Regional Divisions
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.
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.
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
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.
