UPDATES FROM OUR MISSIONARIES

Border Crossings

Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from the newsletter of our missionaries – The Schierkolk Family.

“‘. . . and they shall call His name Immanuel’ which means, God with us.” -Gospel of Matthew 1:28

Advent and Christmas bring some paradoxical feelings for us. On one hand, we are really enjoying being with our daughter Rachel, seeing snow, being with family, experiencing the joy of the many events of the Christmas season, and touching base with friends. We enjoyed the Christmas concert at the Bible School (AFLBS) so much we went twice!

On the other hand, this is the first Christmas that the kids in the clubs in Jerez won’t have us “with” them and we won’t be having a Christmas party where they’ll be getting a present and they won’t get to watch the traditional showing of “Red Boots for Christmas” in Spanish. No tamales made by Adri (who passed away in May) enjoyed with all of the people from the church in Jerez. No watching the serious excitement of a young person in church lighting the Advent candle. So we feel a significant paradox (or as we often say in our family, “pair of ducks”). But God is “with” us and He is “with” them…

Todd, Barb, Rachel, Megan and Kirstie Schierkolk

A New Life This Christmas!

Editor’s Note: This is a greeting from our missionaries - The Pillman Family.

Merry Christmas!
Christmas is a time to celebrate God's gift of His only begotten Son to the world. This year, we are also celebrating God's gift of a son for our family! We are so thankful for His good and perfect gifts. May your celebrations this Christmas season always be focused on Jesus!

Nathanael Paul Pillman
Born: December 19, 2011
Weight: 9 lbs. 12oz.
Length: 21 ¾ in.
Na-THAN-yel (Hebrew) Gift of God


Because of Him,
Justo, Patricia and Nathanael

“Every good gift and perfect gift is from above.” James 1:17

LOOKING AHEAD

LADIES OF THE AFLC –
YOU ARE INVITED TO THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION RETREAT
of
THE WOMEN’S MISSIONARY FEDERATION OF THE AFLC
at
THE ASSOCIATION RETREAT CENTER
Osceola, Wisconsin
MARCH 23-25, 2012

Speakers :
“YESTERDAY”—Faith Nelson
“TODAY”—Esther Hylden
“FOREVER”— Emily Nash
Skits performed by THE NEW IMAGE PLAYERS

If you have old pictures that you would like to share at the retreat or if you are willing send them ahead of time to be included with other s that will be on display for the weekend . Prints will be returned to you.

Send pictures to:

Phyllis Peterson, 420 Ash Road, Portland, ND 58274
(701) 788-2938 aimforlife@polarcomm.com

If you have some clothing from the past 50 years that you would care to model or bring along to put on display or for someone else to model please let the officers know and bring them along. If there is enough we may have a style show at some time during the weekend.

If you care to share an outfit or more contact:
Karen Pederson, PO Box 381, Tioga, ND 58852 (701) 664-2432 karen2games@yahoo.com

Any questions about our retreat please feel free to contact:
Lois E. Grothe, 3745 Franklin Ave. Astoria OR 97103 (503) 325-0463 http://www.blogger.com/ADDRESSES%202008-2009/loisgrot@pacifier.com

Silent Auction--On Saturday afternoon we will hold a Silent Auction—if you’d like to donate an item (s) for this please bring it along. Proceeds from this will go to the ARC.

Snacks to Share--We all love to snack—especially at retreats—so bring a snack if you like.

Coffee Shop--With flavored coffee, tea & hot cocoa. Come, enjoy a cup as you relax with friends.

Basic Information
Friday — Check In: In the Tabernacle—6 p.m. (Supper on your own) Retreat begins at 7 p.m.
Saturday morning—sessions,

Afternoon—free time (1:30 to 6 p.m.) for recreations, crafts, activities, relaxation, etc.

Evening—Banquet
Sunday morning—Worship Service at 9:30 a.m. Led by Pastor Eldon Nelson with communion which will conclude our weekend retreat.

(Please take time to register NOW to participate in this special celebration!)

Women’s Retreat
March 23—25, 2012

NAME___________________________________________________

ADDRESS_________________________________________________

CITY_____________________________________________________

STATE/ZIP________________________________________________

PHONE___________________________________________________

EMAIL___________________________________________________

CHURCH__________________________________________________

ROOMMATE REQUEST_______________________________________
Do you need a 1st Floor room? Yes_____ No_____
Do you need a bottom bunk? Yes_____ No_____
Request linens? Cost $7 Yes_____ No_____

Please choose one of the following:
I’m enclosing nonrefundable deposit $25_____

I’m enclosing the total registration fee for:
Saturday –only (no lodging) $45_____
Days only $60_____
Entire Retreat (3 days/2 nights) $85_____

Please make checks payable to WMF of AFLC Add $20 after March10th.
Send to:
Lois Grothe
3745 Franklin Ave.
Astoria OR 97103
(503) 325-0463
http://www.blogger.com/ADDRESSES%202008-2009/loisgrot@pacifier.com

Be sure to mark your calendars:

WMF DAY 2012

June 12, 2012
Thief River Falls, MN

Thus Far Has the Lord Helped Us.
I Samuel 7:12

This year is our 50th Anniversary celebration!!

DEVOTIONAL

LIVING BY FAITH

What does it mean to live by faith? At the Galilee Bible camp in July, our Adult class looked at this question. It was awesome to read the descriptions of God in chapter 1 of Hebrews. He “sustains all things by His powerful word” (Hebrews 1:3a). His “throne lasts forever” (Hebrews 1:8 excerpt). He “laid the foundations of the earth” (Hebrews 1:10), and one day He will “roll the heavens up like a robe---but You remain the same, and Your years will never end.” (Hebrews 1:12).

Along with this awesome description of God, we were reminded that He cares about each of us as His special child. In Hebrews 10: 22, we are invited to “draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings--”.

Faith is God’s gift to us in salvation. This thought was a blessed reminder to me--The God that sustains the universe will also sustain my life and faith.

DISTRICT RALLY INFORMATION

Central Tri-State District
9-17-11
St. Paul's Lutheran in Jewell, IA.
9:00 a.m.(reg., too) no charge.
Ends at 2:00
Todd and Barb Schierkolk will be speaking


Minneapolis District WMF Fall Rally
Sat., 10/29/2011
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Cokato, MN
9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Pastor Jonathan and Tamba Abel will be speaking
"Serving Jesus" Joshua 22:5.
The registration cost will be $3. It includes lunch.


South Dakota District
September 24, 2011
Calvary Free Lutheran Church, Arlington,SD
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
“Bee-coming more for Christ” Prov. 31:30
Bible Study Leader: Pastor Brian Ricke
Guest speaker: Faith Nelson

FROM OUR WMF PRESIDENT

THANK YOU – FOR HARD LESSONS!

Thank you for your love and concern expressed to me by your prayers, cards, emails, and letters during the time I was in the Crystal Cove Care Center in Newport Beach, California, and now while I am at home. I am still recovering from a broken femur which was suffered in a fall I experienced while my husband, John and I, were on vacation in southern California. Although I was able to travel back to Oregon, I will not be leaving home any time soon as the healing is slow and the recovery process is ongoing.

God has been teaching me lessons He has taught me before and many new things as well. Of course, the lesson of patience is an ongoing one that I am re-learning every day - patience with myself; patience with my family; and patience with the medical personnel who tell me I cannot put weight on my foot yet since it could result in complications with the healing process.

God is also teaching me to forgive myself for deciding to step across the corner of a flower bed that was bordered by a cement curb. (Essentially I was taking an unnecessary shortcut). Missing the other side of the curb is what caused my fall. “You should have known better” is what my mind tells me many times. But then God says, “Forgive yourself and learn from this.”

I firmly believe that one thing God has taught me is that shortcuts aren’t always such a good idea! Whether it’s a route you are taking, a recipe you are following, a method of doing something at work, or even in your devotional life, shortcuts aren’t always wise! For example, I mentioned missing the curb when I was cutting across the flower bed. Perhaps you were out of ingredients for a certain recipe and took a shortcut by making substitutions, or even changed the oven temperature and baking time to get something done more quickly, and things did not turn out as they were supposed to.

Worse problems have arisen from taking shortcuts as well. I’m sure you’ve heard stories about people who took a shortcut while traveling and suffered unintended consequences. Maybe they got lost, or became stuck in deep snow, or even died - because of their exposure to the elements while trying to get out. At work, you may have missed some important information by not following the prescribed method for doing a task you were assigned. That may have caused problems for you and for your employer as well.

But taking shortcuts in your devotional life may be even more detrimental. If you are like me, you often find devotional articles more “fun” to read than the Bible itself. Certainly you may learn something valuable from a well-written devotional. But the problem is that such an article has been written by a human being. It may be “right on” Biblically, and there may be nothing “wrong with it” doctrinally, but it is not the Bible, the inspired Word of God. It is only a “commentary” on the Scriptures.

I don’t mean to sound “legalistic” about this, but the roots of faith are nurtured by the Word of God. Surely we can be “inspired” by a devotional writer’s words. However, the Word of God is what nourishes our spiritual life. God intended the His Word to be our “food” for spiritual growth. While I would never say that devotional articles (or inspirational books) are not good ‘food for thought’ or good for us, they are not the actual word of God.

“Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” Hebrews 5:13-14

The passage above refers to newborn infants and the milk they drink. They need to have milk because they cannot digest solid food. However, if they remain on a diet of just milk children will never become mature adults. They will remain unable to digest solid food and eventually be extremely weak and may even die. As children grow, various foods are added to their diet. And when their teeth develop, they are able to have even more foods that must be chewed in order to be digested.

As a Christian, I cannot mature without the study of God’s Word. I must spend time “chewing” on it to digest that Word and grow spiritually. This involves reading the Word of God and meditating on it. Then perhaps, I may use a study guide, or even a devotional reading to enhance my understanding. But I must never allow myself to only read the “fun or easy stuff”.

I pray that you will learn from my difficult experience with short cuts. My broken leg reminds me every day that short cuts are often not a good idea! Shortcuts in your devotional life can limit your growth to spiritual maturity. So dig into the Word – grow in Jesus, learn to love Him, and learn to follow Him more closely every day!

DEVOTIONAL

REBUILDING THE RUINS

“They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.” Isaiah 61:4

Tornadoes, tsunami, earthquakes, and floods--- they fill the media with devastation, death, and distress beyond human understanding. Lives lost, homes leveled, businesses destroyed, and whole landscapes changed in an instant. The grief and despair have spread from one continent to another.

But have you been near the ruins of a different kind? Do you know of lives destroyed by alcohol or drug addiction, marriages ended from abuse or infidelity, and people suffering from cancer, depression or other disease? These, too, bring grief and despair of a different kind. Or perhaps your thoughts go to someone you care about who does not have any of those concerns, but is caught in the self-absorption of materialism, worldly pleasures, and the “I am a good person” deception. This is a life in “ruin”, because the life-changing purposes and works of God are not being carried out through a person surrendered to Him.

For all the people in these tragic situations, we ask “Where is their hope?” When Isaiah wrote about “rebuilding the ancient ruins”, he was communicating the power and promises of the Holy God he knew.
David writes in Psalm 62:5, “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.”, as he flees from his enemies. Peter praises God the Father, “In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living HOPE through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead--.” I Peter 1:3b

The message that gives us HOPE and that we share with others is:
1. Recognize who we are in relation to the holy God and confess our sins to Him.
Psalm 86: 1, 3, 5, 10 “Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.—Have mercy on me, O Lord—You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to You. – For You are great and do marvelous deeds; You alone are God.”
2. Believe in the Savior He sent for us.
Paul says in Acts 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved –you and your household.”
3. Trust that He loves us and always will care for our needs.
“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the HOPE that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
I Peter 3:15

ALASKA MISSION NEWS

Jeremy and Lacey Crowell, Home missions servants in Alaska, are the proud parents of baby boy Malachi Michael, He arrived April 26th, at 4:53 pm and weighed in at 7 lbs 8 oz. with 19.5 inches in stature. Pastor Jeremy Crowell graduated from the AFLC Seminary in 2010 and is also a certified and licensed pilot and flight instructor. They join the Swanson’s and the Lee’s with aviation support.

According to the Home Missions website, our missionaries in Naknek, Alaska live in a remote region, a long, long way from any feasible shopping options. Groceries and basic supplies come by barge. The parsonages, the KAKN radio station, and the churches face ongoing needs that donations can help supply.

For example, the radio station where the Lee's and Crowell's live desperately needs a water filtration system for the heavy iron and mineral content. Some newer furniture would also be a blessing, some of the station apartments have furniture from the 50's that is falling apart. Other needs include a dishwasher, full spectrum sun lamps for the dark Alaskan winter days, and dishware for the church. Any gifts to the Alaska Project account will help fund these special needs.