NEWS FROM
LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF

December 8, 2005

For more information contact Emily Sollie at esollie@lwr.org or 410-230-2802.

In this news release:

1. Place Your Fair Trade Holiday Orders Soon!
2. New Updates to LWR’s Wave of Giving™

Enter your email address and click the "Join" button to subscribe to LWR's electronic mailing list.

PLACE YOUR FAIR TRADE HOLIDAY ORDERS SOON!

Baltimore, December 8, 2005 — The good news: LWR’s Fair Trade partner A Greater Gift/SERRV International has experienced a dramatic and unexpected increase in orders this fall—including orders for the LWR Handcraft Project and LWR Chocolate Project.

The bad news: because of the large volume of orders, the staff is not able to enter, process and ship orders as quickly as they would like.

In order to guarantee Christmas delivery of orders already placed, the following rules regarding the acceptance of new orders—including those received via the web—will apply to LWR Handcraft Project and LWR Chocolate Project orders:

1. Effective immediately, all orders will be shipped by standard UPS Ground; shipping upgrades will not be available until after the holidays.
   
   
2. Residents of California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Montana must place orders by 10 p.m. Eastern on Thursday December 8, 2005 for guaranteed delivery by Christmas.
   
   
3. Residents of Colorado, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana must place orders by 10 p.m. Eastern time on Monday December 12, 2005 for guaranteed delivery by Christmas.
   
   
4. Residents of Maryland, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Main, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, West Virginia must place orders by 10 p.m. Eastern time on Friday December 16, 2005 for guaranteed delivery by Christmas.

To place your LWR Handcraft Project order, visit the online catalog at www.lwr.org/handcraft or call 1-888-294-9660.

To place your LWR Chocolate Project order, visit the webstore at www.lwr.org/chocolate or call 1-888-294-9660.

NEW UPDATES TO LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF ’s WAVE OF GIVING™ WEBSITE

Baltimore, December 8, 2005 — If it’s been a while since you looked at Lutheran World Relief’s tsunami website, www.waveofgiving.org, log on now for newly-posted stories and photos, as well as two new resources available for download: LWR’s Tsunami Response One-Year Report, a 16-page full-color comprehensive report on LWR’s work in the year since the tsunami; and the brief Wave of Giving Update, which gives just the highlights and can be used as a bulletin insert.

The new stories illustrate the resilience and resourcefulness of tsunami survivors, people who have undergone enormous trauma but are focused on the future and working hard to improve their lives. Read about people like Nurdin, from a small village outside Banda Aceh, who said, “We’ve faced the last year with patience and a determination to move forward. Working has helped with the sorrows we’ve faced.” Working in partnership with LWR partner Church World Service, through Action by Churches Together (ACT) International, Nurdin’s village has replenished its fishing fleet and built 91 houses.

And about people like Anil Silva, a Methodist minister in Sri Lanka whose church has assisted people of all faiths, mostly with small items such as scales for the vendors in the markets, carpentry kits and water containers. People are often surprised that the church assists people without exception, and that they are not asked to be or become a member of the church. In fact, Reverend Silva is quite explicit, telling those who seek assistance from his church that it does not mean they now have to come to church or that they need to be or become members of the church. As a member of the ACT network, and as with all LWR partners, aid is given based on need, regardless of religion.

Last year’s tsunami was an unprecedented disaster, and garnered an unprecedented response. We created www.waveofgiving.org to keep you informed about LWR’s ongoing work in the tsunami-affected regions and long-term plans for recovery. We hope you’ll check back often to see what’s new.

WHO IS LWR? Lutheran World Relief, an international nonprofit organization, works to end poverty and injustice by empowering some of the world's most impoverished communities to help themselves. With partners in 35 countries, LWR seeks to promote sustainable development with justice and dignity by helping communities bring about change for healthy, safe and secure lives; engage in Fair Trade; promote peace and reconciliation; and respond to emergencies. LWR is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. and has worked in international development and relief since 1945.

Lutheran World Relief is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), individuals and parish groups in international relief, development, advocacy and social responsibility.