"Donating online using a major credit card has become a convenient means of charitable giving for all kinds of organizations," notes Don Meyer, executive minister of Covenant Communications for the Evangelical Covenant Church. "We are pleased that the Covenant now has this capability."

The new online capability is especially timely given legislation recently approved by Congress and signed into law by President Bush last week that extends the time for gifts to be made in support of tsunami relief, and still qualify for deduction on 2004 income tax returns.

"Taxpayers have the option of deducting January 2005 tsunami 'cash' contributions on their federal income tax return for 2004," according to Dean Lundgren, vice president for finance. To be deducted on 2004 tax returns, these contributions must be made by January 31, 2005, and must be in the form of cash, check or credit card, Lundgren points out. Donation of stock towards tsunami relief (during January 2005) will not qualify for potential treatment as a 2004 deduction, Lundgren says, pointing out that donations of clothing or other "non-cash" items (during January) likewise cannot be deducted on 2004 returns.

"Taxpayers have an interesting option," Lundgren notes, in that they are not required to claim qualifying cash contributions (made during January 2005) on their 2004 returns; rather, they may opt to claim them instead on their 2005 income tax return. "Obviously, they can be taken as a deduction in only one year," he adds.

Covenanters continue to assist in varied tsunami relief efforts, including Dr. Tim Friesen, a Covenant project missionary working in Thailand. "Over the past two days I have been in contact with a missionary who went to set up operations in Banda Aceh," Friesen writes in an email update to friends. "He is actually a friend of Randy Bevis (a Covenanter who is working on water purification systems) who invited Randy to come and help. They are wanting to find ways to help the Indonesians with the grief and stress reactions.

"I have decided to go and will leave Jan 16 and return Jan 23," says Friesen, who has been developing a counseling center in Thailand to serve mission personnel in Central Asia. He was in Pha Ngu in southern Thailand earlier this month, providing crisis and trauma counseling for those impacted by the tsunami disaster in that hard-hit area. "My role will be to work with a medical team as the mental health resource and also coordinate the beginning of a ministry to train Indonesians how to work with their people. I have been praying for an opportunity, and this one came together in a way that I believe God is leading."

Covenant World Relief (CWR) also continues its work in various areas in Asia, not only providing basic relief items like tents, tools, clothing and helping reconstruct shelter, but also in providing support materials for training purposes - especially pens, markers, paper, clay and other items that children can use to express their feelings.

Donations are still needed as the reconstruction and redevelopment efforts initiated by Covenant World Relief will continue in the months ahead. "Covenant World Relief is there for the long term," says Jim Sundholm, CWR director. "Some relief agencies are strategically designed to be immediate response teams, moving into areas and quickly providing basic necessities to sustain life. But, they cannot remain for long periods as their help is usually needed elsewhere. Covenant World Relief not only assists in the short-term relief effort, but remains on the ground for extended periods of time to help with reconstruction of homes and infrastructure such as roads and water systems, as well as assist in development work that encourages revitalization of businesses and helping people get back to work. We're going to be working in this area for a very long time," Sundholm predicts.

To donate online, 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.

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 director of finance/controller Elliott Johnson at elliott.johnson@covchurch.org.