Covenant News

Online Gifts Support Covenant Tsunami Relief Fund

CHICAGO, IL (January 7, 2005) - As of noon Thursday, nearly $3,000 had been contributed in support of the Covenant Tsunami Relief Fund through the newly created online giving link on the home page of the Evangelical Covenant Church website.

"The first gift came within minutes of the link being activated online," notes Communications Executive Minister Don Meyer. "That $100 gift was from a man in Arizona." Donors represent a number of states with gifts generally ranging from $100 to $150, Meyer said.

To donate online by credit card, visit the home page of the Covenant website at www.covchurch.org and select the special Tsunami Relief Fund link located just below the welcome message. To go directly to the Tsunami Fund link at this time, please see Tsunami Relief Fund.

The online gifts join more than $100,000 already donated by Covenanters to the Covenant Tsunami Relief Fund, according to Elliott Johnson, director of finance/controller. Byron Amundsen of World Mission said another $75,000 has been committed directly to the relief effort through other partnering agencies by the Taiwan Covenant Church.

An update report has been received from Covenant missionaries Don and Lillian Dwight, who with their five children were vacationing on Phi Phi Island off the coast of Thailand, one of many islands ravaged by the tsunami onslaught that damaged areas in a dozen countries, killing an estimated 155,000 people. They escaped, but their tale is a harrowing one. To read an earlier first-person account, please see First-Person Account.

"Lillian was sick with a secondary infection after returning to Taiwan," reports Dave and Judy Dolan, Covenant missionaries and country coordinators for Covenant World Mission who spent several days with the Dwights following their ordeal. "She began taking a stronger antibiotic a couple of days ago, so was feeling better. The experience was especially overwhelming for Lillian since the woman she tried to revive did not live.

"The kids shared with us quite a bit so we could hear about how much they had seen of death and destruction," the Dolans continued. "Truly God protected the whole family in a miraculous way. We are so grateful. Don did an excellent job sharing the story at the FengYuan Covenant Church on Sunday. Both Don and Lillian thanked us many times for coming, so we were glad in the end that we were able to do so."

"Nathen Chang said his church has committed $50,000 out of their building fund for relief help in Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka," the Dolans also note in their update report. "The first Sunday after the disaster, they also collected an additional $25,000 at the Sunday services for relief. He estimates that in total, the Hsin Tien Covenant Church should be able to contribute about $125,000." Nathen Chang and Vernon Wu Chairman of the Taiwan Covenant Church are visiting some of the hard hit areas in India next week, according to the Dolans. They will be connecting with the India for Christ Covenant Church and with Paul Devakumar to visit the sites.

Those desiring to donate to the relief effort through conventional means should make checks payable to Covenant World Relief and make a notation that the gift is for the Tsunami Relief Fund. Mail checks to the Evangelical Covenant Church, 5101 N. Francisco Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60625. To explore the donation of stock or other gifts, email Johnson at elliott.johnson@covchurch.org. More information will be posted to this online Covenant news report as it becomes available.

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