# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S661
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS © 661

Adoption Program

Already in the early stages of the Emergency Planning Coun-
’s help to Europe, Synod’s members were encouraged to assist
amilies abroad in their plight and to send regular monthly or
mimonthly food packages. This idea gained many adherents, and
ore long thousands of our people requested the Emergency
ing Council headquarters for names of European families. .
representatives in the Free Churches of Germany furnished
Bhe Emergency Planning Council files with screened names of needy
amilies. Within a matter of a few months 12,000 European families
id been adopted by our members. Many of our people made great
Sacrifices to support their adopted families. Quite a number of
embers sent packages to the same family, or even a number of
ilies, not only for a few months, but for two years and more;
some are even today still sending packages abroad. Compute
cost of all these packages plus the private expenditures made
the Walther League, the L. L.L., and other groups which were
t tabulated in the Emergency Planning Council files, and a con-
ative estimate of a grand total of millions of dollars will not
too high. Surely we all are grateful to God for giving so great
measure of compassionate love into the hearts of our people.

Youth Work

One of the main concerns of the German Protestant Church
day is the rewinning of the youth, which because of shattered
leals and frustrated ambitions has often turned its back upon the
urch and its Savior. This fundamentally necessary task of
ing the estimated 500,000 wayward youths was realized early
‘our Church and its relief agency. Allotments of food and
othing were sent to leading universities, such as Heidelberg,
langen, and others. The Free Church Seminary at Ober-Ursel
the High School at Gross-Oesingen were given considerable
neial assistance.

Through the combined facilities of the Emergency Planning
ouncil and Church World Service, two seminary students, Rich-
Wukasch and Enno Lohrmann, were sent to Heidelberg and
Isruhe for 18 months to organize Christian youth groups. Two
her seminary students have since continued this youth work.
“number of exchange students— seven in all— were sponsored
y the Emergency Planning Council.

_. Future plans call for furlough visits or sabbatical leaves to
merica of younger, ordained German pastors who may, during
e space of a year, thoroughly acquaint themselves with Missouri
ynod church life.