Jon Sadler will soon be having surgery to reattach his hamstring muscle.  After surgery he will be unable to work for 4 months.

Jack Ficken, our thrivent rep, is recovering from cancer surgery in his neck.  He is facing both chemo and radiation.

Rick Lehrman, Jack Smith’s cousin, just underwent a serious heart procedure and is waiting to hear about a new valve.

Dujon Guzek, Diana Smith’s neice, suffered a heart attack last Friday and will be undergoing surgery in the near future

Todd Smith had shoulder replacement surgery on May 1.

Kodie, Len and Diana’s grand nephew, whose endocrine system is not working.

Linda Husnik injured her shoulder in a fall

Linda Kempf was discharged from the hospital to an apartment in Hospitality House on April 24.  Her latest test indicates she has 97% donor cells.

For our Forward in Faith principle reduction campaign

For those in in-patient treatment

For those who are grieving

For those who are caring for their parents.

For those who are struggling with difficult family relationships.

For those living with cancer.

For Carol Wildey, Pamela Luken’s mother, who is battling an aggressive form of breast cancer.

For Cheryl Green Andrews, a friend of Don Ehm’s, who is struggling with major complications from breast cancer.

For the victims of natural disaters that occur around the world.  And for all those who are struggling to provide aid to the victims.

Donnie, Linda Olson’s nephew, who is struggling with a multitude of issues.

Elaine Moon, co-worker of Linda Olson, who is battling breast cancer.

Luke and Brett (grand-nephews of Ron and Karen Wiese) who have Cystinosis, a very rare disease

To submit a prayer request, click here.

God bless everyone and give us the perseverance to keep moving forward.
Ron

At Christmas Pop mentioned that on his 50th birthday he ran from Savannah to Picwick dam.  That’s 16 miles.  So then I began thinking about significant in terms of something with a lasting impact.  I considered grand events like El Camino de Sanitago, the 30 day pilgim of walking across Spain.  In my quest for something substantial, I realized that big things happen when little things are repeated over and over again.  There are at least two seemingly little things that I’ve been doing overtime with  help from my friends.  Kind of like whenever you see a turtle up on a fence post you know that he didn’t get there by himself.  He had some help.  These things are having a significant impact on my life and hopefully on others as well.

One, is making quilts for Lutheran World Relief.  Last year I made 16 quilt tops.  But the cool part is that a lot of other people were involved in this endeavor.  All the fabric was donated and friends tied them.  This year I hope we can send at least 20.  Click here to read about these quilts that are so much more than a blanket.

My favorite is going to Honduras.  Over the years this has been made possible by people in the Rotary club where I belong and the good folk at Peace Lutheran Church.  Click here to read about last year’s trip.  While others are putting electricity in houses or working on some other type of project I hold a day camp for the kids in the village.  I take down the most basic educational and craft materials, but for those kids, yet every time I pull something out of my container, to them it is the most amazing thing ever.  But it’s really not about what I do for them, but what they give me.  My life is enriched by the relationships that are being built with wonderful people in Honduras.  Facebook makes it easier to stay in touch throughout the year.  I’m always so astounded that people with so little are the most joyfully givers.  I so covet their simpler, slower life style.  Instead of doing one day camp in the morning, I’d love to also have a second one in the afternoon.  I encounter kids who love to learn and helping others learn.  I’d love to find a way to continually nurture this natural gift in these kids, besides being in their life one week a year.

Turning 50 is a big deal.  My angst about hitting this milestone has helped my realize that significance happens when “little things” are repeated over and over with help from a lot of people.

That was 35 years ago.  Think about the many ways our lives have changed in the past 35 years.  Not just a TV, but a TV in every room with 100′s of channels.  Computers, the internet, cell phones and email have greatly impacted our lives.  Think about the enhancements in our cars, household appliances, etc that have occurred in the past 35 years.  Not to mention the advancements in travel and communications.  Our lives are vastly different from the way they were 35 years ago.

With every trip I make to Honduras and Guatemala I’m astounded that in 35 years almost nothing has changed.  Many people still live in small stick and mud houses.  Women are carry water in 5 gallon buckets on their heads and cook over open fires.  Entire communities still don’t have electricity.   Roads are in disrepair.  The only significant advancement is in cell phones.

So, it makes me wonder; why have circumstances changed so much for us in the US in the last 35 years, but for our neighbors almost nothing has changed?

This is a time to honestly explore that ways we focus on amassing wealth that dramatically exceeds our needs and instead shift our focus to using the wealth God has entrusted to us to help those who have less.  Peace Lutheran Church has always been passionate about serving our community and beyond.  This is a bold vision, one that we are continually turning into a reality and one that we are always stepping out in faith to expand.  While many may think that the primary purpose our Forward in Faith campaign is to raise funds to reduce our debt.  However, our primary purpose is raise faith as we press foward with perseverance to run the race that is set before us.

I also would like to advise anyone who has not gotten a Kroger card, to pleas do so.  I always keep money on my card, and use it every time for food and gas.  This amount adds up fast, and our church receives 4 percent from all total amounts.  This can help us financially, and can you imagine the amount if everyone did this.  It cost us nothing, as this is money we normally spend anyway.  Ask Pastor Ann about getting one now.

Thank you and God bless us, always

Ron Vahovick

The Catholic Church in Barcelona

After traveling all day Saturday, February 4 our first real day in Honduras was Sunday.  And the first thing we did was go to the 8:00 a.m. mass at the local catholic church.  Even though it was all in Spanish, the various aspects of the service were easily recognizable …..oh that was the confession and forgiveness, there’s the greeting and the prayer of day, reciting the Apostle’s creed, the prayers of the people and sharing Christ’s peace with others.  Even the lessons read were the same as those read in our churches.  Included in the service was a funeral. 

We had two primary goals the first was to build a house and the second was to work with children teaching them English.  The house probably measured 20’x30’ with four rooms—kitchen, living room and 2 bedrooms.   The suitcase with all my clothes went to Mexico.  Carolina, a wonderful Honduran lady, took me into Choluteca about an hour away to buy underwear and see if we could chase down my suitcase.  Although I had borrowed t-shirts and a skirt from others in our group, as Carolina said, underwear is something you don’t want to borrow from others.

 For the next four mornings Sharon and I worked with the kids at the local elementary school.  We had about 40 kids in first through 6th grades.  The two teaches were so great to let us come in and take over their classrooms.  We began with color by number worksheets to practice their colors and counting in English.  Then we divided them into groups for a variety of activities; putting together 3 floor puzzles I had taken down (this was their favorite), playing uno or memory, and playing Simon Says (we used this game to practice basic English commands like stand up, sit down, run, walk, etc).   We did a craft and then ended the day by playing bilingual bingo.  So by Thursday morning, the students could do the following in English; count to 20 and count by tens (more or less), name colors, articles of clothing and arts of the body, use social phases and respond to the above Simon Says words. 

The kids were a jewel to work with.  Everything little thing we pulled out of our school box of supplies was the coolest thing ever.  At the end of the day they all made a point of giving us hugs.  Our teachers were very helpful and also enjoyed learning English.

 The guys worked very hard building a block house for Mario and his
family.  Schlepping sand and gravel via wheelbarrow to the mixing site, mixing the cement with shovels and then transporting the wet cement to the walls in 5 gallon buckets was physically intense.  There was no running water at the house.  Mario’s wife carried in most of the water in a 5 gallon bucket.  She had to cross the highway, climb over a rock wall, and walk about 1/4 quarter mile to the lagoon for the water.  She carried the full bucket back on her head.  All this she did barefoot.  Some of the guys helped carry water, they say it rang their bell. Mario and his family now have not only a new house but a new life.  Mario and several of his family members also worked all day, every day on the house.

When Sharon and I would try to help by bringing sand or concrete blocks, the Honduran guys would stop us.  So we taught English, played games and did crafts with the kids that lived near the work site.  We sat on logs around a piece of cardboard for these activities.  One little girl, Gabriela, had horrible curvature of the spine.

On Friday we went Alma Pala island.  The boat ride we took to and from the island was so peaceful.  The seafood we had there was out of this world. A couple of other quick highlights.  I had wanted to stay at the same place were we stayed last year because the people there were awesome and I like to do what I know.  However that didn’t work out.  Gloria had her staff at Portillo went above and beyond to be accommodating.  So we made new friends.  On Thursday afternoon Carolina took Sharon and I back to the community where we worked last year.  We enjoyed lunch with Margarit.  She gave us coffee from her farm; YUM!  I also got to see several of the kids I taught last year!  Last fall they had an intense rainy season that washed out the roads in many spots.  That is still a huge issue. Around Tegucigalpa were those huge wind generators.   So exited that they are using renewable energy sources.

This trip…..I LOVE it!  Thanks to everyone who helps make it possible!

Lenten Blessings
Pastor Ann Bassett

God bless us all.
Ron Vahovick

Over and over throughout scripture we are commanded to welcome the non-citizen.  Leviticus 19:33-34 and 24:22  says “When the alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”  This verse from Deuteronomy 27:19 uses even stronger language, “Cursed be anyone who deprives the alien…of justice.”  In Matthew 25 Jesus states the criteria for sorting the sheep from the goats, “for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”

Recently I have had the chance to learn about the one of the biggest challenges facing our country – and our state – immigration.  Conversations churn about how to integrate newcomers into a society in a fair and human way and recognize they, too, are made in the image of God. Unfortunately, the national conversation has devolved into a polarizing debate often characterized by misinformation and fear at every level.  It seems to me that a great deal of the legislation that has passed and is being proposed is not only unwelcoming but mean-spirited.

As a Christian – a follower of Jesus Christ – we have no option.  We must be welcoming.  For me the first step involves becoming aware of the unjust manner in which non-citizens are being treated.  And because I am a Christian I cannot simply be a hearer of the word but I must also be a doer.  Not sure where the journey will lead, however, we walk by faith not by sight.  Won’t you walk with me?  And in the words of Martin Luther we say, “Here we stand, we can do no other, may God help us!”

Pastor Ann Bassett

Establish your 2012 financial goals, including your retirement and overall savings goals. Post them where you’ll see them often.

Establish a budget based on what you spent last year, taking rising gas, heating and food prices into account.

Cut back on debt by paying off a credit card balance, foregoing unnecessary purchases or adding $50 a month to your mortgage payment.

Prioritize major purchases you want to make and figure out how to pay for them out of your current income.

Meet with a legal professional to review your will or estate plan to ensure it reflects your current life situation.

For help achieving your 2012 financial strategy, contact Jack Ficken, FICF, FIC, Financial Associate at 615-266-2548 or jack.ficken@thrivent.com  today or visit Thrivent.com.