From Rita Corey, Director of Music...

Two of my long-time Sharon piano students, Mithran and Seyon Wijendran, will be playing several piano pieces this Sunday.

Their parents, Wijen and Vasuki, were born in Sri Lanka. The boys were looking for a way to raise money for the three churches in Sri Lanka that were bombed in a series of coordinated terrorist suicide bombings during Easter services.

I suggested that they might play at Holy Trinity and perhaps we could ask people to make a donation to the organization that is helping parishioners in these three churches. I asked Pastor Polk, who mentioned the bombings in his sermon on April 28th, if this would be possible and he said he would bring it to the Church Council meeting on May 21. The Council not only agreed, but decided to contribute $1000.00 from the Mission and Ministry Fund to support the churches and their communities.

The church bombings were carried out in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa. 258 people were killed at the churches and three hotels that were also bombed. At least 500 people were injured.

The first blast took place in the Shrine of St. Anthony, a historic Catholic church in Colombo, where more than 50 people were killed. The second blast took place in St.

Sebastian's Church in the Christian-majority suburb of Negombo, to the north of Colombo. Over 100 people were killed there. On the other side of the island in Batticaloa, a bomb blast killed 28 people at the Protestant evangelical Zion Church, where the bomb was detonated in the churchyard, killing many children from the attached Sunday school who were taking a break.

Mithran, a sixth grader, will play a movement of a Clementi Sonatina and a piece called “Sweet Sorrow,” by Burgmüller. Seyon, a ninth grader, will play a movement of a Dussek Sonatina and a dramatic Etude by Heller.

Over the next two weeks we will be gathering donations. If you would like to donate to help Christians in Sri Lanka who were devastated by these bombings, an offering plate will be available in the entrance way as you leave the sanctuary today and next Sunday. Make checks out to “Holy Trinity Lutheran Church” and note “Sri Lanka.” Feel free to mail checks to the church or drop them by over the next two weeks.

All donations will go to The Manitha Neyam Trust which is donating funds to all impacted churches. All of the proceeds, with the exception of bank charges (so 99% of donations) will go directly to aid those affected by the recent tragic events.

Manitha Neyam Trust serves charitable, educational and social needs of the most vulnerable, focusing on children, elderly and disabled in Sri Lanka. Manitha Neyam means ‘Love for Humanity’ and their mission stems from the belief that the more we open our hearts and love, the greater humanity can become. It has established and maintains homes for orphans, needy children, deaf and blind children, elderly persons and the disabled. The trust provides funds for food, clothing, education, medical care and rehabilitation.

Manitha Netam Trust thanks you for your support. Manitha Neyam is a 501(c)(3) registered charity/nonprofit organization in the US.

To give online directly, follow this link and donate with "HTLC  - Sri Lanka Church Bombings" in the designation.