ALC Alert. MAY 2015 Volume 24 Number 5

Transcription

1 GOD PAWS ALC Alert American Lutheran Church Smith Center, Kansas MAY 2015 Volume 24 Number 5 It s springtime now, the favorite time of year for many of us, when track and field meets are running and the golf season is in full swing. But something else that is enjoyable this time of year or rather, which becomes more enjoyable this time of year is walking with our four-legged furry partners sometimes called man s best friend. Quite a few of us who are involved in Walk Kansas are finding that the best way to build up our weekly mileage is to walk with our dogs. It s fun to see their absolute joy at springtime perambulations, when all the smells are new, and summertime sounds have returned to nature. I think it was at one of my Parish Ministry Associate classes where our professor read us a very cute story about dogs. I think he may have been reading from a book by Wendy Francisco entitled GoD and DoG ; there s also a cute children s song she wrote by the same title (see It talks about some of the ways that dogs mirror the unconditional love of God. I know when I ve come home from the office on my worst days that my puppy didn t care and would wiggle her tail with unconditional love and glee upon my haggard arrival. It s a reminder that all of creation belongs to our heavenly Father, and that this truly is our Father s world. So, for the coming summer months, get out into nature and smell the roses to the degree you can; enjoy the warmth and sunshine (hopefully rain, too!). Spend time with God s good creation such as dogs. But even more importantly - do not neglect to gather together to worship and give thanks to God! PMA Jim+

2 American Lutheran Church Council Meeting March 2015 The American Lutheran church council met in the parish hall on March 8, Council members present were Dennis Lehmann, Marcia Bose, Theron Haresnape, Jenifer Ratliff, Ken Jacobs and PMA Jim Germer. The meeting was called to order by presiding president Dennis Lehmann and Jim opened with a short devotion: Paying attention to all the wrong things can cause us to think the world is against us. Pay attention to the positive things around us and focus on these things. Minutes Marcia moved and Ken seconded to approve the minutes of the February meeting. Motion carried. Treasurer s Report (See attached.) Marcia moved and Theron seconded to approve the report as presented. Motion carried. Pastor s Report Jim has filled out the yearly report and sent it to the synod. He was sick several days and that has put him behind on visits. Council Committee Reports Worship and Music: no report Outreach: no report Parish Ed: no report Luther League: No report. Facilities: covered in new business Mutual Ministry: Marcia reported each church in the parish will maintain their own mutual ministry committee. Old Business 1) Easter breakfast: Ken will let Amy Terrill know we are planning to serve 85 for breakfast and he will call Gene s grocery store to order the items needed from there. 2) Parish: all four churches have decided to use Sunday and Seasons for their bulletin format. New Business 1) Facilities: Spring work days have been set for March 16 at 6pm and March 19 at 9am The next meeting will be Sunday April 12, 2015, 7:00 p.m. The meeting was adjourned with The Lord s Prayer. Church Council Secretary, Theron Haresnape ************************************************************************** OUTREACH NOTES Outreach met April 1, We welcomed the new council representative, Kathy Frieling. Our Valentine Brunch was a success with $300 sent to Kansas Food Bank for Smith Center Elementary School students back pack food. Thank you to all who contributed. Michelle Stamm, principal, set a nice thank you. Potluck dinner after church on May 3 is to honor our young people being confirmed. If anyone knows of new individuals or families to the community or members who need a ride to church please let Pastor Jim or an Outreach member know. If a member or families need meals delivered after surgery or health issues, please contact Pam Hutchinson. She has volunteers available to help. Della Hendrickson continues to take care of birthday cards for our members 80+. Irene Baumann sends out our newsletters to students and shut-ins and sends get well cards. Please let her know if there is someone she needs to add. If you have a prayer chain request, please contact Pastor Jim or Della Hendrickson. Our next meeting is June 3 at 7 p.m.

3 April 2015 Ryan Rwanda Report By Marcia Bose Mwaramutse (MwahRahMootZAY) Good morning! After traveling 36 hours Tom and I arrived in Kigali, Rwanda on March 27th at 9 p.m. We were met by Ryan, Pastor Kate Warn, Ryan s country coordinator, and Ryan s host father Pastor Athanase. Kigali, Rwanda s capital city, is described as one of the safest and cleanest cities in Africa. Reconciliation through poverty reduction is slowly becoming a reality 20 years after the genocide between the Tutsi and Hutu where it is estimated that 800,000 to 1,000,000 people died in 100 days. April 7 marks the start of 100 days of remembrance. Kigali is also described as a place where new buildings are spotted on skyline as government projects and economic development progress. On March 28 th we had breakfast at the hotel in Kigali, walked around the area, and then Pastor Kate came and picked us up and took us to the bus stop. We had lunch with Athanase and then boarded a bus for Kirehe. A note here is that the bus stop area is not paved noting many pot holes from rain runoff. The bus stops are very busy with people finding the right bus and vendors wishing to sell riders drinks, snacks, or fruit while they sit on the bus as people get on and off. There are armed guards at each bus stop, but Ryan says this does not concern him as it is the way of the government to show the people security. Ryan reports there are strict rules about bribes (given or taken) with the police with severe fines and jail time. (This is not the case for Tanzania) The bus is really a mini bus that transports up to 27 people sitting 5 across with people shifting for seats at each bus stop along the way. We had a 3 hour ride to Kirehe (82.6 miles away from Kigali) that included 4 major stops and many road side stops to pick up and drop off passengers. The paved highway is the width of Highway 9 with villages dotted along the roadway with people, bicycles, and motos (motorcycle taxis) along the way. My guardian angel was very tired after this trip. The beautiful countryside involves low altitude plains where rice is grown and mountains with savanna type vegetation. (side note: the grass in the city and villages is cut by hand, no lawn movers). Ryan noted since he has been there the villages along the route are starting to light up as electricity comes to the area. We arrived at the Kirehe Guest House, a new motel that opened 5 months ago. Athanase and Mama Ezra invited us to their home arriving at 6 pm. Ryan had us transport from the motel by motos (motorcycle taxi) that cost around $.60/ride. (one dollar equals 690 franks: glad Ryan understands the currency). Ryan said they usually eat the evening meal around 9 pm so he was unsure if the 6 pm arrival time included a meal. When we arrived Athanase showed us around his small plantation (a few acres) where he grows plantains, bananas, and avocados. He also showed us the two milk cows. Wife Mama Ezra had a feast prepared and set out on the table including baked chicken (they killed one of theirs), beef tips, white rice, potatoes, baked banana (plantains), fresh banana, white bread, peanuts, and warm milk with sugar. They also asked if we wanted an orange Fanta (a drink for special occasions). Some of the neighbors arrived to join us for the meal. A man that works with the hospital AIDS foundation and his wife joined us as well. (He was the man that took Ryan to the hospital when Ryan was sick. He also drove us back to the motel). Before and after the meal Athanase said a prayer. He gave a speech after the meal (Ryan said that speeches are very common), we took pictures with family members, more speeches, exchange of gifts, and more speeches. Tom doesn t like to give unplanned speeches, so I gave a short greeting from us and our church. Women usually don t give speeches, but Ryan thought this was good to show Athanase how our culture can do greetings.

4 Athanase, Mama Ezra, and their 5 children live in a small house (approx. 600 square feet) with a small cook house and outhouse behind it. Most homes have bars on the windows. They have electricity and no running water. Water is bought at the local well for drinking (after filtered) and rain water is used to wash clothes and bathing. Foods are cooked on an open flame and have no refrigeration for leftovers. Their three oldest children go to boarding school with two of them back for a two week break after testing. Ryan explains that the public education is very poor quality so Athanase pays for his children to go to a boarding school with hopes of getting a better education. The family income is derived from 20% of the monthly church offering (about $30), sales of plantains, bananas, and avocado, and money from the YAGM to take care of Ryan. On Palm Sunday we ate breakfast at the hotel and took a moto to church (yes I was in a dress on a motorcycle). The choirs begin singing around 9 am (Ryan has learned to arrive around 10 am) with church over at 12:30 pm (a short service according to Ryan). Edward, a local young man who serves the Lutheran church in Rwanda and who will become ordained this summer, did the sermon and was gracious enough to say parts of it in English so we could understand. We gave the church a banner that had three crosses on it with the first verse of the song The old Rugged Cross written. Edward translated the song. The congregation clapped and greeted us after church. We sat on a wooden bench in the front row and were allowed to take pictures and videos of the choirs. They have a children s choir, a youth choir, and an adult choir. Each song last 7-10 minutes and contains much joyful movements. After lunch at the hotel (with a moto ride back from church to the hotel) we walked with Athanase to the welding school. No students are working on Sunday, but we were able to look around the building. Students are housed near the school living in tight quarters. Ryan believes there are 10 students to one welder and one hack saw. Ryan showed us projects that included repairing a corn grinder and welding a display case to use to show venders their projects. Ryan would like to see the funds from the ELCA be used for a cutoff saw. They have used funds to buy more materials to use for welding and a welding helmet that they don t want to use. As we have said in the past, Ryan s goal for the school is safety and improving the quality of the products made at the school. They currently sell small cooking stoves, screen doors, and window frames that are becoming competitive in price and quality to other venders. Change comes slowly, slowly for Ryan. He bought (with his own money: $20 which is 1/5 of his monthly stipend) an outlet and plug in for the welder (currently uses raw wires) only to find out they did not want a plug in and outlet because it kept them from moving the welder to the outside wires. On March 30 we had tea with Athanase and Mama Ezra that included boiled eggs, bananas, white bread, and warm milk and sugar. We walked to bus station and took a bus with Athanase and Mama Ezra to Rwanteru, the community near Kirehe that Ryan helps with the school. We took a tour of the church (more speeches and drinking Fanta or water) and a tour of the school. John Paul, one of the teachers for English that Ryan has been helping, did introductions in the classrooms that teach pre-k to 3 rd grade. The children are extremely polite and friendly. Prior to seeing the school, the children ran to greet us and we had many hugs and pictures. The children love having their picture taken and then shown on the camera. We then caught a bus to see Rusomo Falls. It is the rainy season, so we had rain but got many pictures of the falls with Ryan, Athanase, Mama Ezra, and John Paul. We took a 4 hour bus ride back to Kigali (saying a quick goodbye as Athanase and Ezra got off the bus). The remaining part of our travels included stays at Arusha, Ngorongoro National Reserve, the Great Serengeti, and Zanzibar Island off Tanzania with swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving (Ryan) in the Indian Ocean. We bid our goodbyes to Ryan in Kigali on April 8 th and returned home April 10 th.

5 Community Vacation Bible School Grades: Preschool through 5th grade Curriculum: Shining Star by Abingdon Key Theme: See the Jesus in Me Key Bible Verse: Philippians 2:12-16 Show yourselves faultless as children of God (who) shine like stars in a dark world holding fast to the word of life. Hosted by: American Lutheran Church Smith Center 9:00 am 11:30 am

6 MAY BIRTHDAYS 1 Norman Rippe 4 Sierra Kingsbury 5 Jacob Scott 6 Tami Cornford Garrett Kuhlmann 8 Kaylyn Jacobs 9 Bryce Scott 10 Amy Dunn 11 Bo Feldmann Doris Quinn 16 Gloria Clark Sharon Sweeney 20 Sierra Wilson 22 Duana Peterson 23 Larry Suchsland 26 Duane Hughes 27 Lucille Jacobs Sue Rippe 28 Marlene Murphy 30 Garen Cornwell 31 Jami Shelton MAY WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES Doug and Sue Rippe 5/4/ Randy and Irene Baumann 5/7/1966 Norman & Darlene Rippe 5/8/1960 Joe and Garoleen Wilson 5/15/1982 Clifton and Rose Buckner 5/18/2007 Brian and DeeAnn Isaacson 5/25/1996 Barry & Janeil Baxter 5/27/ Josh and Hannah Linn 5/29/2011 SOUND ACOLYTE CANTOR 3- John T. Shelby Barbara 10- Kendra Allan 17- Adalynne Irene 24- Gracen Barbara 31- Brady Allan MAY BAPTISMAL BIRTHDAYS 2 Monica Dunavan 4 Jill Henning 5 Selena Kelley 6 Gilbert Frieling 11 Cade Maxwell 12 Carol Jacobs Otto Dunn 14 Hilda Horning 15 Allan Dunavan Michael Favinger Debra Pahls 17 Robert Hughes 19 Kelley Hughes Marty Kingsbury 22 Joleen Wilson 23 Amy Dunn Dustin Horning 24 Shannon Hays Shawn Phelps 26 Nathan Baumann Carol Eller Brandon Kuhlmann 27 Norman Rippe 29 Kale Terrill 30 John Wiehl 31 Jill Shields LECTOR USHERS Irene Wyatt & Nora Rhoades Brad Robert & Diana Feldmann Leonard Larry & Barbara Wilson Barbie A. Dunavan & Denton L. Della Tim & Bree Wilson

7 2015 MAY SUNDAY CALENDAR YEAR / MONTH FIRST DAY OF WEEK Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday :00 Bulletin 11:00 Worship/Com Confirmation/Potluck 11:00 Worship 6:15 Mutual Ministry 7:00 Council :30 P. Hutchinson's 1:30 Mission Action Quilting National Day of Prayer 7:00 am Srader Center 9:00 Bulletin Quilting 10:00 SCMA 9:00 Bulletin :00 Worship/Com 1:30 Mission Action Quilting 7:00 Parish Council 7:30 Women's Birthday Breakfast 9:00 Bulletin 9:30 Fred Azeltine Graveside Service :00 Worship Memorial Day Quilting 9:00 Newsletter 9:00 Bulletin :00 Worship Office Hours: 9:00-11:30 am - Wednesday American, Thursday Kensington, Friday Stuttgart Pastor on vacation May ALTAR GUILD: Della, Jenifer, Sylvia & Arlene COMMUNION ASSISTANT: Brad KITCHEN: Roberta Reinking

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