Post by Jim Hack
28 October 2015 -

Ten years ago this coming February, Barbara and I moved to Champaign.  The first thing on our agenda was to locate a Lutheran church to attend.  Good Shepherd was close to our home, so we would start there.  That first Sunday we were greeted by Carol Manley and Jeretta Hecht, and then Pastor Donna after the service.  We never went to visit another church and found Good Shepherd to be our church family.

After three trips to Biloxi, Mississippi, following Hurricane Katrina, and a trip to El Salvador with Don Block, I knew that this was a project for Good Shepherd.  Leading members and friends from Good Shepherd on Habitat trips the last four years, I have had the honor to see a number of my church family members come home with a stamp on their heart in the shape of El Salvador.

We all go to El Salvador to give people there the love and help needed in building homes, but to our surprise we come home with more than we have given.  It was also the greatest feeling to worship in Cristo Rey Lutheran Church.  We worked very hard last year in hauling and tamping dirt to lay the first phase of the foundation of the church.  In earlier years, Good Shepherd also helped in giving $15,000 to the Partners in Faith project to get the building of the church started.  In this sense, the members of Good Shepherd laid the foundation of Cristo Rey in two very important ways.

I wish all of you could have been there to see the ladies of Cristo Rey and the joy they expressed in receiving the altar linens that we took down there from our church.  They could not thank us enough.  Pastor Carlos was grateful, too.

I personally want to thank our Good Shepherd family for all the help and support you have shown for El Salvador building projects over the last five years.  I just wish I could take all of you down to El Salvador and witness all the love these folks have to give.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU.  - Jim Hack

 Pastor Carlos enjoys seeing the Christ the King altar linen.