Mission July 2014 Tidings Volume 56, Issue 3 $100,000 Mission Grants Goal Set delegates in convention chose hat an some missions we have W exciting sponsored before and they also Lutheran Women’s Missionary League of convention! We chose new missions. Eleven the North Wisconsin were uplifted by missions that were on the ballot District - LCMS our speakers, in were not selected and are also song and worship, worthy of support. If your church and by our is looking for a new mission to fellowship with sponsor you might consider one Affirming each MISSION GRANTS one another. woman in her DIRECTOR of these missions. Some are SUE NEIDER What a great God very near to us and could use relationship with ONTONAGON, MI we serve! your support. Thank you, the Lord and We also set our thank you, thank you for the enabling her to be in first $100,000 mission grants overwhelming support you give goal for our North Wisconsin to missions. You have a heart to ministry to the people District! This is an exciting time! share God’s immeasurable of the world. Could you ever imagine that we forgiveness and love that He would set a $100,000 goal? We offers to us all. Everyone you continue to reach out with God’s meet is someone Christ died for. love to those in mission around God’s blessings to you and IN THIS ISSUE: us in the North Wisconsin District your family. Mission Grants ........... 1-2 and to those who are in mission Sue Neider Christian Life ................ 3 in other parts of the world. The President’s Message . 4-5 Pastoral Counselor ...... 5 Informational Items Convention Photos .... 6-7 Check the website nwdlwml.org for information on a MOST mission Young at Heart Retreat. 8 trip opportunity to El Salvadore this fall Fall Retreat .............. 9-11 For information about Josh Jank’s continuing mission story go to Zone News ............ 12-13 www.reddiamonddays.com Visit runhardrestwell.com for Brenda Jank’s blog Peru Mission Trip ....... 14 A purple “Praise Pin” was found after convention in the hallway. If it Officer Information...... 15 is yours, you may contact Linda at 920-843-1916 or Calendar Items ....... Back [email protected]. Mission Tidings (USPS 362-230) is published quarterly by the North Wisconsin District Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, an auxiliary of the North Wisconsin Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The Lutheran Center, 3103 Seymour Lane, Wausau, WI 54401. Known office of publication: Mission Tidings, 680 Lakeside Street Box 95, White Lake, WI 54491. July 2014 Cost of Mission Tidings is covered by Mite Box contributions.Mission Periodical Tidings postage paid at Wausau, WI 54401 and additional mailing offices. 1 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Mission Tidings, N9625 Krull Rd., Bonduel, WI 54107. Lutheran Women’s Missionary League North Wisconsin District Mission Grants 2014-2016 $100,000 Mission Grant Goal NWD Professional Church Work $25,000 Student Grant Orphan Grain Train-Wisconsin Branch $10,000 “Every Kid to Camp,” Camp Luther Three Lakes, WI $10,000 Victory Lutheran Mission of Hope $20,000 Gwinn, MI Jeremy Faga Memorial in Central Alaska $10,000 Lutheran Malaria Initiative (Nets, Medical, Treatment) $15,000 Wisconsin Valley Lutheran High School Mosinee, WI $10,000 Please continue to hold all these mission grants in your prayers. 2 Mission Tidings July 2014 God Has a Plan ver wonder why God He tells us in I Thessalonians 5:16-18, E didnʼt tell Noah to swat “Be joyful always; pray continually; give those two mosquitoes? As I thanks in all circumstances, for this is Godʼs sit here swatting and itching, will for you in Christ Jesus.” We may only I know God had a plan. be one person in this world, but we may be Could it be that: (1) After a the world to that one person. What a long, cold winter, He knew blessing to serve as Jesusʼ hands and feet we would need something as we go on His errands! else to talk about, (2) He To know more of Godʼs plan, search His LWML DISTRICT wanted us to appreciate the Word for answers and directions. Take CHRISTIAN LIFE CO-CHAIIRMAN bats and dragonflies that eat Psalm 119:105 personally: “Your Word is a IRENE GRAVELLE mosquitoes, or (3) He lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” BOULDER JUNCTION wanted us to appreciate the Seek pastoral help, too, for guidance and to first frost of autumn which gain understanding. Chances are, someone will put the mosquitoes down for another somewhere has been in a comparable year? Maybe you have still another idea as situation, and the Bible is full of personal to why God created mosquitoes. examples that can guide us and our Seriously, God has a plan for the world decisions. Abram had to trust God when he He created and for each one of us. As He was told to go to a new land, leaving the declared in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the safety of familiar places and faces for the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you unknown. Noah had to trust Godʼs and not harm you, plans to give you hope directions to build that ark and gather the and a future.” His plan may not always be animals when it wasnʼt raining. Job suffered obvious to us. Serious illness, loss of a job, in so many ways but identified his advocate loss of a loved one, difficult family with God. “I know that my Redeemer lives, relationships, abuse, mental illness and and that in the end He will stand upon the addiction may all cloud our thinking and earth.” (Job 19:25). Indeed, His Word is “a cause us to question God and His wisdom. lamp to my feet.” Yet this is when we need to cling to His Trust God and His Word to guide you on Word and promises. “And surely I am with your way to His personal plan for you, you always, to the very end of the age.” whether you are a young high school or (Matthew 28: 20b) college graduate, a newly married person, a God has a plan for the LWML, too. middle aged career person, a new retiree, “Serve the Lord with gladness” is a motto or one living as a senior citizen. His plans that should carry a personal message to always involve our good and our eternal each one of us. It is a task we should gladly salvation. embrace and put to use because there are so many ways that He can use us in His With faith in His plan, plan to meet the needs of many. We can Irene Gravelle help a neighbor in need, visit the sick, dry a Christian Life childʼs tears, listen to someoneʼs troubles, witness to the hurting or lonely, or say those prayers for others. July 2014 Mission Tidings 3 What a Wonderful Convention! ow! I’ve just returned The speakers were amazing and brought W from another amazing love and laughter to the journey. Missionary NWD LWML convention! Gary Thies declared us all Thank you Sandy Michaelis “Not Normal” because of and Yvonne Schilsky and your our mission hearts and love convention planning team for for the Lord. I think one of all the work you put into the goals for this biennium N WI DISTRICT planning and preparing for the should be a bus trip to PRESIDENT 438 people who gathered in Mission Central in Iowa. I Mary Harrington Rothschild for a journey to the was blessed to visit there a Shell Lake Mountaintop. couple years ago with six The journey included opportunities to work other NWD members. Until that journey, I had on servant events; we sewed diapers from always visualized Iowa as flat land. Mission donated t-shirts, we rolled bandages from bed Central is definitely a Mountaintop experience! sheets, we made witness necklaces and Heidi Floyd shared her mission heart on picture books, and assembled personal care Sunday morning. Her faith walk includes a kits for Lutheran World Relief. Gifts from the breast cancer diagnosis Heart were gathered and were sorted and while pregnant with her boxed by the YWRs and Friends Into Serving fourth child. God held both Him groups and sent to King Veterans Home, she and baby Noah safely HOPE lodge in Marshfield in His loving care. Friends and for MOST ministries. supported her and family We joined together in with day care and meals worship and praise on while she went through Friday night and celebrated chemo treatments. That’s the relationship we have mission work at home at with our Lord Jesus. its best! Saturday morning found Delegates voted on bylaw changes to keep men and women up early to our organization current. A new mission mite participate in the Mission Walk; over $2,236.31 goal of $100,000 was passed for the 2014- was raised and offered as Mites for missions. 2016 biennium and new mission grants The walk was on a beautiful bike path along adopted. The grants are listed in this the Wisconsin River - a small glimpse of God’s newsletter for you on page 2. Keep them in creation. your prayers as you continue Rev. Arleigh Lutz led us to faithfully offer your mites. in Bible Study. God’s love New officers were elected and and holiness and His gift of I want to thank you for the salvation are all parts of our opportunity to serve as relationship with Him. All District President. Mary part of our journey to the Scharenbrock will serve as Mountaintop! second vice-president and 4 Mission Tidings July 2014 “On the Mountain Top” Deb Schalow will serve as want to extend my thanks treasurer.