief supplies left the new Lincoln warehouse bound for Rogachev, in southeastern Belarus (Belarus is located between Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland.). This is one of the poorest areas of Europe.

July 19, 2006 - Volunteers with Lincoln Division’s first overseas shipment loaded and ready to go.

On November 3rd, 2006, our second container pulled out of the warehouse bound for Tashkent in Uzbekistan.

The Board of Directors of the Lincoln Division thanks the congregations of south-eastern Nebraska for their support of our effort. We very much appreciate all of the donations, the work, and the prayers His people here have given in response to God’s command to have mercy on others.

Missouri-Illinois Regional Division Dedicates Historic Site

by Gerald Perschbacher

About 125 supporters and volunteers for Orphan Grain Train stood at a very historic moment on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2001, in south St. Louis, Missouri. It was the dedication of the new Missouri-Illinois Division and its work center. For about 75 years, the two-city-block area of St. Louis bordered by the streets of Miami to the north, Jefferson Ave., to the east, and Ohio to the west, was the hub of major activity for what we now know as The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

“Wow—to stand in this place, to hear how well you sing with that organ behind you—you sound like a thousand,” said the Rev. Ray Wilke, co-founder of Orphan Grain Train, who preached at the dedication.

“You’re sitting in an energetic place. I feel quite awestruck…standing in the same pulpit as C.F.W. Walther…and that an organization sprung from a little idea while walking along a beach in Riga, Latvia, should become a nationwide movement,” he noted, mentioning the blessings of God on Orphan Grain Train.

He also mentioned the early years of the organization and its close ties with the International Lutheran Laymen’s League.

“The geography you walk upon is holy geography,” added Wilke.

Visitors and volunteers learned that radio station KFUO sent its first official broadcast from the attic of the “sem” here on South Jefferson, at the southeast corner of the complex. The long and complex antenna ran to the roof of the Annex where it was mounted. Therefore, the Annex is the last remaining structure associated with that fledgling broadcast.

Wilke noted how Orphan Grain Train involves workers who sweat a lot, even its leaders who roll up their sleeves and get to work.

Liturgist for the service was Dr. Wallace Schulz, associate Lutheran Hour speaker, and now second vice president of the LCMS. Schulz was involved with Wilke in the dedication ceremony and the consecration of truck units which are being used in Orphan Grain Train efforts.

Marilyn Bertram, who chairs the new division, greeted visitors and volunteers and invited them to an open house of the facility that followed the service and dedication.

For more, call (636) 376-5113 or write to: Missouri-Illinois Division Orphan Grain Train, P. O. Box 29346, St. Louis, MO 63126-0346.

Dr. Oswald Hoffmann Commends the Work of Orphan Grain Train at Dedication of New Workcenter

Sept. 9, 2001 - Dr. Oswald Hoffmann, honorary Lutheran Hour speaker, was asked to share recollections about the historic site. Hoffmann was a seminary student at Concordia and visited the old seminary main structure just before it was taken down in the 1930s.

He traced Lutheran Church Missouri Synod history at the site and launched into a message based on the first chapter of John, where Christ is mentioned as the Light the world could never put out.

“Jesus was 100 percent human—altogether human—and at the same time He was 100 percent God…(we) take that as it is…and take people as they are,” said Hoffmann, as he applied the Gospel to the work of Orphan Grain Train and the historical significance of the site.

Regional Divisions

South Dakota News

Taste of the Arts

WI Branch Fall Newsletter 2011

Central Nebraska September Newsletter

June 2011 Mid-Atlantic Branch Newsletter

The Lord provided, again!

Shorts for Boys Around the World

Why are we excited about this program?

What can you do?

For a Youtube video of children in Haiti receiving shorts and dresses, click on the link:

Where do we send the shorts?

CA-AZ-NV Newsletter

2011 Wisconsin August Newsletter

2011 April Wisconsin Newsletter

Minnesota S. 2010 Activity Report

Shipments

Relief for Haiti

Fish Feeds Served in 2010

Fish Feed Schedule For Balance of 2011

June and July 2011 News

COLORADO WEST BRANCH

LUGA #2-Orphanage near Luga Russia.

GARAGE SALES

PILLOWCASE DRESSES

QUILTS

FISH FEEDS

This does it for now. We do want to thank everone again for all of their work, donations and participation in these projects. God does send the laborers when and where needed.

Central Nebraska March Newsletter

Wisconsin January 2011 Newsletter

Pillowcase Dresses Needed

Instructions for Pillowcase Dresses

Winter 2011 Mid-Atlantic Newsletter

Central Nebraska January 2011 Newsletter

Mid-Atlantic Branch Fall 2010 Newsletter

Minnesota South Branch 2009 Activity Report

North Dakota Branch 2010 Update

Wisconsin October 2010 Newsletter

Central Nebraska October 2010 Newsletter

LLL Employees Help Orphan Grain Train

Central Nebraska July 2010 Newsletter

Wisconsin July 2010 Newsletter

Central Nebraska Division Now Open Three Days Per Week

Eastern Michigan Regional Division

Central Nebraska Regional Division

Wisconsin Style Fish Feeds - 2011

Wisconsin April 2010 Newsletter

Missouri-Illinois Spring 2010

“Diapers from T-Shirts Project” at Rocky Mountain Division

Kansas Division 2009

Rocky Mountain Division Summer 2009

Indiana Spring 2009 Activity Report

Iowa West 2009 Activity Report

Wisconsin Shipments During 2009 and Convention News

Maryland Division

Orphan Grain Train Needs YOU

Maryland Branch Helps New York Flood Victims

Kyrgyzstan Feature:

Cameroon Feature:

Nicaragua Feature

Orphan Grain Train Aiding Haiti

California Arizona Nevada February 2009 Report

Spring 2009 Minnesota North Collecting New Socks and Undies

Missouri-Illinois Winter 2008-2009

Minnesota South Fall 2008 Report

Winter 2009 Report

Missouri-Illinois Winter 2007

Fall 2007

Fall 2007

Kyrgyzstan shipment photos

Lincoln (Neb.) Regional Division

Missouri West Division

Missouri-Illinois Spring 2006

Orphan Grain Train Has Come to Southeast Nebraska!

Missouri-Illinois Regional Division Dedicates Historic Site

Dr. Oswald Hoffmann Commends the Work of Orphan Grain Train at Dedication of New Workcenter