Second Week – Two Cultures Meet

Our second week of furlough continued with our tour of presentations to promote the work of LATTE.  Monday evening took us to Emmanuel congregation in Tempe, AZ. Then we spent the rest of the week at Whiteriver and East Fork in Arizona’s White Mountain Reservation.

We enjoyed the breath-taking four-hour drive from Phoenix, rolling through Salt River Canyon. Lots of winding curves, amazing rock formations, endless mountains and valleys, and high altitudes.

Upon arrival into Whiteriver, Missionary Joel Sutton and his wife, Priscilla, along with their son, Mateo, welcomed us into their home and served us a delicious meal.  We have a special connection with Joel and Priscilla. Joel served as a vicar in México, where he met his wife, Priscilla.  Priscilla was one of my English students during my brief WELS Kingdom Workers’ teaching assignment. Both Nate and I attended their wedding in México.

After a guided walk around the neighborhood, we headed to East Fork, just a few miles down the road.  Nate’s grandfather built many of the original homes and buildings on the Lutheran Campus. We stayed in an apartment that is part of the Apache Christian Training School (ACTS) building (formerly the East Fork Nursery).

After getting settled, it was time for another connection-Missionary Dan and Katie Rautenberg. Dan was a high school classmate of mine and he attended college and seminary training with Nate. When I worked for WELS World Missions Promotions Center, Dan and Katie were the second mission tour that I coordinated. It was truly fascinating to recognize similarities between Nate and Dan. They both graduated in 2000 and were assigned to world mission fields as missionaries, transitioned into theological education roles, and continue to serve in their original fields for 12 years. It was also enlightening in comparing the similarities and differences between the training of LATTE and ACTS as well as Latin America and Native America.

The next morning at East Fork Lutheran elementary school, Nate led a devotion and presented on LATTE’s work of taking seminary training across borders, along with culture and linguistic trivia. I concluded the presentation by showing a project to share Jesus through colors and singing a song together. Afterwards, we visited each classroom to answer the students’ questions. The kindergarten class sang The Lord’s Prayer to us in the Apache language. In the evening, we went to Open Bible Church in Whiteriver for a potluck (I will share details about the delicious “fry bread” in an upcoming post) and presentation. It was an amazing day, sharing one culture with another.  I learned a lot and met some wonderful loving brothers and sisters in Jesus.

We spent our last day with the missionaries, after a short visit with Pastor Gary Lupe who will also be presenting at the LWMS Convention this summer. Some of us toured the Fort Apache Museum and Kinishba Ruins. Then we all headed up to Pinetop for dinner with a walk around the lake and time for the kids to play.

I hope that we can all reconnect again in the near future to share stories, ideas, and words of encouragement with one another.

 

Week One – Furlough Fun

A widow’s mite.  A gentle whisper.  An insightful question.  An emotional hug.

These precious things reminded me why we are in the USA on furlough, amidst a tour of mission presentations.

Shepherd of the Valley Church-Surprise, AZ

Nate and I just completed the first week of our furlough.  The days have been full of speaking engagements at three congregations, a high school, a lower grade school, an early morning Bible study at a local restaurant,  three full grade schools, and a retirement home. We met many new faces and spent time with old friends. We crossed paths with missionary friends, Stahmanns (Japan), Sprains (Latin America), Spevaceks (Africa, Eastern Europe, and Native America), and our colleagues-Larry and Kay Retberg (LATTE).

Students at Emmanuel Lutheran School-Tempe, AZ

Each location welcomed us with attentive ears, huge hugs, and warm greetings. Congregation members appreciated business cards featuring our blog website addresses and looked them up immediately on their SMART phones.  Students enjoyed the mission kit display as they tried out musical instruments and discovered other handicrafts from the 10 different countries LATTE serves in Latin America. Pastors and teachers thanked us for promotional bulletin and letter-size materials we sent ahead to promote the mission events. Countless presentation attendees absolutely loved the cultural videos and personal greetings from our brothers and sisters in Latin America.

Students at Grace Lutheran School-Glendale, AZ

Overall, the week has been a whirlwind of conversations, presentations, and activities; but a few specific moments stand out in my mind.  A 98-year old woman passing me a $5 bill as she hugged me good-bye, wishing she had more to give to support the mission work.  A tap on the shoulder after a presentation followed by the words, “Thank you so much for coming, you were just what I needed today”, from a woman with tears flowing from her eyes.  A young child asking, “Have you ever gotten hurt for telling someone about Jesus?” An elderly man with a walker, giving me a humble offering along with a strong hug, as he thanked us for the work that we do on his behalf.

This is what furlough is all about.  Making those personal connections with our stateside supporters who make our mission efforts possible by their prayers, offerings, and service. Giving them a face-to-face opportunity to see the work that is being done on their behalf is a tremendous honor and privilege. What a true joy it is to see all this support and love from God’s children-both young and old-in sharing Jesus with others!

We thank all of you who support our missions around the world and wish we could meet each and every one of you.  We hope to see many of you at the upcoming LWMS Convention in North Carolina. May God be with each of you, until we meet again!

Locations not featured in photos: Pilgrim Lutheran School-Mesa, AZ, Arizona Lutheran Academy-Phoenix, AZ, Cross of Glory Lutheran School-Peoria, AZ, Emmanuel Bible Study Group-Tempe, AZ, Arizona Lutheran Retirement Home-Phoenix, AZ, Grace Lutheran Church-Glendale, AZ, and Calvary Lutheran Church-Chandler, AZ.

 

Easter Day

Easter morn. Easter afternoon. Easter evening. Easter night. What a glorious day to celebrate the resurrection of our dear Savior Jesus Christ!

My day began with 3 brand-new Sunday school students!  Yeah! At first, these three boys were shy, but after reading the Bible story, they just beamed with smiles. They joined the other students to retell the story of Jesus’ empty grave with finger puppets and a sketch of the tomb, a road, and Jerusalem on the whiteboard.

Then we reviewed the story with worksheets and drew pictures of the door to heaven. The first one-the door was closed, the second one-the door was closed, but with a deceased person waiting to enter, and the third-featured heaven’s door wide open with Jesus in the entrance welcoming the deceased person into heaven, both with huge smiles. The purpose of this activity is to show that we have eternal life in heaven through Jesus, but we must die first (if the end of the world doesn’t come first).

We ended the class with a project. We made paper crowns of victory with the Bible verse, “Because I live, you also will live.” – John 14:19.

A joyous Easter worship service followed Sunday School. The curtains behind the altar housed paper butterflies the students made the week before as we talked about new life in Jesus.

Our mission Cristo Resucitado (Resurrected Christ) in León continues to grow in many ways:

•  2010 - Mission team arrives in León and gathers to worship on Easter in one of their homes  (Nate and I were in Brazil)

• 2011 – Mission celebrates first Easter worship service with 29 in attendance – 17 of them were Mexican visitors

• 2012 -  Sunday’s Easter worship service has 50 people in attendance – over half are active prospects, many taking membership classes with Pastor Brad

• 2013 – Looking forward to what blessings God has in store for next Easter!

May the joy of Christ’s resurrection brighten every day of your life!

Multi-Language Publications now offers a CD of worksheets in English and Spanish for the Bible Stories in Pictures Book.  The children of our mission love the books, worksheets, and projects!

 

 

 

Pascua de la Resurreccion

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in.  Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there,  as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)

Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”  “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. “Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for? Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”

 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you maybelieve that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.  — John 20

 

Viernes Santo

The Death of Jesus (Matthew 27:45-66)

45 From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.

46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”–which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” 48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.  51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52 The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”  55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.

56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

The Burial of Jesus

57 As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.

61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate.63 “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’

64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”
65 “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.”

66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

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The Crucifixion (Mark 15:21-32)

21 A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. 22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 23 Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.

24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.  25 It was the third hour when they crucified him. 26 The written notice of the charge against him read: The King of the Jews. 27 They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left. 29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 come down from the cross and save yourself!”

31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself!

32 Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus

33 At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.

34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”–which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”

36 One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.

37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.  38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” 40 Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.

41 In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.

The Burial of Jesus

42 It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died.45 When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. 46 So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.

47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

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The Crucifixion (Luke 23:26-56)

26 As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.2 9 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’

30 Then “ ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’31 For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals–one on his right, the other on his left.

34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” 38 There was a written notice above him, which read: This is the King of the Jews.

39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Jesus’ Death

44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.

46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.  47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” 48 When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. 49 But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

Jesus’ Burial

50 Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid.

54 It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. 55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it.

56 Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

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The Crucifixion (John 19:17-23)

17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).

18 Here they crucified him, and with him two others–one on each side and Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.

21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

24 “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, “They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.” So this is what the soldiers did.
25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

The Death of Jesus

28 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.

30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” 37 and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”

The Burial of Jesus

38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy‑five pounds. 40 Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid.

42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Text provided by http://www.youversion.com.

 

Jueves Santo

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”

“Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.

He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there.”

They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table.  And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”

After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him.”  They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.  — Luke 22:7-23

 

Domingo de Ramos

Happy Palm Sunday!  Today was a special day at Cristo Resucitado in León, México.  We began with our regular adult Bible Study and children’s Sunday School classes with a couple late-comers due to the 1 hour time change (Daylight Savings is a couple weeks behind our neighbors in the USA).

After our Sunday School lesson, the other class joined mine to practice the song, “Bendito el Rey que Viene en el Nombre del Señor”.  Each student got a palm branch. Then we all lined up behind Pastor Brad.  A few visitors joined in the line-up at the last minute.  Pastor Brad led the procession and assisted the children in laying the palms upon the altar.

Then the students sang two stanzas of the song they have been practicing for weeks. The congregation sang the remaining stanzas, as the children remained standing up front, all with big smiles.  What a great way to celebrate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem!

I absolutely love working with these little souls, so energized to learn more about their Savior and share with others.