WELS Christian Aid and Relief

10/19/2026

A fun morning at St. Paul's in Livonia, Michigan!

10/13/2026

Dear friends in Christ,

Yesterday I received an encouraging report about one of the many humanitarian aid projects supported by WELS Christian Aid and Relief.

Each year, through our partnership with WELS Missions, we help provide basic necessities for people in need. These acts of Christian compassion do more than relieve suffering. They also encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ and create opportunities to share the good news of our Savior with those who do not yet know him.

One such project in Kenya provided maize (corn) seed and fertilizer to families who depend on small-scale farming for their food and income.

Rev. Isaiah Mbeta, a local pastor, recently shared this message of gratitude:

"On behalf of the leadership and members of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) in Western Kenya, I wish to express our sincere gratitude for your generous donation of maize seeds to our church community.

We are pleased to report that the donated maize seeds have already been distributed to Christian families engaged in peasant farming. This contribution is a significant support to our members, who depend on small-scale agriculture for their daily food and household income.

The provision of maize seeds gives these families an opportunity to cultivate their farms and improve their household food security. With favorable weather conditions and proper farm management, the anticipated harvest may help families meet their food needs, reduce expenditure on purchased maize, and potentially generate additional income through the sale of surplus produce."

What a wonderful example of Christian love in action!

Because of your generosity, families in Kenya have seeds to plant, hope for a harvest, and the encouragement of knowing that fellow Christians care about them.

And there's an even greater harvest we pray for! As our missionaries and fellow Christians demonstrate Christ's love through these acts of compassion, we pray that God will also open doors for the seeds of the gospel to be sown in human hearts.

Thank you for making this project—and so many others like it—possible through your generous gifts to WELS Christian Aid and Relief. You are helping to sow seeds that feed the body while supporting the proclamation of the gospel that nourishes the soul.

If you'd like to support these kinds of projects, please visit www.wels.net/CARgift and designate your gift for humanitarian aid. You can also send a check to:

WELS Christian Aid and Relief
N16W23377 Sone Ridge Drive
Waukesha, WI 53188

I thank God for you and your partnership in this ministry of compassion. To him alone be all the glory!

"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." — Galatians 6:10

In Christ, our compassionate Savior,
Pastor Dan Sims
Director, WELS Christian Aid and Relief

10/08/2026

Dear friends in Christ,

As the first hurricane of this season threatens the gulf coast, please join us in prayer:

Heavenly Father, our loving and merciful God, we ask you to watch over all those in the path of Hurricane Isaias. Protect them from harm and danger. Grant wisdom and strength to emergency workers and all who provide assistance. Comfort those who are frightened, shelter those who are vulnerable, and provide for those who suffer loss. Move us to show Christlike compassion to those in need. Above all, remind us of your unfailing love and the sure hope we have in Jesus, our Savior. In his name we pray. Amen.

In Christ, our compassionate Savior,
Pastor Dan Sims
Director, WELS Christian Aid and Relief

Hurricane Isaias developed late Wednesday as the first Atlantic hurricane of 2026, taking aim at the Gulf Coast from Mississippi to the Florida Panhandle.

08/28/2026

Dear friends in Christ,

Nepal is facing a devastating disaster following catastrophic flash flooding in the country’s northern Himalayan region. A sudden surge of water and debris swept through communities along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers, destroying homes, roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure. Hundreds of people have been killed, and many more remain missing as search-and-rescue efforts continue. The full extent of the damage and loss is still being determined.

I am in touch with our contacts in Nepal to learn more about the situation on the ground and to see how WELS Christian Aid and Relief might be able to help those who have been affected. As we learn more, we will provide additional updates.

Please join us in praying: Lord God, be with the people of Nepal in this time of great suffering. Comfort those who have lost loved ones, protect those who are still in danger, and strengthen those who are searching for and helping the missing and injured. Provide for those who have lost their homes and livelihoods. Give wisdom and strength to all who are responding, and according to your will, open opportunities for us to show Christ’s love and mercy to those in need. Through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

In Christ, our compassionate Savior,
Pastor Dan Sims
Director, WELS Christian Aid and Relief

Note: The photo is from my visit to Nepal a few years ago.

08/10/2026

Dear friends in Christ,

There is a lot happening in our broken world. Many are in pain. Many are suffering. Many are grieving. Please join me in prayer to the One who "is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18).

Merciful Father in heaven, you are our refuge and strength in every trouble. Look with compassion upon those around the world who are suffering because of war, earthquakes, fires, tornadoes, floods, and other disasters. Comfort those who are hurting and grieving. According to your good and gracious will, protect those in danger and minimize further loss and suffering.

Give strength, courage, wisdom, and compassion to all who are responding and serving. Bless their efforts to rescue, comfort, and restore those in need.

Above all, Lord, empower your people to proclaim the comfort found in Jesus Christ. Remind those who suffer that our Savior entered this broken world, bore our sins, died on the cross, and rose again. Because Christ lives, sin, suffering, and death do not have the final word. Give us courage to share this sure and certain hope with those who are hurting.

Keep us faithful in serving our neighbors until the day when you make all things new and there is no more death, mourning, crying, or pain.

Through Jesus Christ, our risen Savior, we pray. Amen.

Pastor Dan Sims
Director, WELS Christian Aid and Relief

08/04/2026

A devastating tornado hit Menasha, Wis., and the surrounding area on Monday, July 27. Bethel, Menasha, a bilingual WELS church with about 500 members, sustained some structural damage and WELS Christian Aid and Relief is providing support. Learn more in this video and this article.

08/03/2026

Dear friends in Christ,

I ran out of time to post an update yesterday, so here's the latest from Menasha.

Yesterday was another full day of work. More than 30 volunteers helped clear additional trees and debris from the campus of Bethel Lutheran in Menasha. Thanks to their hard work, the campus is now free of fallen trees and debris. There is still work to be done on the building, but the congregation's spirits remain high.

Today, a smaller team assisted several WELS members with tree removal on their properties. At this point, we have completed all current requests for this type of assistance, so we are concluding our deployment for now. We will continue to stay in close contact with local church leaders and are prepared to redeploy if new needs arise. In the weeks and months ahead, we will also be working with our congregations to provide financial assistance to members recovering from the storm.

I continue to be amazed by what I've witnessed in Menasha. Everywhere you look, people are helping their neighbors.

Today, I was standing on the porch of a WELS family as our volunteers prepared to remove trees from their backyard. The family still doesn't have power. As we talked, a woman and her son walked up and handed them a $20 gift card to help purchase fuel for their generator. They had been walking through the neighborhood distributing gift cards that they—and many others—had generously donated. Stories like that aren't uncommon here right now. It's a beautiful reminder that God often cares for his people through the kindness and generosity of others.

Our volunteers also reflected the love of our compassionate Savior. They worked tirelessly and selflessly in his name, using the skills God has given them to serve those in need. I couldn't be more thankful for them. All glory belongs to the God who fills the hearts of his people with such love and compassion.

None of this would be possible without your generous support and faithful prayers. Thank you for partnering with us in this ministry. May God continue to bless all who have been affected and all who are serving.

In Christ, our compassionate Savior,

Pastor Dan Sims
Director, WELS Christian Aid and Relief

Volunteer: www.welsdisasterrelief.org
Give: wels.net/CARgift

08/01/2026

So thankful for our volunteers. Rockstars. Every one.

07/31/2026

Lunches packed for our crew. 🥹

07/31/2026

After a lengthy registration process with local emergency management, work has begun! Praise God! Prayers for safety and productivity appreciated.