Lutheran Services of Iowa

The fourth-weekend special offering for August will be for LSI (Lutheran Services in Iowa). To provide an understanding of what your funds can do I must first turn to: Galatians 5:14 - For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

How many times have you truly searched your heart and soul to understand what this means? Let me give you a small example. As a visiting LSI Ambassador for Holy Redeemer to the Beloit facility tour, I noticed a young boy of approximately 7 years of age in a room when I entered. As soon as he saw me, he ran quickly to the closet and closed the door trying to disappear. When I asked the counselor if I had frightened the little boy, she mentioned that he was new and everyone seemed a stranger to him. The fear on his face still haunts me to this day and while she could not share with me details of this little boy’s life due to privacy, she did remind me that he is more of the norm for our wayward youth. Children who are frightened, left behind, neglected and troubled need our help as do many adults in this great state of Iowa.

As you search your heart to understand how to "love your neighbor as yourself" remember that little boy and that, without our funds, he may NEVER come out of that closet in trust, in hope or in faith. It is our Sunday special offering that keeps the programs of LSI running. Programs such as: keeping families together (in-home services, preventive services), bringing families together (foster care & adoption, independent living, delinquency services & crisis support), senior adult services (home-based services, prevention programs and foster grandparent) and specialized services (mental health-substance abuse services, disability services, refugee resettlement).

Please, search your heart and provide a special offering on Saturday, August 28 or Sunday August 29th that will help many children, families and people in need within the state of Iowa.

Submitted by: Kris K. Jensen/HRLC LSI Ambassador