A Message from the Pastor

All the students and teachers from week 2 of teaching.

We are winging our way home at 40,000 feet over Greenland’s summer ice flows shimmering in the bright daylight that we follow all 7,000+ miles to California. 

First of all I thank you for your interest, care and prayers these past weeks. A glance at the daily blogs will show our class work, team work, friendships made, and local sight seeing trips the Bible School staff planned for us. What no blog can fully capture, however, is the dynamic of the Holy Spirit working internally in the hearts and minds of each of us. Many of our team experienced life transforming faith moments and their fruits will be seen in the weeks, months and years to come. 

Secondly, for most of us there were big surprises, such as Priscilla, Erica, Joyce and I moving to different level classes to teach so that the students were best served. Jennifer, Arianna, and Breck’s Advanced classes were merged into one larger class. Pam had her Beginner class split into two. Only Charlotte and Sarah had their class intact! We had many students added in week two. These changes meant we had to let go of our personal wants and desires for the greater good. We lived out our motto of ‘be flexible’ to the many surprises of the trip, and studied hard!

Thirdly, we witnessed the 15th Anniversary celebration of the Bible School and the 10th Anniversary of the Lutheran Day School. We also saw the dream fulfilled of the high school, along with new summer priorities. Last week was a 9th Grade and new students week long high school camp up in the mountains. It was designed to teach English through worship music and activities. The leaders (both day school, Bible School, and Americans from Vancouver) set the religious foundations and expectations for the high school experience. I was very impressed with the intentionality of this program. This Lutheran Day School is already ranked as one of the best schools in the country. 

As pastor I witnessed kindness and friendliness from our team to one another, the staff, and our students. This Conversational English Course is for some of us and many of them the first experience in meeting and befriending a person from far away. Former enemies of the Cold War era are in fact now partners and importantly sisters and brothers in the Body of Christ. The Slovakian Church Women’s Altar Group gifted our church with a hand embroidered Altar Cloth.  Our Altar Guild gave the Martin Lutheran Congregation a fusion glass and walnut framed art piece handcrafted by two of Saint John’s members. The four Hope Lutheran, Fresno team members were thrilled to visit with their beloved summer 2012 Youth Intern, Kamil, and the Saint John’s team members were blessed to see our wonderful summer 2011 Youth Intern, Andrea. 

So you see, there is a web (or network) of connections and meaning to life in Christ that makes our lives deeper and richer.  Our dear special friend Michaela (Mishka) dedicated these two weeks not only as a student, but as translator for us on many occasions and as friend to us everyday and evening. She even offered the family washing machine for our use!

I especially thank Jennifer (Hope Lutheran, Fresno) for serving as Leader of curriculum and day to day schedules; she and I conferred many times throughout the winter and all the time these past three weeks! She and Charlotte revised and planned the daily teaching curriculum for Advanced and Intermediate classes. This is my final season as leader and teacher. The Bible School gave me a beautiful water color painting of five special Slovakian Lutheran Church steeples. We have experienced the joy of hard work with a lasting purpose. I thank each of our our team for answering God’s Call to serve - Priscilla Thomas, Breck Thomas, Erica Thomas, Charlotte Mosqueira, Jennifer Jordan, Pam Reistetter, Sara Martin, Arianna Metcalfe, Sarah Ormonde, and Joyce Bauer. To God be the glory! 

Dokujem and Do videnia (thank you and good bye), Pastor Randy 

The whole team and their luggage upon arriving in Vienna, Austria.