Poster - Worship Slides

Poster - Front-and-Center Slides

Poster - Event Slides

It has been a year since the small island of Puerto Rico was hit not once, but twice, by major hurricanes just days apart. Winds over 150 miles per hour and heavy rain left most of the island in the dark, with isolated or impassable roads, without drinking water and many residents without homes.

Today, several remote areas are still without reliable power. Many people are living in homes still heavily damaged. Leaking roofs, windows without or screens or even glass to keep out weather and bugs, debris and trash scattered about are all common sights. To compound the problem, many businesses closed their doors after the storm and jobs were lost. No income … no money for repairs.

On October 13, seven Heseders, members of Saint John’s mission team, will be arriving in San Juan to spend the week working in a needed area in any way we can. We will share our time and talents and show the love of Jesus by rebuilding homes, cleaning up debris and help residents get back some of what they lost … especially hope!

Eric Gardner, Sue Gardner, Don Gibbons, Jill Hudak, Doug Robertson, Cindy Robertson and Nelly Sanford are very excited to see what God has in store. Would you like to help, too? We are not taking donated items with us, as purchasing needed items in Puerto Rico will help rebuild the economy and make travel lighter. So we are seeking cash (checks made out to Saint John’s Lutheran with “PR Supplies” in the memo line) and gift cards pack nicely! Since Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, they have many of the same stores we have on the mainland. Walmart, Home Depot and Walgreens are all in the area we will be visiting. Donations can be dropped into the offering tray on Sunday morning and dropped off at the office any time before October 12.

Watch next month for a more in-depth look at our journey. Also, keep an eye on the Hesed Journal at StJohnsFC.org while we are gone. If we get in an area with internet, there will be daily updates, as usual!

Thank you for your support!

“Hesed” is a Hebrew word that means “kindness,” “mercy,” “loyalty,” “loving-kindness” or “steadfastness.” It’s the way God intends us to live together—a “love your neighbor as yourself,” active, selfless, sacrificial, caring-for-one-another brand of living contradictory to our fallen natures. The “Heseders” are continually looking to work together to share some small measure of God’s extraordinary love. Won’t you join us?