TLLC member, Patricia Elliot was involved in an effort at her home church, Community Lutheran Church in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. to supply quilts for LWR efforts to refugees in Lebanon. You may recall her request for quilting materials a few weeks ago.
Here are excerpts from a letter dated October 7, 2020 from Daniel Speckhard, Chairman, CEO Lutheran World Relief to Community Lutheran Church: As you all know, one of your congregation’s Mission Quilts were in the port of Beirut awaiting customs clearance when the devastating August 4 explosion took place. As that situation has continued to evolve, I want to make sure you have the full picture of the situation to share with those in your congregation who are involved in this critical ministry of love.
Six days before the blast, a shipment of three containers containing 22,500 Mission Quilts, 3,500 School Kits, 19,500 Personal Care Kits, and 2,250 Baby Care Kits arrived in the port of Beirut. Immediate report from the port authority following the explosion indicated that the containers could not have survived.
A fourth container had been separated at the port in the United States and was still on the water at the time of the explosion. It was rerouted to the port of Tripoli.”
On August 26th, LWR received an update that the containers were intact. Finally, on September 22, after closer inspection and against all odds, LWR was informed that the seals had not broken and the contents were not contaminated.
“We give thanks to God that the love of hundreds of Lutheran congregations contained in this shipment will be able to be shared with more than 24,000 of our neighbors in Beirut and across the country of Lebanon—many refugees from across the region, and now also those affected by the blast in the heart of Beirut. From the ashes rises a beautiful ray of hope: your love, intact and powerful, in just the right place at just the right time.”
A Note from Patricia: Since the pandemic shutdown, Community Lutheran has been unable to gather to tie and finish off the quilts. With the donation of fabric that you brought to our last monthly collection of goods, I have been sewing quilt tops to send back to the group so that when they can gather, they will have tops to tie off. Thank you for your generosity and Thank God for showing us that He still performs miracles!
Watch this short video of the intact items found in Beirut HERE.