From Our President

RESERVE TIME

We have come through the busiest time of the year for many women. The Thanksgiving Holiday and the Christmas Holidays bring much to do for all of us. At this time of year many of us have difficult times because of strained family relationships or because we have simply too much to do (Do we bite off more than we can chew?)! We especially need to reserve TIME to spend in the Word of God and prayer on those busy days.

Do you reserve time to spend with your children? Do you reserve time to spend with your husband? I hope so! But even more important than reserving time for them, is to reserve time to read the Word, let God speak to you through that Word, and pray. Pray for patience to be able to handle the difficult relationships that you might have in your family. Pray for patience and wisdom in planning the work that needs to be done to be ready for the special holidays – whether you spend them at your home or someone else’s. Pray that the sweetness of the Holy Spirit would be seen by those you come in contact with you as you go out shopping, attend various events, and spend time with family and friends.

God has given to us 24 hours in a day. Everyone receives the same amount of time. How we spend that time is up to us. I would pray that you would be sure to spend time with God each day so that the upcoming holidays do not become more than you can handle. As you spend time with Him, He will give you the grace to get through those days with Joy and Thanksgiving.

God bless you as you come into this very blessed time of year. May you rejoice and thank God for the gift of His Son, Jesus, our Savior. Thanksgiving Day is certainly not too early to do that and to remember all of the blessings we have because of Jesus.

From our WMF President

Psalm 119:114

"You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word."

This world does not give us much to hope for, does it? People don’t. Riches do not. Jobs do not. Government does not. Even churches cannot.

You say what . . .churches cannot? Remember churches are made up of people. These people are human, they are sinners. They deal with many of the same problems you do. So, if you are putting your hope in a church, I’m afraid you could be sadly hurt.

What about your family? Certainly you can have hope in your family. Certainly we must love them. But remember these humans in the family may fail us too. They may even hurt us. They may even not want anything to do with us. Why? - Because they are sinful humans as well.

What about riches? Riches can be here one day and gone the next. Just think about the stock market crashes, the depression, the economic recession we have been in the last few years. How many of you lost money in your retirement accounts? I did – it was very frustrating for me to see the little money I did have invested, almost disappear and it still has not gained much back.

Jobs? For some of you the question is what job? Perhaps you had a job, or someone in your family did and because of the recession or some other reason, it was lost? Jobs are hard to come by in this economy. I am grateful for the job I have but I certainly have not put my hope for the future in it! It is providing for me and my family well but every day I must thank God for that job.

What about government? We must be thankful for the freedom that we have in this country to worship God as we please. We can be thankful for the leaders in our country who are Christians. We must pray for ALL of our leaders, Christian and otherwise. Pray that the one true God would speak to their hearts and that they would obey Him. Can we put our hope in this freedom? We don’t know how long we will be able to worship God as we see fit in this country. It could be here today and gone tomorrow. But prayer is our responsibility as Christian citizens of the United States of America.

This sounds pretty negative doesn’t it? What is the object of our hope?

The Psalmist says, "You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word." Where can we go when all else disappoints? We must go to the Word of God. We must go to God our refuge and shield. It is to Him we can turn when others fail. He is the great Provider. He is the great Refuge. He is our Shield.

Short-Term Missions Update

Friends and Family,


August has been a great time to really focus on the long lasting impact that we see God making in the hearts and lives of the people here in Brazil . August 11th, we started working on a project to benefit ALL of the Free Lutheran churches here in Brazil , which God has really opened up the door for in the process of it going forth!



This project is the revising, editing, contributing to, and updating of the Manual Evangelico here in Brazil, which is the book used in the churches for understanding AFLC doctrine, training in Confirmation, New Member classes, Sunday School, and Bible Studies. It truly is a widely used booklet with an impact at various different levels. The reason why we have been trying to edit this book, after three people have already previously tried unsuccessfully, is that currently the book hasn’t been updated since 1985, and has many grammatical errors scattered throughout the book from as early as the 1956 edition. The book had no longer adequately related to the changed culture and needs of the church regarding doctrine. This updated Manual will be able to more adequately meet the needs of the congregations here and be useful for solid Biblical training in the Word of God and in AFLC doctrine! The extra 120 pages that we have added to the booklet (originally 80 pages) more adequately explains our position as Free Lutherans, and meet the needs of the changing culture around us.



After working 10+ hours a day on this material at times, we look forward to sending the book to be printed September 15, Lord willing, and have it in the hands of the church leaders here by the Annual Conference. Please continue to pray for us as we push forward in this project, as we hope to present this book published at the Annual Conference here in Brazil on October 9th. Our prayer is that the Lord would use it to train His church.During this last month, we have also had the opportunity to travel 10 hours north to our AFLC church in Campo Grande ! This church was originally was designed by Jonathan Abel when he was the Pastor there and it is a beautiful church with some great people. Going on the trip with Pastor Joel, the President of the AFLC in Brazil , and Pastor Silvio, the Vice President, was really a great opportunity for both of us. We were able to hear from there perspectives what the AFLC needs to be doing here in Brazil to keep growing and what sort of different ministry opportunities that have been presented. So many people that we talk to have the heart to continue to help the AFLC here grow and it’s such a great opportunity to be able to work alongside them.



While we were in Campo Grande we were able to participate in the praise team and do another song of special music. Nathan also had a chance to share a word with the congregation about living a life honoring to Christ and what it means to be a Christian. The church is looking to plant another church in the community so we continue to pray that it all goes smoothly for them.



Looking ahead, we go forward with anticipation of the Annual Conference coming up in the month of October. Pastor Kevin Olson will be joining us here for two weeks in October and will be the keynote speaker for the Annual Conference here in Brazil . Both of us will be looking to present our published version of the Manual Evangelico at the Annual Conference as well as a presentation of the Ambassador Institute training, which Nathan has been working on translating into Portuguese. Please pray for warm receptivity for both presentations, as well as a uniting Conference, as the AFLC here in Brazil strongly looks and seeks for direction from the Lord.



With these prayer needs, we also would ask for you to remember us financially, with our ongoing expenses of $200 a month for rent, as well as the cost of transportation to and from the congregations we are visiting and ministering to. We are also looking at paying for our trip home, and are currently not a stage where we can afford that financially.

Thanks again for remembering us in prayer! God bless!

Nathan Olson & Jon Nelson

If you would like to support us in our ministry here in Brazil , please send your support to :


(Nathan Olson & Jon Nelson)
AFLC World Missions
3110 East Medicine Lake Blvd
Plymouth , MN 55441

DISTRICT RALLY INFORMATION

Illinois District

Saturday, September 18

Ottawa, IL


Southwest Central MN District

Saturday, September 25

Minnewaska Lutheran
Starbuck, MN

Speaker: Faylin Myhre


Eastern ND District

Saturday, September 25

Victory Free Lutheran Church
Park River, ND

Speakers Paul and Becky Abel



Western ND/Eastern MT District

Saturday, October 2

Golden Valley, ND

Speakers Paul and Becky Abel

Northwestern MN District

Saturday, October 9
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Rose Free Lutheran
Roseau, MN
Speakers: Karen Pederson and Jonni Sliver

Central Tri-State
Oct. 2, 2010
Salem Lutheran Church
3400 Ziegler Ave., Radcliffe, IA

speakers, Andy & Monica Coyle
(future missionaries to Russia)

Minneapolis District

Saturday, October 30

9 – 1 p.m.

Solid Rock Lutheran Church
Anoka

Speakers Paul and Becky Abel

DEVOTIONAL

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE

“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” -Elizabeth Kubler Ross

When this quote was given to me, I was watching the Sheriff escort my sister to a local hospital. She had just been committed to her second stay at a psych ward. The year before, my brother-in-law, at age 30, was diagnosed with Colon Cancer, bringing him to months of chemo, radiation, and two surgeries at Mayo Clinic. Then there was my right leg, going numb. At age 23, I was told I had had a herniated disc for over 8 months and needed emergency surgery.

My story is not unusual. Many of you who are reading this have probably suffered much more dismay than my mere 26 years of life. Cancer, unexpected deaths, lost jobs, lost hope, lost dreams, miscarriages, and illnesses that seem impossible to cure…

Yet these squalls seem to scream something more than that hopelessness that overwhelms. I feel the Potter’s hands molding, the smell of refining in the fire, the rumble of walls of arrogance and self-sufficiency crumbling. I see the tender hands of God reshaping something filthy, vulgar, and putrid into something holy, forgiven…and beautiful.

“Though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (I Peter 1:6b-7).

Trials will persist, cancer will still invade, and deaths will not end, but God’s grace is FOREVER. He gives courage to take on each day and to climb out of our holes; that is, if He doesn’t lift us out of them Himself. These storms happen only to make us into the children He designed us to be. And though they usually don’t make sense at the time, He gives flourishing grace to not only survive, but soar to the highest peak.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4).

As Kubler-Ross said above, “Beautiful people do not just happen.” James recognized how trials are used by God to transform believers into a closer image of our beautiful Savior. Mature and complete people of God do not just happen. Rest in the loveliness that Christ is pruning and preparing you for something incredible – wait in expectation and let Him swallow your surfacing stresses.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me, and you'll learn to live freely and lightly" (Matthew 11:29-30, paraphrased from The Message).

PRESIDENT'S INVITATION

You are cordially invited to attend the annual convention of the
Women’s Missionary Federation of the AFLC
to be held on Tuesday, June 15, 2010,
at the AFLC Schools Campus.

At this convention you will experience times of prayer, praise and worship, and Bible study, all based on the theme of the conference: “Encourage one another. . . for such a time as this.” The theme verses are from Hebrews 10:25b: “but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” and Esther 4:14b: “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this.”

There will be special speakers like our 2010 Bible study writer, Mary Christiansen, from Fergus Falls, Minnesota, who will lead the morning Bible study and Brazil missionary Becky Abel, who will speak at our banquet. We look forward to being led in praise and worship by the 2010 AFLBS Ambassadors. We plan to have a time to remember those who have gone home to eternity during the past year.

You will also be able to participate in the conducting of important business of the WMF. There will be election of officers, adoption of resolutions, passing of the budget for 2011, and the final vote on the amended recommended amendment that was brought before the WMF convention last year.

That amended amendment reads as follows:
Section 2: Officers in the WMF shall be a President, a first Vice President, a Second Vice President, a Communication Secretary, a Recording Secretary and a Treasurer.
Section 5: Officers shall be elected for a term of three years. All officers may be eligible for re-election but no officer shall hold the same office for more than two successive terms. The President and the Communication Secretary shall be elected one year; the First Vice President and the Recording Secretary the following year; the Second Vice President and the Treasurer the third year. Newly elected officers shall officially assume their duties at the first regular National Board meeting following their election.

This amended amendment passed by a ballot vote of 174 to 17. If this is approved by two-thirds of those present and voting at WMF Day in 2010, it will become part of the constitution.

In the afternoon, workshops will be held based on our theme verses. The workshop leaders will lead you from several different perspectives of encouragement, where we are in our lives and where God has placed us.

Wednesday morning, the Leadership Breakfast will be held. This breakfast will be for any woman who is interested in women’s ministries in your congregation. The theme of the breakfast this year will be “Encouraging you in your Women’s Ministries.” We hope that you will come and participate. We would like to hear from many of you about what you are doing in your congregations and communities to share Christ with the women. Come and expect a blessing on Wednesday morning. We plan to be done with our breakfast meeting in plenty of time to get to the opening business session of the conference.

AFLC missionary on loan to World Mission Prayer League in Mexico, Darwin Jackson, will speak at the Mission Festival Service on Wednesday evening. Again we will have special music and there will be a time of honoring Tim and Renata Heinrichs for their service as AFLC missionaries on loan to Eastern European Mission Network serving in Poland.

Ladies, we would welcome you warmly and are very grateful to the faculty and staff at the AFLC schools for serving as our hosts this year. We look forward to seeing the beautiful campus and you will get to see what some of your gifts have done to improve life on the campus for students and faculty alike! Because of your faithful giving, many things have been accomplished from the completion of the kitchenette and coffee lounge area in the girls’ dorm to the work done on the Seminary chapel after the installation of the beautiful pipe organ. You will get to experience the beautiful sounds of the pipe organ at the WMF Day and throughout the conference. It is truly a wonderful gift to the schools.

You may register for this special day and other days of the conference by using the registration forms in the March issue of The Lutheran Ambassador magazine. There is also information regarding housing in that issue.

Please pray that God would be honored and glorified in all that is said and done. Pray that hearts and lives would be changed by this special day in the lives of the AFLC women.

WAITING

By Theresa Boe
Wife of Intern Pastor Brett Boe
Serving in Grafton, ND

Wait. No one likes to hear the word. When I tell my 2-year-old to wait, he asks again. And again. Often times he will keep repeating his request until the wait is over. The fact that he was told "wait", and not "no," instilled a hope that he would eventually see his request realized. Every person, in every stage of life, is waiting for something. Right now I am waiting for the birth of a second child, each day feeling the weight and discomfort increase as the date of delivery comes closer. My family is waiting for the Lord's leading as we do not know where we will be living in just four months when my husband's seminary internship ends. Just wait.

Despite the discomfort that is often involved, waiting is directly tied to hope. For me there is hope that, in just a few days, the baby that now causes discomfort in the womb will be in our arms. Hope that in four months, the Lord will have directed our family to our next home. And the greatest hope, belonging to all believers, is that Christ will return to redeem us and take us home to glory. Psalm 130:5, "I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope." This hope keeps us from despondency: "I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD" (Ps. 27:13-14). Galatians 5:5, "For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness." Romans 8:23-25 expresses the hope of righteousness further: "...we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved...But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it." This is the kind of waiting that does not weary. According to Isaiah 40:31, "those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength..."!

One common misconception of waiting is that while we wait, we do nothing else. This only allows room for impatience. David says that while he waits "all the day" for the LORD, he prays to know His ways, to learn His paths, to be led in the truth of God's salvation (Psalm 25:4-5)! We are to wait with diligence, keeping ourselves for the One who called us: "Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You" (Ps. 25:21). John Waller, in his song "While I'm Waiting," sings, "I will serve You while I'm waiting, I will worship while I'm waiting. I will not faint; I'll be running the race, even while I wait." Attached to Jude's exhortation to wait for our ultimate hope of Christ's return is also a call to use the time for evangelism: "You, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear..." (vv.20-23).

So as we wait, we fix our eyes on Jesus, looking eagerly for what He is going to teach us while we wait. The Lord may use what He teaches us now to be an encouragement to others; He will definitely use times of waiting to refine us, His dearly beloved children, setting us apart daily for Himself. Now let us "Be strong and let [our] hearts take courage, All [we] who hope in the LORD" (Ps. 31:24).