‘Growth in my compassion--hopefully my humility--is what I want to strive for. What better teacher than her?’

They were bowling for Mother Teresa on Saturday in Redondo Beach.

Well, not quite. What they were doing was bowling to raise money to send Torrance social worker Dave Risher to India to spend October working with the woman who has been called a living saint for the care she gives the destitute and dying.

Jean Meinholtz, president of the Lutheran Brotherhood South Bay Branch, said a local church member told the group of Risher’s yearlong correspondence with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta and his desire to accept the group’s invitation to join in its work. “He had said he was going without knowing how he was going to get there financially,” she said. “Our board decided that it sounded pretty good.”

So, the Lutheran fraternal organization decided to focus its annual bowl-a-thon on getting Risher to India. Thirty-six bowlers turned out Saturday at the South Bay Bowling Center, and Meinholtz said more are expected for the second event next Saturday. Bowlers have received pledges from others keyed to the number of games they play or the number of pins they knock down, so the amount of money raised this week won’t be known until later.

Conspicuously absent was Risher himself, who in a telephone interview confessed that he likes to stay out of the limelight and finds the attention a little embarrassing. But, he said, “It’s nice of them to do this and I feel really blessed.”

One of the bowlers was Risher’s 16-year-old son, Jason, who said he hopes to raise at least $125 for his father’s trip. “I’m not a very good bowler, but I did get a strike in the first game,” he said.

Risher’s desire to work with Mother Teresa was kindled two years ago when he heard her speak at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach. “Her message that day was very simple and very loving,” recalled Risher, 37, who works with Lutheran Social Services in Long Beach helping people find food, clothing and work, as well as learn English.

“She spoke of love between people, love between family, saying that if you share the love of Christ and love your family, the world will be a better place,” he said.

Risher said he believes the monthlong sojourn with Mother Teresa will help him avoid becoming a “robot social worker.” Risher expects that by “tapping into Mother Teresa’s spirituality” and learning how she works “day after day, year after year,” it will uplift him in his work in Long Beach, where his agency serves 8,000 people a month.

“Growth in my compassion--hopefully my humility--is what I want to strive for,” he said. “What better teacher than her?”

Christy Saville of Lawndale, the church member who told the Lutheran Brotherhood about Risher, said her bowling is rusty but she does hope to raise $175.

“I’ve never known anyone like Dave,” she said. “He doesn’t know the meaning of the word anxiety. He takes food down to Mexico and reads Bible stories in the streets. His whole family is supportive.”