2026 Kickoff Wednesday, June 10

For many Trinity families, Summer Nights are a highlight of the season—a chance to gather, connect, and enjoy time together. For Katie Bergstrom and her family, it’s a tradition they look forward to every summer.

They come for the simple joys: time with friends, relaxed evenings, and a break from cooking. The welcoming atmosphere makes it special—kids can play and connect while adults unwind. With a variety of themed nights, there’s always something fun to experience.

The Bergstroms attend when they can, especially for favorites like bingo, trivia, Wild Water night, and the BBQ and car show events—where they’ve even participated. Reconnecting with friends from MOPS, Trinity Kids, and Confirmation makes each night meaningful.

At its heart, Summer Nights is about community—sharing meals, meeting new people, and feeling a true sense of belonging. The Bergstrom family is grateful for each gathering and looks forward to many more summers together.

learn more about Summer nights

The Trinity Foundation supports Trinity’s long-term mission and ministry through faithful gifts given in memory, celebration, and gratitude. These gifts extend opportunities beyond the regular budget, creating a lasting impact in the life of our congregation and community. 

This year, the Foundation reached an exciting milestone: 15 students applied for scholarships, and $19,550 was awarded to support their education and faith formation. These scholarships go beyond financial assistance—they are an investment in future leaders grounded in Christ. 

One scholarship recipient shared how faith has been strengthened through life’s challenges: 

“God has shaped my faith throughout the years with numerous challenges that tested my character in countless ways. In difficult moments, I’ve learned to rely less on myself and more on Him… I want to continue strengthening my relationship with God, and this scholarship helps me remain in a university community that challenges me to grow stronger in my faith and become a Christian leader each day.” 

Another recipient reflected on the foundation of faith built at Trinity and carried into new seasons of life: 

“I am grateful to continue growing as a Christian leader while knowing I have a strong foundation and relationship with God that began at Trinity. As I enter new communities, I look forward to meeting others and sharing love and encouragement— because true success is found in uplifting those around us.” 

These testimonies remind us that the Trinity Foundation is doing more than supporting education—it is nurturing faith, leadership, and service in the next generation. 

Thank you to all who support Trinity’s mission through the Foundation. Your generosity makes stories like these possible and creates a lasting impact. If you feel called to be part of this ongoing work, we invite you to consider making a gift and helping continue this meaningful legacy. 

Congratulations to our Class of 2026 High School Graduates (confirmed in 2022, pictured above)!

Thursday, October 16

Today’s final sharing on this incredible trip in so many ways begins with this photo above from Angie and this message to the group. “Our place is simply beautiful, I love it thank you so much.”

Sarah reflects on the trip for the group
Today, our day of rest and reflection. Sitting outside, it’s nearly cool, as the storm comes in close…foggy and a downpour. I think every day we have watched the clouds roll in, then see lightening and then hear the loudest booms of thunder…rain has come down torrentially. As quickly as it rolls in it can roll out. It’s so beautiful.

10 days ago we arrived to our community. We only knew the women from pictures and short bios, we knew nothing about building an oven. Today I think how blessed I am to have been a part of this extraordinary experience. Knowing these women are skilled in the kitchen (their meals were amazing), their faith was strong, their future is just beginning. We have planted a seed and knowing they are ready to grasp it and grow. I love that I was part of their promising future.  I am returning home with a happy heart!

From Vernoica- Good morning, incredible but true. God is good. ❤️ A dream come true. Thank you all. ❤️❤️❤️ Safe journey to all. You will always be in our prayers.

From Norma– Thank you God for putting this dream in my heart and now seeing it possible, and thank you to all the people who worked to make it a reality

From Aury- I want to thank each and every one of you from the moment you came to present the project and motivate us, for every effort you made, every drop of sweat and effort you put into building the oven, every laugh, and every gesture of friendship you have shown us… There are no words to express so much gratitude, and I assure you that each and every one of you will remain in my mind, heart, and prayers! The photos don’t include the girls from the group and Susan, who couldn’t join us, but I know they felt the same emotion when they saw the completed oven. 🤗 It would be great if someday we could all enjoy a nice cup of coffee or tea ☕️ with some good bread 🍞 🍪 prepared and baked in the Carpenter’s Wives’ oven. ☺ Thank you! GOD KEEP YOU AND BLESS YOU…

The photo above is the completed kitchen and oven. And this is a reminder of day 1 when our group arrived in the community to begin the oven build.

Wednesday, October 15 –

Today was the final day for the group to be at the oven build site. The photos speak volumes of the friendships made, the oven that is a true gift for this community of women, and their words of thanks and gratitude that have been shared during their time together. The group shared a final meal together, presented baking supplies to get their oven business started, after adding the final touches on the oven dome. And last– a big group hug together!

From Paula
Scripture: “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” —Proverbs 31:25

Reflection: God has always used women to move His purposes forward. From Deborah, who led Israel with courage, to Esther, who risked her life to save her people, to Mary, who humbly accepted the call to bear the Savior—women have been powerful vessels of God’s love, wisdom, and strength.

Empowerment does not always look like standing on a stage or holding authority over others. Sometimes it looks like speaking truth when silence feels easier, offering compassion when the world is harsh, or choosing faith over fear. True empowerment begins when we recognize that our worth does not come from the world but from being daughters of the King.

God clothes women in strength—not just physical endurance, but inner resilience. He wraps us in dignity—not pride, but confidence rooted in His love. With these, we are freed from fear of the future, knowing He equips us for every season ahead.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for creating women in Your image—strong, wise, and full of dignity. Help us to walk in the confidence of Your calling and to encourage one another. Teach us to see our strength not as the world defines it, but as Your Spirit empowers it. May we rise with courage, lead with compassion, and reflect Your light in all we do. Amen.

Empowered women empower others. When we embrace the strength and dignity God gives us, we not only stand tall—we lift others with us.

From Nancy
The Bible shows us women who changed history, women with cunning, full of strategies, for example, Jael, Rahab and Abigail, women with understanding who understood that they should act to avoid misfortune because both Rahab and Abigail saw death coming for everyone around them. Rahab managed to save his own and Abigail all of them, because King David had given the order to kill all those Nabal, husband of Abigail, was in charge of including them, and Abigail makes a whole plan to meet the King and avoid such misfortune… and if we talk about Jael, in it the promise of God was fulfilled that by the hand of a woman; Sisara, a Canaanite commander who oppressed the Israelites, would be defeated.

It is beautiful to read the scriptures in them, we also find examples of women equal to us suffering from different situations and showing us that with God-given wisdom anything is possible.

Tuesday, October 14 –

From Nancy, Founder of Bricks to Bread:
Today the group had the opportunity to visit another operational bread oven. They spent the day visiting and baking with Maria and her family in Barrahonda. The devotion and discussion on the drive to Maria’s oven (1 1/2 hours) was focused on this devotion and sharing by Irene.

The prophet Habakkuk also wanted answers, but God decided that the answer would have to wait. To this, Habakkuk responded: “I will stand on my guard, I will stand on the fortress. I will watch to see what he will say, and what reply he will have to make to my complaint… Though the vision is delayed for a while, yet it will speak at last, and it will not disappoint. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will surely come, and it will not delay” (Habakkuk 2:1, 3).

Something we must learn in our walk with God is that faith never gives up, knowing that, regardless of circumstances and appearances, we can wait. Understanding that God is working,. God uses the “waits” in His answers to strengthen our souls. If God’s answer is delayed, be patient. It will come at some point with a yes, no, or keep waiting. When you finally have the answer, accept it with maturity.

Today we can see the vision fulfilled. Thank you, God. 🙏🏽 Everything is beautiful in your timing.

From Camille
Wonderful to see what opportunities a brick oven can provide for a family/families and a community.

Photo at the bottom with the crosses
The group presented a basket of gifts for the family which included one of Christian Chavarria’s crosses (El Salvador) that many of us have purchased. Susan shared, “I almost cried when the little boy proudly added Christian’s cross to their door”. A piece of El Salvador is in Costa Rica from our group.

Monday, October 13 –

From Susan:

The devotional today was from Jesus’ Calling focusing on these two scripture verses:
Proverbs 17:22 states,
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones”.
Proverbs 31:25 says,
“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future”

We woke up to a beautiful day. There was even a rainbow to greet us. We made our way to the build and had time to connect with our (not so ) new friends. Our devotional focused on laughter and strong women, two things that have created our bond. We worked a half day on the oven and focused much of our time on the kitchen. Lots of plaster flying around today! The second half of our day was spent doing cultural experiences, making traditional Costa Rican Tamales and bracelet making. The children are a highlight, they are still challenging our Espanol and certainly always want us to play.  We had the delicious tamales for dinner to wrap up another memorable day. The gift of these friendships will last forever! There is an abundance of Faith and Hope in this community. These women are truly clothed in strength and dignity without a fear of their future.

Sunday, October 12 –

From Camille:

Today’s Devotional:
Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”. In a new country, this verse encourages seeking friendships that challenge and improve you, and being that kind of friend to others. A devotional approach would involve prayerfully considering what you can offer a new friend and how a friendship can help you grow in a new environment. 

Sunday Reflection:  
Our special day started with homemade warm Atol pujajua (a corn pudding of sorts) prepared as a morning treat while the rain poured down.  We were able to attend an inviting and invigorating church service  led by Pastor Ronald, Aura, and Ian.  Pastora Ivonn was invited to share a welcome from El Salvador.  Afterward, everyone joined in on our workday and this afternoon we set the Trinity Lutheran keystone at the front of the oven.  A major highlight of our time together.  We celebrated Veronica’s birthday during an afternoon break before adding the final cladding over insulation, again in the rain 😃.  Did I mention that everything is lush and green here?  To close out our evening, the Trinity gals were able to see downtown Coco with dinner out and sharing highlights of our day together.  Ask Laura & Ivonn how many people it takes to measure an irregular space before cutting…we had a good chuckle about that.  Much gratitude for the beautiful relationships developing here.

From Angie (one of the church community members of the oven project)
This project isn’t just a beautiful oven, it is and will always be our lifesaver. It’s gratifying to help and serve. Seeing the progress is amazing. Laying the stone was very exciting because it represents a huge amount of effort, love, and work. I loved today. In the end, everything was perfect. Thank you for making this dream possible

From Veronica (one of the church community members of the oven project)
How nice, today was a wonderful and very special day filled with joy, there was no lack of 🎂cake and coffee. The children enjoying teamwork also, I am very grateful for all of you. Thank you all very much.

Saturday, October 11 –

From Sarah:
Hola! Today was our fifth day in Costa Rica. We began this day in reading “The Prayer of Oscar Romero”. It has set goals and direction for this oven build. As we layer the bricks, setting them in rows and patterns, we can get caught up in the attempt at perfection; but simply stepping back and taking a long look proves that all of it together is wonderful. That many pieces or persons, if brought together can make wonderful, and in this case, a beautiful oven.

But building and completing the oven is just the beginning – it’s a seed of hope for this community of women. During the day some would walk over to observe, take pictures and whisper with excitement, some even getting their hands dirty by helping us. It is their oven, their future and everyone is so excited. The oven is situated close to a dirt road that wanders through the village of Carpintero. All day long cars, bikes and motorbikes slow to see what is happening. They too will be a part of this grand future.

It is a blessing to be a part of this experience. An experience that at present is filled with laughter, amazing food, attempts at speaking Spanish and drizzly weather. It is perfect! Adios! 🇨🇷♥️

From Aury, one of the community‘s women with the oven project
What a beautiful team! Every detail, every drop of sweat in such a beautiful job is priceless and beyond words. May God bless your hands and keep you safe in your journey. May he give you wisdom and renew your strength

Friday, October 10 –

From Barb (sharing from the day and morning devotion):

Hola everyone!  What a fun day we had—and we only worked a half day!  Our oven is amazingly coming to look more like an oven each day, and today was no different.  We put red bricks on the front and wow—we’re getting closer to the picture of a completed oven!  I am awed every day at how a group of people who have never before built a brick oven can come together and, with the help of an oh-so-experienced leader and her incredible team, make something that actually looks like a brick oven!  And, I have to mention that we are all having a lot of fun in the process!  

After our half day of work we all went on a walk to a river led by Norma, one of the wonderful team of women we luckily see every day.  Our adventure turned into a sprint back home after a torrential downpour started—we were soaking wet in the end and all we could do is laugh at how silly we all looked.  We then proceeded onto the crafting part of the day and used our creativity while painting wooden ornaments and listening to the fabulous thunder during the storm.  Were we done? No—we learned how to make (and eat) pupusas, and they were delicious!  How lucky we are to have this wonderful group of Carpintero women to learn from.  At the end of the day we presented them with the gifts we brought from Minnesota, and they loved each and every one!  Whew J  Such a great day….

Today’s Devotion
Proverbs 16:18, 2 Corinthians 6- Am I My Brother’s Keeper?
Genesis 4:9

Today’s Scriptures and Knowledge
Genesis 4:8-16

A marine biologist was swimming near the Cook Islands in the South Pacific when a 50,000-pound humpback whale suddenly appeared and pulled her under its fin. The woman thought her life was over. But after swimming slowly in circles, the whale let her go. It was then that the biologist saw a tiger shark leave the area. The woman believes the whale had been protecting her, keeping her away from danger.

In a world of danger, we are called to be careful of others. But you might ask yourself: Should I be expected to be responsible for another person? Or in the words of Cain: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9). The rest of the Old Testament rings out with the resounding answer: Yes! Just as Adam was to tend the garden, Cain was to care for Abel. Israel was to watch over the vulnerable and care for the needy. Yet they did the opposite: exploiting people, oppressing the poor, and abdicating the call to love their neighbors as themselves (Isaiah 3:14-15).

Yet in the story of Cain and Abel, God continued to watch over Cain, even after he had been cast out (Genesis 4:15-16). God did for Cain what Cain should have done for Abel. It is a beautiful foreshadowing of what God in Jesus would come to do for us. Jesus keeps us in his care, and he empowers us to go and do the same for others.

From Angie, one of the community of women for the oven build
Today was a great day. I hadn’t been able to stay a full day because of work, but today I definitely enjoyed it to the fullest. Helping in the oven or in the kitchen is simply a great adventure. Plus, the fun of the walk with the animals we saw and the beautiful nature. Ending up soaked in the rain was so much fun. I remember playing in the rain as a kid… I loved making crafts and eating pupusas. Thank you all for such a great day and for the gifts for our kitchen. 💪🥳

Thursday, October 9 –

Reflection from Melanie:

Today’s devotion and reflection:
Scripture: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” — 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

Opening Thought
When we step into a new place—like Costa Rica—with unfamiliar faces, new surroundings, and unexpected challenges, it’s easy to wonder: What do I have to offer?

But God doesn’t send us because we’re perfect or prepared. He sends us because He’s already at work—and He invites us to join Him. Our hands, feet, smiles, and listening hearts become the tools He uses to show His love.

Reflection
Serving is not just about what we do, but how we do it.
 •  Are we allowing ourselves to see Jesus in those we meet?
 •  Are our hands open—to give and to receive?

Sometimes, the most powerful ministry happens not when we accomplish a big task, but when we pause to notice someone’s story, to share a moment of laughter, or to offer encouragement.

Serving with open hands means we hold our plans loosely, ready for God to redirect us. Serving with open hearts means we allow Him to work in us as much as He works through us.

Prayer
Lord, thank You for bringing us here and for the chance to serve You through serving others. Help us to be women of open hands and open hearts—ready to love, to listen, and to see You in everyone we meet. Fill us with Your joy and humility as we work side by side. May everything we do bring glory to You. Amen.

From Nancy- the work accomplished today
What a day! What an amazing group of women (and Oscar). The teamwork today was top-notch. We had a steady group building the arches while others helped with plastering the kitchen and helping with meal prep. Sarah even got a special private tour. It ended up being a bit of a long day at the site for half the group while the other half went to shop and prep dinner. The key is that we are on schedule just in time for a shorter day tomorrow and time for sharing with the women tomorrow afternoon during a cultural experience.

From Irene, one of the community leaders of the oven project and pastor of the church along with her husband
I personally really enjoy sharing with the women making tortillas. Aura teaching how to make them and how to cook them. I shared with Sarah a little bit of the crafts we do. And it gives me great happiness to see how the oven is already a reality. Thank you, all the brave women. Very thankful.

Wednesday, October 8 –

From today, we are sharing two reflections:

From Paula:

Morning Devotion: Bread That Gives Life

Scripture: “Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry.’” – John 6:35

Reflection: Today we’re helping build something simple but powerful: a bread oven. Bread shows up throughout the Bible—not just as food, but as a symbol of God’s care and provision.

When Jesus calls Himself the “bread of life,” He’s reminding us that He meets our deepest needs. And when we build this oven, we’re helping meet both physical and spiritual needs. It will give hope through something as ordinary—and as extraordinary—as bread.

Every brick we set in place is an act of love. Every bit of effort is a way God works through us to bless others. Just like yeast makes bread rise, God’s Spirit makes hope rise in this community.

Prayer: “Lord, thank You for being the Bread of Life. Bless the work of our hands today. May this oven become a place of provision, hope, and blessing for this community. Let our efforts bring glory to You and joy to those who will gather around this bread. Amen.

From Nancy, Bricks to Bread CEO/Founder:

Today was our first full day of work at the site. Our devotional today was a perfect fit for the task of the day: to build each wall, brick by brick. *Every brick we set in place is an act of love. Every bit of effort is a way God works through us to bless others.* We were blessed with beautiful weather, unusual for this time of the year. Everyone worked hard, precision being a key factor in our work today. We stayed focused, on time and completed our goal for the day: build the walls of the oven, pour the first layer of cladding and begin building the walls of the kitchen area. The children brought great joy to our day. We colored with them, laughed with them and learned lots of Spanish from their sweet voices.

Today was Perfect! Our flights were on time and Nancy and Ana Grace were waiting for us with big smiles and full hearts! We had a delicious lunch and headed to our build! The Women of Carpintero were waiting for us! They greeted us with excitement and a promise of friendship and hospitality! We worked together to get the first bricks laid. We are learning and our teacher Nancy is more than patient.  The children Mateo, Zoe and David challenged our Espanol. We were treated to a homemade dinner.  And of course there was much laughter and love that was shared. We feel a connection with this group and we have only been here a few hours. We know the Lord is walking with us and helping us to worship through shared experiences.

Susan Vickerman

October 7-17, 2025

On October 7, a group of women with most from Trinity will travel to Costa Rica on an oven build trip with Bricks to Bread. This is an exploratory trip as they learn the process firsthand of building a brick oven to support a community.

The group will be building an oven for a group of 10 women who will manage the project Sabores Del Cielo (“Flavors from Heaven”). Some are married but their husbands cannot work due to injuries or illness. Others are single heads of the household supporting children. Multigenerations of women will be represented in the group. This project is in Carpintero, a small community of homes approximately five miles from the beaches of the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.

During part of this trip, Bricks to Bread staff in Costa Rica will be connecting with Pastora Ivonn from El Salvador. As part of Bricks to Bread’s strategic plan, they wanted to expand beyond Costa Rica to see if they could replicate this model to other countries with El Salvador as a location. A third component of this trip, Melanie and Paula will be exploring this on behalf of the Global Rotary club for a potential future build and how they may support Bricks to Bread and connect with the Rotary club in Costa Rica.

During the trip, members of the group will share their experience and send some photos. Be sure to check the weekly email or check back on the blog for new posts. Please keep the group in your prayers.

Trip members: Susan Vickerman, Melanie DeLuca, Camille Pearson Walz, Barb Whitney, Sarah Hrusvosky, and Paula Schwarz.

Melanie DeLuca, Trinity’s representative, joined a group from Christ Presbyterian Church in Edina to travel to Colombia, South America for a weeklong mission trip. During this “insight” trip led by Opportunity International, the group will meet and learn more about the community our two churches are supporting through the work of OI. The group will visit the Sunflower community outside of Cartagena. They will visit a small school and worship with a local church community. The group will learn about the Education Finance and the Graduation model, which serves people in the deepest poverty helping to break the poverty cycle. Finally, the group ends their week visiting a water filter program and Savings Group clients. It will be a rich week of learning and hearing stories first hand from the clients being served through OI and the support of your financial gifts. Melanie will be sending updates and sharing a few photos during the trip. Be sure to check our weekly email or check back on the blog to read and learn more!

August 3

To prepare for the Opportunity International Insight trip to Colombia, travelers from Christ Presbyterian Church, Edina (CPC) and Trinity read the book Slow Kingdom Coming – Practices for Doing Justice, Loving Mercy and Walking Humbly in the World.

How can we do good without hiding from the bad or getting overwhelmed?  Key tenants of this book are the practices that we as Christians can focus on as we prepare for service and relationship building. These include: Attention, Confession, Respect, Partnering and Truthing. We’re invited to accept the grace and responsibility to be part of God’s kingdom coming. 

As I prepare to represent Trinity on this journey, I pray for an open mind and heart to learn how I personally and we as a congregation can continue to respond faithfully to needs and opportunities around us.

In Faith,

Melanie DeLuca

Sunday, August 7

Today we worshiped at the Church of the Tree of Life which is an evangelical congregation. OI hosted pastors for lunch from eight churches located in the  neighborhoods they serve. An afternoon workshop allowed our group from CPC and Trinity to learn from and dialog with the Colombian pastors. The discussion was rich and focused on the collective role of the Church and needs of the poor.  In addition to sharing the gospel the churches were involved in health outreach, feeding children, working with IDP’s (internally displaced people), keeping youth out of gangs and more. One commonality shared was that the social interventions were not lasting unless the minds of the people changed. “People need to see themselves as God sees them – not as victims of their circumstances” There was real agreement that  working with AGAPE/OI in programs such as the Graduation Model, Village Savings and Loans and now Shalom has given churches new tools to focus their outreach. Today was a time filled with sharing, scripture, learning and hope that together we in the U.S. and Colombia can be “useful instruments in the hands of God”.

Shalom – Melanie

MONDAY, AUGUST 8.

On Monday, our focus was learning about the Graduation Model and going into the community to observe a focus group with residents. Sury Ruiz who is the manager of the Graduation Model program shared that the goals of this new program are to reach families who at a deeper level of need and circumstances than even those in the savings groups. 

A typical Graduation Model family is not receiving other services, has no stable means of life, is has unstable living situation and food access.  When asked what constitutes a family – AGAPE staff describe it as “those who eat together in the same pot”.  Starting in October, 250 families will be chosen from one of the poorest parts of the city to start this program in Colombia. 

The exact design of the program starts with focus group meetings in the community to learn the specific needs and possibilities of that area.  Our group attend one of these meetings with community members all gathering in a nearby area because there was no place to meet in their community.  They shared the challenges and hopes.  Means of earning income to support their families and education for their children were top priorities. Lack of opportunity, resources and access to formal government services were universal issues.

Sharing and conversation was heartfelt and animated.  One young mother who spoke shared that she is alone with three children.  They lost their documentation and have no ID’s so her children do not attend school.  If they eat for one meal there is no food for the next.  She took us to where she lives in a cobbled together small room with a tin roof that leaks so her bed is wet with every rain. Her weary face and thin frame spoke to the heavy burden she is carrying. Her neighborhood is the poorest of the poor with no water, sanitation or services and experiences ongoing flooding.  In spite of these challenges – there are community leaders and people with hopes and dreams. They committed to working to identify the neediest families among them to begin this work even though they are all in need. They are strong in spirit and grateful that OI/AGAPE sees and hears them and is coming to their community.

Shalom,

Melanie

Focus Group on the Graduation model

One mother from the focus group showed us where she lives with her three children.

Tuesday, August 9

Tuesday was spent in the community beginning with a visit to a school in the Sunflower community which is participating in the Edu-finance program.  The children welcomed us with songs and signs and the teachers expressed their dreams for serving more children. A VSLA (Village Savings and Loan Association) meeting was visited where people in the community are learning financial skills and saving together. Each VSLA loan officer is charged with starting about 25 groups which can have up to 19 members each.  The group even had an 11 year old member who was saving the money they earned from odd jobs to help their parents pay for their school attendance. 

While in the community, time was spent with a builder of bio-sand filters and then walked up a steep slope to visit an elderly woman who was one of the first recipients of a water filter and who now serves meals and provides activities 3 days a week in her home for 50 senior citizens. In a visit to a new community where water filters will be placed, a father shared his pain that one of his children was hospitalized for 3 months with gastritis and he worries that it is the water.  Their water source is raw canal water and they add large amounts of chlorine to try to use it but it is not palatable. This need for safe water is decades old.

Seeing these many facets of OI/AGAPE’s work in communities demonstrates their holistic approach to hiring staff from the community, engaging the people and the churches of the area and ultimately accompanying each community in its unique journey to improve their own lives and environment. 

The challenges are real and speak to the most basic of needs. The hopes and dreams of the families are for health, livelihood, education and a better life.  Their resiliency in spite of their extreme circumstances is a testament to the power of the human spirit and the Holy Spirit at work in our world.

Shalom,

Melanie

Learning more about the water filter program.

Visiting a school in the Sunflower Community

Our group with our Colombian guides.

Wednesday, August 10

We spent this day immersed in the Shalom project which taught 54 pastors from all parts of the country the skills to interview and document the stories of the poor in their communities. We visited Pastor Richard’s church and heard from people who shared their stories such as one man who was a Venezuelan refugee. Forced out of his agrarian lifestyle by conflict – he came to Cartagena with no where to live or way to support himself. He fell into drugs and illegal behavior showing us his scars from being shot. Seven years ago he turned away from that life and now is active in the church and has a wife and daughter. The pastors shared how helpful it was to them to have a tool to really listen to the needs of the people. In these communities OI is now forming VSLAs and will be using the Shalom learning modules to help people strengthen their relationship to God, self, family, community and environment.

In the afternoon our group was led through one of the modules to experience the Shalom work. Learning about Shalom and the graduation model yesterday has helped our team to experience the innovative ways OI is going deeper into the needs of the poor – meeting people where they are and and providing the learning and encouragement they need to have a better life.

Thursday is travel home day with heart and mind  filled with new learning and context that I am excited to share with my Trinity family. Please join me in praying for the OI/AGAPE staff, their partner faith leaders here in Colombia and all of the people whose lives are touched by their work.

Shalom,

Melanie

Written by Julie Vagle

When I made the switch from youth ministry to children’s ministry almost 3 years ago – after 8 years of mission trips, confirmation, youth group, and teenagers – one of the things I was most excited about was planning faith formation experiences for kids and helping families pass faith along. I love planning for Trinity Kids and all the wonderful things we offer for kids and families at church, but one thing that really gets me excited is planning for family faith formation at home.

This summer has been one like we’ve never experienced before, with parents working from home and juggling kids, camps and sports canceled or dialed back, and more time at home together than maybe we’ve ever had. While my family is included in the category of parents working from home while juggling kids, I also have the unique job of helping families form faith with their kids, and finding ways of connecting families with meaningful time together.

As the summer was coming to an end I thought it would be so fun to encourage families to have an outdoor campout and provide them with some activities, ideas for outdoor adventures, and other goodies. I had a lot of fun putting the family campout boxes together, but the best part was making these memories with my family. I love helping families do faith at home and come up with creative ways of making it memorable and engaging, but when I also get to experience it with my kid it’s the best!

Blake knew we were going to have a campout, and he was beyond excited. I showed him the special box and he couldn’t wait to have our first campout (in the backyard). We put up the tent, made a campfire, roasted our dinner over the fire, made s’mores, and had a glow stick dance party in the tent. As it was getting dark we got cozy in our sleeping bags, and Blake said, “Mom, this is my first time camping in a tent ever, and I am having so much fun!”

To see and experience the joy of a new adventure and memories created as we enjoyed the beauty of God’s creation was just as special for me as it was for Blake. In the morning we did our nature scavenger hunt, read our Bible story, and of course spent more time playing in the tent. We might have created a new end of the summer tradition at the Vagle house of a backyard campout!

I am so thankful to be able to help families form faith at home and teach kids about Jesus, but the huge bonus of my job is when I get to do it with my own kids.

Julie Vagle has been on staff at Trinity for almost 3 years as Director of Children and Family Ministry and previously spent 8 years in youth ministry. She lives in Maple Grove with her husband Nate, 4-year-old Blake, and 10-month-old Sophie. She loves spending time with her family, going for walks and being outdoors – yoga and running, going to Camp Wapo, and going out for coffee with friends.

Written by Emma Vickerman

People say, “Sometimes you can’t see what is right in front of you.” I have never felt this statement more than I did one night after volunteering at a Trinity Community Meal. It was the second meal that I have volunteered at this summer. At this Community Meal, we ended up with about 15 meals left over. I live in Minneapolis and on my drive home, I often see people who are homeless and begging on the street. I volunteered to take the extra meals back home with me and hand them out around my neighborhood in Minneapolis.

To be honest, this was very out of my comfort zone. I volunteer quite often but usually it is a structured environment with clear direction and management. The thought of me going out on my own to hand out meals to people around Minneapolis was scary, but seeing the impact that the Community Meal has in Long Lake gave me the confidence and drive to step out of my comfort zone.

I was completely shocked at the response I received from the Minneapolis community. Every single person that I gave a meal was so grateful to receive it. No one asked what was in the box. I was called a saint and Godsend. The phrase “God bless you” was used during almost every encounter. I was blown away at the gratitude and appreciation that everyone had to just receive a meal… something that I take for granted every single day. All these encounters happened in a two-mile radius of where I live. There is such a huge need in my neighborhood that I was so unaware of before that night. It was emotional, eye opening, and humbling. At that moment, I knew that I needed to do more for my community.

The impact of that night called me to action. My fiancé and I decided to set up our own version of the Community Meal. We got together a group of 10 friends to cook a meal, pack to-go containers, and hand them out in our neighborhood. We decided to make BBQ chicken sandwiches, cornbread, salad, and cookies. Our friends were so excited to be involved and make a difference in our community. We went to areas that we knew were especially in need, we knocked on tents, and we handed out 28 meals in total.

There was one encounter that stuck with me. It was with a woman living with her daughter in a tent at a park in Minneapolis. She knew the people living in all of the tents around her. She said, “I try my best to take care of everyone here, but it is really hard. I go to the food shelf, but it is mostly canned food and we don’t have any way to heat it up. We end up eating most canned food cold. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate a hot meal. Thank you so much.”

There is so much need in this world. Often it is easier to see what is needed across the world and you forget to look a mile down the road. The night of the Trinity Community Meal opened my eyes to the need that is right in front of me and made me realize that I can do more for my community. My friends and I have decided to make our “community meal” a regular monthly occurrence.

Emma Vickerman grew up in Orono and now lives in Minneapolis with her fiancé and dog. She is a life-long member of Trinity and volunteers with her mom, Susan Vickerman, at meals and events. She enjoys running, time spent outside, and traveling. She works as a quality engineer at a hearing aid startup.

Written by Tim Knorek

Like many, I have experienced feelings of confusion, discomfort and guilt these last few weeks.

I’ve been trying to educate myself, learn and figure out what the solutions are. Figure out how to fix things so that I wouldn’t feel this way anymore. So that I can go back to my comfortable, sanitized bubble in which people of color don’t get killed by police officers. Maybe I can just pray about the problem, donate some food, and it will all be all right. We are in Minnesota after all. Hot dish should fix everything.

I believe now that it would be wrong to go back in that bubble. In my thoughts, I keep going back to Isaiah chapter 1, in which God warns us not to disconnect our worship from our daily life. The Message paraphrase reads:

“Quit your worship charades.
    I can’t stand your trivial religious games:
Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings—
    meetings, meetings, meetings—I can’t stand one more!
Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them!
    You’ve worn me out!
I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion,
    while you go right on sinning.
When you put on your next prayer-performance,
    I’ll be looking the other way.

And do you know why? Because you’ve been tearing
    people to pieces, and your hands are bloody.
Go home and wash up.
    Clean up your act.
Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings
    so I don’t have to look at them any longer.
Say no to wrong.
    Learn to do good.
Work for justice.
    Help the down-and-out.
Stand up for the homeless.
    Go to bat for the defenseless.

Come. Sit down. Let’s argue this out.
    This is God’s Message:
If your sins are blood-red,
    they’ll be snow-white.
If they’re red like crimson,
    they’ll be like wool.“

This is a pretty harsh, heavy-hitting passage. Reading this passage, I can’t help but be convicted. Be convicted that I haven’t done what I should have. That I have been complacent and slow to notice the injustice that happens around me. But maybe it’s also a wonderful opportunity. Is there recognition of sin and guilt in my life? Good! I can bring it to God. “Let’s argue this out,” The Lord says in Isaiah 1. God is ready to wipe the slate clean with his wonderful word of absolution, and He wants my life transformed by his Good News – the Gospel.

If there are areas in my life that I need to change, let that be my worship. If I need to stand up for the defenseless right now, let that be an act of worship.

And maybe this confusion, hurt and guilt I am feeling can lead to a holy change in my life that will ultimately be an act of worship. Today I don’t want to be too quick to think I have the answers. This discomfort I am feeling, today I want to embrace it because it’s a discomfort brought forth by seeing an act of injustice. Because this discomfort could turn into an act of worship.

Tim Knorek has been on staff at Trinity since last fall as Director of Middle School Ministries. He enjoys reading, learning new things, travelling and being outdoors, as well as playing Table Tennis in the winter. Tim has been married to his wife Paige for 3 years, and they live in Plymouth.

Want to contribute your story to our Trinity Stories blog? Email Kelsey Arens at kelseya@trinitylonglake.org. We would love to hear from you!

Written by May Thoma

As I was sitting at home on my porch, I could hear the sirens and the helicopters, and the popping sounds of the protests happening just blocks away. But as I was sitting there I wasn’t worried about myself, I wasn’t worried that something could happen to me. I was more worried for the people at the protest. There have been countless cases of police brutality against people of color, especially against young black men, and it’s nothing new. These cases have been happening for hundreds of years.

As I sat comfortably in my house, there were hundreds of people being hit with tear gas and being shot at with rubber bullets by the police. Scrolling through Instagram there was no way to ignore the situation. Everyone I knew was posting about it, even close friends were posting pictures from the middle of the protest. 

I’ve never considered myself much of an activist, but this time I wasn’t gonna stay silent. I sent an email to the governor and the MPD, as well as reposted information on the protests to my Instagram story. But that didn’t feel like enough. I knew I could do more. I continued to scroll through Instagram until I came upon this post that was talking about what you can do to help. One of the bullet points was talking about educating yourself and taking responsibility for your privilege and then using it to help people who don’t have the same privilege as I do as a white person. I knew educating myself was the next step and would help me better understand the situation. 

What I learned is white privilege is something that’s been ingrained into every aspect of my life. I’ve learned to take responsibility for it and use it in the best way I can. The term “white privilege” is not an attack on white people. Being white isn’t something you chose and it’s not something you can change. But by recognizing the privilege we have as white people, using it to initiate tough and uncomfortable conversations with others, and using it to emphasize the struggles and stories of those who don’t have the same privilege, we can start to make a change.

A quote I saw by Renée Graham, a journalist at the Boston Globe, said, “Don’t be ashamed of your white privilege. Use it to expose injustice and work to make things better.”

So that is what I will do.

Click here to read Stacy Thoma’s (May’s mom) perspective on George Floyd and the protests.

May Thoma lives in Minneapolis with her parents, Stacy and Todd, and sisters, Annie and Greta. She is a life-long member of Trinity, and you can often find her helping in the nursery on Sunday mornings.

Want to contribute your story to our Trinity Stories blog? Email Kelsey Arens at kelseya@trinitylonglake.org. We would love to hear from you!

Written by Stacy Thoma

On Wednesday, May 27th, Trinity hosted a drive-thru celebration for our Trinity grads. It was a perfect night – the weather was gorgeous, we had a great turnout and, oh my gosh – I was so glad to see people in person other than on a screen! I drove home to Minneapolis with the sun setting behind me and rainbows in the sky. My heart was so full and, for once in a long while, life seemed pretty darn good.

Fast forward a few hours. I’m in my house, in my bedroom, and I hear countless helicopters, constant sirens and “Boom! Boom! Boom!” Those booms could have been fireworks and I’m sure gunshots as well. My girls were watching the smoke from the numerous fires, and we had to close our windows because of the smell. The next few days were filled with fear, non-stop helicopters circling overhead, curfews, mistrust – Does that car belong in my neighborhood? We saw two young men wearing backpacks park their car in front of our house half an hour before curfew and walk away down the street. My neighbor across the street – who I was meeting for the first time – and I came outside at the same time to check what state the license plate was from. The city of Minneapolis sent out a list of suggestions to be safe: move your garbage cans out of sight so they aren’t lit on fire, have your hoses ready, leave your lights on, watch for flammables that people (suspected to be from out of town) are leaving in the area. The fear I had that weekend was unlike any I had ever experienced.

But MY fear is not what this is about. It’s about the WHY. WHY was all this happening? WHY are there so many angry, fed-up people? WHY are people protesting downtown, at the capitol and cities across the country? WHY?!

George Floyd. Again – George Floyd. We all know about it, and it really should come as no surprise that people of color have HAD ENOUGH! It astonishes me that, in 2020, we are still having to have “conversations” and be “educated”. I visited the site of George’s murder. There really aren’t words. My heart hurt. The tears were flowing uncontrollably as I looked around at all the people there – people of EVERY color – to honor George and to add to the memorials for him. I saw little children and in my head was thinking, “I just pray that we can figure this out for you. So that you don’t have to experience this again, and instead it’s something you look back on and say, ‘Never again!’”

Please ask yourself – What can you DO? Sign petitions, donate, volunteer, and yes – educate yourself. Please do something. Just don’t be silent.

Click here to read May Thoma’s (Stacy’s daughter) perspective on the protests and taking action.

Stacy Thoma is a life-long member of Trinity and has been on staff as part of the Children & Family Ministry team since 2009. She grew up in Long Lake but now lives in Minneapolis with her husband, Todd, and three daughters, Annie, May and Greta. 

Want to contribute your story to our Trinity Stories blog? Email Kelsey Arens at kelseya@trinitylonglake.org. We would love to hear from you!

Written by Terrie Allen

I am so incredibly sad for the Class of 2020. My graduation memory is vivid. I was a member of the Class of ’76; the “bicentennial” class. There was red, white and blue EVERYWHERE. There is no other experience like high school graduation. My heart is broken for their parents, too.

There are so many milestones parents celebrate throughout their son or daughter’s childhood, and graduation day is a biggie! For 13 years, you and your child make the journey toward graduation together. There are ups and downs and fears and tears and oh so many teachable moments. Parents are just as nostalgic during their child’s last year of high school as their high school senior.  They spend the year embracing (or mourning) the “Year of Lasts”…the last band concert, the last play or the last soccer game.

Graduation IS going to look different this year. Grad parties and family celebrations will look different this year, too. What won’t look different is your accomplishment as a parent. Just like you have for the past 13 years, you will support, celebrate and cheer on your child. You’ll figure it out.

Congratulations and job well done, Parent Class of 2020!

A Parent’s Prayer

(Adapted from: https://www.marquette.edu/faith/a-parents-prayer.php)

Terrie Allen and her husband, Charlie, have been members of Trinity for 28 years. They have two grown children, Ben and Kinsey. Terrie was a member of the Children and Family staff for 16 years. She served as director for 5 years and retired in 2017. In her spare time, Terrie likes to help her kids with their home projects and have family time at their cabin near Outing, MN.

Want to contribute your story to our Trinity Stories blog? Email Kelsey Arens at kelseya@trinitylonglake.org. We would love to hear from you!

Written by Sonja Lockman

Social justice was the original driving force in moving me to volunteer at a church. I was in graduate school going to University Lutheran Church of Hope and was part of the team, led by Pastor Mark Hansen, working on the statement on human sexuality in the mid 1990s. Volunteering deepened my connection to church and friendships with people I wouldn’t otherwise know. From that time on, I tried to be a volunteer in some way at whatever church I attended.

After marriage but before kids, my “gang” was the social justice committtee. In Arizona, it was the “shoe box ministry.” From the time my dauther Brynja was a toddler, she was my volunteer helper. We would shop for  Easter basket goodies for homeless kids, we would fill purses with makeup and small goodies for their mothers, we did “Undie Sunday” drives…  She loved it from the get go, and that brought even more joy.

We moved to Minnesota when my son Grant was two months old and Brynja was not quite three yet. Serving needed to be a part of the culture for whatever became our new church. I found Trinity because they were having a “Feed My Starving Children” event upcoming. That brought me in the door for Palm Sunday, and once I saw all the families I was hooked. Before I was even a member, I joined the FMSC planning team and met the Koltes family. They all made me feel like an important part of things, and I knew Trinity was my church home for good.

Linda & Troy Koltes were good role models for me because they served as a whole family. By the time Brynja was four, our family knew everyone needed to volunteer. Serving others helps each of us feel more connected. It’s also good for our mood and well being.

What each person does changes with interests, time and age.  Everyone in our family LOVED putting on the dances, and Grant was putting together goody bags from age three. Since then, kids sometimes drive the activity, sometimes it’s mom. FMSC is still a favorite. Brynja, an avid reader since age 5, loves to participate in the worship service itself. Grant mainly likes behind the scenes. Sometimes it seems like an obligation, until we actually just start DOING, and then we are lifted up. Each of us feels the joy of giving to a greater good, and that keeps us coming back for more.

Sonja Lockman is mom to Brynja (7^th grade) & Grant (5^th grade), wife to Steve who is a physician in private practice, human servant to two dogs and a horse, and a psychologist in private practice. Sonja, Steve, Brynja & Grant have been attending Trinity since 2010. Serving others is a family mission and a source of deeper connection to people, faith and community that brings them joy and laughter. Sonja and her family encourage everyone to join in the gift that gives back—volunteering at Trinity.

Want to contribute your story to our Trinity Stories blog? Email Kelsey Arens at kelseya@trinitylonglake.org. We would love to hear from you!

Written by Cari Bullemer

Staying home with our small family of four in our small home is no small task. What the government is asking seems simple enough: just hang tight at home for a couple weeks and remain socially distant to everyone in the ENTIRE WORLD! Yep, it stings a little – no extended family, no friends, no co-workers. But, in there, deep down, is a gift.  

The way I see it, we have an incredible opportunity to reboot. We were so far gone off one end of the scale, and now the scales have tipped. Reminding us that it’s all about human connection, connection with our planet, and connection with God. Maybe after all of this we will set our devices aside, be present in our interactions no matter how big or small, live in the moment and just love a whole lot deeper. I’m hopeful that there will be meaningful and lasting changes on the other side of this – for all of us. That people will place priority on relationships, gather together, spread gratitude and kindness, and return to their churches (*insert warm fuzzies*). 

Look, we’ve been home, together, just us, all the time, nearly 24-7, in less than 1,500 sq. ft., for a couple weeks now. And let me tell you, time has never moved so slowly. Coming from a society unaccustomed to down time, this has taken some getting used to. Prior to this, down time was unheard of. If we weren’t busy, we weren’t significant. We went from insanely scheduled, rushing from place to place, always in a hurry, always behind, eating poorly, picking up meals on the run, not getting enough sleep, unable to keep up with household chores, and sadly even skipping church on Sundays. It was go, go, GO! Talk about a contrast. 

Hey, it’s not like I’m singing kumbaya over here and maximizing every minute of every day with soul-serving moment after moment. As a matter of fact, today after I showered, I went back to bed with intentions of reading… 3 hours later I woke up! At 1pm!  

Tuesday night I was repeatedly dreaming that people were trying to Zoom with me. I kept waking up looking for my computer, until finally realizing there was a very high unlikelihood that there was a meeting at 2:35am!  

My husband and I have never spent this much uninterrupted time together, and it isn’t easy. Quite a lot of snapping is going on around here, and I’m not talking about with our fingers. (Is this what retirement looks like?) I think that’s why he’s been so focused on home improvement projects in the basement – there’s nobody else down there.  

Then the kids… today both were icing their wounds after butting heads on the trampoline, each citing the other for the blame. Our living room is taken over by puzzles, Legos, board games, and our dining room table is working double duty as a ping pong table. And the mud… don’t get me started on the mud making its way into my home, multiple times a day! I’ve never swept so much in my entire life.  

But despite all of that, it’s actually been pretty darn great. We are together…completing jobs in and around the house, cooking and baking (something I never do), eating our meals at the table, doing daily devotions, hiking and biking, playing games, reading, attending virtual church, and just plain talking. No longer driven by society’s schedules, it is our time.  

I know everyone is experiencing this COVID-19 situation differently. Some are out of work, some working more. Some have kids, some don’t. Some cleaning and organizing, some just playing in their already clean and organized house (not me btw). But we’re all cooperating to make the very best of this to protect one another from the spread. Because ending a pandemic is also no small task. 

Cari Bullemer has been a member of Trinity for almost 10 years. She has been married to her husband, Paul, for close to 14 years, and they have two children Oliver (11) and Lucy (9). Cari is a graphic designer, Trinity Preschool Teacher and the Trinity Women’s Ministry Coordinator. She also is very involved in the Orono Softball Association as a Board Member and Coach. Cari loves to spend time with family and friends whenever possible while enjoying games, biking, canoeing, camping and traveling. 

Want to contribute your story to our Trinity Stories blog? Email Kelsey Arens at kelseya@trinitylonglake.org. We would love to hear from you!

Written by Amy Wilcox

After our daughter, Maisie, arrived prematurely at 24 weeks on January 17, 2015, it was recommended by doctors that we keep her out of daycare for at least the first year of her life due to her weakened immune system. After looking at our finances, weighing all options and the benefits  of keeping her out of daycare in an effort to keep her out of the hospital and healthy, the decision was easy…I would quit my job and stay home with her.

Once Maisie was released from the hospital in May, I then began my new role of stay-at-home mom, and I remember thinking to myself, “I am going to rock this new role and be the best stay-at-home mom ever!” In July of 2015, I had a regular follow up with my OBGYN and she asked how we were all doing at home…I BROKE DOWN INTO TEARS. I told her that my daughter and husband are doing great, but I was struggling. Somewhere in the first two months of my new role, I made myself think I could do it all: have the clean house, make delicious meals, manage a newborn…basically be super mom/wife/friend/human. It was then that my doctor looked at me and said, “Amy, you need to give yourself some grace and figure out how to make this all work for you and your family.”

After that visit, I knew I had to change my perspective and figure out a way to make this new role work for our family. I did some research, read blogs and came up with some solutions to help manage my new workload. Well, staying home for one year turned into staying home for four years with my daughter and learning different ways to entertain her, new places to explore and finding accounts on social media that helped me find ways to be creative and manage my time.

Fast forward to today, in a world where we are being asked to socially distance ourselves from our friends and family. Where we all are trying to do it all and find a new normal. I find myself leaning on resources I found years ago and having to tap into a different part of my brain to not only manage a five-year-old who is used to the structure of preschool, but also help manage a household. I have found myself going back to the basics while enjoying this season of life and enjoying the extra time with my daughter and husband. It is not always rainbows and sunshine, but we are all healthy, have food and we have a community of resources to tap into if we need anything. 

By no means am I an expert, but here are a few tips that helped me manage some of the daily chaos around the house. My hope is that I can help one person who reads this have an ‘ah-ha’ moment and might try implementing some of these routines in the next few days/weeks.

• Wake up at your usual time (before little ones wake up if possible) to give yourself time for you! Use this time for a devotional/meditation, read, exercise or just get prepared for the day ahead.

• Make a basic list/schedule for the day. Share this with your family or have them help you create a list. This way, everyone is on the same page and has an idea of what to expect throughout the day. My daughter loves to check things off when we are done, plus she then can see what is next on our list.

• Take an afternoon break! If you have a little one that naps, take time for you. My five-year-old doesn’t nap any longer, but she does have quiet time in her room. This allows both of us time to refocus and recharge for the rest of the day.

• Rain, snow or shine, dress appropriately and get outside!! Let the little ones explore (maybe get a little dirty) or go for a walk and connect with the older kids/spouse.

• Enjoy whatever phase it is that your children are in right now. Don’t be afraid to join them and have fun. Dress up, play along with them, bake something together, make up silly songs or read them a book.

• Pray, meditate or just take a few minutes to have a conversation with a loved one. When I put Maisie to bed we say our prayers and then I set a 5-10 minute timer and just chat with her. We discuss the highs and lows of our day and then whatever is on her mind.

• Use resources and don’t be afraid to ask for help!! Some of my favorite resources are:
  • www.funcheaporfree.com – Find ideas for block scheduling, shelf cooking and more.
  •  www.dayswithgrey.com – Find easy activities to set up for younger kids. Check out her breakfast invitation ideas!
  • www.busytoddler.com – Another great resource for activities to entertain your little ones.
  • www.emilyley.com – Author and creator of the Simplified Planner. She shares ideas for on simplifying life and daily routines. I highly recommend her book ‘Grace, Not Perfection’

Don’t forget to check out the various social media channels that Trinity provides, especially the Children, Youth & Family Facebook Group.

I hope that during this time, we allow ourselves to slow down and enjoy time with loved ones, find new ways to connect with family and friends, maybe even find new ways to reconnect or deepen your faith.

Please, give yourself grace and don’t try to be the hero and do it all.

Amy Wilcox and her husband Joe live in Plymouth with their daughter Maisie, and they are expecting a baby in May of 2020. Amy’s hobbies include reading, baking, enjoying the outdoors, and spending time with her friends and family. You may have seen Amy on Sunday mornings at the 10:30 service with her family or in the church office, where she works as a part-time Administrative Assistant.

Want to contribute your story to our Trinity Stories blog? Email Kelsey Arens at kelseya@trinitylonglake.org. We would love to hear from you!

Written by Connie Francis

Agreeableness. My star word for 2020. At first glance, I thought it was telling me to agree with everyone and everything. After looking up the definition, I found out that is not true at all. Here is the definition from the internet/Wikipedia:

I find that agreeableness fits in well with who I am and what I strive for every day. As some of you know, I have mental illness, namely, depression. I shared a story during Shift on January 5 of how this was thrust to the forefront at church in front of the Confirmation students of the time. I have found that being forced to face the truth of what happened many years ago has served me well in helping others. I have learned to be kind to others and provide a sympathetic ear to anyone that needs it. I grew strong friendships with some of the youth that day based on common experiences.

I also found my voice that day. I don’t sit back and let things go by without thought. I don’t say yes just to say yes. I stand up for the underdog – someone did it for me many years ago and I will continue to fight for them. I will voice my opinion. It may not be popular or what you want to hear, but too bad, you will get it anyway, all while being respectful and considerate of other people’s opinions. I’m not a doormat. I’m not to be forgotten or dismissed because something in my brain is not quite right.

I’m here to help everyone along on their journey of life, hopefully to make it easier by sharing the load. I will sit with you to help you. I will listen. I have a shoulder for you to lean on. (Thank you to Mark Holmen, Mary Morse and Kim Personius for being the shoulder for me to lean on during some difficult times.)

As I read through what I just wrote, my mind jumps to memories of my mom. She’s been gone 20 years now, and I miss her every day. She taught me agreeableness. She taught me to help others, be kind and considerate. I try my best to live my life to honor her memory. Some of you may have known her, and I hope you can see her in me and all that I do.

Connie Francis has been a Trinity member since the early 1970s. Four generations of her family have attended Trinity – her parents, herself, her daughter Sarah and granddaughter Ava. She has volunteered in many areas at Trinity, including Trinity Kids, VBS, Confirmation, Simpson, Crisis Nursery, FMSC, Church Council, Sunday worship assistants and more – anything that she can do to honor the memory and legacy of her mom.

By Alysha Kvam

“Though your destination is not yet clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life’s desire.
 
Awaken your spirit to adventure;
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk; 
Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,
For your soul senses the world that awaits you.”
 
- A passage from To Bless The Space Between Usby John O’Donohue

For the past year I have felt like I am in a constant state of transition. From navigating newlywed life and maintaining our first home to learning the ins and outs of my career as a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Therapist and now preparing to become a mother to a precious baby girl in late-February. It has been a whirlwind. There have been moments of joy and excitement to be in this phase of life, but I would be lying if I said I haven’t been met with the reality of the hardships that come with growing up and growing into myself in these new roles. It is almost as if I get lost in each new role I obtain that my own identity has shifted into something unrecognizable at times. This feeling has left me questioning where my place is in my relationships with others and in different aspects of my community – one of those being my faith community.

I grew up a strong member of Trinity. I attended Sunday school in elementary school, weekly confirmation in middle school, and was a very active member of the high school ministry. I continued to support youth ministries after high school by volunteering for VBS, leading a confirmation group, serving as the CYF Intern for two summers, and being a leader on multiple mission trips. About a year ago I reached a point where I felt like I did not fit anywhere; that I was “in between”. I felt like I didn’t quite fit in with the adult ministries but was much too old for the familiar ministries that I have been a part of for so long. I continued to hear about the new Women’s Ministry at Trinity but struggled to work up the courage to attend any of the events for fear that I wouldn’t fit in. Until one day I just decided to go. I attended my first event with my mom and was by far one of the youngest in the group. I left feeling unsure if this would be the right fit for me moving forward. I wondered if I had anything to offer to the group and if I would be able to feel at home and welcome within this new community…

So, I did what I always do when I find that I am getting in my own way, I searched for a motivating quote to cling to. That’s when I stumbled upon this one which is pulled from the wonderful John O’Donohue’s book: “Awaken your spirit to adventure; Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk”. I decided right then and there to just take the risk and push myself outside of my comfort zone by continuing to attend as many TW events as my schedule would allow. The more TW events that I attended, the more welcome and at home I felt. I realized that opening myself up to this community meant so much more than I expected it to. Yes, I am still one of the youngest at the events that I do attend, but I am surrounded by incredible women that challenge me in all of these roles that I hold – a wife, a Christian, a friend, and a soon-to-be mother. When I think back to the incredible groups of women that have gathered together, I am reminded that transitions really are a beautiful thing and that every woman has a place in our community. Thank God for that! I am so excited about what this group will become as I continue to allow it to grow into a part of me. And I am hopeful that more and more women my age will join in finding their place at the table with us. 

CONGRATULATIONS ALYSHA! Baby Emma was born February 18, 2020!

Written by Avery Rowan

During summer 2017, I decided to strengthen and grow my connection to God. As a seventh grader, I did not know what to expect when Tyler [Trinity’s former MS Youth Director] mentioned the Boundary Waters. But I knew that it was my style and that I would love to spend a week up in God’s country.

At the start of our journey, we stayed the night at Camp Vermillion, where we had to do swim tests and learn what to do if our canoe tipped. Frankly, my friend and I were terrified of the thought of our canoe tipping. (Turns out, it’s not as bad as you think.) There was a lot of preparation we had to do before leaving the next morning. We had to gather our PFD (personal floating devices) and paddles and choose what meals we were going to have. My group looked at the list thinking we were going to be eating rice and other bland foods, but we ended up eating steak, pancakes, cake and so many good tasting foods.

The time came for us to choose our route. Since none of us had been in the Boundary Waters before, we decided to take an easy route and soak in the beauty that God’s country had for us.

The night passed and it was time to head onto our adventure. We gathered up our belongings and sat in a bus for about an hour. My stomach was turning and I was starting to get a little homesick. It was raining and very cold, which wasn’t a good start for our one-week adventure. We unpacked our bags, canoes and paddles to put them in the water and head to our first campsite.

As a group, we spent the next few hours canoeing around, trying to find our first campsite. The first couple campsites we found were all taken. At this point, our group was getting cold and was soaked from the rain. That’s when I started to look for God because I was nervous. I have never felt like that before, and I wanted to find a safe place to stay the night. Our legs were shaking and our guide finally spotted a campsite that was open and perfect for the night.

We quickly unpacked our stuff so we could start a fire. The tents were put up in record time to save the inside from getting wet. Tyler was finding wood to start a fire, but this was challenging because everything was wet. I was sitting in my tent with two other girls, and we were shaking in our sleeping bags. All of us were digging through our bags to find warm socks, dry pants and long sleeves. The three of us decided to take a moment to pray and hope for a dry and warm rest of the week.

After getting somewhat dry and warm, our whole group decided to merge tents and fit seven people in a four-person tent. All of us talked while Tyler was still trying to light a fire and our guide was trying to make us some food. Many of the girls were hopeful for a good week, while the other half was questioning why they decided to come. I was one of them. I was thinking why.

Our guide joined us with some cookies and some riddles. These riddles kept us thinking throughout the week. Whenever we would solve one, we would want her to tell us another. Our spirits started to be lifted, and the night was starting to pick up. We ate some mac ’n cheese for dinner and then slept for so long.

We woke up the next morning with the birds chirping and the sun shining through our tents. This made our group very happy and we all thought it was going to be a good day. We took our time and made some breakfast. Our goal that day was just to take it slow and find a new campsite. This second day was filled with laughs, smiles and riddles.

The third day, we decided to take a day trip. It was a seven-mile trek there, and we all thought that we could do it. We started when the sun rose at 7:00 so we could make it there by 11 for lunch. It was a push for all of us, but it really paid off at the end. We made it to the rapids and ate some lunch. It was so beautiful and we spent about two hours soaking in the beauty. Our seven-mile travel back was hard. We got a little lost, which put some of us down, but we finally found our campsite and finished the night off with pizzas. All of us were feeling a little sad because we only had two nights left.

The next morning, we found a campsite that was only one mile away from the landing. The day was considered our easy and lazy day. The campsite was only a three- or four-mile trip, so we took it slow. We set up our camp and took some time to ourselves to reflect on our trip. We all ended up taking a five-hour nap, which wasn’t a surprise. We spent the night laughing at what happened throughout the week and when/how we saw God. All of us noticed that God helped us through the thick and thin. We saw Him when we were struggling through the hard waters on the first day, and we saw Him in the beauty that God created all throughout the woods. God watched over us to make sure we were safe, and I really felt that.

Now I watch for God in my everyday life knowing that He is always watching over me, making sure that I am safe.

Avery Rowan is a junior at Orono High School. She got confirmed at Trinity after eighth grade and is now attending TNT on Wednesday nights. Avery enjoys helping the community by being part of the Church Council, the Feed My Starving Children planning team, and volunteering with Families Moving Forward. She is also part of the Orono band and enjoys playing soccer.

Summer trips for Trinity youth, like canoe trips in the Boundary Waters, are made possible each year by support from the congregation and community through the annual Youth Fundraiser, which allows middle and high school youth to raise up to 50% of their trip costs. This year’s Youth Fundraiser is Sunday, February 23 and includes a silent auction and luncheon. Learn more and buy lunch tickets at www.TrinityLongLake.org/youth-fundraiser.

Written by Karen Pederson

As this New Year is swiftly moving forward, the gift of giving continues to help us make connections with others. 

As a member of Trinity’s Caring Ministry Team, I have had the opportunity to meet biweekly with an elder member of Trinity who lives in her own home but no longer drives a car or is able to attend church services. On one of my recent visits, in sharing devotions, conversation, communion and prayers with her, I noticed a small tin sitting on the kitchen table. This spry lady in her 90s commented, in her somewhat whimsical tone, “You don’t like chocolate chip cookies, do you?” I responded and said, “They are by far my favorites!”

I thought, ‘How very kind and sweet to receive these homemade cookies!’ I am so often the one baking sweets for my grown kids, grandkids, church events and for friends in need.  

Reaching out has always warmed my heart, as it is a way of growing connections to those I care about. And I was convinced the baking and giving of cookies had to be just as heartwarming for her!

No matter what your age, making friends of all ages is a way to stay positive. Giving of yourself and receiving graciously can be a main source of meaning and hope. And turning to God, who is faithful throughout the years, helps us maintain our prayer and spiritual life, amidst the challenges of aging…

Karen Pederson and her husband, Denny, have been members of Trinity for over 35 years and have 3 grown children and 7 grandchildren. Karen taught school in both Orono and Hopkins for over 20 years and was a supervisor of student teachers for Mankato University for 7 years. She has served on Trinity’s Staff Support Committee, led small groups, participated in the 2013 El Salvador mission trip, and mentored confirmation youth.  She is currently a member of the Caring Ministry Team, Trinity book club and pickleball.

Trinity’s Caring Ministry is a laypersons team that makes regular visitations to share time, prayer and spiritual fellowship with members of our congregation who need support. Other team members pray or send cards to the sick, bereaved and others with challenging issues. The team meets monthly. If you are interested in learn more about the Caring Ministry or where you might fit in as a member of the team, please contact Pastor Ann, Shirley Hemenway, Jeanne Tempero or Stacey Royal.

“And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger.”
– Luke 2:7

They say, “Some things never change.” Well, one of those things has been Trinity’s outdoor nativity scene where the wise men, shepherds and animals huddle around the manger to witness the miracle of baby Jesus’ birth. Although I wasn’t involved when the nativity scene was first displayed, I have been involved for over three decades.

A little history and a few memories…

Some of you may remember Ted Wolf. Ted and Myrna were Trinity members for many years. Ted was the inspiration for the nativity scene, starting over 60 years ago. To this day, we continue to use lumber from Ted’s old buildings/wood pile to construct the creche. All the characters, animals, etc. were probably created by others, but with the inspiration and guidance of Ted. We continue to use them decade after decade. In the event someone suggests “a change,” we inevitably ask, “What would Ted think?” Every year when we set up the nativity, there seems to be a conversation or two about Ted.

Several other Trinity members who are no longer with us that contributed to the nativity include Ed Younger, John Engstrom, Dean Wenger and Cal Flaig.

A favorite Trinity nativity memory of mine took place the Saturday we set up the nativity in 2016. The day was also Cal Flaig’s birthday. Cal was in Florida dealing with health issues. The entire “Nativity Crew” called Cal to sing “Happy Birthday” and wish him well. For nearly all of us, it was the last time we had the opportunity to visit with him, as he passed away later that month. It was a heartfelt Trinity nativity moment for all of us as well as for Cal.

We hope the nativity scene enriches your Trinity Christmas experience as it has for all of us that have been involved in bringing it to you.

– Cliff Koltes

In recent years, the “Nativity Crew” has included Cliff, Troy, Matt and Tyler Koltes, Ken Jenson, Gary Jackson, Dick Wulff, Tom Lane, Ben Benson, Rich Hollander, Buzz Hanning, Ron Van Buren, Ron Schulte and Bob Franklin. What a dedicated group and a wonderful Trinity tradition!

Cliff Koltes, his wife Peggy, and their family have been Trinity members for over 30 years. Over the years, the Koltes family membership has grown to include sons- and daughters-in-law and numerous grandchildren. At Trinity, Cliff has been involved in the Men’s Discussion Group, Discovery Group, Trinity Golf, Men’s Fellowship (“500”) and Church Council.

Written by Sarah Hrusovsky

Stories are crazy. Chance meetings are even crazier…

I met Nancy Alvarado (founder of Bricks to Bread) and her husband, Chato, in the airport two summers ago. Chato was coming back from building a brick oven in Costa Rica and wearing his Bricks to Bread t-shirt, and I was part of a Trinity group returning from a week in El Salvador. Chato was helping our group translate a few things into Spanish, then the conversations began. After hearing about Bricks to Bread, I mentioned I have always wanted to learn to bake bread. Just four days later, I was in Nancy and Chato’s yard in St. Louis Park.

Nancy and Chato built their first Bricks to Bread oven right in their backyard. It was the test run to see if it could be done with their guidance in a foreign land. With the help of friends and the local hardware store, they were in the business of building ovens and baking bread!

The timing was perfect, and I was able to spend the afternoon with them, helping to bake bread. (“Helping” is giving me more credit than deserved.) Baking bread, it turns out, is a labor of love. It is a three step process: 1. Make the dough and let it rise, done the night before the bake; 2. Shape the risen dough into loaves and let it rest; and 3. Place the perfectly risen loaves into the brick oven to bake.

Nancy and Chato’s neighbors know the drill by now. When the Alvarados are filling the oven with wood, it will soon be time to buy a delicious, straight-out-of-the-oven loaf of bread. As I “helped” bake bread that day, the neighborhood became a buzz of interest. People in cars, on bikes and on foot hollered over, “Hey! What time will the bread be ready?” I knew I would have to be quick in securing a loaf or two at this neighborly interest!

Each loaf of bread Nancy and Chato sell is money going right back into building brick ovens in Costa Rica. Every penny is a profit since all the ingredients and time are donated. These ovens provide a sustainable source of income for Costan Rican women and become a central hub in their communities.

Nancy and Chato work with the local Peace Corps in Costa Rico to find the perfect family or group of people for the Bricks to Bread ovens. It has to be a team effort; Bricks to Bread doesn’t just build and walk away. The recipient has to contribute finances to the project as well as time working to build the oven. Bricks to Bread stays until they are confident the family has the baking process down. The first oven made by Bricks to Bread was for three generations of women looking for a way out of their poor financial situation. They lived at a perfect intersection at the center of their village where everyone passed by throughout the day. Their brick oven was a win for the family and for the community!

Simply building a brick oven can make a huge difference in so many people’s lives and futures! While I was baking bread that afternoon with Nancy and Chato in St. Louis Park, many other families were doing the same in Costa Rica, thanks to Bricks to Bread. What a wonderful organization bringing neighborhoods together 3,500 miles apart!

Nancy Alvarado will be the guest speaker at Trinity Women’s Gather+Give Christmas Celebration on Thursday, December 5. Come hear more about the impact Bricks to Bread is making on women and communities in Costa Rica. Learn more about the event at www.trinitylonglake.org/TrinityWomen

Learn more about Bricks to Bread at www.brickstobread.org.

Sarah Hrusovsky and her husband Chris live in Mound and have four children: Olivia, Eloise, Claire & Jasper. Sarah is a member of Trinity’s Outreach Ministry Team and has traveled to El Salvador twice on Trinity’s summer Seeds of Hope trips.

By Becky Radintz

When my dear friend Cari Bullemer asked me to contribute to this blog, my first thought was “I don’t have anything important, interesting or funny to say.” But Cari pressed and suggested I write about raising kids today with Christianity and faith. I looked behind my shoulder – surely she couldn’t be talking to ME!? Though I’m a mom dedicated to my church, to the Christian faith, and of course a fan of Jesus, surely there are more qualified who could write about this? I’ve settled with the thought that, while others may have more education and experience on the topic, I could perhaps share the ONLY thing I know to be an absolute for raising my kids as Christians. Are you sitting down? Brace yourself. Here it is:

Just. Be. Kind.

Of course we all WANT to raise kind kids, but HOW? Here are three (EASY PEASY and somewhat SNEAKY) ways I teach kindness:

1. Practice what you preach. You want kind kids? Then model kindness yourself. Your kids are watching you! Integrate kindness into your everyday routine. It’s as easy as opening the door for a stranger. Sending that hand-written thank you. Holding your tongue when you feel wronged. Easy things that become second nature if you do them enough. I should say too, that being UNKIND in our family is about as an egregious act as lying, swearing or being dishonest. That is to say, if we hear unkind words at home, we don’t let it fly. You might get a stern talking to, get sent to your room, or maybe even have your phone taken away (*gasp*). We aren’t playing around when it comes to kindness!

2. Give your time to causes that impact others. I am not exaggerating when I say that I’m probably presented with a MINIMUM of five opportunities a week to volunteer. School, church, work and extra curricular volunteer opportunities ABOUND. No one can do it ALL – but I’m more inclined to pick those opportunities that bless others and fill me with gratitude for the blessings in my own life. By volunteering (even without your kids), you’re teaching the importance of giving your precious time to serve the Lord by serving others. AND, you’ll feel good as an added bonus.

3. Make church a priority. You know who was SUPER DUPER kind? JESUS. And each and every week at Trinity we are blessed to hear stories of how His kindness shaped the lives of others and, in fact, how He continues to have an impact on the world today. Hearing His stories and being surrounded by others in the community who are followers in faith is another way to help your children know that kindness matters, and that it’s an important value in your family. I want my kids to be surrounded by YOU and YOUR KIDS. Because if you’re coming to church every week, you’re hearing the same messages and walking away with those same fuzzy warm feelings of spreading love, friendship and kindness.

That’s TRULY just about EVERYTHING I know when it comes to raising kids as Christians. The rest I’ll leave to those older, wiser and with more theological understanding and knowledge. I should say this in closing — I’m not ALWAYS kind. There are days when I have to check myself. Realize that I’m a work in progress, just like my kids. But if we all try just a little more today than we did yesterday, imagine how much kindness we can spread?

I look forward to seeing you in church!

(This post was originally shared on our Trinity Women blog.)

Written by Pam Solsback

I have an older brother. His name is Jeffrey. He’s two years older than me. We graduated one year apart. I absolutely adore him and have always considered him a best friend as well as a brother. But here’s the thing. I’ve always wanted a sister. Sorry Jeffrey, nothing personal.

As I got older, I began to understand that there would be no more siblings in our family. So unbeknownst to me while I wasn’t paying attention, as God usually works, sisters began slowly showing up in my life. My mother is a twin. So my cousin Heidi and I are the closest thing to sisters you could ask for. Our mothers are exactly alike. They look alike, talk alike, think a like, like the same things. And Heidi and I are just like them too. This past summer we spent a couple days together in Two Harbors and I just marveled how wonderful it was, as I told her, to be with ME. That’s how much alike we are. Then there are my sisters-in-law – my brother’s wife Darla, and my husband’s sister Kim. What does in-law mean anyway? God placed those two women to love the same men that I do. How do you not call that being sisters? There are my high school sisters, my work sisters, my bestie sister a.k.a. “Sissy.” One of them said to me one time, “My goodness Pamela, for somebody who doesn’t have any sisters, you sure have a lot of sisters.”

The other night I went to my friend Katy‘s house for Trinity Women’s Bible Journaling. We went around the table to introduce ourselves. I told them I like to surround myself with warrior women. I truly believe that God sends us substitutes, for lack of a better word, for people in our lives that we seem to think we don’t have. The other thing I shared with them is that I am a widow. I work at a men’s clothing store with of course, mainly men. So now I can repeat what my friend said. For someone who doesn’t have a husband anymore, I sure have a lot of husbands.

So these women I met, they are my sisters in Christ. These are strong women I can tell. While working on my journaling, I listened. All around the table I heard examples of their strength. One talked of leaving a job without knowing what’s coming next. Another about her baby girl on the way. One has diabetes and can’t bring herself to administer her insulin shots. Numerous moves for another and landing here to be close to her husband’s family. Teenagers and the challenges they bring, sometimes stooping to their level with our words which we know we shouldn’t do, but we still do it anyway. Daughters far away and a backyard wedding next summer. An engagement, a wedding in the future, and a new house. And then the circle becomes complete with the last one whose heart is heavy because of her friend leaving the job where they are together.

So many things in life to process but by the grace of God, we all do it. Together. Sisters in Christ. Grounded, centered on the promise that He will never leave us. Ever. So find a sister. Be a sister. Become a sister to one of us who is lonely out there. There’s room at the table. Let us use our God given strengths as women to continue to lift each other up in our own special ways.

“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

– Matthew 18:20

Pam Solsback and her family, husband Mark (deceased) and daughters Emma (20) and Abby (18) live in Loretto.  They have been Trinity members for almost 20 years. Pam taught Sunday School and Confirmation and is a proud member of the Trinity Women group. She works at Foursome Clothing in Plymouth and enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking, reading, and relaxing at the North Shore.

My son, Parker, will be confirmed this weekend. That sweet baby boy that we had baptized in the river at our family’s cabin is now a freshman in high school beginning to make his own decisions. Where did the time go?! Did we prepare him well enough to start navigating this world on his own? Is he going to be okay? What will happen to our baby? (I’m crying like a baby right now!)

I’m guessing that I am not the only parent asking these questions, and I doubt I’ll be the last. But, little did I know that the confirmation verse Parker chose would be precisely what I needed to ease my fears and offer me comfort. The verse reads:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

– Deuteronomy 31:6, NIV

Parker picked this verse as the Word he wants to live by. And now, as his mom, I need to take these words to heart as well. I must be strong and courageous. I must not fear. Parker is going to face hardships, but I need to trust that God goes with my boy wherever he goes and God will never leave him.

As I was surfing the internet for some (admittedly cheesy) gift for Parker with his chosen verse on it, I was struck by the following message and picture shown below. Parker had the very same superhero outfit!

I pray that you can take this verse and message to heart in your life as well.

Being Courageous has Nothing to Do with Being Big and Strong by Bo Jackson

There are times in life when people need courage. Sometimes it’s because they have chosen to face danger, and sometimes it’s because danger has chosen them. We are often inspired by the courage of those people, and hope that we too could stay strong in the midst of adversity. The Bible’s message on this is pretty simple: You, too, can be Strong and Courageous, and it has nothing to do with your strength or resources.

As Moses transferred leadership to Joshua, this was his advice. The Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land, where the inhabitants appeared to be stronger than they felt themselves to be. They were leaving the familiar and going into the unknown. They were facing uncertainty, hardship, change, and difficulty. So in this sermon, Moses told them to be strong and courageous—and why? Was it because they had a better army? Stronger men? Better logistics?

No. Moses told them they could be courageous, not because of their OWN sufficiency, but because THE LORD was going before them, and He would never leave them or forsake them. Pretty good advice, based on an eternal foundation: Don’t be courageous based on self-sufficiency or what you know; be courageous because of WHO you know.

John’s epistle said that perfect love casts out fear, and that God is love. It stands to reason that any time we accept God’s love we can become fearless! Are you entering a season of uncertainty and insecurity? Be strong and courageous, because the Lord is with you. Dealing with change? Be strong and courageous, because the Lord is with you. Having to battle disease or health issues? Then this is pretty good advice for you, too.

This verse doesn’t promise that the trouble will disappear, or that we can hope in circumstances; it tells us to be strong because GOD is with us. When we appropriate His presence by faith, it offers us calm in the storm and assurance in the valley of the shadow. In the places we feel most alone, He will never leave us. In our greatest uncertainty, we can be sure of Him. We can take courage, not in our own strength and sufficiency, but in the Lord our God, who goes before us and stands beside us. As David said, “My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26) When your flesh and heart fail, fall in love with God. Be strong. Take courage from your Father, and be encouraged today!

If you face uncertain times, and have to deal with fear,
The Bible has a word for you. I’m going to write it here:
Be strong, and be courageous, not because of what you know,
But because the Lord is with you everywhere you go.
Whatever happens in your life, wherever it may take you,
Your Father’s endless love will never leave you or forsake you.
His love is warm and comforting; in fact, it is contagious.
Allow His strength to help you to be strong, and be courageous.

God Bless our Confirmands this weekend and always! Be strong because God is with you!

– Kari Newell

Kari Newell and her family (husband: Marc; and children: Parker (14), Sawyer (11), and Kya (9)) have been Trinity members for about 7 years. Kari works part-time at Trinity Preschool as a Teacher’s Aide. She enjoys serving at church in varying capacities. Kari also loves to travel with her family, hike, and garden.

I am a judger.

Judging seems to be despised in our culture, but I find it necessary for leading an informed and responsible life. I’m often uneasy (even sometimes irritated) with people or groups that tout, “No judgement here.” Likewise with individuals that say, “Don’t judge me,” immediately before launching into behavior that is silly or distasteful or reckless or immoral or worse. Those words raise my “judger” flag instantly.

Because of this stance, I am also aware that others will judge me. I realize that I am weak and often fall short. Our household swear jar, if we actually kept one, would fill up much too quickly on my account. My lack of patience for people struggling to maintain a level of performance, service or responsibility often leads to frustrated and intolerant behavior. And these are just the first two examples that came to mind. When others see my ugliness – judge away.

Adam Hamilton writes on page 154-155 of Half Truths: “Jesus knew that the disciples themselves would struggle with the tendency to judge others. It was this judgmentalism that Jesus wanted his disciples (then and now) to avoid. After all, Jesus’ nonjudgmental approach was part of what drew people to him…”

Uh oh.

I’ll try by looking at Hamilton’s words from page 156: “When Jesus speaks to sinful people, he doesn’t talk about their sin, but about God’s forgiveness.” I see this as Jesus’ ability to use love to rise above the sin.

Hamilton tells a story on page 159 about Billy Graham and his daughter Gigi. They had just attended a dinner with President Clinton and Mrs. Clinton shortly after he was impeached. Gigi observed how her father was “warm and gracious to them,” while many others were gossiping and judging. Graham’s comment to Gigi was “It’s the Holy Spirit’s job to convict; it’s God’s job to judge; and it is our job to love.”

In another story, Hamilton describes a senior member of his church passing a note to a gay couple that was worshipping with them. As the couple began telling Hamilton of the note, his mind raced fearing a judgmental message. Much to his relief, the note said, “I just want you to know how glad I am that you are in worship with us today. You are welcome in this church.” She chose to respond with love.

Merriam-Webster defines judgment as “the process of forming an opinion or evaluation by discerning and comparing.” Dr. Phil says, “The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.” I have often told my children that if you put yourself in a bad situation, bad things are likely to happen. Judgment, or discernment, is what we use to observe past behavior and inform our decision to avoid bad situations.

I fell like my brand of judgment is more along the lines of discernment. Discernment and responding with love, as I see it, work together quite well.

– Troy Koltes

Troy Koltes joined Trinity in high school and has been a member ever since (over 30 years now). His wife, Linda; children, Emma and Matt; and extended family, including his parents, siblings, nieces and nephews are all members of Trinity, too. Troy has helped with many youth activities as his two children have grown up at Trinity, including going to Haiti for the high school mission trip in 2016. He coordinates the basketball open gym on Thursday nights and recently became a regular pickleball player.

The bible is an incredibly powerful thing; it’s old and complicated and contradictory, and there are a thousand different ways to interpret it. How we interpret the bible – the lens we choose to view it through – changes the meaning of what it says. Some people view the bible through a lens that has very little to do with Christian theology, instead using it as a tool to add legitimacy to outside ideas.

Pulling from Hamilton’s examples, the purveying belief that “God helps those who help themselves” is created from the lens of American meritocracy rather than what the bible actually says. People have even used the bible as justification for a whole host of decidedly unchristian things: slavery, racism, acts of violence against people deemed “evil” or subhuman. Slave owners and segregationists used words of the bible and the power of the church to uphold a racist society that kept themselves on top at the exploitation of African Americans. The institution of Christianity and the bible hold staggeringly immense power in our world. It’s best to try and use that power for good.

I really like what Hamilton ends on in this chapter of the book, that Christians should interpret the bible through the words of Jesus. It just makes sense that, as followers of Christ, we should interpret the bible through Christ.

I choose to interpret the bible through two verses. (Admittedly, only one was actually said by Jesus, but still.) The first is Matthew 22:37-40:

“‘You shall love the lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Jesus tells us that these two commands—loving God and our neighbor—are the core of the law and are therefore the tenets we must interpret the rest of the bible through. We are to read the bible, first and foremost, through the lens of love. There are all sorts of interesting discussions to be had about who exactly counts as a “neighbor” and whether or not the meaning has changed since these words were written. (Spoiler alert: it has!) I understand neighbor to be everyone around us, especially those who we might otherwise forget about or even willfully ignore.

The second verse I use is my absolute favorite in the bible: Galatians 3:28. It was integral to the theology that fueled the civil rights movement, and it highlights the unity, equality, and love found in the Christian family:

“There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all are one in Christ Jesus.“

The magnitude of this verse takes a while to sink in. ALL are one in Christ Jesus, regardless of their religious or ethnic background, gender, or class status. Inherent in this verse, too, is a call to love, free of judgement, all those who share this earth with us because we are all united through Christ.

Both of these verses come down to what I believe to be the true theological heart of Christianity: extreme, unconditional, and radical love. This type of love, one that is difficult and heart-breaking, is the lens that we should interpret the bible through and the way we should live out faith.

Anyone who uses holy scripture to spread hatred, judgement, and pain instead of love is missing the point by a mile. Yet we are called to love them, to show them the true love found in the scripture so that they may learn by our example.

– Katie Hemingway

Katie Hemingway grew up spending every Sunday in church at Trinity. She is a senior at St. Olaf College majoring in English with concentrations in Women’s & Gender Studies and Nordic Studies. She is currently studying abroad in Oslo, Norway through a program focusing on immigration, globalization, and national identity in a Norwegian context.

I was instantly struck with an “aha” moment when I read Chapter 3 of Adam Hamilton’s book, “Half Truths.” In it he focuses on the common phrase used to give comfort, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” He shatters this statement in a multitude of ways; first being that God doesn’t bring the evil into our lives. Unfortunately, with life comes adversity.

Secondly, he puts the following verse into context:

No temptation has seized you that isn’t common for people. But God is faithful. He won’t allow you to be tempted beyond your abilities. Instead, with the temptation, God will also supply a way out so that you will be able to endure it.
–1 Corinthians 10:13

While this verse brings comfort, it is missing the bigger picture. This verse is actually about temptation. God won’t give you more temptation than you can handle. He will offer you a way out of giving into temptations, such as idolatry or sexual immorality. So all this time, people have been using this saying out of context, because sometimes life DOES give you more than you can handle, and like Hamilton says, “It’s not that God won’t give you more than you can handle, but that God will help you handle all that you’ve been given.”

Although I’ve lived a fairly easy life – no poverty, no violence, no unexpected losses of loved ones – I too have been given more than I can handle at times. As a tiny little first grader, I developed anxiety. I couldn’t attend sleepovers because I would get so anxious that I’d end up calling my mom at midnight or later to pick me up. This anxiety worsened as I got older. In late elementary and middle school, I missed school regularly because I was too scared to sit in class. In high school, I gained weight because I was an emotional eater and when I wasn’t eating, I was sleeping. Freshman year of college was a blur. It was my first time living away from my family (even though it was only an hour away), and I couldn’t handle it. I moved home at the end of the school year and in tears told my mom that I could never go back. I couldn’t handle it.

I continued over the next few years to work on my anxiety with the help of my faith, a wonderful therapist, my friends, and my family. Several years and lots of hard work later, I was ready for my big adventure. I moved 3,000 miles away from my family to Kodiak, Alaska to teach High School Biology – something I never thought I would be able to do. It was there that I recognized that I could handle more than I thought with the help of God, my family, new friends and old friends. It was there that I became a stronger person.

But it was also there that I experienced times where everything fell apart. Most recently during my school year last year I got dumped, had a toxic friendship fall apart, and a grandfather who had suffered a stroke and was quickly declining until his death this past February. I was broken, living on autopilot, tempted to seek relief from anything I could get my hands on to make the pain go away. But eventually I could hear God’s voice telling me to ask for help. I started talking to God more, I started being vulnerable with those I love, telling them that I needed help. I couldn’t handle it anymore. Over time my faith grew, my friendships strengthened again, and a community of people rallied around me.

You and I will face adversity. Life has a way of happening, but “God will help you handle all you’ve been given.” Lean on Him and remember that asking for help doesn’t make you weak; in fact, admitting that you can’t handle something on your own makes you strong. Don’t be afraid to admit that you can’t handle what life has thrown your way. God and his people will rally around you.

–Kinsey Allen

Kinsey Allen was baptized at Trinity in 1992. Her parents, Terrie & Charlie, have been volunteering and working at Trinity for most of her life. She recently moved back from teaching in Kodiak, AK for 4 years. She is currently living in the Minneapolis area, working towards a Master’s at Vanderbilt University in school counseling, and working part time at UPS. She blogged about her experience teaching in Kodiak. You can read it here: https://firstyearinthefrontier.wordpress.com

“With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.“
– Micah 6:6-8 (NIV)

In my vernacular, the phrase has always been “The Good Lord helps those who help themselves.” I have uttered those words more than once, though I cannot ascribe them to any one specific incident. I suppose in my mind, I thought it was offering assurance for those who can advocate for themselves, pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, take charge, and be successful. Those people would find favor with God because He would be pleased with their initiative and bestow his blessings on them.

On reflection, I have some serious doubts about such an interpretation of this “half truth.” There is an underlying assumption in all this that we can do it on our own, a premise that diminishes our interaction and reliance on the Lord and exaggerates our own sense of self-importance. This all leads to pride, and pride gets in the way of our ability to turn ourselves over to Him, accept His grace and recognize that we are broken, sinful and very much in need of His loving care.

For me this is the hardest challenge in the Christian faith. To get beyond my own self-centeredness and to give myself over to Him. To find favor with God is not to elevate myself; instead it is found in accepting His incredible gift of grace, then paying that gift forward by reaching out to others and serving as his hands and feet as we are called to do. It all seems so simple, but in the confines of my inner self, my soul, it is anything but simple. 

I was so inspired by Trinity’s Shift program on September 15 with Nancy and Gordy Engel, who shared the tragedy of losing their daughter and her family in a fatal car accident due to a distracted truck driver. The most striking thing is that they never asked why, nor did they play the blame game. They were quick to forgive, and they have turned this tragedy into such a positive force for good by continuing the mission work to which their daughter and her family were so committed. The Engels give us hope that despite the magnitude of the tragedy, giving ourselves over to God does work and enables us to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.”

– Chuck Ritchie

Chuck Ritchie and his wife, Sharon (deceased), have been members of Trinity for over 35 years. Chuck taught Social Studies and Russian at the Blake School for 36 years, retiring in 2001. He currently serves on Trinity’s Council, the Outreach Committee and the Engagement Task Force. He also works at the food shelf at Interfaith Outreach and is a tutor in the Sparks program at Orono Schools.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” – Psalm  46
“For the Lord has comforted His people and will have compassion on His afflicted.” – Isaiah 49

On a foggy morning at a southwestern Minnesota farm, a mother and her three children waited for a school bus. The bus stopped on the highway, but a following semi-truck couldn’t, veered to the right, killed one of the children and badly injured the older two. Days later, 3-year-old Stevie, who had been talkative, funny and quick to go with his dad for chores, was buried on Christmas Eve.

As a newspaper reporter, Bob Franklin interviewed the parents for a follow-up story a year later. The unforgettable accident that happened 25 years ago now can still bring tears and only reinforces Bob’s disbelief that everything happens for God’s plan.

Same for reporting on tornado, flood and fire aftermaths, the kidnapping and murder of Katie Poirier and the accidental shooting death of a 4-year-old boy during target practice (“Could you write that he was perfect?” his dad asked. We did.)

Or, Ron Schulte adds, how could our God of love and grace plan for mass shootings, the Holocaust, unexpected illnesses, elections and Friday night football? Some people even have said that 9/11 and military deaths are God’s punishment for our sinfulness.

Our Men’s Study Group has discussed the first chapter of “Half Truths,” grappling with the idea that “everything happens for a reason.” It’s an important discussion for us as Christians because the Bible sometimes seems easily misinterpreted in ways that can be hurtful in our thoughts, words and deeds. We believe everything DOES happen for a reason, but not necessarily God’s reason.

In this complex world, we do seek  reasons because so many things can go wrong – or right – in our families, health, economic situations, emotions. Even, as one of the author’s parishioners opined, “Everything happens for a reason, but sometimes the reason is that you’re stupid and you make bad decisions.”

And God has blest us with free will, even our ability to reject His love and grace if we so choose. As Hamilton writes, “I do not believe that God dictates our choices, as if we are mere puppets. Instead, God gave us a brain, a heart, a conscience, his Spirit, the Scriptures, and the ability to interpret them as guides to help us select the right path.”

If God does not micro-manage, then has He abandoned the world after creating it, taking a permanent vacation? That alternative is expressed in Deism, the faith of some of our country’s leading founders.

Instead, Hamilton sees a middle way. God has not left us alone without guidance, support and, yes, comfort.

In one year, for instance, Stevie’s family received more than 3,500 letters and cards of support. “You should know he has caused families across the country to take a moment to appreciate one another,” read one. “In his own way, he has shared this precious gift with my family and other families everywhere.”

Miracles do happen. Often we are God’s talented hands in helping others, and He can work through Jesus and the Holy Spirit to give us nudges in our daily lives.

After the death of a retired pastor who led the men’s study group, Ron Schulte was nudged to take the job, and “I have had the pleasure of reading and recommending books for our study for 20 years.” He also helped reorganize the Trinitarians, another senior group, after leaders decided to spend more time in Florida.

Have you felt open to God’s nudges? Sometimes you will find them in the people and situations you encounter, who urge you to change direction or seize an opportunity.

–Ron Schulte and Bob Franklin 

Ron Schulte and his wife, Barb, have been Trinity members since 1991. Ron retired as a Wayzata High School math teacher in 1995. He is a member of the Trinity Choir and the Plymouth Rockers singing group.

Bob Franklin and his wife, Norma Jean, both cancer survivors, have been Trinity members since 1975. Bob is a retired Star Tribune journalist and retired University of St. Thomas journalism teacher.

The Men’s Study Group meets at church at 6:45 a.m. every other Wednesday, next on October 2. After the group finishes the “Half Truths” book, it will go back to “The Question That Never Goes Away: Why?” by renowned Christian author Philip Yancey. Newcomers are always welcome.

“You my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:13-14

Our society places a high value on freedom, yet our culture perpetuates an often hidden system of sexual exploitation and human trafficking that many are unaware of. Numerous high profile cases of late are bringing awareness to the forefront, but we may be left thinking, “What can we possibly do about this?”

Cherish All Children’s vision is to raise generations free from exploitation, partnering with faith communities to prevent harm to children and youth. Education is the first step in prevention efforts. We learn what signs to look for, how to talk to our children and other adults about this issue, and how to make changes in society that can transform the culture. Then, with this knowledge, we can engage with others in our communities doing this work.

Come on October 10^th to the Trinity Women Fall Kickoff 2019: Shed Light On Darkness where you will hear how each one of us can make a difference to protect children and youth from sexual exploitation and trafficking. We will hear from Joy McElroy, Executive Director of Cherish All Children, who will introduce us to the congregational guide “My Neighbor is Not for Sale” and lead us in discussion about this serious but often hidden issue in our communities. We will watch the video Chosen which tells the stories of how two teenage girls were being lured into the world of trafficking, and what teens can do to protect themselves and their friends.

We will learn how each one of us – parents, grandparents, mentors, and youth – can keep children and youth safe in our communities. Resources for additional education, action, and service work will provide a framework for what we can do to truly make a difference in the lives of young people.

About the presenter:

Joy McElroy became Executive Director of Cherish All Children in October 2017, transitioning the organization into Lutheran Social Service of MN. Prior to that, she was a Cherish All Children educator, engaging churches in the Saint Paul Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to prevent child sexual exploitation. Joy has over 25 years of leadership experience in business, education, and church organizations. She holds a master’s degree in Human Resources from the University of Minnesota. Being active with her family and church community provides the inspiration and hope to work for change.

During our week in El Salvador, we began each morning reading the devotion for the day from Bread for the Journey by Henri Nouwen.  How appropriate our devotion was for Sunday morning, August 11, as we reflected on our past week in El Salvador and before we were heading back home later that day.  Let me share it with you…

“We belong to a generation that wants to see the results of our work. We want to be productive and see with our own eyes what we have made.  But that is not the way of God’s Kingdom.  Often our witness for God does not lead to tangible results.  Jesus himself died as a failure on a cross.  There was no success there to be proud of.  Still, the fruitfulness of Jesus’ life is beyond any human measure.  As faithful witnesses of Jesus we have to trust that our lives too will be fruitful, even though we cannot see their fruit.  The fruit of our lives may be visible only to those who live after us.   What is important is how well we love.  God will make our love fruitful, whether we see that fruitfulness or not.”

Our final two full days in El Salvador (Friday and Saturday) were spent with our sister church, San Pablo located in a small rural community called Lobato.  It is a small congregation of 30-40 people in total.  Some of the members I met on my very first visit in 2012 are still members of the church.   This is when two small groups  from Trinity visited San Pablo at different times to see about the opportunity to be a sister church with this community.  Over the last seven years, though the membership has changed some,  what has always remained constant are the warm greetings we receive from the church community, big smiles & hugs, their hospitality and sharing their thanks and appreciation for us traveling all the way to El Salvador leaving our jobs and families to spend a few days in community together.

Something we did this year for the first time ever…  we walked through the neighborhood for a few hours visiting eight homes of the church community.    In three of the homes we visited, the individuals were struggling.  Miriam was struggling with her diabetes; Gladis was in pain from her rheumatoid arthritis; and a third family had their father hospitalized and worried for his health.  With each of these homes, we prayed with the individuals and provided a lit candle as a symbol of the light of Christ helping to provide some hope in their lives.  The remaining five homes were families of the community where youth lived from the church.  Pastora Vilma wanted us to visit these homes showing some of the differences — from a Habitat house with concrete brick walls…. to homes constructed of tin, stick and mud.  Though the construction of the home varied,  the gratefulness for our visit and time spent together was appreciated.  They welcomed us with open arms sharing their hospitality in a variety of ways.   We wondered– how would we feel if a group of 20 people just showed up our home?  Would we welcome the people with the same open arms and hospitality just as we had received?

The rest of the two days together included sharing meals together, playing with kids, dancing together, drawing pictures, worshipping together,  having intentional conversations to learn more about their lives, praying together and sharing hugs with each and every person young and old during our final goodbyes.

Sometimes when we are asked by others to explain what this summer trip is like– it may be difficult for people to understand.  We don’t physically construct walls, move dirt, or do any heavy lifting– instead, we nurture and continue to build relationships.  We reconnect with our Seeds of Hope students and listen and learn more from them; we spend time with the members of our sister church; and we reconnect with other leaders of the Lutheran church in El Salvador.  We may not physically see the results of our time together, but we do hear each time we visit– “we are so glad you are here” and “your presence here with us shows you care and provides hope for us”.  As faithful witnesses of Christ, we have to trust that our time together has been fruitful.

Thank you Trinity members for continuing to support in a variety of ways the people in El Salvador and pray for our group.   “The fruit of our lives may be visible only to those who live after us.   What is important is how well we love.  God will make our love fruitful, whether we see that fruitfulness or not.”

Muchas gracias y bendiciones,

Jill Cornell

Trip participants:  Sarah & Eloise Hrusovsky, Samantha Carlson, Kassy Heinrich, Vicki Brink and Jill Cornell

On Thursday, August 8, our group spent the day in the Emaus Church community.   We began the morning with a time of song and prayer together before heading out to visit some homes of students in the community.  For Sarah and Eloise, it was especially a wonderful treat as they were able to visit the home and family of their sponsored student and learn a little more about the family.

Following our home visits, we returned to a neighbor’s home of the church that has a yard (with lots of shade– definitely a plus with the light rain and shade needed) and an area for the women to help cook and prepare the lunch for the community.  We spent time with all ages (kids, youth and adults) drawing artwork for us that we brought back for our Farmers Market to sell in September.   While drawing pictures, our group had individual conversations and picture taking!  One of the new things we did this year was taking polaroid photos of kids/ families.  We were able to  hand them the picture right away.   Sarah and Eloise coordinated this “picture taking” during our trip and Sarah found the non-profit “PrinttheLove” organization.  If you want to learn more– she will be happy to share about it!

Following lunch, our group spent time with the university students and the students in their final year of high school to learn more about their daily life, how is school going, their struggles, joys and hopes for the future.

After a final group photo– we were on our way with our hearts full from the day together in the Emaus community.

On Wednesday, August 7, we had the distinct pleasure of witnessing profoundly faithful servants.  We spent the morning at Casa Esperanza- the homeless shelter run by the Lutheran Church of El Salvador.  Despite a lack of funding, the pastors at Casa Esperanza (Hope House) have carried on, one day at a time, with great faith to try to care for those in dire need in their communities.  With little resources and overwhelming requests for assistances, they’ve had to rely on God along to work HIs mysterious ways.  And of course, the results are beyond imagination… the efforts of Casa Esperanza have brought the homeless into homes, reconciled families, and brought great relief and compassion to those in need.  And God willing, they will continue to do so…taking small steps forward in faith.

Kassy Heinrich

Pictured on the right is Pastor Emely, one of the team of four helping to run the shelter.  Hope House is open from 7 am – 2 pm, Monday through Thursday.  The men, women and children are able to come in off the streets and get a shower, wash clothes, receive some basic medicines, participate in the devotional time (Mon, Tues, & Thurs) and attend the AA meeting on Wednesdays.  They also receive a meal and can get haircuts.  There serve a 160-170 people different people each month with a total cost of $2,500 per month needed to help keep the shelter open.

Today we joined hundreds (maybe even thousands???) of Lutherans from around the world to walk together in celebration of the Salvadoran Lutheran Church’s 33rd Anniversary. With each step we heard of the many ways in which God is at work in the world, using very ordinary people in extraordinary ways… and with all of us united, taking one step at a time, there was a new hope that we too may accomplished something grand in His name and through his example of love, peace and compassion.

The problems of El Salvador, much like the problems in the US, all around the world, and even in our own lives, are not small tasks. There’s poverty, division, and from the frustrations of desperation, violence and fear have arisen. But together, working with each person’s unique perspectives and abilities, it is certain that a better day is soon to come. We can lift one another’s burdens, bear one another’s loads, and find true rest…. Soon.

-Kassandra Heinrich

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”  -2 Corinthians 12:9

Well, fortunately our luggage made it. And more importantly, even if it hadn’t, and we showed up empty handed, today’s devotional reminds us that all we carry with us is more than enough.

On Monday morning, 14 pastors in the Salvadoran Lutheran Church were ordained. Many of these men and women have been serving as pastors in their communities for more than a decade… and now it’s “official.” While I appreciate the legalities of it all, I have to wonder, why the red tape? Does it really change the work and service they’ve done? Will this coming Sunday’s service really be any different than the prior weeks? Will this batch of wine change?

… I for one hope it doesn’t. I pray that these new pastors will continue to serve with their whole hearts and souls, exactly as they have been, using their ordinary (now ordained!), and common selves.

-Kassandra Heinrich

Trinity’s sending another team down to El Salvador for the annual Seeds of Hope summer trip. Throughout the next week they’ll be meeting with our Seeds of Hope students, connecting with our sister church of San Pablo, and joining Lutherans from around the world to celebrate the anniversary of the Lutheran Church of El Salvador and all the work they’ve done this past year.

The team would like to invite Trinity members to join them in prayer and reflection throughout the week in two ways. First, each morning the team will be reading from Bread for the Journey – a daily devotional book written by Henri Nouwen – to remind themselves of God’s great provision and knowing that they have sufficient Bread for the Journey in Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life. In the evenings the team re-hydrate from the hot days and jump on the Bible App for some time for reflection using the Got Water devotional. Each evening they’ll have a prompt and scripture reading in the app, and a space for discussion. You can follow along and join the Got Water plan here. In the app you’ll have the chance to hear about the team’s daily activities and share your own thoughts and perspectives about how we can all offer what we have, the water from our own wells, and watch Jesus turn it into wine.

Please join our team by either joining in your own morning devotions with the Bread for the Journey book, or by downloading the Bible App on your mobile device or using the desktop version.

Kassy Heinrich, Jill Cornell, Vicki Brink, Sarah & Eloise Hrusvosky and Samantha Carlson

By Terrie Allen
1-29-19

I tried something new this year. I set aside the Christmas cards we received during the holidays and opened them all at once. I chose Christmas evening when all the hustle and bustle of the previous day and night had subsided.

I brewed a fresh cup of coffee, sat in my favorite spot and began to open each card. I took my time to look at each picture, read each letter and admired the beautiful cards of our family and friends. It took me almost two hours. It was a nice way to finish Christmas.

When I looked at the cards all at the same time I saw a common theme: Grandchildren. Parent loss. Marriage. Retirement. What was missing? No first day of school pictures. No high school or college graduations. No pictures of children in team uniforms, or their new car, or with their new baby sister or brother.

Which got me thinking about the season. Not about the Christmas season but about the season of life I am in right now. Is it easier? Sometimes. I’m not driving kids all over and trying to get dinner in along the way. I’m not camped out next to the computer while my son does his homework. I don’t have to console my daughter because she wasn’t invited to classmate’s party. I can watch a movie without interruption, the house stays cleaner and the laundry can be done in a couple of hours.

But this season of life can be harder too. I am fortunate to have both my parents but it is hard to see changes in their health and the effect it has on them. In 2018, I attended more funerals than I can remember. Many of my friends lost a parent, have been diagnosed with an illness or lost their job before they were ready to retire.

So how do we face the seasons of life? The book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3 addresses the seasons of life well.

“For everything there is a season, and
a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up
what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to
build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to throw away stones, and a
time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to
refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to
throw away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to
speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.”

Those that know me well know I am NOT a “go with the flow” type of gal. I don’t like things to change too fast. I probably spend a little more time than I should looking backward rather than forward. Yet, I’ve learned that life can give you a push… or even a shove, forward and you have no choice but to be present in your new season.

The seasons of life can bring joy and sadness, peace and pain. We experience beginnings and endings. Each season varies in length and intensity and we come to the realization God’s timing is very different from our own.

“Life is a journey, not a destination.” IS cliché’ but it IS true. Our challenge I think, is to look for the lesson or the gift that each season brings, to live in the moment and know that no matter what season we are in, we are not alone.

Foot Note: Some of you may know that Terrie’s father passed away February 3, 2019. She celebrated his life surrounded by friends and family recently on April 9, 2019. Now Terrie is finding her way through yet another season of life, one without her father. We pray this new season you’re able to have peace with the endings and embrace the beginnings.

Terrie and her mom shared the poem below in her father’s Memorial Card; I find it gives comfort and hope for the final destination.

The Poem of Life   — Author Unknown 

Life is but a stopping place,
a pause in what’s to be,
a resting place along the road,
to sweet eternity.
We all have different journeys.
Different paths along the way,
we all were meant to learn some things,
but never meant to stay…
Our destination is a place,
far greater than we know.
For some the journey’s quicker,
for some the journey’s slow.
And when the journey finally ends,
we’ll claim a great reward,
and find an everlasting peace,
together with the Lord.

This blink-of-an-eye, whirlwind of emotion and humbling experience has come to an end. I’m sitting on the plane between my mother, Konnie, and Cheryl struggling to eloquently summarize the trip. It took an hour for 4 of us to string together the order of events over the last 3 days – that’s how wild it’s been!

On Thursday, we had our most taxing work day. Not only were Kristie and Marlon shoveling tirelessly to finish the septic pit, Konnie spent a full day finishing the cement primer, and Brandon and Jerry worked to level out the backyard (with of course more shoveling). In addition to these tasks, we all participated in constant concrete mixing. Shoveling and mixing cement makes shoveling dirt feel like child’s play. Yet it was a blessing in disguise. Because we had so many tasks, we learned to work together and coordinate with our 5 shovels and 3 wheelbarrows, not only among our group, but with the Salvadoran workers as well. Julio constantly teased Kristie and I by mixing up our names and Jose entertained us with some dancing.

Later, we were fortunate to have a discussion with local school teachers. We were shocked to learn that they earn about $750/month when they teach in the morning and then only ~$250/month when they teach in the afternoon. They have to work 10 hour days and often teach at different schools during the day to make ends meet. For reference, the minimum wage is about $300/month. Friday morning, we visited the school across the street, which had seen a lot of wear and tear but was still significantly better than many schools.

After that, we finished our tasks at the work site by noon and held a “graduation” and celebration with our the Habitat family, Marlon’s family, and the workers. Everyone was so grateful that it was very emotional and bittersweet for us. Habitat gave us “diplomas” for our work, which we felt were undeserved. Afterwards, we watched the kids take their turns at a piñata and scramble for candy. The ladies painted nails with the girls of the Habitat family, who were in awe when we gave them the nail polish set. Our food was delicious as always – the co-op women are cooking wizards. We all agree they need to write a cookbook!

That afternoon we ventured to the local hot springs. We decided to partake in a “mud treatment” which consisted of applying a gray goo all over our skin and then standing in a scorching sauna. The laughs from that experience cured our tense muscles from the week more than anything.

That evening we had a surprise! Claudia, the hotel owner, showed us her children’s brand new hotel down the street called “Casa dos”. There, we had dinner and a live singer who we later found out was a teacher at the school we visited! After much coercing, we all got up to “attempt” some Spanish dancing as he sang and demonstrated – “attempt” being the key word. Kristie and I cried laughing so hard at the ridiculousness of our group. Each person had a unique style which was equally as funny and nowhere near the proper technique. We ended the evening with “wine & reflection”.

Saturday, we stopped at Francis’ favorite coffee shop at 7:30am. They had opened 3 hours early just for us. The rest of the day we drove to the beach and relaxed, trying to process the week. It was a good transition period between leaving our experience in El Salvador and returning home.

What Ahuachapan lacks in material wealth or sanitation, it makes up for in hope, hard-work, delicious food, and faith. While this trip may have changed the lives of some very deserving Salvadorans, it also changed mine. For that, I am endlessly grateful.

We all feel that it’s important to share this experience to de-stigmatize El Salvador’s dangerous reputation. While there are risks with traveling in a developing country like El Salvador, most people are kind and so full of love that you can’t help but feel fulfilled. Part of my heart is now with this vibrant country, and it will only feel complete when I visit again. Thus, I won’t end this with a period but with an ellipses, for however and whenever the story continues…

With love,

Kristin

Hello this is Cheryl….tagging on Melanie’s blog.

Day 4 in the morning, six of us attended the Getsami Co-op’s cooking class.  Wow what an experience!  So much to learn from the co-op ladies.  We started shopping for the ingredients for our meal at the local Ahuachapan market.  This was not your standard farmers market.  It’s like the Minneapolis farmers market on steroids.  So awesome, fresh and so much to choose from.  We bought all the produce, chicken, cheese & even out of season mangos. Kristi took some great photos.  There was so much to take in.

Our cooking class consisted of many wonderful dishes.  We made four different types of pupusas.  All filled with cheese and another ingredient.  Beans, Loroco (a local flower), Papelillo (a green leaf like spinach) and Zahoaria (carrots).  Pupusas are one of the favorite meals in El Salvador.

We also made Pastalitos, which is a crunchy  vegetable & chicken filled empanada, coleslaw (curtido), fancy plantain boats filled with a custardy cream filling and “real” hot chocolate, made from their local chocolate, melted in hot water with cinnamon spices.

I suddenly feel like I’m writing a food blog…….it was all so good!

After eating the fruits of our labor with the lovely ladies/teachers, they gave a presentation to our group about their co-op.  They are so very hardworking and shy but proud of their accomplishments.  We bought coffee beans, along with soaps and jewelry they have made.

After that I was proud to present to the co-op, their money from the profits of the embroidered towels they made for us to sell at Trinity’s Agape Market.  When Melanie told them how much they earned, they were so surprised & happy it brought tears to my eyes.  It was a fantastic experience to share the time with these amazing ladies!

Every day has been an adventure & we look forward to tomorrows events and embracing our new El Salvadorian friends.

Look for more of our trip updates tomorrow……….

Cheryl Miller

Post by Melanie DeLuca. Today was a very emotional and fulfilling day for me as we were able to visit the new Habitat House of Marlon, Stephanie and their daughters Katherine (age 5) and Helen (age 1). I first met Marlon on the first Trinity Habitat trip in 2011 when he was an 18 yr. old mason’s assistant. Over the last 8 years we have built our friendship through emails and reconnecting each time I have come to El Salvador. Marlon has volunteered on each house I have worked on in the Ahuachapan area and has learned English well enough to help interpret for me. It was always my dream that this hard working, faith filled young man would have his own Habitat home someday and today we saw that dream come true! Marlon and his family moved into their new home on Dec. 23 just in time for Christmas. Today our team went to help get plants from a local family that runs a small nursery and then walked to the new house to plant beautiful roses and plants to add the finishing touch to their new home.
It really was a dream come true for this family and for my husband Mike and I to be there to see the house completed. We had worked with Habitat to help this family acquire land and it was thrilling to see how happy Marlon and Stephanie were with their new home!
For those Trinity friends who purchased the squash we had raised at the Agape Market – those funds traveled with us here to El Salvador to be the start of second fund to help another very low income family acquire the land needed to qualify for a house. Our team had an amazing day and our hearts are full of love for the wonderful families and people we have met.

During evening reflections, we have started going around the circle and each choosing a word that represents how we feel or that describes our day. Some words from today were: curious, spent, and endurance.

Speaking on behalf of everyone, I think we can all agree that today was harder work (at least for Brandon) but more rewarding nonetheless. Don Julio gave us two main jobs for the day – digging a 2 meter pit for the septic tank and priming the walls with a white cement/water mix. For the most part, we split into the paint crew and the pit crew. For the painters, the key was soaking the walls with water and applying the cement paint before they had dried. This proved to be challenging as the hot sun dried the walls within minutes. However, we could always rely on Don Julio to remind and scold us if there wasn’t enough water. The pit crew began digging with enthusiasm as the initial layer of dirt was soft, easy to shovel, and light to move with the wheelbarrows. By lunchtime, we had dug about 4 feet deep and were beginning to hit denser and wetter soil. Our sore arms and backs in tandem with the relentless sun made for a challenging afternoon. We were amazed to see Douglas and Marlon pick-axe several inches of dirt with ease. By the end of the day, we had nearly finished the pit but were excited to call it quits around 4pm.

The Salvadoran workers began to feel more comfortable interacting with us as we attempted to speak Spanish with them. Soon, they were all eager to exchange words between English and Spanish and learn more about us. I think we’re all excited to get to know them better as the week goes on.

In the end, I think a good word for today, and for the trip, is growth. For some, it was testing endurance and growing in strength after digging for hours. For many of us, it was growing our connections with the Salvadorans as we tried to communicate in broken Spanish and English. But I think that for all of us, it was growing in relationships with each other. While building a house for a family here is a significant act of generosity, the construction process is bringing us closer to each other as we work together towards the ultimate goal of giving. Even though we’re building a physical house, our real purpose is to build relationships.

That’s my update and food-for-thought tonight! God bless!

– Kristin

Hello Family and Friends,

Kristie Tunheim here! I am thrilled to give you all the update from day two. Upon completing only a few days of our Habitat trip to El Salvador, I have already begun reflecting on how amazing and grounding this experience truly is. I have been extremely fortunate to have traveled with Trinity members prior and this is my fourth (!) trip to El Salvador. Each time I find new reasons to fall in love with this beautiful country and the people who inhabit it.

As it was our first day at our build site, we were introduced to our new construction team for the week. This included the nine of us, our two Habitat guides/translators, one main mason and three other helpers on site. Much to my delight, our mason was don Julio. Two years ago, my family along with three of my best friends from Gustavus Adolphus College (where I am now a senior) traveled with many other Trinity members and were on a build site with the same don Julio who graced our presence today! I was so excited to see him and continue our friendship from the past trip. Much to my delight and surprise he remembered me and all of my friends by name despite the severe language barrier. It was so special to deepen this relationship and share smiles and broken Spanish together side-by-side as we build a brand new house for this family.

As the day began on this brisk 85 degree day, we realized just how efficient this small but mighty team could be. As we arrived in El Salvador, we were told this house was in its final stages of completion and that our main task this week will be to paint and prepare the structure for the roof, electricity and plumbing. However, when we arrived at 8am this morning to the build site in Ahuachapan, we found ourselves moving dirt piles of the backyard and front yard for many hours in preparation for the plumbing and such. Like Kristin said yesterday, “Flexibility” is our word of the week. The house’s structure is nearly complete and we are looking forward to accomplishing some of those goals together as we prepare the site for completion in the coming days. It was so motivating today to clean and organize so much dirt, rocks and ruble from the former house so quickly and joyfully with this efficient team.

After a full day of work, several Powerade breaks and a delicious lunch prepared for us by the women of the Getsemani Co-op, we headed home to our quaint hotel in the heart of the city right next to the town plaza and cathedral. After enjoying one of the most amazing showers I’ve had in a while after moving all the dirt today, we took a walk as a group around the town. We walked by many Pupusarias, shops and vibrantly colored houses along the street with many motorcycles and small, three-wheeled taxis zooming past us on the sidewalk. We also visited the town’s cemetery. I have never seen such a colorful, inviting and celebratory place to honor the dead. Itwas rows upon rows of above-ground graves decorated with elaborate designs and crucifixes all different shades of pink, blue, orange, yellow, green or white. We talked with our Habitat translators about their own family’s Day of the Dead celebrations which sparked an interesting conversation and reflection about our own society’s practices of honoring our deceased family members and a cultural exchange of customs and practices deepening our understanding of Salvadoran culture.

Overall, it was such a fantastic day. And it’s only Monday! Stay tuned for more updates from this equipo fantastico (fantastic team) and thisamazing trip to Ahuachapan, El Salvador. I’m so excited for what is to come!

Hasta Mañana!

Kristie Tunheim

The word of the week is flexibility. After spending a day of travel yesterday and growing accustomed to the Salvadoran heat and culture today, we have started to see why being flexible is imperative to our experience here!

After arriving at MSP airport at 3:45am, we were disappointed to discover that an embargo had been placed on luggage to El Salvador. As a result, we had to leave behind 2 full carry-on bags of supplies we had packed and planned to bring. Thanks to Melanie, some supplies were consolidated and we turned our attention to the 6 hours of flying ahead. Our next hiccup occurred when we arrived in San Salvador. Unfortunately, 2 of the checked bags of supplies didn’t make it to El Salvador. Luckily, we heard today that they are now at the airport and will hopefully be delivered here, to Ahuahchapan, in the next few days.

This morning we stopped to explore the cathedral in Santa Ana (about 45 minutes East of Ahuachapan) before worship. Upon arriving at Cristo Rey, we were welcomed with open arms – literally! Members of the church greeted us with hugs and we felt so blessed to experience worship with them. At first, we were surprised by the surrounding noises of the town as the service continued. However, the Salvadorans were not phased by the commotion of motorcycles, fireworks, and construction.

After the service, we stopped for a delicious lunch and met the family of the house we’re finishing! After eating, we ventured to Tazumel, which are Mayan ruins in Chalchuapa. It was fascinating to learn about Mayan sacrificial rituals and their history in El Salvador.

Francis, our Habitat guide and translator, has been extremely helpful with our experience so far. She is brimming with charisma and knowledge about the country. As a result, we’ve learned about the country’s history, it’s education system and political situation, the language, and so much more!

It’s been a long 2 days full of anticipation and thirst to grow in relationships with God, each other, and with the people here. Already, we started to reflect on the differences we’ve experienced and how our perspectives are already changing!

With love and peace,

Kristin

On Saturday, January 5, nine individuals will be traveling to El Salvador to spend a week building homes with Habitat for Humanity and forming new relationships with the families they will be helping to build a home for.  For five of the travelers, it will be their first time to El Salvador and as a group all are eager and excited for their week!

What are some of the travelers looking forward to:

• Helping to reduce the housing shortage while sharing time with a group of people working toward the same goal.
• Traveling to El Salvador for the first time on a mission trip.  This is something I have wanted to participate in for a few years and able to finally do so.
• Excited to grow in faith and friendship through service and helping however I can!
• Excited to return for another fantastic trip to El Salvador and develop new friendships within our Trinity and El Salvador communities.
• Have never traveled to Central America, and looking for this new experience!
• Eager to work alongside the group, my fellow servant leaders, in an effort to provide these people with a stable home, as well as a renewed sense of hope!
• I can’t wait to grow close with the group and grow in my faith while in fellowship with all of you.
• Passionate about service and helping others.

The group will share more of their week through the blog and Trinity’s facebook page!  Please keep the group in their prayers.

Trip participants: Melanie DeLuca & Jerry Paulson (trip co-leaders), Mike DeLuca, Kristie Tunheim, Konnie & Kristin Berg, Cheryl Miller, Maya Budin and Brandon Fluegge

By Tara Koltes

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’” -John 8:12

On the most recent Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, I heard on the radio that from the next day on the days would be getting longer. As I drove in the dark at 4:00pm in the afternoon that day my heart started to race with the anticipation of longer evenings, brighter mornings, more time outside and a home filled with natural light instead of the iridescent that came from all the lightbulbs needing to be on. I imagined evening bike rides, camping trips and the early morning sunrises across the lake. But then I heard his voice again. The radio announcer wasn’t done and he quickly brought me back to reality. This change was coming, he said, … the days would be getting longer … BUT, he told all of us listening, it would happen at the rate of one second, one SECOND, per day. Ugh.

The celebration of Christmas comes right on the heels of the Winter Solstice. The months of November and December are dark ones and they culminate on that day when the dark does not get any darker. I have always loved putting up Christmas lights outside my home and I’m lucky to live on a street where many others do the same. Those lights, no matter how exquisitely or haphazardly they are hung, bring light into the hearts of those who see them and for that I am most grateful. They also point to a greater light. THE great light, the baby whose name would be Jesus born on Christmas night. This light doesn’t grow dim like the sun does each fall. This light shines bright all the time and sometimes most brightly on the days when our lives seem the darkest.

Walter Wangerin, a Lutheran Pastor and Author has a book entitled, “The Manger is Empty.” In it he captures the essence of Christmas and the days just before and just after in an incredibly beautiful way. Following is the way he describes the beginning of the Christmas story, and the light we seek as we enter into the story ourselves.

“Once upon a time the world was dark, and the land where the people lived was deep in darkness. It had been dark for so long that the people had forgotten what the light was like. This is what they did: they lit small candles for themselves and pretended it was day. But the world was a gloomy place, and the people who walked in darkness were lonelier than they knew, and the lonely people were sadder than they could say.

But God was in love with the world. God looked down from heaven and saw that the earth was stuck, like a clock at midnight. ‘No,’ he said. ‘This isn’t good. It’s time to make time tick again. Time, time,’ said the mighty God, ‘to turn the earth from night to morning.’

And God was in love with the people especially.

He saw their little candlelight, and he pitied their pretending. ‘They think they see,’ he said, ‘but all they see is shadow, and people are frightened by shadows. Poor people!’ he said. ‘They wonder why they are afraid.’ God watched the people move about like fireflies in the night, and he shook his head. ‘Poor people, pretending to be happy.’ He said. ‘Well I want them to be happy. It’s time,’ declared the Lord our God. ‘It’s time to do a new thing! I’ll shatter their darkness. I will send the sunlight down so they can see and know that they are seeing!’

God so loved the world that he sent his only son in to the world itself. And this is how he did it:

Once upon a time, when the whole earth was cloaked in a cloud of darkness, God in heaven turned to his angel and said, ‘Gabriel.’ And the angel said, ‘What Lord?’ and God said, ‘Go. Go down. Go tell my people remarkable news –‘”

And what remarkable news it would be! Mary was with child and her Son would be the light of the world! No more would we have to walk in darkness alone. No more would the long days of November and December have the last word. For Jesus came and brought light, great light, to all of God’s people, then, now and forever! God was indeed in love with the world and God remains in love with his people. He loves you and your family and your friends and even your enemies. God sent Jesus to bring light and life to ALL God’s children. This light and this promise (to walk with us in our darkness) will remain forever, no matter what the date on the calendar might be. He is light as we wait second by second on a cold January morning to have longer days and He is the light as we walk through whatever darkness might befall us. That is the good news of Christmas and the message of Epiphany!

As we begin a new year may we always remember … “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:5). Thanks be to God!

By Pastor Ann

Transitions and change are a part of life; often when we find ourselves in a time of change and transition, we also find challenges; even so, transition and change can be accompanied by great blessings. My own transition of late has been the move I recently made from Wisconsin (where my previous call was) to the Twin Cities and Trinity Lutheran.

It was only my second week at TLC—still quite early in the process of getting settled—that I attended the Bible Journaling event. In the days leading up to that evening, I had already taken in much: from learning names, to going to Second Harvest with the 7^th graders, to attending lots of meetings. The days felt like a blur—not to mention I had as-yet unpacked boxes galore occupying precious floor space in my new home, which was very much on my mind as I sat down to journal in my Bible that evening. What ended up happening was that, as I found a verse and began journaling, I was no longer thinking about the mountain of unpacked boxes. The verse I chose that evening was Hebrews 13:8: Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. I latched onto that verse because it reminded me of the steadfastness of Christ; that, even though my life had drastically changed (new home, new call, still not settled), Jesus had not changed. Not one bit. Through the upheaval of the move and the change in call, Jesus had been there all the way—the one true constant.

It was good to sit down with others that evening and focus on God’s word in new and creative ways. Some participants were talkative, others listened. Some voiced disappointment over their artistic abilities (that would be me!), others provided suggestions and encouragement. Some used acrylic paints, others used colored pencils or gel pens. Our host confidently led the group in prayer, interceding for a friend who was going through a tough time. Each woman around the table that evening brought something unique. And God was present among us—in the whirl of all that creativity and laughter and prayer—in the spoken and in the unspoken, in the fellowship, in the community that had been formed.

We are coming into the Christmas season, with lots of activities and parties and baking and cooking. There’s a LOT going on. Because of the busy-ness of this season, it is important to remain intentional in setting aside time for prayer and to delve into God’s word. What’s to stop us from grabbing our paints or pencils to journal some of the scriptures that tell of the arrival of Jesus—the one who is the same yesterday, today and forever—and praying as we do so?

Prepare the way of the Lord! (Luke 3:4) How might you journal that verse?

Blessings and joy to you all,
Pastor Ann

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By Cari Bullemer

It was an action-packed 8 days as we tried to hit everything our children’s little hearts would ever want to do or see. From the Black Hills of South Dakota to Yellowstone National Park, Devil’s Tower to family in Columbia Falls and Glacier National Park in Montana, we were all happily exhausted. But what made this very first road trip bearable was that we did it all while behind the wheel of a 26-foot Class-C RV. Hard to imagine traveling any other way now. Tired? Fine, we’ll just switch up and a comfortable nap is in my not-so-distant future. Hungry? Great, grab the sandwich meat from the fridge and the bread from the drawer. Need to go potty? Simple – just head to the back of the rig. Other than the gas prices, it was all good. But now it was time for the longest part of our journey – the almost 20-hour journey back home.

We were advised multiple times to “stick to the interstate, it’s safer” – but that also meant over an hour and a half longer…this was go time, so no thank you. Additionally I’m a very confident driver (maybe too confident) and a lover of the back roads. So of course I ignored their advice (my husband had little to no choice in the matter, sorry Paul). Decision made. Off we go.

I was happy to be behind the wheel taking in the heavenly day, the rolling hills, the sunshine and blue skies. It was beautiful, but…sketchy to say the very least; 65 miles per hour with either little to no shoulder. But like I said, I am a confident driver; ask any of my pals from high school, college and up – from high-speed chases driving backwards in alley ways to downtown Minneapolis parking ramp excursions. We’ve all been given some gifts in life and that is one of mine. So did I make a choice to go slower than the speed limit? Are you kidding me? I wouldn’t dare.

My husband was lounging on the couch scrolling on the iPad, my son Oliver was at the table facing the front window (it was legally the closest he could get without riding shotgun) and my daughter was strapped in and coloring away on the other side of the table (the only spot that offered seat belts in the cabin). Then I saw it – one of those monster Rock star RVs with an extra vehicle in tow heading toward us in the opposite lane of traffic. Not a big deal at first, we came across plenty throughout our trip. But this one was different, he was actively cutting over the dividing line. Not a little bit, but a whole hell of a lot! Kind of like the driver dropped his last Cheeto on the floor and was bending down to pick it up. And me, my hands now gripping the wheel at 10 and 2 (almost never happens), foot off of the gas, applying the brakes and riding as close to what was left of the road as possible (you guessed it, no shoulder). All my life I believed it was rude to honk at other drivers, so sadly I was missing this key instinct when I needed it most. Instead, I just yelled “Jesus!”.

Even now as I write this the fear and anxiety of that moment are welling up inside me. I have never been more scared! My family’s lives were in my hands – how much longer could I wait for the RV to snap out of it or do I just take our chances in the steep ditches below!? It was all happening so fast yet at the same time it was in slow motion. I was so terrified to lose everything, my world, in that one moment. I’ve never been a quick on-your-feet decision-maker – I can’t come up with the words I want to say to someone until 10 minutes after they’ve left. And now I’m faced with this life-altering decision. Could I even do it!?

Finally – at what felt like the very last possible second, the driver very aggressively corrected himself (must have found that Cheeto) and almost pulled his whole rig into the other ditch. Then I corrected our RV back to the road just as quickly. Thank you God! “What the hell?” said my husband in the back, not having witnessed any of it. My son however took it all in just as I had, but remained blissfully unaware of what could have happened. Instantly I cried (trying to conceal it from my kids)…my hands shaking and my heart racing, I couldn’t stop crying for almost half an hour yet refused to leave the driver seat. It felt like a second chance. I couldn’t stop thinking about what could have happened if I took us into the ditch or hit the RV head on, it wasn’t going to be good either way. I pictured us rolling the RV and my husband and son getting tossed all around the cabin – there wasn’t a way for it to work out for my daughter either with a 6’5” 300 pound man flopping about. I began doubting myself, would I have been able to make the right choice? I just thanked God over and over again in my head that I didn’t have to choose.

So now what? What do I do with this second chance? Hours later, after awkwardly dealing with a road-raging motorcyclist, we finally hit our destination and it was other-worldly, Makoshika State Park in Eastern Montana. The kids and I got on the bikes and explored the area a little while Paul prepped the steak for grilling. It felt so good to be alive (sounds corny I know but my appreciation was at an all-time high).

As maybe you can imagine, that intense emotion passed and I forgot all about it. And I honestly can’t say I’ve lived as gratefully as I should. I’m hoping writing this will change all that.

Please share if you’ve ever experienced what feels like a second chance and what came of it.

Wow. We can’t believe that we’re headed home tomorrow. We’re not sure where time went or how we are going to leave this community tomorrow. We’re a few days behind on blogging because we have just been soaking up everything we can before the week ends. Here are some reflections from Stephanie’s group from our last day of service work (Wednesday).

Back To School Fair

The Seniors got a special treat today and split off from their small groups to help out at the “Back to School Fun Fair” which was hosted at the Penitentiary!

When we first arrived there, the line wrapped all around the building and we found out they had been standing in line for the fair since 10pm the night before. Items at the fair were free to the attendees, and we handed out new backpacks and school supplies to about 1000 kids/families. We were amazed by how thankful and appreciative they were by the new school supplies. This day was especially rewarding because we were able to see the people impacted first hand.

Holly, Natalie, Nick and Sam

The Simpson Community Kitchen

Each day this week we have been able to eat lunch at Simpson Community Kitchen and today we were given the opportunity to make food and serve it to those in need.  We worked hard to make the best food possible while making sure it was received on time. It was very encouraging to see the people that we had previously eaten with from our new perspective of being behind the kitchen. A highlight was that many of the friends that we made at the soup kitchen came to see us at the Park Picnic tonight.  Chicken and Biscuits led us to many new connections today!

Ryan, Carolyn, Isaac & Stephanie (plus Chris S. and Jack P.)

Picnic In The Park

Tonight our whole group hosted a Picnic in the Park. Throughout the week we invited random people that we met to come to the picnic — andl was very out of our comfort zone! However, it was encouraging when people on the street stopped us to talk to us about what we were doing in Moundsville (and they all thanked us on behalf of the community!)

At the picnic, we had several epic water balloon fights, Nick and Sam performed magic tricks, and everyone played with  the kids. Many kids enjoyed face and rock painting, temporary tattoos and hot dogs for dinner.

We were honored by the amount of people that came to meet us and support us, and there were many more people than expected.  We finished the Tri-State part of our mission trip when we crossed the bridge to go into Ohio… for a whole minute!

We are loving working in West Virginia, and are sad that the trip is almost over. We are making the most of this trip by being “All In”. We can’t wait for our adventure day tomorrow! More to come…

The Mak Salads

Stephanie Maki’s Group (aka Mak Salad or Bubble Mobile or ALL IN!)

Nick Gherardi, Sam Pugh, Holly Harrison, Natalie Brekken, Carolyn Fritz, Ryan Sande, Isaac Sherman

Another day has come and gone and we are in awe of how amazing this community is. Below are some reflections from Chris Sherman’s group:

Our kids are having an enriching week and here are some of their highlights from the week so far:

– Doing yard work reminded me that even the smallest amount of work can make a huge difference

– How grateful Georgia and Verla were to have us doing mustard seed jobs

– How the smallest gestures like smiling st someone can make the biggest difference

– Verla telling the story of putting on her husbands cowboy boots, getting a pot, and going outside to make noise hoping it would scare away snakes

– Being able to explore Wheeling with Bianca and learning about the history of the city

– Being able to meet Verlas dog named Katie and her 70 year old bird

– All the trinity moms continually asking how I am feeling when I mentioned I was feeling sick. Nice to have moms here.

We’re excited to do another full day of service and can’t wait for our park party tonight!!

The weekend was for making beautiful what would not otherwise be considered beautiful. I have often thought that the most powerful moments of our lives take place in the most unremarkable places. There has never been a better example of this than what the team experienced in the past two days.

Both Saturday and Sunday were spent at Resurrection church celebrating the Seeds of Hope program with the students at the sponsorship party.

We were all (figuratively) brought to our knees by our reception on Saturday. Upon entering the church, we were immediately engulfed by a sea of white shirts and tumultuous applause. While this was, in part, because we were late, it was humbling to have such a warm welcome from the Seeds of Hope students of the San Salvador area.

The day soon brought on more such powerful emotion as we heard from one of the past Seeds of Hope students who had graduated. She spoke of how her hard work in school, the attendance of which was made possible by the program, had paid off in the form of her degree (psychology). It inspired in me such feelings of God’s great work to sufficiently convince me of the incredible success of this program.

The entire group enjoyed talking with and playing with the students after a worship service before returning to the guest house for a restful afternoon.

The next morning promised to be a bit longer than Saturday, but no less rewarding. We began by worshipping with Resurrection. During the service, we had the opportunity to take the sacrament of communion with the members of the church another mission’s team from Family of Christ.

Following the service, we had the sponsorship party of Seeds of Hope with students from Emaus and La Casa de Esperanza (Hope house). Both communities include students sponsored by Trinity members and therefore we were met with some joyfully familiar faces.

I personally was overjoyed to walk into the chapel and see David, my sponsor student, smiling at me. He recognized me before I even had a chance to recognize him. With the help of my granddaughter who translated, I was able to learn that he was well. I was also happy to meet his older brother and sister who were previously not in the program, but now, thankfully, are.

The church itself should be remarked on as parts of the construction has been funded by Trinity members, my wife and me included. Members of our group who had reason to explore it have said that the lavatories are looking and functioning very well. The exterior of the church is also much improved. That being said, the building still has a long way to go. Many of the walls are temporary and the interior of the building is mostly concrete. But where the building was unremarkable, it was made beautiful by the smile on its occupants’ faces.

During the course of Sunday, we also had the chance to visit Christian Chavarria’s studio. Most impressive about the small room was the view where Christian said that he would look out at his church. The studio is across the street from Resurrection and can be easily seen from the balcony.

It was interesting to see the different stages of such beautiful artwork. Christian has a way of taking things that are not particularly beautiful and making them extraordinary. He filled the studio with his particular shade of vibrancy (usually some shade of yellow).

As these days not only concluded the weekend, they also concluded our trip. And so, without going into too much detail, I will simply say this: the growth, peace, and love we have all experienced on this trip has been the work of our God. I think I speak for the entire team in saying that as our trip comes to end, we will return home spiritually restored.

A loving collaboration by Ben Benson and his granddaughter, Katherine

Our first work day in Appalachia was truly an eye opening experience. It was a full day of HEAT, hardwork, realizations; and above all, relationships. We spend the day working on all sorts of jobs from helping at the community kitchen to trimming shrubs to staining a very long staircase. During the day we were challenged to see how many new people we could talk to but also to get to know as people. Through learning the storie from the locals it gave us a new perspective on the area and it’s inhabitants. It made us realize that the generalizations we make about the poorest state in the country are all wrong and viewing an area simply through an economic lens creates a level of distortion that doesn’t allow us to see the people. Hearing stories of the people from the area allowed us to realize their humanity and to relate to them. Not only did the work in our day allow us to get to know people but also closer to each other.

Our group spent the day staining a wooden staircase and having conversations that allowed us to get to know each other more. This also brought out the importance of living in the moment and separating ourselves from the things we take for granted. These moments remind us to remember that things we take for granted are some people’s biggest dreams. Days like this remind us to DREAM SMALL!

All our best, Team Kara-A-Van … Megan, Natalie, Lauren, Ally, Carolyn, Hadley, Carlie

Day 2 was great for all of us! Throughout the week you will hear from all of our small groups. Here are some reflections from Tammy’s group:

We had a great first full day in W. VA. We worshipped and met new people at a local Lutheran Church in the morning. Even though we were in a different part of the US, their service was very similar to Trinity’s. Following the service, our group crammed in to our 15person van and we took a scenic route to Mount Wood Overlook. It’s a a beautiful view of the city of Wheeling. We took a moment to pray over the city and for the week to come. Across the street was a Jewish cemetery where there were also confederate soldier graves. After lunch, we toured the W. VA Penitentiary and museum. We learned enough about prison life to know that it’s not for us! We finished the day with a community dinner while learning about our week of service.

We’re ready to start our first service day! Thanks for the prayers!

As we ate breakfast, there was one warning for the day from Kassy and Jill: we would be getting sweaty today. We put on our dirty sneakers and hit the road.

Our first stop was the Emaus school. We were greeted by two students jumping into our van. Marina and Miguel were the student leaders of the youth group and thus entrusted with getting us where we needed to go. We entered the school through a large gate where some of the younger students were waiting for us. They led us through the various classrooms which held the younger students- the older ones use the classrooms in the afternoons. We were treated to a few stories read proudly out loud and then invited all of the students to play with us in the courtyard. We all joined in a spirited game of “The Snake in the Forest”. Once we were all out of breath, we moved on down the muddy street to the church.

The church was decorated in our honor, welcoming “Klaire” and the rest of the group by name. We took our seats in the dusty room and Pastor Gloria led us in prayer, with Kassy translating (of course). The youth sang a few songs for us and then we celebrated their accomplishment of purchasing the materials needed to finish the church roof with their offering money. Due to the lack of airflow in the church, we couldn’t stay long. After the service, we continued on up the muddy road.

We then reached our final destination for the afternoon, The Farm. This was literally a farm (there were cows in the back, tiny chickens running around, and many dogs). There were huge trees with tables underneath, giving us much needed shade from the hot sun. There were many people there to spend the day with us. The youth had name tags with their name and the name of their Trinity sponsor, which was really helpful. Because my family had just started sponsoring our child, Maria, we didn’t actually know what she even looked like. With the nametags, we were able to spot her quickly and exchanged initial smiles and hugs.

The rest of the day was chaos. It was filled with coloring and eating and talking and string and BINGO and lots of hugs and photos. I felt like I was constantly saying “bien hecho! Me encanta!” “good job! I love it!” to every child that showed me their coloring or BINGO board. At one point, I was sitting in a chair playing BINGO, had a baby on my lap (I always find the babies), I was translating the BINGO words to Spanish, and had another girl asking to do another craft and me saying in Spanish “I do not understand you. I do not know what you are saying”. It was madness.

We also had a conversation with the older, college-aged-kids about their studies and goals. Their eyes shined as we asked them about their colleges and why they chose the major or path that they did. It was amazing to see how resilient they were- putting their education first and working hard despite the unimaginable obstacles that they face in their country. They were eager to learn about us and to share their stories.

Towards the end we were able to spend time with our sponsor child, Maria and her mother. She gave us a canvas with the image of the Aristocat’s Marie drawn in colorful beads. Due to my minimal Spanish knowledge, I was put in charge of writing the letters from my family to her. While writing these letters, I was never able to picture the recipient. I am excited to write to her now, as I can picture her sweet face and personality. With some help, we were able to tell her how proud of her we were. We insisted that she stay in school as long as possible (so many of the girls drop out before graduation) and that we were so proud of how hard she was working. She was so sweet and kept hugging us and thanking us for our support. I hope that meeting and seeing us allows us to continue encouraging her to value and prioritize her education.

We basically ran to the bus once the day was over because we were so desperate for air conditioning. We all drifted in and out of sleep on the ride back to Casa Magnolia, where we enjoyed an amazing meal of chicken and mash potatoes. Despite the heat and dirt, we all had such a good day visiting with the children of Emaus.

~Olivia Hrusovsky

Well, day 1 has come and gone just like that! Everyone made it to the airport in time and our flight was… well a little overbooked. But we all made it together and some of us even got to sit first class!!

All 7 of our vans were at the airport (big sigh of relief!) and the drive over to Wheeling was beautiful and we only got lost once. It was great to finally meet the Praying Pelican staff that will be working alongside of us this week. They are from all over the country, so we can’t wait to hear their stories.

After some games we settled into our small groups and enjoyed an evening devo together. So much fun was had today with so much more tomorrow.

Thanks for all the prayers! Keep them coming!

Jenny

Finally arrived at the church! Just starting our orientation. Will post more later!

Jenny

I woke early to watch the sunrise at 5:36 am. It was just me and a few rooftop cats. Looking down into the streets of Santa Ana as it was waking up on a Tuesday morning. The streets are tight, with low buildings. The noise of buses zooming below, plus pitter patter of feet and bikes, too! A few hours later when we officially departed in our autobus, with Oscar behind the wheel, suitcases piled high on top and in back, we were awake and so was this country! San Salvador and Casa Las Magnolias, here we come!

Our afternoon was filled with a tour of the UCA (University of Central America). Luis was kind enough to give us a tour before his exam a few hours later. (Trinity as a congregation sponsors him in his education through the Foundation.) This university is private; it is a nonprofit and run by the Society of Jesus. We toured the church and museum and took a walking tour as well. On November 17, 1989 the headline of the New York Times was “6 Priests Killed in a Campus Raid in San Salvador,” and this was what our student tour guide described in very good English! She showed us where these raids took place, the museum housed photos, clothes and jars of grass all covered in blood! It was noted that Salvadorians are not afraid of very graphic details. All in all, it was a beautiful campus; it was calm and well manicured!

Our day was complete with attending a Delegation Dinner at the Synod Headquarters. We arrived to seeing old friends and meeting new – Las Vegas and Minnesota completed the guest list (Gethsemane Lutheran of Hopkins and Trinity). It was filled with a welcoming message from Bishop Gomez and a wonderful band of Petite Flutes, Pan Flutes and a 10 string Charango and more! The music left nobody sitting still! We ended our evening with a quick mini dance party and closed it down feeling full of music, pupusas and mission in our souls.

Day 5 began at the Lake Project on Lake Ilepongo. It is a Synod-supported Coffee Plantation. We went by boat across this crater lake, landing on the shore across from the village of Apulo. Then greeted by one of the farmers, we followed him up a mountainous well worn path. Our goal was to each plant a coffee tree! With success and lots of sweat, 9 were now in the ground. The views were breathtaking (literally my breath was taken from me – ha!) We returned to our boats and had a feast of fish before returning to the city.

3:00pm sharp we had an appointment with Bishop Gomez. His message was soothing and powerful: “God is in every town and country working for the people. Social problems are increasing. My country is of hope… So much hope because we had so much pain. The pain we have endured has given us so much hope!”

He stated that newcomers (which I am) will receive a spiritual experience from being in El Salvador, and those returning will have felt the hands of God guiding them back! The Bishop has so much faith and knows little by little this country will grow and be settled once again! We each received a wooden cross to wear proudly and sent us with great feelings of “Hope”! As we sat in his air conditioned office (AC is a huge bonus) we listened to a service filled with song and music below in the tin-covered sanctuary! The Synod office and area is a buzz with groups and filled with so much positive energy!

As if our day couldn’t get any better…it did! We returned to Casa Magnolia, as Christian has many gifts (art, music and the word). Aldo is thankfully blessed with an amazing “Farm to Table” level of cooking. He blends flavors and local ingredients into edible art! The group from Gethsemane joined us for the meal. Following the dinner, Christian shared his testimony starting from the time he was four during the civil war witnessing several of his family members murdered… through how he has continued to survive and how painting has become his therapy. One of the most important pieces he did was a large two meter cross for the 500th anniversary celebration in Lund, Sweden last October. He feels his life has been blessed in many ways.

Bon Appetit and good night to all!

Sarah Hrusovsky

On our first day we traveled an hour out of the city to join 45 members from our sister church for a day of sharing. With the beautiful mountains as our backdrop we worshipped, played games, shared meals and learned from each other. This was my seventh trip visiting our sister church but the first time gathering outside of the San Pablo community. There was a peace and a freedom I witnessed of our Salvadorian friends that was new to me.

In this tranquil setting we were educated about how the “machismo” in Salvadorian culture makes domestic violence alarmingly prevalent. We heard testimonies from two women of their family’s tragic experience with the gang violence that plagues the community. The community showed their strength, both in their faith and love for each other, in spite of fear we can not begin to understand.

As we listened and cried together, the goodness of the Lord was heard as the youth and children laughed and squealed with delight playing on the makeshift ‘Slip and Slide.’ They were carefree, happy and safe as children should be, but in this community, this freedom is a special treat.

Day two we went to the San Pablo church. Driving into the community was eerie after hearing the stories of the horrific gang violence. How quickly it changed as we entered the gated church. We played with the children, assembled ‘Days for Girls Kits’ with the women and even helped in the cooking of the tortillas. So much love. So much joy. So different from the fear outside of the church walls.

I affectionately call San Pablo ‘My Happy Place’ and the community ‘My People’. What a blessing to spend two days together. There were tears woven with the laughter during our two days, but all the while praising God for bringing us together.

Vicki Brink

On Saturday, July 7, nine of us (young adults & adults) will leave on Trinity’s summer El Salvador mission trip, with the theme of our trip based on 1 Corinthians 1:10: “Brothers and sisters… may we be united in the same mind and purpose.”

At the airport on Saturday, we will be greeted by members of our sister church and head up to Santa Ana were we will spend a few days together in worship, conversation and in relationship with one another. The middle of our trip will be learning more about the country and the Lutheran Church, and spending a day in one of the communities where many of our Seeds of Hope students are sponsored. We will finish our trip with two large Seeds of Hope sponsorship parties where we will join together for these events with Family of Christ, Chanhassen.

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers. Watch for more blog posts during our trip from participants. We’ll be posting more photos on Trinity’s Facebook page.

Blessings,

Kassy Heinrich, Vicki Brink, Ben Benson, Katherine Elgersma, Sarah, Olivia, & Claire Hrusovsky, Samantha Carlson, and Jill Cornell

Berlin, Deutschland – Our last full day together has come much more quickly than we might have imagined it would, but we leave this beautiful continent tomorrow morning filled to the brim. I’m of the mind that one ought to travel a few feet and think outside oneself in order to grow properly as a human being – I think Atticus Finch said something snappy about that once upon a time. We took a three hour tour of Berlin via our motorcoach this morning and saw a great deal of both East and West, meaning the old Soviet East and Democratic West of this historic city. I mean, my first globe had the Soviet Union on it, but what did I know of its struggles? For most of our group, this was incredibly significant, but for younger folks like my wife and myself, who were barely in pre-school when the “Berliner Mauer” was taken down, these places are not as obviously remarkable. Even so, I have been moved for all sorts of reasons today; some spiritual, some historical, and others as a reminder of the great capacity of humankind to harm and exclude – but also for peace and reconciliation. You know, I joked about the famous quote from President Kennedy in the title of this post, (of course in my wannabe Boston accent) not knowing the exact significance of it. Do you remember it?

“Two thousand years ago, the proudest boast was civis romanus sum “I am a Roman citizen”. Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is “Ich bin ein Berliner!”… All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words “Ich bin ein Berliner!”

This speech was given in 1963 just a year and change after the wall went up. This speech was noteworthy as it admonished the restrictions placed on the people of East Berlin.  As we now know, these people bore great hardships under “the previous regime,” as our local guide said.  This quote is striking to me because we know Mr. Kennedy fought in the Second World War, striking because we were standing alongside the German people, only recently our “enemies,” yolked in hope for a future built in democracy. I’ll have to sit on a few things I’ve seen and heard on our journey, definitely a few moments from today to process – perhaps we’ll have to return?

Likewise, we saw so many buildings and locations of note from days gone by, like the Reichstag (rebuilt and once again home to the parliament), St. Matthäuskirche (the church where notable Lutheran Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was ordained), Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (totally bombed out and very carefully re-purposed into a modern worship space), and various parts of East and West – even the famed “Checkpoint Charlie” entrance into the American zone (pictured below).

I was struck by the many ways that the German people have sought to own their painful past and learn from the horrors of the Nazi regime. All over Berlin are reminders of the Second World War: statues purposefully left unrestored, pillars and walls with bullet holes, a stirring holocaust memorial entitled “Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe”, and an installment and museum called “Topography of Terror” illustrating the rise of the Third Reich described as “A place where terror is tangible, a place of remembrance and a warning from history”. The other piece of WWII history that we were able to catch was the memorial of the book burnings that took place in the Bebelplatz in 1933. The memorial is actually below the square and can be seen through a glass panel in the ground revealing a great room of empty shelves representative of the books of Jewish authors destroyed by the Nazi party. If you ever visit Berlin, don’t miss it.

Here are a few images my wife Laura captured today from the Holocaust memorial. We both remarked that it was similar to the Vietnam memorial in Washington D.C. in that the memorial began to rise above us as we walked along – this is a solemn reminder of the 6 million lives that were taken in the 1940’s and a call to the present to remember and seek justice today.

One of our most moving stops along our tour was our chance to walk along a remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall.  It was a sobering reminder of yet another dark time in the history of our world.  And again, the German people are determined to not forget.  Where the wall has been completely torn down, a thin cobblestone line marks where it once stood, running through the roads and across boulevards.  Many in our group remarked that the last time they had visited Berlin (prior to 1989), walking these streets would have been impossible.  They recalled No Man’s Land, countless guard towers, and pointed guns; today we took in car filled streets, strolling pedestrians, and only pointing cameras.  What a testament to our human capacity to overcome and heal!

The other MASSIVE piece of history we took in was the “Berliner Dom“, perhaps the largest Lutheran church on Earth. I didn’t have the opportunity to go inside but we enjoyed the striking façade complete with imagery from the reformation. As we got near there were banners in German and English that read “HATE HARMS THE SOUL”; so very right. The sheer magnitude of this church was breathtaking.

To our group from Trinity family and to my new friends, I say… As a fellow sojourner on the road with you, I am grateful to carry home with me a heart that is quite full.  This trip hasn’t only been a holiday, it’s been a pilgrimage in many ways – what a joy it is to have shared it with you. I’ll sign off with words of a hymn we sang together a few days ago in Wittenberg (a song Laura and I just so happened to sing at our wedding as well).  I pray these words bless you and keep you on the journey homeward.

“We are pilgrims on a journey, we are travelers on the road.
We are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load.”

Soli Deo Gloria,

T. Moe-Slepica

Wittenberg, Deutschland – At times it feels as though we’re fighting fire with a garden hose; I’ve never tried it, but I imagine its difficulty. As usual, we’ve been fast and furious with all that we’ve seen and done and barely had a moment to take in our surroundings, then it’s on to the next stop. All of the places and spaces dealing with Martin Luther and his fellow reformers being the primary focus of the past few days, I’ve taken an extra keen interest in spending as much time in each place, but we must move on!

Today was an extra special day for me as we spent our day in the primary epicenter of the reformation movement and home of Luther: Wittenberg. In this sleepy town just in the River Elbe, you find the long, cobbled walking street home to the Castle Church, Lucas Cranach’s Printers, the marketplace and city hall, St. Mary’s Parish, the Old University of Wittenberg, Phillip Melanchthon’s home, and finally, the Augustinian Monastery that was turned into the personal home to Martin Luther and his family.

Our tour guide Matthias began our walking tour outside of the Castle Church, which was originally created to be a fortification and residence for the Prince Elector of Saxony and also was home to his own personal house of worship. This house of worship would eventually become famous as being the place where Luther nailed his 95 Theses as well as the place where he was interred. The original door to this church was burned during the Seven Years War and has since been replaced with incredible doors of bronze emblazoned with the 95 Theses in Latin. Inside the church we were greeted by the stunning tones of the organ as the choirmaster happened to be giving a tour to another group – fine for us to enjoy as well! We saw the impressive work done to honor Luther and his compatriots (notably Melanchthon, Cranach, Durer, Spalatin, Bugenhagen) by the Prussian rule of the 18^th century, not exactly how things once were in Luther’s day but beautiful nonetheless. In the chancel area, we saw the tombs of both Philip Melanchthon (author of the Augsburg Confession) on the left and Martin Luther under the Pulpit, as the preaching on the word was so crucial to his theology. Simply marvelous!

Lucas Cranach’s Print Shop – Cranach was the official court painter and it’s said that only he was able to paint Martin Luther’s portrait because Luther would only sit for him to paint. So very many of the painting and other impressive portraiture that we have seen on our journey were done by either Cranach the Elder or his son, the “younger”.

The Marketplace and City Hall – This beautifully maintained town square is completely covered in stone pavement and features the favorite sons of Wittenberg – you may have guessed it – Melanchthon and Luther. These two gentlemen are clutching their crowning achievements: Melanchthon’s Augsburg Confession and Luther’s New Testament translated into the local dialect of German.

St. Mary’s Parish was the town church meant for the common folk to worship. Here today you find as many as four thousand parishioners who belong here and an incredibly well-maintained and renovated interior of the church building. I had the opportunity to visit this church back in 2006 and it is remarkable just how much work has been done as the city prepared for the observation of the 500^th anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation, just remarkable. This community of faith is quite important to the Lutheran tradition as it is where Martin and Katie were married, where their children were all baptized, and it hosted the first-ever protestant worship service in the world, complete with German liturgy, hymns, and the access to BOTH elements of Holy Communion by the congregation – shocking! It is said that Luther himself preached here more than any other place – quite literally thousands of times. We concluded our day together on Thursday with a time of worship in the old sacristy with our favorite “Holden Evening Prayer” to guide us – I preached, so I suppose you could add me to the list of the cheeky ones to preach here : )

Old University of Wittenberg – The University still exists and has students, but in a new location. Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, as it is now known, has students in the city of Halle. The old building now houses the offices for some faculty. How disappointed Dr. Luther must be to know his beloved academic institution no longer has eager young people learning here.

Phillip Melanchthon’s home is just a few doors down from Luther’s, and given the amount of times you find him featured in family scenes with the Great Reformer, they must have been chums at the very least. You can see the front door to the Melanchthon residence from the street in front, complete with a set of the infamous “gossip stones” for chatting about the current affairs of the world. Here a few of the group were able to see one of the first printings of the original “Augsburg Confession” – Amazing!

The Augustinian Monastery that was turned into the personal home to Martin Luther and his family. After the reformation really kicked off, many convents and monasteries were either sacked or simply closed in Protestant territories. In the case of the Augustinian Monastery here in Wittenberg, the property was actually gifted to the famed professor of theology where he lived by himself for 2 years before his marriage to the former nun, Katarina von Bora. The Luthers had 6 children, and Katie ran a guesthouse of up to 30 travelers and students at a time. This dining room is where the well-known “table talks” occurred and we were fortunate to see this room, almost entirely original to the time of Luther himself.

Even though we have shared precious little time at these amazing places, I observe that everyone has been deeply moved in one way or another. I pointed out today that I’m certain Luther would find our tour of these sites to be rather absurd; nonetheless, we have been touched by the Holy Spirit in this beautiful place. I pray that we carry the fire that the reformers gave the church back home with us. They were so very bold. Perhaps we can be, too.

T. Moe-Slepica

Berlin – On Tuesday we traveled through the rolling German countryside to the small town of Eisenach, which lays in the shadow of the imposing Wartburg Castle.  Up, up, up the cliffside we climbed, first on the motorcoach, then by foot until we reached the drawbridge (yes, for real) of the castle.  The Wartburg was Luther’s home for a long ten months after a “friendly kidnapping” to keep him safe from the political and religious powers who wished him imprisoned or killed.  This event occurred, of course, immediately on the heals of Luther’s famous proclamation “Here I stand! I can do no other,” at the Diet of Worms.  Luther was in agreement with this secret plan to whisk him away and while at the Wartburg grew out his beard, wore nobleman’s clothing, and went by the moniker “Junker Georg” (aka Knight George).

As we climbed up, down, and around all the nooks and crannies of this medieval fortification, I can only imagine how difficult these ten months must have been for Luther.  A man whose ideas and words seemed to know no bounds, he now found himself confined to tight quarters and enclosed by four cold, stone walls.  In his small stone room, his energies turned inward, and he began writing, or “throwing ink at the Devil,” as he said.  As we stood in Luther’s small little room I could almost see him sitting at his desk, furiously writing and translating the Greek and Latin scriptures late into the night. I’m sure Luther in his classic self-deprecating way would disagree, but it did feel like we were standing on holy ground that day.

After our tour of the castle, we descended back down into the little town of Eisenach. Here we learned Luther had initially been sent to study and sang as a choirboy in the local church. This is the same local church, by the way, where Johan Sebastian Bach would one day be baptized and where a member of the Bach family was the church organist for five generations in unbroken line. We rounded out our day in Eisenach with a tour of the Bach Haus, now a museum dedicated to the Bach family and the famous J.S. Bach. We were delighted with a small concert on historical instruments dating back to Bach’s era, including two incredible chamber organs. After a look around the Bach home and enjoying Bach’s music in the attached modern museum, it was back on the motorcoach for our final evening in Erfurt.

Early Wednesday morning, we said our goodbyes to Erfurt and continued north, to the small town of Eisleban. As our wonderful tour guide noted, Luther spent very little time of his life in Eisleban, but did have his three most important events there – birth, baptism, and death. And so, our pilgrim journey took us here, to walk along the cobbled stone pathways, and follow the path of the Luther Rose (literally!) that was engraved in the streets throughout this small town. Our journey through town was that of Luther’s.

We traced his life through the home of his birth, up the small hill to the local church to be baptized (as quickly as possible, and by full immersion, just in case an infant didn’t live long). This church had been masterfully renovated to honor both the historical significance of this event in Martin Luther’s life, but also provide a modern worship space and a sanctuary centered around this important sacrament. The nave provided an impressive baptismal font sunk into the floor in the center of the sanctuary with ripples engraved on the floor rippling outward into the congregation and out into the world beyond. Thankfully, we were all able to reflect on our own baptisms without anyone having any accidental literal reminders by falling in.

Back on the Luther trail, to the museum surrounding the events of Luther’s death. Many hundred years ago a mistake had been made and the wrong home identified as where Luther died, so it was as our guide joked, the museum for “not the house Luther died in.” Regardless, this museum had many interesting artifacts and we were pointed out the real house where Luther died (today a hotel, go figure). Our final stop was to the other local church where Luther preached his final sermon just hours before dying. Some may remember the pulpit of this church that was recently on display at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The pulpit is again installed at home in Eisleban, along with a commemorative plaque honoring the MIA for funding the restoration of the pulpit.

After yet another amazing German meal of schnitzel, sausage, and good local beer, we returned to the motorcoach and made our final journey of the day to Berlin. We settled into our wonderful hotel in the heart of Berlin and made preparations for our final few days of travel.

Laura Hanson

Erfurt, Deutschland – The “Schnitzel of Shame” is a very real fear. Yours truly has worn the Schnitzel only once, although I’m free to inform you that I have deserved to don this dreaded talisman of the tardy no fewer than three occasions, so I’m grateful for this very appropriate lesson in grace. Monkeyshines aside, we’ve crammed a great deal into our journey since last I wrote. I cannot begin to describe how wonderful these days have been for our group so I’ll do my best to attempt to sum them up.

On our final day in Prague we were joined by my wife Laura, who I daresay is a very welcomed travel companion for not only myself but for many of our companions eager to meet her. On our Saturday in “Praha,” we took a very thorough walking tour of the Castle and other significant sites of this ancient city. Our guide Marcella was charming and passionate about the people and places of whom she was speaking, so it was a joy for our group to have such a sweet lady to play host for us. The many, many, (did I say many?) churches, cobbled streets, gothic buildings, memorials, and bridges breathed history into our lungs as we strolled in the hot sun, a welcome reprieve for us Minnesotans weary of the unseasonable doldrums of winter. We had hoped to visit the famed Saint Vitus Cathedral but this was not to be, and perhaps for a very historic reason: The remains of Cardinal and Prague Archbishop Josef Beran were being brought from the Vatican to be re-interred at Saint Vitus, therefore the cathedral was in rare form, closed to the general public not attending the Mass. (Article Here).

Of course that day happened to be the very same day we were visiting Prague Castle, alas. We did happen to see the current (Roman Catholic) Cardinal in the procession from the Bishops office, to add to the importance of the festivities. The Castle and the surrounding buildings are now home to dignitaries, President, Chancellor (apparently they have both) as well as a place to host gatherings of a national significance, all incredibly ornate and lovely to look at. All over the city the trees were in full bloom and their fragrant aromas filled the air. The streets were quite full of cheerful locals and tourists alike and there were vendors and shops around every corner – a perfect time to be on a stroll of the city centre. We learned a bit about the Good King Wenceslaus – yep, that one (actually a prince) – the 300 years or so of the Austrian rule, and early reformer Jan Hus who was burned at the stake during the Council of Constance. On Saturday evening our entire group attended a proper “Prague Party” (as our guide Marilyn would say), at a tavern where we dined on authentic Bohemian fare of three courses including local refreshments (served by waiters shooting our beverages out of long glass wands!) and beautiful Czech Folk dancing and music. I was then singled out (of course) and pulled onto the dance floor to participate in a waltz and again by the band leader who made me perform a traditional circle dance with her. The band leader was a very sturdy bohunk grandmother in traditional costume, who upon learning of my Czech parentage and surname thereafter referred over and over again to me as “Mister Slepička” (yes, there’s video).

On Sunday Morning we bid farewell to Czechia and rode the motor-coach through the countryside and into Germany to begin our Reformation walk in the steps of Luther. Our first stop was in the city of Dresden, which, as you may very well know, was bombed by Allied forces at the conclusion of the Second World War to the point of nearly flattening the city. When we asked our guide Carola why did we do this, the answer was simple, “demoralization” and “we did this to you as well.” What was so striking about this community is that they have worked incredibly hard to rebuild the entire “old town” brick by brick. Most striking was the Lutheran church in the centre of town, which was almost entirely destroyed in 1945. The church was painstakingly salvaged and put back together – complete with a new golden cross atop the dome donated by the son of an Royal Air Force Pilot who participated in the blitz on this city. The city is home to its own Luther Statue and many beautiful pieces of architecture of Barque, Rococo, Renaissance, Gothic, and Art Deco styles that would be the envy of any city in Europe if not for being a combination of renovations and re-creations – spectacular still. After a lunch on our own and stroll through a few churches, we were back on the autobahn to our final destination of Erfurt.

Once we got our cases and settled into our rooms, we walked across the street to the Merchant Church for Sunday worship together; a church where Martin Luther himself preached on a number of occasions. Our worship was such a treat – the local pastor had given us the keys and full use of the space! Kim played the organ, Laurann read the scripture, Brian preached and presided at the table, and all the while Trinity was in worship simultaneously in Minnesota seven time zones behind us. This was a special moment for so many reasons, but perhaps the most significant was that our very own Pastor Brian climbed up to the high pulpit to preach from the same place as our great reformer once did. We concluded our evening with a meal together and off to bed after another long day.

On Monday we took a walking tour of the city led by an 83 year old lady (who’s name was so German I couldn’t hazard a guess to recollect it without bringing shame to myself – but what a sweetheart!). Our guide was a retired Biology and Chemistry teacher who was 9 years old when the war ended, and she clearly lived a remarkable life. We learned all about the many important churches, rulers, and customs of German state of Thuringia and what made Erfurt so important to the Reformation. Martin Luther attended the University here, received his Master degree here, and after a storm that would change his life, decided to sell his law books and dedicate his life to God, by knocking on the door of the Augustinian Monastery here. Hd became a monk in this town and eventually Catholic Priest, and was ordained in the Cathedral of St. Mary in Erfurt in 1507. Among the growing number of notable moments of our time here, today we experienced a very holy moment when, before we were about to leave the chapel at the Augustinian Monastery, Kim Fragodt sang from the German hymnal found in the pew “Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott” (A Mighty Fortress) – stunning!

We’ve had the opportunity to see and learn so much in the last days but I’ll leave you with that holy moment from this afternoon.

Until next time… Auf Wiedersehen,

T. Moe-Slepica

*If you’d like to enjoy even more of our journey with us, take a few moments to pursue the photos I’ve posted on Facebook, they are full of all the many highlights thus far.

Prague, Czech Republic – “I forgot my phone on the bus,” I frantically remark to our tour guide, Marilyn. “I have erred, I’m so sorry!” As you might imagine, the light-hearted Scottish expat, now longtime resident of Austria might say with a reassuring calm, “not to worry, dear, I’ll call our driver and he’ll deliver it to us.” Of course he will, I feel like a chump for only a moment and retire to the air conditioned confines of my room.

You know when you hear someone describe an event in their life as a whirlwind? I’m pretty well in that moment as I type this and not sure how I got here. Was I carried? I don’t know how many details of our exploits in central Europe have made their way back to Minnesota, but we had an eventful journey complete with a in-flight medical emergency that unexpectedly grounded us in Detroit shortly after we departed MSP. We landed “heavy” and got the gentleman off with medical personnel but then had to go through all these extra safety checks, wait, pray the chap is ok, wait some more, and eventually get back in the air. We ate late, I read too little, watched too many movies, and barely slept – exhale. We made it to Amsterdam by the hair on our chins (might seem like plenty considering the volume of my beard) and immediately sped towards customs (wait some more) and off to our gate where our plane to Austria was waiting for us to board – exhale.

When we finally touched down in Vienna, we were greeted by the most glorious sun, green grasses, flowers, and by jove, honest to goodness, heat. I don’t think we or the Viennese were expecting such lovely weather! We’ll take it all, thank you very much. As in most situations in my life, there are always silver linings when faced with adversity and at that, it’s usually pretty relative. We’re safe, we’re fed, and we’re on a smashing adventure, folks!

What a beautiful city this is, was I living under a rock? Truly beautiful and abuzz with life given the unseasonable dose of Vitamin D that hailed our arrival. We stayed at a beautiful, 120-year-old Hotel, aptly named “Regina” as it once stood as a castle for some noble Viennese family I can’t rightly recall. After we powdered our noses we again boarded the coach and headed to a tavern on the edge of the city that was home to a vineyard. We were treated to the quintessential Austrian meal of lots of fried things: Wienerschnitzel, kraut, and the like; had some if their year-old wine; and were treated to live music (some sang and danced, obviously). We took some incredible strolls around the old city centre and toured the infamous Schönbrunn Palace, once the ancestral seat of the even MORE infamous Habsburg dynasty. It’s said that Schönbrunn was modeled and likely an attempt to outdo the Palace of Versailles in France – I’ll have to compare them. Stunning grounds and the premiere example of the “Rococo” architectural style in the world known best for using asymmetrical designs.

We enjoyed churches and shops and state buildings (oh my!) during our stay in Vienna, but a major highlight simply had to be a concert at the world renowned “Kursalon” featuring music made by famous native sons, Strauss and the little known Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. A smaller ensemble of strings and brass were joined by masterful performances of voice and ballet dancers made complete with a campaign toast at intermission – bravo! Once again, treated with marvelous Austrian faire for breakfast (I was a massive fan) and bid Auf Wiedersehen to Austria.

We took a 4 hour drive through the Austrian countryside and crossed over into the Bohemian Region (I should have played “Queen”) of the Czech Republic. We stopped off in the tiny village of Telč with its charming main street made up of renaissance buildings. Lunched and explored (more churches and even a castle) whilst I went off to find the village Ice Hockey Arena. Quick stop, then back on the road and finally to the European jewel of Prague. We found our lodging and reconvened for a stunning buffet meal together before tucking in once again.

This has all really been a primer to wet our appetite for the bulk of the Reformation related entree over the final legs of our journey so we’re all trying very hard to enjoy one another, learn a new thing or two, and not to let the gift of this time here be wasted. Tomorrow our group becomes whole with my dear Laura finally joining us in the afternoon.

As Brian greets us with each new light: “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!”

Peace,
T. Moe-Slepica

Long Lake – Here I sit. I find my head swirling having just come from Pastor Brian’s office and a conversation about all that is to come on our journey of the next couple of weeks. I’m finding it quite difficult to wrap my mind around the fact that we will be flying over the ocean in just a few short days, and I don’t know about you but I’m finding myself dreadfully under prepared for the adventure.

They call me the “Luther Scholar in Residence” around here (a title I didn’t self-select, by the way), and so I’m supposed to know a thing or two about our church history, theology, and all that schnitzel, but how could I possibly know it all? As a matter of fact, I traveled to a number of these same Luther sites in Germany some 12 years ago whilst studying abroad as a student at Concordia College (Moorhead) and loved it.  It shouldn’t surprise you that I’m ever anxious to walk those ancient cobbled streets again, but how can one ever be properly prepared to join a gaggle of pilgrims and friends from our congregation and have anything interesting to say?

These are busy days, as the work of the church won’t come to a halt in my absence,  but I know that the saints who are left behind to tend to the flock of 120 middle schoolers will have things well in hand – that is, if I can manage to leave them with all the proper details before I leave. Perhaps you too have things on your plate that seem all too much to digest at the moment, and trust me, it’s not a contest. All too many of us know “that person” who we’re acquainted with who just can’t seem to ever stop bragging about how busy their lives happen to be, as if we’ll applaud them and grant a gold star for their efforts. Alas, this journey we’re about to embark on through Czechia, Austria, and Germany will happen whether we are prepared or not and will undoubtedly be exciting and (I daresay) even refreshingly filled with natural wonders, incredible cuisine, stunning churches, and a symphony of sounds and charm that can only be found in the old world.

I sit in my office and consider for a moment that in a matter of days I’ll again have the privilege of walking in the footsteps of the reformers and there be reminded of the bold declaration that God’s grace is, well, free. Ready or not, God goes with us, and we trust that the Holy Spirit will show our hearts something new along the way. Just breathe.

Frieden Christi,
T. Moe-Slepica

Our group returned from El Salvador on Tuesday afternoon, July 18,  after an overnight delay on Monday in Houston due to a mechanical problem with the plane.  We were all very tired– but it was a “good tired”.

Our last two full days in El Salvador, Saturday and Sunday, were shared with the 350 Seeds of Hope students and leaders with a sponsorship party on each day.  Our group joined together with the group of 11 from Family of Christ for these days.

On Saturday morning, we arrived by 9 am at Casa Concordia/Synod office compound to get ready for the first sponsorship party.  Casa Concordia is the Guest House for the Lutheran Church and part of the same complex is the synod offices for the Lutheran Church.    We were greeted by Pastora Martina and Pastor Matias (husband and wife), who have five churches.  200 of the total 350 students are sponsored through their churches.

The morning began with a gathering of all the students and parents for a formal program.    Students and parents shared words of “thanks” for their education and the opportunities that it will help to create for their families.  Other students shared some music, dance, songs and a poem reading.  Pastor Kristie Hennig shared words of encouragement to the parents and students to continue their studies. Following the program, as photos were taken of each student and letters  written by sponsors were distributed, lunch was served.  This was also a time for activities and to connect individually with the students.   It was a long, hot day– but overflowing with wonderful conversations and time together.

Sunday morning began with a tour to see the construction of Resurrection Lutheran Church and the NEW ROOF!   Joyce Trio has been a cheerleader helping to raise over $13,000 for the new roof and was excited to see the progress.    We learned that $77,000 is what is needed to complete the building.   Following the tour, we worshipped at Resurrection Lutheran for the morning and headed over to Casa Concordia/Synod complex for the 2nd Seeds of Hope Sponsorship party.

Sunday’s party included the 150 students sponsored through Emaus Church and Hope House (San Salvador) area.  Salvadoran leaders for this day included Pastora Gloria, Luis Rene, Maritza and Maria Trinidad.  The afternoon was spent similar to Saturday’s sponsorship party and we certainly had the long “Minnesota” goodbyes with the students and family members at the end of our day.

We returned to the guest house and enjoyed our final dinner together followed by a closing worship service including a foot washing and time for each person to share a reflection or thoughts on their time in El Salvador.

From the book, Welcome Forward, a field guide for global travelers… we each have taken in the sights, sounds, and smells of the world far beyond our own backyard.  We are aware of the poverty in El Salvador. But we are also aware of the depth of the spirit and faith of the people in El Salvador.  How can we be more like our Salvadoran friends with a rich, deep faith in God?   How can we express our gratitude to God for the many blessings we have?   On Sunday, July 23, you were hear more from Chuck Ritchie and Kassy Heinrich on our trip.  We hope you will join us.

Thank you Trinity members for your support in prayer for each of us during our trip.   We have been richly blessed.

Chuck Ritchie, Ron Van Buren, Jerry Jones, Vicki Brink, Joyce Trio, Samantha Carlson, Kassy Heinrich and Jill Cornell

Yay! Retreat day has arrived.  Our hosts, Christian and Aldo, have kept our plans a secret until today.  Our day adventure is driving north to summit the highest peak of the mountains in El Salvador.   It’s a sight to see pine trees and palm trees mixed together.

It was a two hour drive with our group to a rental sight for an adventurous pick up ride to the top. All ten of us climbed in  the back for a scenic ride up the mountain with a dirt path a little bit wider than the Toyota white pickup truck we were in.  We saw several types of flowers and a field areas where they were propagating hydrangeas, starting new plants several planted farm fields on sides of the mountains that seemed straight up in the air.   We encounter several dogs and chickens along the way.  I learned what dust bathing is for chickens since our Jill Cornell raises them.

The day seemed to rejuvenate all of us while we sang John Denver’s song in the back of the truck which would be “El Illegio” in the U.S. The best surprise was when our El Salvadoran hosts knew the words to John Denver’s Blue Ridge Mountains. They love his music!!

We stopped at the top for fifteen minutes in time for a group picture and Ron Van Buren to read our devotion today of Psalm 65. This beautiful, beautiful place is ten minutes from the Honduras border. We feel this place as a sanctuary and not the land between two of the most violent countries.  It’s another example for tourism intervention to save the country and produce fruitful  economics for the people.

All aboard back on our open bed pickup to the enjoyment of God’s beautiful creations.  I love Vicki Brink’s saying- When people see this how can they not believe God Is real.  Amen!  God is Good.

Another new introduction to our group is tilapia fish farm. This is another “who knew” they had this in El Salvador.  We all had a wonderful lunch, tilapia tastes like walleye, so we all felt at home.

We returned to Casa Las Magnolias for the evening for preparing for the musician, Guillermo Cueallar, to play for our missing team of Family of Christ members. We were also joined by the group from Edina Community Lutheran Church that is in El Salvador this same time.  Guillermo is a Salvadoran composer who composed songs for Oscar Romero and composed the popular Mass “Vamos Todos al Banquet”—that is in our hymnal along with a few others songs he has composed.

We are excited to finish our day of rest with Guerillmo’s music for a full complete day of rejuvenation.  We are prepared to interact and connect with our Seeds of Hope students at events scheduled at Casa Concordia on Saturday and Sunday.

Proverbs 31:26. She opens her mouth with wisdom.  And her tongue is the law of kindness.

Ephesians 2:19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household.

Joyce Trio

I expected a Salvadorian prison with haunting sights, smells and sounds.   I tentatively walked up the steps of the yellow cement building, took a deep breath and stepped inside the building.  To my surprise, and relief, the Direccion De Atencion Al Migration was not at all what I expected.

We were cheerfully greeted at the Deportation Center in San Salvador by a young woman professionally dressed. The sights and smells were clean and bright as we proceeded to a conference room to better understand what men, women and children experience when they are deported and transported to this center.

It is not a place of punishment or dehumanizing paper processing to people whose dignity has been lost in a traumatic experience. We were told every action and step in the deportation process has one goal: Dignity. As our guide described the 6-step process we understood what she meant.

“Our role is to listen,” stated our guide, “to detect their needs.” Clean bathrooms and showers are offered, which often have been denied during the torturous journey since they fled.  Some come without shoes or proper clothing.  Others need medical or immediate psychiatric attention. The interview is not an interrogation but rather a compassionate assessment of needs.

With the recent remodel and expansion in 2016, men, women, children and families are able to receive separate attention to better serve their needs. The second step in the process is a medical exam to check for issues that may have been missed as they were deported.  The exam is performed by a doctor on staff in one of three clean and medically equipped rooms.

The deportation center goes beyond the obvious physical needs to include addressing the psychological needs as well. The journey of fleeing their country is traumatic.  Rape, abuse, humiliation are commonly experienced. Psychologists and social workers listen, assess and counsel their needs.  Children are brought to brightly painted room to receive their counseling assessment and wait while their parent is receiving help.  The room resembles a cheerful day care offering books, toys and coloring to calm and relieve anxieties.

Other services available at the center to address needs is the Human Rights Office and all children meet privately with El Salvador’s equivalent of Child Protection Services.  Again, listening is the role of the officers to hear individual stories and provide guidance with compassion. The final step in the process is providing documentation.  Lawyers are also available if they were a victim of a crime.  Transportation to a safe place or uniting with family members are coordinated.

The process along with the compassion of the dedicated workers at the center brought the parable of the “Prodigal Son” to mind. The shame and disgrace of returning is met with grace, not punishment.  Every need of the men, women and children’s is met to help the men, women and children return home with dignity and a hope of a future they lacked when they decided to flee.  The deportation center was a departure from the hopelessness I expected to see.   I saw hope in the staff’s dedication and the care given in all aspects for the people returning.

Vicki Brink

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Today, we enjoyed an early breakfast of eggs on tortillas with avocado, fried plantains, and refried beans. We headed for Emaus Church, picking up Pastor Gloria and Maritza along the way. A pleasant surprise was a stop at the school where a majority of Trinity’s sponsored kids attend. There was a semi-impromptu reception and some time to meet some of the kids, meet the director, and do some youthful jump roping. It was a nice facility with kids who were glad to see us.

We walked from there to the Church where Pastor Gloria officially greeted us and conducted a short service in which she lifted up our group, recounted the parable of the vineyard workers and then entreated the children to work hard especially on their studies, and to pray to God giving thanks for his blessings. We sang some new songs (in Spanish no less) as Gloria was determined to expand our meager capabilities in Spanish. With a final blessing we went down to Paco’s barn which had been prepped for a mini-fiesta.

We set up activities for the kids and the women started cooking for lunch. The kids did name tags to start, then there were stations where kids made dream catchers, cross necklaces, duct tape pencil pouches, rubber band bracelets, bead necklaces .with no time for Bingo or puzzles.

There were many hugs and remembrances of sponsor families, questions, picture sharing, and a wonderful overall reconnection. Of particular note  has been the development of upcoming youth leaders under the auspices of Luis– Marina, Gerson, Stephanie, Ana, Roxy, Erica, Valerie, and others have grown and become a strong group of leaders for the youth. Luis is pleased with their progress and is turning to the next generation as these young leaders move into the next stage of the University.

Lunch consisted of our Wild rice soup blend, tortillas, pancakes, and crazy corn – corn on the cob with mayonaise, catsup, and mustard. (bag the heart-stopping melted butter!) and a Salvadoran dish called papas rellenáis potatoes filled with cheese and then dipped in an egg mixture. They also served a killer drink called horchata (which we were advised not to drink).

We watched the kids beat up two piñatas and scramble for lots of dulces and then we packed up, after fond goodbyes, knowing we would see each other again on Sunday.

One strong impression remains: we are making a difference in the lives of these kids. The parents say so, Luis and Gloria say so, and it is written on the faces of the kids. What an honor to have spent time with them!

Carlos Ritchie

NOTE: This is our blog from Thursday.  We will post our blog from Wednesday later today.

For those of you who have had the unique pleasure of participating in a Trinity Mission Trip, you’re probably familiar with our favorite F-word, flexibility. As one of the guides on the Seeds of Hope Trip, this word is one that I encourage our team to keep in mind, but that I myself, hate to hear. Jill and I begin the planning process for each trip more than a year ahead of time. While we’re still on one trip, we’re thinking ahead to the next year’s itinerary. By the time we’re on our return flight to the US, we have a general idea of which days will hold which activities. And, from the months of January until we’re going through security as MSP, we’re messaging back and forth with our Salvadoran friends finalizing details for our time away.

Over the years I’ve had to learn to let go of many of my “American” habits of planning. It seems that El Salvador’s proximity to the equator causes time to move at a different pace than it does up North. For instance, a church service that is supposed to start at 9:00 AM, typically doesn’t get started until 9:30 or 9:45 AM when the Pastor finally makes his or her way to the altar after having greeted everyone in the congregation. Or perhaps the service never actually happens…. a roadway to the community may be inaccessible due to gang presence or a flood, or someone may have forgotten the only set of keys to the church back at home.

With this in mind, our trip itineraries have become a bit loose over the years. Rather than setting specific times for each activity, our itinerary consists of a list of what we are planning to accomplish each day, and the general order in which we hope to have them done. For Tuesday, or itinerary showed the following:

• Leave for San Salvador after breakfast
• Get transportation to airport for Tara 
• Visit Hope House (eat lunch there)
• Visit Chapel of the Divine Providence or National Cathedral
• Dinner/Stay at Casa Magnolias

Our schedule wasn’t terribly complicated or full that day, but the activities that were on the list were important and intentionally chosen to be a part of this trip. It was the only day we could fit a visit to Hope House into our schedule given the other trips we had planned for the rest of the week.

We made it out the door of our hotel in Santa Ana, and even managed to coordinate Tara’s transportation to the airport without any trouble. Around 10:00 AM we arrived at Hope House. We knew we were early but figured it was better to have some extra time at the shelter to spend with the men and women there than risk being late and missing our chance altogether. Unfortunately, Trini, the woman in charge of the shelter, was not there to greet us due to some health issues. Another volunteer thought Trini would be back around 11:30 when it was time to serve lunch, and suggested we go visit a cultural site and return later. We figured we would have enough time to visit the next stop on our itinerary and come back in time to still serve lunch at Hope House… of course, our assumptions forgot to consider traffic in San Salvador and the special Salvadoran time zone.

By the time we arrived at the Chapel of Divine Providence it was clear that we wouldn’t be making it back to Hope House in time for lunch, and our plans were about to change. Rather than a quick visit to the Chapel of the Divine Providence, we were able to take our time as we walked through the museum in Archbishop Oscar Romero’s home. We prayed together in the very chapel where Romero was assassinated and reflected on all we had experienced on the trip so far.

When hunger came, we asked our driver Oscar to pick a place for us to go for lunch since we wouldn’t be eating at Hope House. He brought us up the volcano so we could take in the view of the entire city of San Salvador. And since we had already visited the Chapel, our afternoon was open. We again looked to Oscar for suggestions. His response, “El Museo de Ferrocarril” (aka the train museum). So off we went to the train museum where we were not only given a great history of the railroad system in El Salvador, but where we made many new Salvadoran friends. The rest of the day fell into place as we made our way back to the guest house and enjoyed a delicious meal from Christian and Aldo.

As I reflect on the change of plans that Tuesday, I can’t help but think of the many to-do lists and schedules we live with and our deep need for the f-word. Had everything gone according to plan, we wouldn’t have had the time for prayer and reflection at the chapel. We would have missed the chance to see the breathtaking view of San Salvador from the volcano. We never would have met the university students serving as tour guides at the railway museum. And we would have missed the countless little moments God spoke to, and showed Himself to each of us along the way.

I wonder what our lives might be like if we were all a bit more flexible. How might God lead us if we willingly let go of the reigns we so tightly cling to, and instead, allow Him to set the pace? Our plan for Tuesday was good, but a little bit of flexibility brought something far better. May we all be a bit more flexible so that we can experience and enjoy the very Best plans he offers.

Today we worked and played alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ at our sister church in San Pablo. Among the several projects was making pencil pouches out of zip lock bags and many colors of duct tape. The kids loved it.

 While some of us were active with the children, Tara was teaching the women how to embroider for possible future sale of finished products. Other kids and women were making beaded bracelets and necklaces. Kassy played “Duck, Duck,  Grey Duck” and “Simon Says” with some of the kids.

We had a cultural exchange hour when we made wild rice soup, pupusas and tortillas.  A few of us went to Gladys’ home to make the tortillas for the meal. Chuck told about Minnesota agates he had collected. He had enough agates to give each person one. Also for part of the cultural exchange women of the church made a special El Salvadoran meal for us. It is called yuca con chincharones and consisted of a potato like vegetable called yuca, meat, other indigenous vegetables and a type of salsa. It was very tasty and prepared with love.  Some of the women got up at 5 am in the morning to purchase the items at the market so they had plenty of time to cook and prepare it.

After that good lunch we had the kids play picture Bingo. We used fruit loops instead of corn and called out in Spanish various things showing a picture of the spots on the Bingo cards. It went well after we convinced them not to eat the fruit loops until the Bingo game was finished.

Youth of the church did a performance showing sickness and healing demonstrating their faith. Probably the most exciting part of the day for the kids was beating the piñata for candy. A work project with the men consisted of moving dirt for future expansion of a concrete area. 82 year old Salome, mother of Gladys one of the church leaders, assisted in making tassels to be attached to various ítems later for sale. It was a long and hot day but very rewarding day.

Chuck Ritchie, Jerry Jones and Ron Van Buren

My Joy of the trip started today!!  We had our community visit with our sister church San Pablo celebrating the youth and their church sacraments of Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation.  My day started at breakfast meeting another woman from a church in Phoenix wearing a necklace with a key with Joy inscribed on it.  I learned Joy can mean J for Loving Jesus FIRST, O for Loving others SECOND, and Y for Loving yourself LAST.  It set the tone for the day of why we gather together.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching”  Hebrews 10:24-25

Our El Captain Kassy suggested that we play a game today – “I Spy” – HOPE.  Boy did I spy hope today gathering  together with our friends from San Pablo!!  I immediately saw it in the pride their congregation took preparing for the day having the church decorated and organized.  The gospel message by our sister Pastora Vilma was to come to Jesus for rest.  He wants us to enjoy our lives even living in unbearable circumstances.  She said to look at the children who show and remind us of that today.  The Gospel scripture was Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30.  I spied hope with the children.  Vicki and I played London Bridge,  Hokey Pokey and other hand clapping games. 

“Finally, all of you, be liked-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.” 1 Peter 3:8. 

I spied hope today being present and enjoying every neighbor in my contact and seeing them enjoy their day within circumstances they cannot change themselves. 

Lord, thank you for placing me in a family of believers called the Trinity Lutheran Church.  May I be an active member in this mission trip and bless others and bring comfort and encouragement to whomever needs it in the family of faith. 

In Jesus name, Amen.

P.S.  We just finished dinner with the leaders of San Pablo.  Pastora Vilma wants you to know that they have “hope” and wants to move forward to build a better life for the youth even with the environment that suppresses them at this time.  They are faithful. 

Joyce Trio

This is our theme for our summer El Salvador mission trip in which a group of nine  will leave very early on Saturday morning, July 8th.   We will spend 10 days reconnecting with our dear friends who have we come to know and love these past 7 years since our very first trip.  Our Salvadoran friends always remind us there is hope in the world as they show us their incredible faith in God even in the midst of difficult situations.

Our time on the trip will include a variety of things– several days with our sister church in the community, days of learning history and visiting the immigration/deportation center, and time in the Emaus community and at the sponsorship parties with all the Seeds of Hope students.   We will also have some very intentional time with the women and men of San Pablo to learn more and hear of their hopes and dreams and how we could partner with them in more sustainable ways.    As we journey and spend time in El Salvador, we hope you will follow along on our trip blog… and go to Trinity’s facebook page for more photos shared of our daily activities.

We appreciate all your prayers— for a safe and meaningful trip.

Bendiciones,

Jill Cornell

On Tuesday night we had an experience of a lifetime. The following are some reflections from Jack Randolph and Thomas Lecy.

Last night sure was a doozy!!! The only thing we were told was to meet somewhere at 1:30 pm and bring a sleeping bag and pillow. We were about to begin our overnight experience sleeping in the Global Village. Knowing nothing about what was in store, we entered the educational center to begin our night. We talked for a long time about our daily lifestyles and privileges in comparison with other countries. This was the perfect intro to our night. After that, we toured the 7 global village sites; Guatemala, Appalachia, Thailand, Zambia, The slums, a refugee camp, and Tibet. We then entered a barn to sit and hear our fate for the night in “the lottery”. We waited nervously for what seemed like an eternity. Finally we were handed cards with numbers on them and the lottery began. They would call out a list of numbers and their fate was decided as they were called. One “lucky” group of numbers had a child for a night. Each of those people had a big water balloon strapped to their body and had to maintain constant contact the entire time. Our “families” were announced and we were able to grab the materials provided and make our way down to our home. Trinity was divided among Thailand, Guatemala, and Zambia for the night, and everyone was faced with the task of trading with other countries to get dinner for the night. Each group had different resources at first, and through trading and negotiations, all groups had sufficient resources for the night. We cooked our meals over an open fire, consisting of rice, eggs, onion, and potatoes. The rest of the night was filled with games and the swatting away of mosquitos. Sleep was limited, but the morning came quickly and we were greeted with grits and raisins for breakfast. he experiences gained and lessons learned from this night are ones we won’t soon forget.

A lot of our pictures from that night are on our cameras and we haven’t had the chance to upload them yet, but we have a LONG bus ride ahead of us tomorrow, so I am sure that there will be time to post some.

We are still trying to figure out where our week went. We can’t believe that we leave tomorrow. This mission trip was something completely different than we had done before, but it was a great experience and it really made us think about where our food comes from and where it goes. We are a very fortunate community and the kids were challenged this week to think outside of our normal boxes, interact with different things, milk goats (!!!!) and many other amazing things. Our facilitators, Jamie, Alex and Indra, were amazing and we couldn’t have asked for better leaders. They told us tonight that our energy and enthusiasm spread like wide fire through the ranch this week!! We can’t wait to tell you all about it and all the great stories.

We are off to spend our last night by bonfire and enjoy smores! See you soon!

We are just starting our second full day at Heifer Ranch and we are excited for what is to come today!
Yesterday we started out the day with an educational session about Heifer Ranch and learned how their organization works. We learned that it started with a simple group of women being enrolled in a ‘class’ to learn how to care for animals. Many of these women had not seen a school classroom ever. In their culture, only the men went to school, only the men learned how to take care of the land. Only the men were able to fend for themselves. This class taught them how to care for a goat and how a simple goat gave them the opportunities to meet other women and form a community that held them up through all the tough times.
After lunch we were then split into our work groups and were sent off to experience the ranch in 3 different ways- livestock help, maintenance work and gardening. Each group had the opportunity to work with the volunteers in the different areas and learn more about them in general as well. The livestock group got to help build and maintain fences for the animals in the pastures, herd sheep from one pasture to another and then help with evening chores. And yes, they got to feed baby goats and milk a goat as well! The maintenance group helped organize a shed and put up some fence posts to ensure that the animals would be safe. They learned many great things about tools and life on the farm. The gardening group had the opportunity to work in the certified organic gardens. They pulled tons of weeds, but were able to experience how the gardening system works and what goes into maintaining such a large responsibility.
Today we start the day with some team building and then we are off to start our adventure in the global village. Many great reflections to come with that!

We began our adventure at Camp Encourage. Friday night was revolved around a carnival theme and consisted of a bouncy house, washer toss, dunk tank, tattoos and much more. I was in charge of working the snack toss. The rules of this game was a camp counselor would volunteer themselves to put shaving cream on their head and the kids would try their hardest to throw cheese balls into the shaving cream. What made this job so interesting was hearing the motivations and reasoning behind each camp counselor dedicating a week of their lives for this camp. I was amazed by the patience and passion each counselor possessed. The majority of the counselors were working on their masters degree majoring in the study of autism. These counselors were giving their all their time and effort into creating a fun and safe environment for these children. Just by spending two hours at the camp I could tell every kid felt welcomed by their peers and especially from their counselors. I loved seeing the excitement the kids had by simply throwing a cheese ball into shaving cream. Overall my experience working at camp encourage was extremely impactful by seeing the excitement on the kids faces and the dedication behind every counselor at camp encourage. -Tori Everson

Instead of putting shaving cream on our heads we just had to watch over the bouncy house. We thought it would be a portion of the carnival that wouldn’t consist of a lot of interaction with the kids, but we were proven wrong. Working at the bouncy house showed the passion and compassion in each group leader for the kids. The patience and love that the leaders have for the kids is incredible. James was a camper that was probably around 18 and was terrified to go into the bouncy house. Although he had fear he wanted to try. We worked with the counselors to help James feel more comfortable and to tell him how brave he really was. After about 20 minutes James was in the bouncy house smiling. We were told he likes it when people cry out of happiness or love, for example he asked if the counselors would cry when he left, and he kept asking if we would cry once he was in the bouncy house. We kept saying we would and would fake cry and make James laugh. In the end we really did cry.

– Nikki and Lila

We made it and are well on our way to having fun. It was so much fun that we forgot to write anything on the blog last night!
The day started with an early morning and everyone made it in time, we were even ahead of schedule which makes all the leaders happy. We stopped at the Iowa welcome center to enjoy lunch with our small groups-the first time that they all met together. We finally got to the church, even though Jenny learned that we were excepted at 2 completely different churches and not just one! Oh well – at least we had a back up plan in case something went wrong. 🙂

Camp Encourage was our next stop for the evening. And wow. What an experience! Kelly, one of the directors, greeted us and told us about the history of Camp Encourage and how it started. She exuded passion was for this organization and for kids on the autism spectrum. Everyone that worked at this camp showed their passion for these kids and it was exciting that our kids could see that passion as well. In fact as we did highs and lows that night, most of the kid’s highs were about the passion they saw that evening.

Something that Camp Encourage is doing this summer is helping the kids be more aware of their surroundings. Notice yourself, notice others and notice your surrounding. Kelly used a basketball analogy – when children who are not on the autism spectrum shoot a ball, it either goes through the hoop or misses it and then continues on with their day. Children on the autism spectrum are not able to move forward even if they are able to make the basket. That analogy just got me thinking about all of our lives and how we can continue to be more aware of our surrounds, of others and of ourselves.

The experience was an amazing one and one that we will never forget.

Trinity/Thrivent Builds/ Habitat for Humanity 2017 Report from Santa Ana, El Salvador. – Submitted by Kathi Tunheim.

Saturday April 1: Today is our last full day in El Salvador. Even though our group of 19 is sore, tired, a bit sunburned and ready to come home, it will be difficult to leave this special place and the people we have come to love. As the final blogger for this Spring Break 2017 Trip, I will reflect on our individual, group and organizational learnings from this eight-day adventure.

From an individual perspective, each team member has experienced a myriad of feelings. My own feelings range from some anxiety and fear before the trip imagining all of the worst case scenarios of bringing along four college-aged students from Gustavus (all the things that could possibly go wrong and thankfully didn’t!), to having to say goodbye to our homeowner, Carla, and her mother, Rosalina, and fighting back tears, we feel so much for these kind and devout Christians and their country. I have awoken each morning here at 4:30 a.m. and found myself praying earnestly for each of their family members. How can I grow so close to them in five short days of shoveling dirt, hauling cement and eating meals together? There is no other answer than the Holy Spirit. He is working on each one of us while we are here and it feels like a privilege to be a part of such an amazing team from Trinity.

From the first minute on the work site on Monday, we were a committed team! During our reflection time after dinner each evening, team members shared their word for the day: support, leadership and sacrifice are three examples that I quickly recall. I personally experienced team members carrying and emptying out buckets for me as they saw me struggling as well as insisting on helping me by taking my shovel and finishing the job when I just did not have any more energy in the 100 degree heat yesterday. I am proud to call the people from Trinity and Gustavus team members, colleagues and friends. We will forever share these 2017 memories and I will always respect them for their support, leadership and sacrifice. These qualities are what have led us to be even more committed to Thrivent Financial, Habitat for Humanity, Trinity Lutheran Church and El Salvador as a result.

Thrivent Financial has provided significant financial and human capital to El Salvador by building 170 homes here! This is absolutely phenomenal. Without Thrivent’s assistance, this would have never happened. I am a proud board member of Chris Larson’s Central Region Member Resource Board. Never have I been so grateful to serve on this Board as I have been the past five days. The mission of this company is truly inspirational and we see it implemented as they partner effectively with Habitat for Humanity to help families in their communities. Our church, Trinity Lutheran in Long Lake, MN, has done an extraordinary job of engaging its members to raise funds, sending members and friends and accompanying the people of El Salvador. I am so proud of all we have accomplished in building homes, supporting Seeds of Hope children and assisting San Pablo and Cristo Rey Churches here. I am even more committed to tapping friends of mine at Trinity and more students from Gustavus to come down next year so that we can experience all of this together and help even more people.

Finally, I want to share that I observe things are improving overall in El Salvador. We see more people working, more homes providing shelter for families and most interestingly, more women contributing to society as a whole. This is a good sign! El Salvador was founded in 1885 and 132 years later, we see much hope on the horizon. I feel God calling me back here again as do others from Trinity, thank the good Lord, and I can’t wait to return. Vaya con Dios, El Salvador!

Trinity/Thrivent Builds/ Habitat for Humanity 2017 Report from Santa Ana, El Salvador. – Submitted by Bob Tunheim.

Thursday, March 30. We had another remarkable day here in El Salvador. It was exceedingly hot – a blistering 97 degrees according to my weather app – but we managed to chisel away many yards of rock-like soil with pickaxes and added two levels of concrete blocks to each of the two houses on which we are working. As a result, our muscles are sore and our Habitat houses are suddenly looking more and more like the casas (Spanish for “house”) they will become. We have also laughed – a lot! It’s been a great week and we’re all sad that it is coming to a close. As our phenomenal leader, Jerry, said during our evening reflection, Thursday is always hard because we know we are completing our workweek tomorrow and we won’t be able to see our projects through to completion. There is much more to be done, but as Jerry remarked in quoting Oscar Romero, we are missionaries, not messiahs. We can’t fix the world in one week. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do what we can.

I can’t adequately describe the pride we are all taking in the work we are doing and the difference we are making. It has been three years since my family members have been here, and we all are noticing the positive changes in the communities in which we are serving. But even more importantly, we are grateful for what each person in our group is experiencing – an opportunity to grow in our faith, deepen relationships with our colleagues from Trinity, build relationships with the wonderful people of El Salvador and learn from them that happiness does not come from material wealth. These people have nothing by our standards, yet their faith, close ties with family and friends and sense of both gratitude and generosity with what little they have make them some of the happiest people I’ve met. I am certain that I speak for the group when I say we’ve been blessed by the opportunity to spend this week in El Salvador and are grateful for this life-changing experience.

Thank you to Trinity for your support and prayers. God is good!

Trinity/Thrivent Builds/ Habitat for Humanity 2017 Report from Santa Ana, El Salvador. – Submitted by Mike & Betsy Taylor.

Today was day two at the worksites and as happened yesterday after another fantastic breakfast, we split into two teams and headed to our respective sites. Yesterday was challenging for all the Minnesotans with the heat, humidity, and hard work taking its toll on us all, but even in the face of sore muscles, blisters, and even a few minor work-site injures, the teams were excited to be at it again. It is hard to believe until you understand how rewarding it is to be doing God’s work with people in need, who are so appreciative of what we and the congregation at far away Trinity Lutheran are doing to help them better their lives.

Part of the excitement today was linked to the 14th birthday of a member of the extended family (Victor) we are building the home for. Victor was so excited to celebrate his birthday with a piñata event with his friends and family but I think our team got more out of it than they did.

We also had the chance to visit the home of the family who will be living in the home we are working on. They are ranchers, raising cows for milk, even making their own cheese. They have pigs, chickens and the like and were so proud of what they are accomplishing. Even more important to them was what we are doing to help them finally have their own, modest home with the wife being brought to tears in gratitude at the prospect of having their own home. It was so touching and rewarding for us.

For Betsy and me, the opportunity to connect on so many levels with our friends from Trinity and the local families and Habitat members is a blessing that cannot be described unless you experience it.

We are so looking forward to the balance of the trip and moving the homes closer to completion.

God bless our teams, the families whose homes we are working on and the Trinity members who support this fantastic, life changing effort!

Submitted by Amie Tunheim

After a fantastic weekend overcoming jetlag spent going to church at Cristo Rey, swimming in Lago Coatepeque, and getting to know our fellow Trinitarians better at Hotel Sahara in Santa Ana, today was our first day of labor on the home sites. At breakfast, we split into two even groups and set out early to meet the families for whom we were building these two homes and to understand the tasks we were to complete throughout the week. Much to our relief, we quickly learned that both sites were in the same state – the difficult task of digging the trenches was already complete! I can say with confidence that avoiding this task gave us all a sense of confidence and optimism about our abilities to complete each following task with some element of ease the rest of this week.

The remainder of the day went by with anything but ease, of course – sweat, blood, tears ensued – but there was never a whisper of negativity from anyone on my site. We were all overcome with emotion when we had the opportunity to meet the family for whom we were building the home. As the mother of the home was explaining to us that they had been waiting for three years to acquire a house of their own after spending so much money renting from someone else, she burst into tears. To me, there was no greater indication of the impact of the work that we are doing to help this family to defray the difficulties that they have had in working to build a life for themselves. I am so grateful for the privilege that we have to help this family, and their kindness was overwhelmingly reciprocated when other members of their family chipped in to help build the home, provide us with lunch and snacks, and seek to establish a relationship with us despite the fact that we were total strangers.

So far so fantastic in El Salvador – I look forward to not only seeing the ways that we can positively impact others’ lives while we are here this week, but also the invaluable lessons that we can learn from these gracious people about the ways that we can actively live our lives to serve others as informed citizens of the world. While my muscles may indicate otherwise, I’m itching to get back to work tomorrow!

Trinity/Thrivent Builds/ Habitat for Humanity 2017 Report one from Santa Ana, El Salvador. – Submitted by John Gabos.
Waking Friday 2:00 am to catch a 5:10 flight “Ho Hum” I think this is the real “March madness”. Our team of 19 all made it over two separate days. Logistics were well planned and executed successfully. We checked in at world acclaimed El Salvadorian artist Christian Chavarria’s guest home in San Salvador. There are so many amazing things you should know about Christian that we have posted a link to his page here. (http://donselsalvador.blogspot.com/p/and-christian-chavarrias-story.html) for those of you too busy to “Dig” deeper ….

We spent Friday with Christian and he shared more personal details with us than we could comprehend. He lost three different family members during the civil war in El Salvador 1980-1992. He fled El Salvador to Honduras and on to Sweden and eventually made his way back to El Salvador with a commitment to serve Jesus Christ. He made a commitment to one day build a church. We were fortunate enough to visit the second church “Pastor” Christian is building “La Résurrection” which has been in the planning for many years and has been under construction for at least 2 years. There are still many major construction milestones to achieve, the next most important the application of the roof, which many Trinity members “especially Joyce” are passionately working to support.

Christian showed us the current building where he leads worship and he led us to his studio where he crafts his art, including the many hand-painted crosses such as the one on the alter at Trinity. He shared a very intimate story of a cross he was commissioned to design for the Celebration in fall 2016 when Lutherans and Catholics gathered together with ecumenical guests to commemorate the Reformation anniversary and was presented to Pope Francis. The story is historic and noteworthy but not licensed to be shared here.
https://www.lutheranworld.org/news/symbol-life-and-hope

After the studio visit, we visited the Cathedral Metropolitana, the final resting place of Monsenor Oscar Romero. Friday March 24th was the 37th Anniversary of his assassination. It was surreal to walk into a celebration of his life on this anniversary and learn more of his commitment to human rights and the struggle he undertook for the poor and how it cost him his life and served as the tinder to ignite the civil uprising that lasted 12 years. Our Final stop of the afternoon was the Monument to Truth and Memory memorial wall which commemorates the tens of thousands of El Salvadorians who lost their lives in the Civil war. Christian shared specific details losing his relatives including three siblings in the two separate massacres.
http://www.share-elsalvador.org/our-work/advocacy/monument-to-truth-and-memory

For those of us fortunate enough to come down on Friday we could not have imagined this priceless personal walk back in time to learn of the struggles of these people. It is not often that you get a personal witness to events as historic as these. All of us on this mission feel honored to represent Trinity and the community that has supported this outreach and the people we have visited thus far have expressed true gratitude for our presence and gifts.

19 people, most from Trinity with a few college youth friends joining the group, will spend their spring break in a wonderfully, unique way– building homes for Habitat in El Salvador.. and more importantly making new friends and developing relationships with the people they will meet.

Six of the people from the group left on Friday, March 24th– a day early– in order to meet their Seeds of Hope student/ family and some of the leaders of the program before connecting with the rest of the group on Saturday afternoon.

The group of 19 will travel up to the Santa Ana area beginning their week with worship Sunday morning,  meeting Pastora Vilma, the pastor of Trinity’s sister church San Pablo and then learn more about Habitat and prepare for their week of building structurally sound, earthquake resistant homes for a few families.

We hope you will check back along the week to hear from them. More pictures during the week will be posted on Trinity’s facebook page.  Please keep the group in your prayers!

Sunday, August 7th was our final full day in El Salvador.  Our day began with a beautiful worship service led by Carrie, Christian and Sonari for our group.  Carrie chose the scripture verse of Hebrew 11:1-3 and 8-12 to help us reflect on our days in El Salvador.  The beginning of this reading is: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.   Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval.  By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible”.   Faith is not seen, but what we believe and hope in.

During our 8 days so far, our experiences and emotions were so different and vast– whether it was first time participants or those returning for another trip.   Where did we see “faith” during our time here in El Salvador?  We all pondered this question and spent time at the end of the day in quiet reflection gather our thoughts that we would later share with our group in our final closing worship on Sunday night.

During our afternoon, Christian wanted to show us another part of the country.  We visited the Cihuatan Ruins to learn more about the history of the country.  The country is full of rich history and so incredibly beautiful that is easy to forget at times what daily life is like for many Salvadorans.  Christian shared with us a perspective that stuck with all of us.  As  U.S. citizens, “you are born, you live, and you die”.  For Salvadorans he said, “We are born, we survive, and we die”.

As we pondered his words and the scripture verse from Hebrews, where did we see faith in our Salvadoran friends and for ourselves as we move forward in our lives?  What do we hope and believe in?    Some of the words shared during our final closing service from the group included:  hope & happiness; social justice, seeing God in the people we met; being obedient & faithful; answered prayers; spiritual & inspired; and eye opening & assuring. 

As we were reminded by both Christian and Bishop Gomez, our presence in El Salvador helps to bring great hope to the people we are with.    We are to “act justly… love kindness… and walk humbly with our God.”   

Our mission trip group will share in worship on Sunday, August 21.    Come and walk humbly with our God.

El Salvador Mission Trip participants,

Kassy Heinrich, Sam Carlson, Vicki Brink, Susan Vickerman, Joyce & Ella Trio, Ron & Brittany Van Buren, Camille Pearson Walz, Carrie Scheller and Jill Cornell

Friday, August 5

Today we awoke to another beautiful morning at Casa Magnolias. It is a grand day for Vilma, the pastor of San Pablo, the pastor of the church of San Pablo, our sister congregation. Vilma will be ordained as a pastor in the Lutheran Church of El Salvador. We are honored to be the guests that support Vilma as she vows to be a dedicated steward of the church.

We proceeded to Resurrection Lutheran Church for a service that was to last over two and one half hours. The service would ordain 3 pastors and one deacon. The church was hot and had very little air flow. I found myself shifting uncomfortably in my pew for most of the service. But, the service was inspiring, with a church stocked full of a humble, loving congregation. The regal delegation sat in the front of us. The delegation was comprised of Bishops from El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, Cuba and Germany. These Bishops are also here to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the Lutheran Church in El Salvador. Try as I might, I could only pick out a few Spanish words that I knew. Thank goodness Kassy sat next to me! She patiently explained the service and translated the sermon, which was given by the German Bishop.

We took our dependable bus to Casa Concordia. We Minnesota Lutherans were “all in” celebrating. We ate all our table’s appetizers AND the snacks of the empty tables around us. After dinner of…… YES! CHICKEN AND RICE! We shook up the dance floor. We Sambaed and ChaChaed with our favorite German bishop. (He likes to have fun) We drug our sweaty, tired bodies back to Casa Magnolias.

We topped off our evening sharing smores with our hosts Christian, Aldo and the women who help out at the house. We did have to cook the marshmallows over the gas stove but that just made them better. We seem to get to bed later each night because we want to savor our time together.

Saturday August 6

Today is the Festive March! We will march in celebration of 30 years that the Lutheran Church has been in El Salvador. We are marching with 2,000 of our brothers and sisters of El Salvador.

The arrival of our bus at the start gives us all a feeling of pride. We are proud to be Lutherans in El Salvador We are part of a celebration of Love and Hope. The park is filled with a rainbow of colors. Balloons, banners and smiles fill the staging area. The procession is slow but the2 ½ hours seem to fly by. We connect with our Salvadorian friends from San Pablo and Emaus. I find that if I smile, nod my head and say “si!” they think I understand Spanish! Ha! The end of the march is at the Resurrection Church. To my right I see a very old Resurrection Church that has a small sanctuary and a tin roof. To my left is a steel skeleton of hope for the future, a new Resurrection Church.

After the march we say a sad good bye to our new friends from San Pablo and Emaus. We have walked side by side for many days now. We have shared many meals, broken conversations, laughter and tears. We have cooked and crafted together. Sung and prayed together. A bond has been strengthened. I will miss each smiling face and strong hug. These people are truly our brothers and sisters in El Salvador.

From Resurrection Church we will walk cautiously to the home of Melissa and Antonio De Flores. This walk takes us directly Hope House, the homeless shelter we visited earlier in the week. Even though the Hope House is not open on the weekends, many of the men we connected with were sitting by the closed doors. They eagerly called out to us a passionate”Hola!” It made me sad because I could not greet them with the traditional warm hug, only a weak smile and “hola”.

Melissa is the mother of Odalys, Jill Cornell’s sponsor child. Melissa and Antonio have Henri 7 and Odalys 9. Melissa’s family graciously opened their home to us. They are proud of their home and abundant garden.

Melissa shared her life journey with us. She was homeless by the age of 9 living on the streets. Her life was fraught with addiction and hopelessness. She was able to seek refuge at the Hope House. She met her husband who aided her in her escape from addiction and poverty.

She now proclaims the justice and God’s grace she received from Hope House. She has hope for the future in a dangerous country that has 76% unemployment. That is admirable.

I came to El Salvador as a runner in more ways than one. Here I have been reminded that sometimes we need to walk humbly with God and with all the people we share the earth with. By walking we can truly absorb and be filled with the grace of God.

I thank my husband and the generous people of Trinity for making this trip possible for me.

Humbly, Susan Vickerman

Thursday was one of my favorite days of this trip. We started our day by enjoying a breakfast special made by Aldo, and shortly after left for Emaus. Upon arriving to the community, my first impression of it was not what I expected it to be. In my mind I pictured a community lacking money, resources, happiness and hope. When I got out of the bus I realized I was wrong. We were greeted excitedly by all of the people of the church community. They were all very happy and glad to see us, much like the people of San Pablo. They also seemed very close to one another, like a strong community would be. We began our day in Emaus with an opening prayer and introduction at the church.

Then, we walked up the street to a different building where we spent the rest of the day. While we walked we played a game of follow the leader, led by Vicki and Joyce, which the kids loved. Once we got to our destination, we started right away. The crafts were brought out and the kids were eager to start. While crafts were being created, Ron had the opportunity to read to the kids and teach them about our American holidays and how we celebrate them. Something that stood out to me at this time was how eager the kids were to learn. They read along with the handout they received and seemed to pay close attention. Then came the cooking.

For our exchange, we made wild rice soup, and mini pancakes. Everyone loved the pancakes and were especially impressed with the maple syrup, since they use honey for their own. The community then began to share their culture with us and taught of us how to make pupusas and tortillas. I tried to keep count of the pupusas and tortillas I made, but lost track after 22. A group of the young girls also showed us a dance from their culture and invited Ella, Brittany, Vicki and I to dance with them. The excitement then ended with piñatas for the girls and boys.

After that we returned to the church for a closing prayer. They then explained to us that they had assigned members of the youth to be our “Guardian Angel” throughout the day. Our angels then introduced themselves to us and shared what they noticed and liked of us. Then came the goodbyes. Everyone was sad to part ways but happy that we were able to be together.

The hugs that were shared were more special than any other hugs I’ve received. They were tighter and longer and made me realize that we are all together as one. This day overall made me realize how lucky I am to be on this mission. Words to describe how grateful I am to have been given the opportunity to join this mission and these relationships are very hard to find.

This trip has opened my eyes to the reality of some of these communities, and has showed me that although they may not have much in the aspect of money, they have everything they need as long as they keep each other close and maintain their love, hope and faith.

Here is the post from Ron and Brittany: August 3, Day 5

Christian Chavarria, the man who paints the crosses, is working on a Lutheran Hymnal for Central America. This morning after breakfast we had the pleasure of singing one of the new hymns, “Un Nuevo Dio” – A New Day.

Since coffee is the main export of El Salvador, today we traveled up the mountains to Jayaque to visit a coffee plantation in a small village behind an inactive volcano. It was a beautiful drive viewing the green mountains and valleys. Since Jayaque is behind the volcano, the volcano is called the volcano of masks. The people annually celebrate the festival of masks. 

We saw a Catholic church and a home, both over 100 years old. The plantation is no longer in operation as a disease wiped out most of the coffee trees. We were however shown the machinery used in processing the beans and told of the process. One of the by products of processing coffee is Balsam, which is which is thrown into a fire to drive away mosquitoes. Retired coffee bean trees are repurposed and used in woodworking.

We had lunch at the Finca (Farm) Restaurant in Santa Elena. All in all, today was a very nice day, it was cooler up in the mountains and we enjoyed spending time at the Later we visited the Artisan Market for some shopping. Tonight, we will reflect on our trip so far, and enjoy a nice evening in Christian’s guest house. Tomorrow is another busy day. Buenos Noches!

It has been an exhausting day. I have put myself in time out as I am angry, frustrated and feeling utterly helpless.

I am angry at the injustices the Salvadoran people experience day after day. Angry that after 30 years, this country, El Salvador, translated in English as the Savior, doesn’t seem to be saving anyone. I am frustrated that mothers have to fear for the safety of their children at every given minute and with an unemployment rate at 76%, things only seem to be getting worse. I feel helpless in that I learned a new term today – the Bloody Triangle (El Salvador, Honduras & Guatemala) which is an area of Central America in which young people disappear or are killed daily by gangs for really no reason what so ever.

Where did these feelings come from in such a short period of time… ? Our day began with a visit to Hope House, the Lutheran shelter located in the worst part of San Salvador, in which men and women come to find their humanity with a shower, a hot meal, maybe a haircut or simple medical attention but always with a time for devotion and community. Today was no different as we toured the crowded space, shared a bit of our broken Spanish and then served what was most likely their only meal of the day.

Nelson, a homeless man was coloring a paper which read PAZ – peace in English. He shared that he felt very alone and that he had been beaten a month ago while on the street. Other men expressed gratitude for Hope House and that people like us visited and allowed them a chance to share their story.

Next it was on to Casa Concordia- it is the Guest House for the Lutheran Church and where the synod offices are.  There was an outdoor youth gathering in full swing. Kids were assembled in a safe space to celebrate their faith while inside we gathered with Bishop Gomez, head of the Lutheran Church (57 of them) in El Salvador. He shared his story which has spanned 42 years in religious service, the last 30 of it in unwavering faith and hope that peace will eventually come to the six million Salvadorans living in a space the size of New Hampshire and caught in a struggle of corruption and extortion between the government and the gangs (which continues to grow) that all began with a civil war in the 80’s and 90’s.  We then had a chance to hear from Melvin and Flor, two students at the University, each with their own experiences dealing with violence and managing daily, safe routes to school. The most heart wrenching however was meeting the most adorable kid and hearing that he was living away from his family, for his own safety, as gangs had already killed one of his brothers. So I ask, “What is it that one person can do that would mean anything to these amazingly resilient, kind and gracious people when prayer just doesn’t seem to be enough?”

Camille Pearson Walz

When we arrived it was a beautiful, warm sunny day.  It was as if it was planned.  A festival of music and dancing greeted us at the airport.  There was a drum ensemble with a sweet little El Salvadoran girl dancing in a cheerleading outfit matching the bright blue and yellow uniforms of the drummers.

Then there was three characters masked engaging the visiting tourists.   We were told they represented mythology characters.

With the loud, fun dancing music in the background, we were greeted by Pastora Vilma and Terrie (one of the main women leaders) of San Pablo with huge, loving open arms and smiles!!!!

During our vehicle ride, I could see the country of El Salvador was blessed with beautiful lush tropical landscape of palm trees, flowering plants, and greenery everywhere.  Camille’s word of the day for arrival was “green”.  It was the best description of what we saw.  Which is such a contrast to the majority of the El Salvadorans living in poverty among God’s gifts of beautiful nature.

Sunday was a very eventful celebration of loving the Lord.  There was no poverty in the 20′ x 40′ cinder block/ tin roof building that was San Pablo church.  This little sanctuary was richly filled with love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and patience– all the fruits of the spirit were strong!!!

The church was filled with several parishioners that came that morning to welcome and host our group.  It reminded me of a holiday.  The day was set to celebrate one baptism, two confirmations and three First Communions of beautiful, gorgeous vivacious children.

When we arrived to the San Pablo church community the familiar Trinity amigos were greeted excitedly with pure love that flowered over to the “newbie” amigos!  The small children cheered for our “Vicki Brink”– “Vicki, Vicki, Vicki”– with love and laughter.

I know about 10 Spanish words but there was no language barrier during the passing of the of the peace.  The sweetest, smallest elderly women did not want to shake my hand but hug me tight and long, which was fine because they all smell incredibly good.  There soap seems to be the most fresh smelling scent.   There were issues in letting anyone that day hug you long and tight.  It was a quick minute of aroma therapy.

The children melted our hearts and loved all of our attention.  They attached themselves to Brittany, Ella and Sam– the cute young girls.

The day of worship had no barriers!!! We were all rich with the Holy Spirit in our hearts!  They were filled full of the love for one another.

Newbie Amiga Joyce Trio (Hooycee– pronounced in Spanish)

Yesterday we worshipped with our sister church, San Pablo. Our service included a baptism, confirmations and first communions. We have a lot of stories about the service and our first day with the community to share, but we only have time for a quick post this morning before we head out for our day. Each night we return from our day, we go around the group with “One Word” to describe the day. Some of the words used for our day yesterday were:

• Joyful
• Community
• Family
• Generational
• Glory
• Together
• Motherhood
• Hermanos
• Communication
• Touch, and
• ANSWERED PRAYERS!!!

It was a beautiful and rich day. Keep an eye on the blog this evening for more stories to come.

On Saturday, July 30, 11 individuals will head to El Salvador for our summer Sister Church/ Seeds of Hope Mission trip.   During our trip, we will spend time with our sister church San Pablo & Seeds of Hope students, represent Trinity during  Pastora Vilma’s ordination/ installation service and celebration, be part of the annual Lutheran march with several thousand Lutherans from El Salvador and around the world, learn about the history of El Salvador and hear personal testimonies from several Salvadorans.     We hope you will follow along on our journey with our blog and Trinity’s facebook page with photos.  Thank you for keeping us in your prayers!

“Compassion is the sometimes fatal capacity for feeling what it’s like to live inside somebody else’s skin. It’s the knowledge that there can never really be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you too. – Frederick Buechner “Beyond Words”

This week we have been shown compassion and we have shared compassion with literally hundreds of Haitians. We have shared meals, songs, stories, work gloves, and cultural traditions. We have laughed so hard we cried, stayed up too late with guitar jam sessions, been “soaking hot” all day every day, heard stories of Haitian life that made us cry, planted trees outside people’s homes, carried water on our shoulders (we’re not quite good enough to carry on our heads), and so much more. We’ve gained knowledge about both the peace and joy of this place as well as the pain and suffering.

Today was the last work day. Tomorrow we load up the bus and head for the beach and then back to Port au Prince to catch our flight in the morning. We are beyond grateful for this opportunity to serve a God who is at work all over this crazy world.

Worship on Sunday, July 24th at 9am will be taken over by our travelers. We need to share stories with you to help us process this transformational week. Please join us!

Today we spent the day with Pastor Telasco.  He has a beautiful church in the mountains overlooking the Caribbean Sea.  To start off the morning we participated in tree ministry; where you walk up and down the mountain and stop at different houses to offer the families a tree seedling as a symbol of their faith. The rest of the day consisted of a delicious lunch that included homemade spaghetti with chicken sauce, fresh mangos, apricots, pineapple, passion fruit juice, and even coconut milk.  Then we went to work on filling a soon to be water reservoir with cement (so that there is a base for the water tank).  All throughout the day, kids were running around eager to play! Sadly our day got cut short when a storm came in and we had to rush to the bus without saying goodbye.  Halfway down the narrow road, we heard yelling from the back of the bus saying “STOP! STOP!”.  To find out that we forgot one of our PPM leaders, Elda, at the top of the mountain.  As soon as the next hill approached us our awesome bus driver (Elie) tried his hardest to get us up a steep hill.  With many attempts to get up the slippery hill, including Troy Koltes urging all of us to sit near the wheel wells to create traction for the bus, and continuous encouraging chants for Elie; we finally gave up and resorted to plan B: getting off the bus.  Within 30 seconds we were completely drenched.  Taking a quick pit stop to bag up our cameras and important items, we all slipped and slid down the steep slope while also sinking into the mud (thankfully there were no injuries). We eventually found shelter in a very kind Haitian family’s home, who welcomed us with open arms. After feeling as though we were crowding them out of their own space, we moved on to a different shelter just up the street. The other bus of Trinity kids, which was close behind and also got stuck on the hill, met up with us as well. Not even an hour later, Elie came to the rescue and got us all home safely, include Elda who walked down the mountain to meet us. Looking back this series of events was easily the highlight of our trip so far. We all laughed and joked the entire time and had the time of our lives! We are so thankful for the opportunity to serve in Haiti and we are all having an AMAZING time!

Sincerely,

Lila Paul and Tori Everson

Today (July 18, 2016), we traveled to a church in Solon; we connected through the community, played with the kids, and learned a Haitian song. Our day started with some physical labor helping with construction at the church to build a wall. After we had the opportunity to participate in something called Tree Ministry. We visited homes in the community and brought samplings to plant for them to represent their growing faith. While asking them questions about their lives, we heard moving faith stories within the struggling community.  To conclude our visits we prayed for each family and any specific requests they might have had.  Each of us got the opportunity to initiate a conversation and lead a prayer with them which was initially uncomfortable but eventually rewarding.

In the afternoon we led kid ministry in the church for the local children.  We sang and danced with them to English and Creole songs. Everyone in the building, whether they were participating or just observing, had a smile on their face.  The kids laughed at our silly songs, and we clapped along to their energetic chants.  Their love for God was infectious.  After singing, we put on a skit of the story of Noah’s Arc.  Some of the kids participated and acted as different kinds of animals getting on the boat.  The kids appreciated our interpretation of the story.

We ended our day of service by playing a game of soccer with all of the kids at a nearby field. The field, however, consisted of fresh, sloppy mud.  Because the kids were fearless of getting filthy and wet and we were afraid of falling on our face, the Haitians beat the Americans.  Each goal was celebrated with laughter and cheers, and the kids loved bragging to us that they were winning.  The connection we made was strong but so unique because it was made with little to no communication.

Our trip so far has been highlighted by the many smiling kids but also by the wonderful Haitian PPM translators.  As they teach us about Haitian culture, we learn about the many similarities and differences between our lives. All of us are so grateful for their presence and help with the difficulties of communicating.

It’s hard to believe this adventure is nearing the halfway point! We’ve already made some incredible memories in this beautiful place. Hot and sweaty is our new normal though exhaustion seemed to give most of us a decent night’s sleep.

The groups are off at worship while I (Kara) hang back with an adult with a migraine. As I attempt to write a blog, I literally have four local boys hanging on me. I have one under each arm and two behind me as I attempt to google translate some phrases every few minutes. Kids are everywhere and are drawn to us. Some just stare from afar, others have no personal boundaries. The three churches are exceptionally hospitable and are so thankful for our hard work and partnership.

Day 2 has groups at new work sites and then tomorrow will give them the opportunity to be in the same place for 2 consecutive days.

We’re learning so much about our Haitian friends and both the joys and struggles of life here. We can’t wait to share it all with you in worship on July 24th! For now, here  are a few photos of the groups getting ready to head out to church this morning! Thank you for your prayers!

Tomorrow 43 youth and 15 adults will board a plane bound for Haiti! After landing in Port au Prince, we’ll travel to Les Cayes for a week of transformational service work, partnering with local churches.

We’ll update the blog, Trinity’s facebook page, and Twitter account (@TrinityHSYouth).  We appreciate your prayers!

An amazing week in El Salvador has come to an end. Each of us changed from this experience; new perspectives, new and renewed relationships and overwhelming feelings of gratitude. Here are highlights and hopes our team of twelve have from our week together:

“My highlight this week in El Salvador was reconnecting with Marlon who I met on my first trip in 2011. We now email regularly and I try to give him encouragement and friendship. We one have a lifetime bond and I consider him my El Salvador son. This trip I met many members of his family and his mother and I felt an instant connection. I came to build homes but the relationships we built with each other are the most precious.”

“I loved that there was graffiti that said God is love. I have never seen that in the United States.” – John

“I had a great time interacting with the children at the work site with both the family and friends who stopped by.” – Jerry

“The highlight of my week was meeting both old and new friends. My hope is to continue to do God’s work in the world.”

“With two teenagers on the trip that were engaged and compassionate. I hope that all young people could have an opportunity like this to see the world from a different perspective so that they may interact with all people with an open mind and compassion.” – Craig Morrison

“My highlight was getting to play in the big soccer game with families and the Masons. It was a good way to connect without the language barrier, and everyone had a great time.”

“My highlight was hearing and seeing the women of the coop leading the shoe sale, empowering the community and laughing/crying with joy. My hope is to find a way to regularly communicate, work with, help and serve with people in Habitat, El Salvador – to feel my heart continuing to soften.” -Shepi

“This week has honestly been the best week of my life. I’ve enjoyed everything about this experience – the families, the great food, and the amazing friends I’ve made. I’m looking forward to sharing my stories with my family and friends and returning to this great country very soon.” – Maya Budin

“One of my biggest highlights of my trip was seeing the pleasure on the face of the father who owned the house when we met, and the interactions between him and the team as he expressed his gratitude for our efforts.” – Mike T.

“The greatest highlight for me was being welcomed into the living space of the family whose home we helped build. They were gracious, grateful and kind. The children were very special and almost immediately made us feel part of the family. The experience has enriched my life.” – Betsy T.

“My highlight for the week was the time spent with the family and masons at the house we worked on this week. Getting to hear the stories from the family, seeing the love they have for each other, their daily hospitality and the daily gratitude they express to God.”

“My highlight of the trip was watching the Getsemani community come to the coop for the sale of the shoes. The word was and the gathering was quick to assemble, all anticipating the shoes each had seen from the street and waiting to enter. The smiles each had as they exited to go home.” – Ed Glover

With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of you calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. -Ephesians 4:2-6

In El Salvador, la Semanana Santa is a Holy Week full of events, masses, shorter work days, family and festivities.  In the Main Street of Ahuachapan, right outside our hotel, a noise arrived at about 7pm last night (Thursday).  It was a metallic sound, announcing a procession of Roman guards and 20+ men carrying a large statue of Christ in chains being taken from the garden of Gethsemane, followed by a huge group of people carrying candles, no one speaking a word.  Then, this morning, the streets began to be covered by branches, flowers, and “carpets” of sawdust on which were created elaborate colored sand designs.  Man of the designs in Ahuachapan were about the  Good Samaritan, in recognition of the Jubilee Year of Mercy, but in Ataco, a mountain town we visited later in the day, they ranged from Oscar Romero to Mickey Mouse to R2D2…  The integration of faith, family, joy and playfulness this week has appeared throughout our week, whether at work, at dinner or traveling around the country.

After watching several groups of youth, local bank and families work on their carpets, we had a quick breakfast of granola, fruit and jam (and of course coffee!), we headed out for our last 1/2 day of work in Gethsemani.  A very bittersweet day, knowing we would not be returning to the community again (until our next trip…), we continued digging ditches and painting (depending on the house we were working on).  Then, since it is Good Friday, the masons also have a short day, so we worked for 8-11.  Then the closing activities began, an amazing series of moments.  First, with the women of the coop, who have built an engaged, loving, hopeful and growing community, with a micro loan fund, handicrafts, education for preschoolers, and so many other activities,  who brought us the coffee we had requested on our first day, and shared how important has been the engagement of Habitat and Thrivent over the years, including the shoe sale (over $220 netted for the coop, and pride given to the community by allowing them to purchase shoes, rather than being given to them for free).

Next, a drive to a property owned by the same proprietors of La Casa De Mamapan, where they and the Habitat staff had prepared a feast of rice, meat, vegetables and, to celebrate two birthdays, carrot cake!  After eating, Habitat asked representatives of the masons, homeowners and teams to speak about the impact of the week on all of our lives.  While the home owners have the most visible gift from the week, our team has truly felt that the greater gift has been give to us – to be welcomed into the homes, lives and hearts of the people of Gethsemani and El Salvador, to share in the work that Habitat and Thrivent have created, to build relationships with each other and people from a very different place, and to see that the work we have done, only for one week, has a purpose and benefits others.  After the presentation of “certificates” to the volunteers, we drove the families and masons back to town and, with laughter and sadness, said good-bye to our partners of the week.

The last events, while typical tourist objectives, were somewhat anticlimactic, proving that the community we had helped build is so much more than the places we might see.  Nonetheless, El Salvador has some incredible sights, and we visited two this afternoon: a large coffee plantation, where we learned the whole process of coffee making, from growing to harvest to drying, grinding, sales.   After tasting coffee from the plantation, we went on to Ataco, an incredible mountain town with as many Mayan handicrafts from Guatemala as El Salvadoran items.  We found gifts for family members and work colleagues, and toured the vast variety of carpets (R2D2 and the Simpsons were a surprise …).  Finally, we returned to the hotel for delicious pupusas – beans, cheese, vegetables, beef, in various combinations – time with the hotel owners, and highly competitive games of Blitz!  As we write this, another procession is forming – Christ’s burial, after which the church will close until Easter Sunday.

It was another wonderful day in El Salvador. Where to begin with the many things that happened today? Our day began at our two work sites, moved to lunch at the co-op, a shoe sale at the co-op, Maunday Thurday festivities outside our hotel this evening, all completed with meaningful team reflection on the day after dinner. What a gift to have some people with so many highlights and presectives to share with one another.

A highlight for many in our group today was a shoe sale at the co-op. The women of the co-op had a shoe sale today with shoes we were able to bring thanks to the many donations we received. It was a humbling moment for many of to see the shoe sale; the excitement of those buying the shoes, the benefits the sale provided to the co-op and a reminder of how fortunate we are to have all the things we have at home.

“Aspire not to have more, but to be more.” -Oscar Romero

Today some members of the team experienced a day in the life of many El Salvadorians as they shop for and prepare a meal. Five members of our team, along with our guide Katy, and Betty, a member of the Gethsemene community, headed to the local outdoor market. The streets were crowded with busy shoppers, and vendors displaying produce, spices and wares. Betty carefully selected fresh produce like tomatoes, plantains, calentro, and mint to be used for the noonday meal. After a quick trip to the grocery store to get additional items we were back at the coop for food preparation. Today’s menu included pupusa, empanadas, slaw, and rice and beans. The women of the coop immediately engaged us in shredding cabbage, cutting and cooking plaintains and shredding carrots. We formed the plaintains in our hands and filled them with beans or cheese. Next, the pupusas, stuffed with a variety of ingredients were grilled. Throughout the morning there was much laughter, smiles, and conversation as we learned new cooking skills. At noon, the other treat members arrived, and together we dined under the shade of the trees. The meal was delicious, and the company was perfect.

Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest. And let these gifts, to us be blessed. Amen. 

Today was a normal work day in many ways.  The more-finished house had a variety of activities including moving dirt, sand, and gravel. We made a small batch of concrete for the shower floor, smoothed walls, and applied whitewash in anticipation of painting — someday.  The materials for the roof arrived, and will probably be installed tomorrow.

The part of our team at the less-finished house found that blocks had been delivered late yesterday so block laying could begin.  Various dirt moving projects continued when people were available.

But…late in the day we were off on a detour on our way to the hotel. First we visited the site of a home I worked on last August.   Unfortunately no one was home, and the neighbor said they have not yet moved in.  Some additional construction in addition to the basic Habitat house was obviously in progress, and we were told they would move in when the work is complete.

Since we  were near, we also visited the site in Los Buenos where a Trinity team worked in 2011.  Melanie and I were both part of that team.  We were welcomed with open arms by Paz, the grandmother who watched over us when we were there.  She remembered us and expressed her gratitude for the work we did and said we can come to visit any time.  We also met her daughter Guadalupe who was always away working when we were there.  Roxanna, who lives in another house we worked on, and her two children also welcomed us with hugs.  We brought this week’s  team to see the little grinder business that Paz runs near her house.  The longer we stayed, the more children showed up, and many of them were recognizable in spite of being five years older.

This, I think, was the third time I’ve been back to visit Los Buenos, and it has always been a highlight to quickly renew the acquaintance  of these people we all grew to love in a short week of building almost five years ago.

Jerry Paulson

We finished our first day of work today. What a day it was! Our group of twelve are working in two groups, on two sites near each other. Here are some lights from one of the building locations.

It was all about dirt! We removed about 10 yards of fill and dirt from behind the house and moved it around the outside of the house to level the yard. Craig and Marshall did most of the heavy digging with the masons. Ed, John and Maya wheelbarrowed the dirt from the front to all along the house and in back (all over the yard). Andrea and Shepi sifted rock and sand for future use as concrete and occasionally helped with wheelbarrowing too. We visited the work site of the rest of the group to see what they were up to. It became a light hearted game of who is working harder! This was all before lunch! All twelve team members and the Habitat staff walked about half a mile to the co-op for lunch. We enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by the ladies of the co-op.

After lunch we switched the jobs we were working on. Andrea was an impressively strong, hard worker and did every job there was to do today. We took several breaks during the day to save us from the heat. By 3 pm we were running out of steam so it was good the bus came to get us at 4 pm. Tomorrow will be much more of the same and we are expecting blocks to arrive and concrete to be mixed.  Stay tuned for more from the other building site tomorrow.

Our blended team is now all together in Ahuachapan! We enjoyed the music and a processional at the Catholic Church next door to our hotel as we left for Palm Sunday service at Cristo Rey Lutheran Church in Santa Ana where members of our team read scriptures in English followed by the same readings by their members in Spanish. On Easter Sunday Cristo Rey Church will be dedicated as the Lutheran Cathedral for western El Salvador. They are very proud of the new church and thankful for all the labor and help for its construction. Lunch and orientation followed at the Habitat office and bags of shoes and school supplies were left there for our sister church San Pablo.  Our afternoon continued with a stop at ancient Mayan ruins and museum to learn more about the history and culture of the area.

Tomorrow we meet our families and begin to build! We will be working on one home that is in the finishing stage of painting and one where foundations are being laid. I am eager to reconnect with the people of Getsemani and a friend Marlon who was a teenager on my first trip 5 years ago. We have been e-mail friends  for all of this time and it will be wonderful to meet his family on this trip. I will close this message by sharing a prayer I learned on my first trip to El Salvador.

O Lord, Open our eyes to see you in the people we meet. Open our ears to hear what you would have us learn. Open our lips to offer words of encouragement, hope and love. Open our hands to serve. Open our hearts to a passion for justice. Open our minds to discern how your will might be done. Amen

Melanie DeLuca

This Saturday, March 19, six of us will be traveling to El Salvador for a spring break Thrivent Builds trip. The team of six includes – Jerry Paulson (fearless team leader), Melanie DeLuca (veteran for a 3^rd trip), Abby Norlin-Weaver, Mike and Betsy Taylor, and Ed Glover (all first timers for this trip).  Our group of six will join another group of six upon our arrival in El Salvador.The other six are from different States and include –  Andrea Sagsveen (another fearless group leader), John and Maya Budin (a father/daughter team), Shepi Farrar (an experienced Habitat volunteer), Craig amd Marshall Morrison (a father/son team).  All twelve of us will work and serve together over the next week.

Thanks to the generosity of Trinity and friends of Trinity our group is bringing a total of 12 suitcases filled with donations. We are looking forward to a week of hard work, laughter and play as we continue to build relationships with our brothers and sister in El Salvador. Please keep us in your prayers over the next week. Check back here and our Facebook page for updates along the way.

“May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord’s face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.”  -Numbers 6:24-26

I’ve never really enjoyed saying “goodbye.” In fact, whether it is my forgetfulness, or my subconscious acting out, I often find myself forgetting a must-have item (cell-phone, car keys, mittens in the dead of winter…) and turning around so that I can pick it up and say my “goodbyes” all over again. This tends to happen everywhere – when I’m leaving my roommates in the morning to go to work, when I’m leaving work to head back home… I simply never want to say “goodbye”. Leaving El Salvador a few days ago was no different. While I missed air conditioning and my friends and family, the idea of saying goodbye to our Salvadoran friends was something I wasn’t ready for.

Our last night in El Salvador involved a beautiful dinner a top one of the countries many volcanoes. As the six of sat around a small table, passing our plates to taste one another’s dishes, laughing at with one another, and sharing stories, I felt at home. While Minnesota may be lacking the beautiful view of the city’ skyline from a volcano, some of my fondest memories involve sharing a meal with close friends and family. We had finally built this relationship – a connection that brought us all to the table – and it was time to leave.

Saying “goodbye” wasn’t easy. During the week we spent in El Salvador, the Salvadorans gave us their whole hearts. They shared their hopes, dreams, fears and sorrows. I cannot thank them all enough for showing such vulnerability and inviting us to join them in their walk. How could we say “goodbye” when we had come so close together?

As we packed our bags on Wednesday morning and prepared to leave Las Magnolias Guest House, I struggled to find the words to say “goodbye” to Fernando (Pastora Vilma’s son who fearlessly drove us around all week), Christian Chavarria and Aldo Canjura. It wasn’t until the moment we really said “goodbye” that it finally felt okay to leave…

“Adios!“ 

Adios. A Spanish phrase even non-Spanish speakers can roll of the tongue without a second thought. But saying it a bit more slowly, lingering on each syllable, it becomes much more significant…. A Dios…. To God.

Now, that’s a “goodbye” I can say.

Kitchens are a magnet. No matter the size of the house or the kitchen, people gather in the kitchen to talk, laugh, and connect. I thought this happened only in the US because we design our kitchens to be the multifunctional center of the home. I was wrong. It’s not the kitchen but the food that connects.

 I was beginning to question if I could sweat any more than I was when it was time for lunch. As we walked down the dirt road from the Emaus church to a family’s home nearby, I hoped to find a shaded lunch spot to cool down. Defying logic, we walked past the table and chairs under the cool shade of a tree and into the heat of a family’s kitchen to learn how to make tortillas.

A cement floor, aluminum walls and a hot propane griddle for cooking comprised the kitchen. Although the griddle was sizzling hot with a fresh batch of tortillas, the warmest thing in the room was the welcome by the women; mothers, aunts and sisters of Seeds of Hope sponsor children.

We watched as the women rolled small balls of dough into uniform circles. It takes a practiced technique using both hands to shape these mini works of art. Like the perfect pie crust, spritz cookies or other traditional foods, learning to make the perfect tortilla is a rite of passage in their culture. Making tortillas is even a prerequisite to be “marriage ready”, as Kassy was told by the women.

Jill, Kassy and I were each handed a small ball of dough as a invitation to join. What looked easy in experienced Salvadorian hands, became complicated in mine. The women’s smiles turned into respectful giggles as they tried to teach us without using words. Amazingly, with watchful eyes and hands-on instruction, our globs of dough slowly formed circles.

When the cooking was complete we returned to the shade of the tree to bond while sharing a meal. Kassy, with her proficient Spanish, strengthened our new connection by discussing Salvadorian recipes. Traditional foods offer great insight to a culture.

We formed a new friendship circle with these Emaus women by forming the circles of tortillas. A tortilla never tasted so good!

**Watch for an upcoming opportunity to learn how to make tortillas while hearing more about our El Salvador visit!

Vicki

Saturday and Sunday were two fun filled days with the sponsorship parties for the Seeds of Hope students along with their families.   Our three delegations combined together- Gethsemane, Family of Christ and Trinity to participate together.   On Saturday, Bishop Gomez shared words– encouraging students to continue to work hard and honor their sponsorship. He also told the children and youth to not fall into the gangs, but stand true and work hard and help be the hope for this country of El Salvador. Bishop Gomez also expressed his thanks for the presence of our delegations being here—as a symbol of hope for the future for the children.

As part of each day, the most important time is in the relationship with each other spending time with the students and families.   We tried to connect personally with as many of the students sponsored by Trinity members so we could bring home greetings and share information with sponsors.     Each student received a new backpack and some school supplies but it is the letter from their sponsors they cherish the most.

There is no value to place on the importance of personal relationships we have experienced here—whether with Seeds of Hope students or our sister church in San Pablo.   Being present in the moment here in El Salvador with the beautiful people we meet are the memories captured that never leave us.  When we return we look forward to sharing our stories and memories with you.

Jill

It’s a weird phenomenon.  A sock decorated with felt, yarn and eyes will attract fans of all ages. I slipped a pink sock puppet on my hand and decided I would try to use all the Spanish I learned in my six lessons. I wanted to connect with the children and, as entertaining I thought it was, I was unsure how a sock puppet that doesn’t speak Spanish would be received.

The pink sock puppet with blonde hair and a pearl necklace was received with squeals and giggles. And why wouldn’t it –The puppet took on a life of its own. It began to tease, tickle, make faces and play tag.  No words required to connect! The kids wanted the puppets on their hands too.

Soon the women wanted to join the fun. They were trying to figure out how they were made as their grins grew. The puppets had quite the following. Decorated socks became friends to all proving it isn’t just words that connect people. A playful spirit supported in love speaks louder than words.

Hola de Santa Ana,

Despite some “technical difficulties” with United Airlines’ computer system Wednesday morning, Jill, Vicki and I made it safely to San Salvador. By the time we made it to the hotel, the combination of a long day of travel and the overwhelming heat left us all exhausted and slightly disoriented.  After a greetings from the “equipo pastoral”, going over our plan for the week and reorganizing our suitcases from the “weight adjustments” we made before departure, our beds were calling our name.

I insisted that we spend a few minutes in the Word before closing our eyes that evening. One of the many items we brought with us as an initiative to develop a relationship with our sister-church, San Pablo, is a Bible study developed by “Love God Greatly” on Psalm 119. (Love God Greatly provides some awesome free translations of their materials, which made it an easy resource to share). Our hope is to start the first few days of the study with the women of San Pablo, completing the other weeks “together from afar” when we’ve returned. (Click the link above to download a copy of the study for yourself and you can join in the fun!)

As we skimmed Psalm 119, focusing on the verses for day 1, Psalm 119:18-19 caught my attention- “Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions. I am only a foreigner in the land. Don’t hide your commands from me!” 

Even though we’ve each been to El Salvador before, and truly feel like family with our brothers and sisters here we are still “foreigners”and “strangers.” As we go through each day we are praying (and as that you will pray for us) to have our eyes open to God’s truth and instructions that are so very present in this place. We pray that we will not only be aware of His commands during our time here, but that we can experience His presence more fully.

After meditating on this truth, and discussing ways in which God’s commands are and are not being fully realized here (realized in the beautiful hospitality we’re shown, not realized in the significant gang activity, etc…) we fell fast asleep.

It wasn’t until the next morning that any of us noticed this greeting left on our night stands by hotel staff. The welcome message is contains a prayer for the “Stranger within our Gates” – and that is surely what we are.

Please keep us, the Strangers, in your prayer as we continue in this week of service and relationship-building with the Salvadorans. May we feel as if we are truly home, and may our eyes be opened to God’s truth each day.

Con amor,

Kassy

Very early Wednesday morning (5:10 am to be exact) a small group from Trinity will be traveling to El Salvador to spend very intentionally time together with our sister church, San Pablo in Santa Ana with Pastora Vilma and the church community.    And, we will also be part of our larger group with others from Family of Christ and Gethsemane Lutheran in Minnesota as we bring greetings from Trinity to the students being sponsored through Seeds of Hope.   We will blog of our trip and share photos.  We hope you will follow along and keep us in your prayers.

Blessings,

Jill Cornell

This post was written yesterday by Tami’s small group!

Our group including Allison Stern, Anna Schaible, Mitch Albers, Sammy Patterson and Will Randolph explored much of downtown Berkeley, including an interesting hat store! We walked by parks, noticing dozens of homeless people. We reflected on how fortunate we are and how we have such a charmed life back home. Some of those people even were sleeping on the sidewalks. We have worked at two locations, one being a food bank where we sorted food and packed rice; and two where we helped a local organization called Save the Bay. We spent much of our time weeding, clearing brush and cleaning greenhouse supplies in a greenhouse. We have had many laughs along our journey, including daily stories of Sammy’s glory days. Our leader Tami really knows how to explain a bible verse! Go Giants!! We miss you twins!

And this post is from Tina’s small group:

Our day at Faithful Fools was a fun surprise in many ways.  We arrived ready to be put to work and at first were a bit confused as to what our purpose was.  We were to select hats and accessories and dress ourselves up.  We soon discovered our purpose was to create a light hearted, fun energy.  This was not hard…we face painted ourselves, made puppets, fairy wands, painted on a map of the Tenderloin district and play played with some kids. Do you see our dilemma?  We came to work and help but we felt like we were playing!  We soon realized our energy was needed and encouraged other to come to this street event  the Faithful Fools were putting on.  This was God’s work for us, encouraging others to join in off the streets.  We did finally get to do some manual labor in the take down of the booths.  A wonderful day was had by all!

And finally, a top ten list from Bill’s small group.

Top ten things that have happened so far:

10. Trinity boys singing and dancing in the courtyard.

9. Food at the cafeteria.

8. Losing room keys (which could cost $50!) and then finding them.

7. The beach!

6. Froyo at “Yogurt Park”

5. Worship and singing together in the evening.

4. The weather.

3. Exploring San Fran

2. Serving Others

1. Being Real!!

Throughout the remaining days we are in California we’re going to have the small groups share their voices with you! Today you’ll hear some updates from David and Alysha’s small groups.

David’s Group:

Patrick Codute (Tuesday)

My name is Patrick Codute and this mission trip is my 4^th. I have liked the work we have done so far. I really liked hearing people’s stories during street worship with an organization called Night Ministry. I hope to finish the trip strong, helping people as we serve God.

Lexi Abrahamson (Tuesday)

My name is Lexi Abrahamson and this is my first high school mission trip. Our group has done many things, including working on Saving-the-Bay, and even worshiping and passing out meals with the homeless people. The Night Ministry worship experience was my favorite because it opened my eyes and helped me change my views on homelessness. I am looking forward to our upcoming volunteer opportunities and I am delighted to say that my overall faith has tremendously grown.

Chris Lecy (Tuesday)

My name is Chris Lecy and this Bay Area trip is my 4^th mission trip. On Sunday I got a chance to experience something I have never been around and that is street ministry. These people all come from different walks of life. They don’t have much and many are in hard situations, but they thank God for everything and treat everyone like family. Like Trinity Lutheran, all found a church family in this community that worships on the street.

Michael Winkey (Tuesday)

My name is Michael Winkey and this mission trip to San Fran is my 4^th high school mission trip. As a small group I feel we’ve been able to cover a wide range of experiences, from manual labor to hearing sad stories from the people we are helping. The amount of trust is unmatched. This mission trip has taught me (so far) to be grateful for what I have, and thankful to God for helping to provide for me.

Alysha’s Group

With the delayed flight, we arrived at UC Berkley around 11pm Saturday night. We ended up going to bed after a long check in process, around 1am, or 3am Minnesota time. On Sunday morning, we woke up and bused to St. Mark’s church in Downtown San Francisco. After church finished we were invited to snack with the community in the basement of the church. Then we ventured to the beach with a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Here we took lots of pictures and it was the first time getting to know our small groups. Then we split up into two groups. Our group, along with 4 others went to Faithful Fools. They were having a festival in the Tenderloin District with singing, crafts, dancing, and good food. It was quite interesting to say the least, but we all had a good time. On Monday, we took an hour and a half bus ride to Palo Alto to work with Save the Bay! Each group had various tasks. Our group got to clean off rusty tools……super fun;)! Some other groups pulled weeds and cleaned and planted pots. On Tuesday, we went to the Food Bank. The first half of the day, we repacked rice into smaller bags. After lunch, we got to go through Bell Peppers and pick out the bad ones. Each night after work, we have small group time and sing lots of songs. Kara is taking us out to the ball game tonight. AT&T Park will host a California State Battle: The Giants vs the Padres. Who will win????? You will have to stay tuned to our next blog post to find out!

-Bethany Henneman and Ellie Greiber

PS: Hi Mom and Dad! Love you! -Bethany

I’d say if we came home tomorrow the trip so far would be worth it.

I’ve got some pictures to share with you about some of the highs of the week so far. I hope to get some words from the kids this afternoon that we can share on the blog tomorrow. But for now these pictures can tell a lot of our stories.

We experienced our first logistical hurdle before we left Minnesota when our flight was delayed 4 hours. This changed a few things for us, one of the largest being we couldn’t have our first night of small groups! We started Sunday early with worship at St Mark’s Lutheran in downtown San Francisco. But we made up for it by having lunch and small group time at Crissy Field on Sunday.

Sunday afternoon groups helped with a street fair of sorts put on by Faithful Fools, participated in and worshiped with Night Ministries, and helped at the San Francisco Food Bank. Our first few hours of service work in this city! And it truly was amazing.

Faithful Fools Street Fair

Singing in Night Ministry Worship

Sorting oranges at the Food Bank

Monday was a long and full day of hard work! Per usual I’m already hearing from the service sites how amazing our kids are and how quickly they finish projects they have for us to do. Our kids are SUCH hard workers! Monday the group was divided in half with half at the Food Bank and the other half at Save the Bay.

Save the Bay

Things that can’t be pictured:

• Deep conversations happening with small groups.
• New friendships!
• Adult leaders who are sharing so much love and life experience with our kids.
• The amazing worship services we are sharing together in the evening. We are excited to share some video footage of these with you during worship tomorrow night at Trinity at 6:30pm

We are so thankful for all of your prayers and support!

Half our group at Save the Bay

On Saturday, Trinity’s biggest mission trip ever boards a plane and heads to San Francisco. This group of 85 high school youth and 16 adults will stay at UC Berkeley and shuttle out to sites all across the Bay Area for a week of service work.

Our theme for the week is “Transformed”. Romans 12:2 is printed on our t-shirts and reads,  ^“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds.” This week we will answer this call to step out of our comfort zones and learn about God’s transforming love for the world.

We hope that you will join us in prayer for this week. Pray for the work we will do, pray for the people we will meet, and pray for the foundation that is set during this week for high school ministry at Trinity. Each day we work with a different theme and invite you to join us in reading these scripture passages and exploring these themes during the week.

Saturday, June 20th – Transforming Gifts – Romans 12:1-13

Sunday, June 21st – Transformed to Serve – John 13:31-38

Monday, June 22nd – Transforming Grace – Ephesians 2:1-10

Tuesday, June 23rd – Jesus is Transformed – Matthew 17:1-8

Wednesday, June 24th – Transforming our Perspective – 2 Corinthians 5:14-21

Thursday, June 25th – Transforming Doubts – John 20:24-29

Friday, June 26th – Transforming Our Lives – Matthew 5:13-16

Thank you Trinity for your powerful support of this important ministry! We are excited to be able to share about our trip with you!!

by Kay Anderson

Our day began with packing and checking out of the hotel. For those of us that had been sick the last few days, it meant eating a very healthy breakfast and making sure we drank plenty of water with electrolytes. We all knew it was going to be warm at our Sister Church San Pablo. To help with the heat, Trinity purchased two fans for the church. We were so thankful for the breeze this offered in a crowded and stifling hot room.

We arrived at our sister church and we helped set up so the service could begin. Pastor Vilma has several leaders in her church that help run the church. And oh my, what a powerful group of women they are. Each one of them is unique and beautiful. During our time in San Pablo, we really got to know Pastor Vilma and her super power team. Her team is Mirian Terri, Gliads and Rosa. Each shared parts of their life with us.

In Santa Ana where the San Pablo church is located, the gang situation is extremely critical and it impacts the lives of every member of the San Pablo congregation, especially boys from 12 to 18. Could you imagine needing to drive or walk several miles out of your way to get to church? Many members of San Pablo must do this to avoid the gangs. Why are they going to such extremes? Gangs are forcing young men to join them and leave their school and families. This makes my heart heavy with the weight of what the parents must do to protect their children.

Can you imagine if Orono schools were closed, not because of a snowstorm, but because of threat from gangs taking young boys and girls. One of the schools near our sister church has closed because the gangs have been abducting kids. Therefore, many of the kids in our congregation cannot attend school. There isn’t an option for them to attend another school nearby.

The service finally began. Pastors Vilma and Carrie, along with translators Kassy and Lauren, officiated the service. Pastor Carrie and Kassy participated in a blessing of 20 day old Eric. During the blessing, Carrie lifted little Eric up for God and the angels to see.  This was a symbolic part of the blessing ceremony and we honored to witness such a joyous occasion. In Trinity fashion, we sang Jesus Loves Me as Kassy brought sweet Eric around the congregation.

We then received communion with our sister church. I brought an elderly woman named Mari with me to receive communion. Mari became a very special woman to me while I visited our sister church. She looked out for me. She watched my things when I got up to do something, much like my mom would have done. When I got sick, she held my head in her lap, just like my mom would have done. Sharing communion with her was so very special.

Mari walks with a cane due to an injury to her knee. I couldn’t work out the Spanish of how it happened, but I believe she was hit across her knee. Mari was on our March on Wednesday. She and I walked together for quite some time. She had so much to say, but my Spanish knowledge is so basic I could only smile and say “si” On Friday, I spent more time with her. I painted her nails red and joked that she looked “muy caliente”. She told me she was 80. I fell in love with Mari. Mari”s daughters are members of the congregation as well. She holds a commanding stature during the service shushing those who make noise or just giving the parental look.

At the end of the service, Trinity presented gifts. We gave two beautiful crosses. One was a very brightly painted and decorated wooden cross. The other was a hand crafted piece of fused glass that I had made for them. Pastor Vilma loved both gifts. We also presented two children’s bibles, both bilingual so the kids can learn English too. The kids were very excited about the bibles.  They are going to be used alot.

After the service, the kids of the congregation took turns at a piñata. These kids are passionate about demolishing a piñata. It was fun to see the determination and force they applied to their swings. Joe Mauer would be proud. Finally the fruit of their labor was released.

We also broke out a few crafts for the kids to do. Sue Strobel and Vicki Brink did an awesome job organizing the crafts with the kids. In Vicki and Sue’s bag of tricks was instant snow. Add a teaspoon of the magic powder with a little water and you get flaky coldish snow. Well what happens with snow and children? Snowball fight? Not quite, but the children loved to throw the snow at each other and especially us. Pastor Carrie was covered with the white snow. It was a glorious site to see the joy and excitement on the kids (young and old) faces.

After our snow fight, it was time for us to leave and head to the mountains. God was at work on Sunday to help us bring some joy into the hearts of our sister church, San Pablo. It was very hard to say goodbye. Many, many tears were shed knowing that it may be another year before we see them again.

I pray that Lord bless and keep our brothers and sisters safe from all harm. That God will shine his light brightly away from the danger and darkness that surround His children at San Pablo.

Thank God it’s Friday.

While that phrase has been true for me before this trip signifying the start of the long-awaited weekend, in the context of this phase of our trip to El Salvador the phrase seems all the more meaningful. A week ago I was saying “Thank God it’s Friday” because I would be leaving for the beautiful country of El Salvador on Saturday morning. That evening I ran around the house, frantically packing my suitcase, and desperately trying to remember the names of the many people I’d be reunited with upon arriving in El Salvador. I double-checked I had some sunscreen, remembered to bring an extra water bottle, and spent far too much time debating whether or not I should bring a sweatshirt in case it got cold on plane. A week ago, I was saying “Thank God it’s Friday” because I knew that I would wake up in the morning and embark on another journey to the beautiful country of El Salvador where my heart and soul would be both broken and restored. Today I am saying “Thank God it’s Friday” for some very different reasons. First, I am saying “Thank God it’s Friday” because Friday marks our first day with the community of Iglesia Luterana San Pablo, or San Pablo. San Pablo is a small church that is located in the La Bato district surrounding the city of Santa Ana. Like many other Lutheran Churches in El Salvador, it is located in a community that has significant needs and limited resources. But this church is special. It isn’t simply another Lutheran church in El Salvador. It is our sister-church. Last year, Trinity and San Pablo entered into a sistership agreement by which each church agreed to spend the next two years developing relationships with one another and uniting together as brothers and sisters in Christ to prayerfully support one another in fulfilling their calls to the world. This visit served as a marker for successfully completing this year, and I for one can say, Thank God It fell on a Friday. Like a long week, the first year of our sistership with San Pablo has been a bit tricky to navigate. This is the first sistership relationship for both churches, and the language and cultural differences, as well as the varying needs of both communities have made it even more tricky to find our way in to true brotherhood. There have been beautiful moments of unity and solidarity when Trinity members have been able to visit the community or they receive e-mails or letters from San Pablo members. At the same time there has been some deep pain as we continue to see the pain and brokenness in the hearts of these people, and we try to discern how to best meet their deep needs. Like a long week, the first part of our trip was chock-full. As you may have read in previous posts, this week has included visits with different communities, reunions with sponsored students and dear friends, tours of historical sights, marching through the city, hearing the moving testimonies of many different people, and some truly delicious coffee. What you may not have read is that this week has also been full of a lot of words, thoughts and feelings that are “lost in translation” and the hundreds of schedule changes that happen each day. As we approached Friday, I was looking forward to reuniting with San Pablo and sticking with one community for multiple days rather than hopping around San Salvador visiting a new group of people and seeing a new sight each day. I thought, “Oh. It is finally Friday. It’s the weekend…” Now that Friday is finally here, all I can think to say is Thank God. Here is what our Friday consisted of:

• A welcome that was quite possibly warmer than the sun beating down on us from dozens of little kids standing at the entrance of the church waving at us and smiling from ear-to-ear as our microbus chugged its way up the dirt road
• Trinity and San Pablo members working together side-by-side clearing broken rocks from the main patio and creating beautiful pieces of jewelry that will be sold at Trinity’s Agape Market to support the San Pablo community
• Passing the sweetest, most beautiful babies around – including the newest member of the San Pablo community, 19 day old Eric Alesandro who will be christened during our worship on Sunday.
• Proclaiming the great and powerful name of Jesus as we prayed with our brothers and sisters in Jesus throughout the day, when the Spirit seemed to strike.
• Watching our wonderful driver Wilber teach the men of San Pablo how to make rubberband bracelets although there is nothing in his job description that includes such a task. While his job generally requires him to park in spots that seem way too small of our big bus, safely navigate the dirt roads washed out by the recent rain, and getting us to our destination no matter how lost we seem to be, he rolled up his sleeves and joined in the fun as a part of the Trinity team and embraced us and San Pablo as if they were his sister-church too.

And like any other Friday, I am sure there is more wonder and beauty in store than we could ever imagine. This Friday the members of Trinity were welcomed with such warmth and were given many great opportunities and had our eyes opened up to the truly unite with our brothers and sisters of San Pablo. In working alongside one another, relying on charades and facial expressions to communicate messages when words failed, our true companionship, and relationship as brothers and sisters was made known.

As this weekend has begun we’ve witnessed some amazing unity, that we can only Thank God for:

• Charleen could usually be found within a shout of Fernando as the two of them climbed statutes and kneeled between people to get the perfect shot.
• Dean could be found with Mirian, laughing together and sharing expressions with one another.
• Rachel, Alysha and Vicki were helping Wilber learn new phrases in English and even taught him how to propose to his girlfriend, which he jokingly practiced on our sweet Lauren.
• Jennifer Weiss impressed us all with wonderful executed Spanish and was often found in deep conversations
• Jerry recruited the younger boys for his soccer team
• Vicki, Sue, Jennie and Kay were always in the mess of the children, or dancing and singing along.
• And everyone went about the day together, smiling, hugging, and laughing together.

Now I’m starting to wonder where TGIF really means, “Thank God, Iglesia = Family.”

Gracias a Dios por los Viernes!

– Kassy Heinrich

Be Sure to Check out More photos on the Trinity Facebook Page

The big event of today was participation in the Fiesta of Indigenous people. We were Invited to attend this event by Pastor Vilma who grew up in the area of the festival. Pastor Vilma and her helpers from San Pablo went with us. Our bus trip began as usual with our repeating our verse for this mission trip “This is the day The Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” Psalm 118:24 followed by Pastor Carrie leading us in devotion. We traveled over the mountain to the southern coast.
The indigenous people descended from the Incas, father Mayans and the Lencas and very few remain. The Shaman,(chief), and his wife performed a ceremony which began with him telling about his people, their cultures, beliefs and the accuracy of the Mayan calendar. He mentioned that they believed that woman represented life, man knowledge and that they had to become one. In the center of the crowd gathered for the ceremony was a fire pit containing fire woods and small colored candles. After his story about his people the Shaman lit the fire and began throwing different colored candles into the fire. Some of the colors were, blue representing the sky, green for nature or earth, yellow for the sick, red for blood and white for the spirit. The candles represented prayers being offered up. As the Shaman walked around the fire he would kiss the candles and then throw them into the fire. Later he offered candles to the audience, including us. We were invited to offer up prayers by throwing candles into the fire. The event reminded us of Native Americans and their cultures and rituals.
Pastor Carlos from Cristo Rey church also spoke after which the Shaman thanked everyone for coming. Pastor Carrie thanked them for inviting us to attend.

We left the fiesta for lunch on the beach at Acajutla, a beautiful but primitive setting. At times the waves came right up under the tables. Rain began just as we left the beach to return to Santa Anna. Along the way we stopped to see “The Three Trees”the basis for a children’s story. We also saw some coffee plants up close. Marian and Gladys from our sister church in San Pablo both work in the coffee fields October through January. They get paid one dollar for each bag of coffee beans they pick and pick 5 bags each 9 hour day.

All in all another blessed and interesting day.
Jerry, Dean and Ron

By Jennifer Weiss
“Come to me, you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” This verse took on new meaning for me as we visited the “abandoned” village of Copapaya near Suchitoto. It was at this spot in 1983 where 170 people, mostly elders, women & children were killed by El Salvadoran soldiers during their brutal 11 year civil war. A simple white cross marks the spot on Lake Suchitlan where this massacre occurred. Our group took a boat ride on this now serene & peaceful lake to the massacre site. We then heard live history as a woman named Mercedes (who was about 20 in 1983) and a man named Rogellio (who was 10 at the time) told us their stories.

The civil war was communicated to us in the US as a war between government soldiers and guerrillas. In reality, it was the oppression of poor people by a government that lost control of its army. Government forces scoured the countryside looking for “guerrillas” and killed many in their path. In Copapaya, many people from the village and surrounding area hid in the trees near the lake. On the day of the massacre, soldiers approached from over a hill on foot and with helicopters and airplanes funded by the US. Mercedes’ story is that she and her family, including her husband and children including a small baby fled the village with just minutes to spare. Rogellio’s story is more brutal. He escaped being shot, but was captured by the army & forced to march with others first to a military camp where many of the captured were shot, then to a nearby town where the remaining survivors were lined up in 4 rows & shot row by row. Rogellio was shot in the leg and fell, but miraculously lived and found his way back to his village where he was reunited with his uncle and grandfather. They were the only people left living in their family.

These kind and gentle people share their story both to educate us and to promote healing within themselves. Their united message is to “Say No to Violence and Promote Life.” Their faith & testimony that God is active in their lives is truly inspiring. As our group returns next week to our daily lives, we will all remember these people’s stories and can use them as a reminder of where hatred and greed can lead. I thank God for this opportunity to meet and get to know the stories of these special people.

No Violencia! Siga la Vida!

This post is an addition to the post by Charleen Baller from Aug 5

There was a time for silence and reflection as we walked along the civil war memorial wall. This wall is called “The Moment to Truth and Memory!” The Salvadoran Civil War claimed the lives of over 75,000 Salvadoran civilians and personally touched the vast majority of Salvadorans. For many of the families who lost loved ones through homicide, kidnapping, forced disappearances, or massacres, there was no place to go to remember and grieve their loved ones. On December 6th, 2003, the first phase of the monument bearing over 25,000 names of civilian victims, was inaugurated. In 2005 a second phase was inaugurated that included over 3,000 more names and the list of over 200 massacres that happened during the Civil War.

We will remember!

Wednesday August 6, 2014

Breakfast was yummy and then we left to go to the march.  It was a privilege to be able to participate in this event.  The parade was commemorating the 28^th anniversary of the Lutheran bishop in El Salvador.  This is also the time when Bishop Gomez announces the mission/theme for the coming year.  This year it is violence and immigration.

The march was to start at the memorial wall and end at Resurrection Lutheran Church (about 2.5 miles away).  We were all so excited to be there and march with our sister church from San Pablo.  There was quite a large number of people so it took some time finding Pastor Vilma.   Once found smiles, hugs, and fond greetings were exchanged between us all.   The march got underway and we were lead by Pastor Carrie and Pastor Vilma.   We carried palm leaves that had been decorated by the members of San Pablo.   Rachel Bash and Alysha Sewell carried the banner we made, and San Pablo had 2 big banners that were also carried.   We waved the palm leaves as we walked and some shouted “no hay violencia!”  (there is no violence) we would shout back, “sigua la vida”! (continue life).   What a wonderful sight, people of all ages young and old and from so many different places coming together united as one.

It was a nice surprise to have some of the sponsored students and their families from Emaus join us as we walked.   Tifany Elisa Sibrian, Curt and Jo Eastman’s student held my hand throughout the entire march.  She had a great big smile on her face when we saw each other.  I was overcome with joy!  At the end of the march they had decorated the streets by the church with flowers and paper banners.  Bishop Gomez and others spoke, we sang some songs and each delegation was introduced.  Closing prayers were said and a blessing given.   We were invited to the school to have lunch with some of the other delegations.

We visited the National Cathedral and then headed over to Casa Concordia.  At Casa Concordia we spent time with the students from Hope House talking, doing crafts and playing games.  They really touched our hearts.    Casa Concordia was also hosting the annual corn festival where they had dancing music, corn on the cob and also a sweet creamy corn drink called Atole.  Some of us thought this was pretty good stuff, but you could not drink too much or you felt stuffed.

The excitement of the march, spending time with Hop House students, the corn festival and the extreme heat exhausted most of us.  In closing I’d like to share with you our “one word” devotional we did this evening.  Each of us was to give a word describing our day and then explain it briefly. Our words: Overjoyed, thankful, emotional, Lutheran, impactful, leadership, unity, pageantry, thrilled, dignity, fun, relationships, magical, solidarity, and Life!    Good night and God bless,

Jennie Eastman

By Charleen Baller
“Today is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!” Psalm 118:24 This is the verse we cite in unison each morning to begin our day!

The plan for this day the Lord gave us was to learn more about the history of El Salvador to better understand the violence and poverty so prevalent here….so please join me on our history tour…. We began our educational journey with a stop at the church of Archbishop Romero which was also the place of his assassination in March of 1980 while he was offering mass. Archbishop Romero worked between the military, the wealthy and the pheasants and ultimately became a voice for all as he spoke out against poverty, social injustice, assassinations and torture. In his homily on the day he was assassinated Romero said….”Beautiful is the moment in which we understand that we are no more than an instrument of God. We live only as long as God wants us to live; we can only do as much as God makes us able to do. ”

We are inspired to be an instrument of God…..

On our second stop we were able to participate in a service at Resurrection church led by Bishop Gomez. Resurrection Lutheran Church was founded in 1972 by Pastor Gomez and four women in the San Miguelito neighborhood of San Salvador. With limited resources, they fused two old houses together to construct the sanctuary, which is barely standing to this day. During the war years, (1977-1992) the church was so busy saving lives that there was no time to build a permanent building. Even after the war, the San Miguelito community continued to be ravaged by hunger, violence, homelessness, drugs, and prostitution, putting many people, including children, at risk. In 1985, Pastor Gomez was elected Bishop of the Lutheran Church of El Salvador. He used his position to advocate for peace and human rights. Bishop Gomez is recognized around the world as a human rights advocate. In 1992, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition for his work to end the war in El Salvador. On this day the church was full of delegations from Germany, California, Washington and of course Minnesota. We sat side by side with the largest delegation, the homeless of San Miguelito. Together we sang and heard the words of Bishop Gomez reminding us that God is always with us, even in our darkest times and our greatest moments of loneliness. We are not alone. Bishop Gomez, also reminded each of that we must have faith to see the miracles.

We have seen many miracles on this trip……

Lastly we had the honor to hear the compelling story of Christian Chavarria whose home is Resurrection Lutheran Church. Christian Chavarria was just four years old when civil war broke out in El Salvador in 1980. It lasted 12 years during which some 80,000 people died, millions were left homeless, while thousands more simply disappeared. Christian remembers clearly the day a group of armed soldiers entered his home, fired shots at his brother, sister and uncle, and threw him against the wall and left him for dead. He came to, only to find his relatives’ corpses beside him. He fought off dogs and pigs to keep them from eating at the corpses. Christian and his surviving family members fled into neighboring Honduras, where they lived for seven years in a refugee camp. He was always encouraged by his mother to take advantage of whatever opportunity arose in the difficult situation. He was a gifted artist, and she encouraged him to develop this skill. He returned to his native country as an adolescent and his memories of the following years are marked with the harsh reality of the civil war – death, massacres, accumulated hatred and thirst for revenge. He saw several of his friends killed so he left and made his way to Sweden where he lived for two and a half years. He struggled to fit and in often felt very alone…imagine Christmas all by yourself….He finally returned to ES after the end of the war where he advanced his education and developed his artwork.

His main focus all along has been hand-made wooden crosses, which he paints with images that raise awareness about subjects such as poverty, water, globalization and peaceful co-existence, among others. He has painted around 250,000 crosses of different sizes, which he says have traveled around the world, including one that was presented to Pope Francis on the occasion of his installation.. He enjoys “making them and it is the best therapy to cope with difficult moments,” he says. Throughout Christian’s story, we heard him talk about forgiveness and love! He told us that his mother repeatedly told him that God was within him…..in his heart. Despite all he has experienced in his short life, he exudes all of those things…forgiveness, love and hope!

We have been inspired to forgive, to love and to have hope!!

By Vicki Brink
Violence and the immigration crisis is not typical morning conversation but
this was our discussion as we traveled by van to meet our Seeds of Hope
students. Rafael, the Director of Communications for the Lutheran Church in El Salvador, joined us for the ride to Miracle of God (one of Pastor Matias’ five churches)  and graciously shared his knowledge and answered our questions about these pressing topics. The overwhelming heaviness off this topic could have set tone of despair for the day, yet the day was filled with hope.

We were greeted at the church by Pastor Ana-Kari Johnson, the founder of Seeds of
Hope, blessing us for our service. Our day of playing games, singing, and
making crafts seemed insignificant to her dedication to these children.
Seeing the number of children impacted by this program, was humbling. The
children aren’t the only ones benefitting from this program — just ask a
sponsor of the impact these children have made in their lives. However
small, it’s a miracle how service changes those who are served as much as
those who serve.

When we left our new friends after games of Hang Man, thumb wrestling,
making puppets and bracelets, we left with smiles and a hope for better
future. Yes it will take a miracle but isn’t that what God does best?

It’s the morning of our second full day in mission and service in El Salvador. Last night at devotions we shared one word to describe our experience of the first day, and these were some that came to our minds – overwhelming, unbelievable, hopeful. The community of Emaus congregation, Pastor Gloria and Luis Rene showed us the most gracious hospitality, many Seeds of Hope Students were greeted and hugged, crafts were made, lunch was shared (one of the families made lunch for the whole group – more than 50 people! And of course, we began with the superman prayer!) and at the end of the day, we worshiped together. The day filled our hearts with love, gratefulness for these relationships that continue to grow stronger and more solid with each visit, and the knowledge that God is truly at work here in this tiny, beautiful country.

Look for more pictures on our TrinityLongLake Facebook page! And please, keep our group and the people of El Salvador in your prayers! Pastor Carrie

Today was a day a day of transition for Alysha and I.

Our time with Habitat this past week is now over and it was a bittersweet goodbye. We made such amazing progress building the Cristo Rey church this past week!!! We made so many new friends and have so many stories to share with family and friends back home.

Today as we transitioned between trips, we waited in Casa Concordia for our new group to arrive from Trinity for the Seeds of Hope trip! When we united with our group on the bus to go to our hotel, everyone was so excited and full of energy to be here in El Salvador. It was rejuvenating to see everyone and to feel the energy after being completely exhausted from the week of digging and mixing cement and putting together rebar. We arrived at our hotel, unpacked our things and relaxed a bit before dinner. We also had a special surprise birthday celebration for Charleen Baller! It was so special to be able to celebrate with her in this beautiful country with new and old friends all around. We are so excited to be here with this new group for a very different but important and fun week! We cannot wait to see our sponsor kids and to make new relationships and see old friends from last year and to form relationships and special bonds with the other members of our group.

The special thing about the Seeds of Hope trip is that it is multi-generational which means that us young people of the church get to know and become friends with people of all ages from our congregation and it is really beautiful. God is going to do amazing things this week and we are so excited to see what He has in store for us!

Lauren Patterson & Alysha Sewell

Today was our last day at the worksite. The morning consisted of perhaps some of the hardest labor of the week thus far. Mixing cement. The holes we had been digging were being filled with a dry dirt and cement mixture and packed into place. Then on top of that goes a rebar frame and the rebar forms to help hold the walls and makes the building earthquake proof. Setting those tall and heavy frames in place took the work of many and was so rewarding to see the building rise above the ground. After the frames were in place, cement was mixed to pour around the base. Hand mixing cement is a very difficult task as water makes the mixture very heavy to stir. The process involves 5 turns of the mixture, making sure it all has the same runny consistency. Many of our hands already had blisters from the four previous work days, so shoveling and wheelbarrowing this heavy mixture was quite challenging! But at the end of the day, the masons thanked us for exceeding their goals. After our lunch we played a game of soccer with the masons and volunteers that were there. While it was hard to say goodbye to the build site it will be easy to give our bodies the rest that we all deserve. In the evening we gathered at the home of Anna Maria, the Habitat Santa Ana director. She generously spent her time cooking us an amazing meal and we were surprised by a mariachi band and a little fiesta. Once again we heard, “My house is your house”, which seems to be a way of life here. Hospitality is taken seriously, and expressed often. We have so many stories to share when we return home on Sunday night! But for now, we are signing off on the blog, as the Seeds of Hope trip will arrive tomorrow and take over. Thank you for walking along side us in this journey and we hope you will continue to be invested in our partnership with the beautiful people of El Salvador!!

Dan and Kara Lattu

The days are flying by here in El Salvador! Today was our last full day at our work site and we made amazing progress. If you have been reading the other blog posts from the week, then you know all about the gigantic hole and the piles of cement we have been mixing. (If not, i highly recommend it!) Today was a great day because we finally filled all 22 of the holes with the cement mixture and let me tell you, it was gratifying. I never knew a hole and some dirt could make me feel so happy. Although, after nearing the finish line, the masons informed us (through our lovely translator Carla) that we needed to dig 4 more holes. Then something beautiful happened. Not a single person from our group made any moan or whine, everyone grabbed a shovel and simply said “Donde?” which is spanish for where. They told us this just before lunch so we had little time to get started before it was time for another delicious lunch of chicken, rice and veggies but by 3:00, 2 of the 4 holes were almost complete. It amazes me the amount of work that can be done with just 12 people and a crazy amount of drive. We are all very tired tonight and are getting ready for bed at 8:30 🙂 We need rest to be ready for our big day tomorrow. We will be working until noon and then having a special lunch and a party with the masons, volunteers, and other members of the community. They have been amazing hosts and partners to us this week. Time to let my muscles rest! Thanks for reading and God Bless.
-Ellie and Shannon

This evening in devotionals the theme was “blessed”. We discussed the many meanings surrounding this word, but when it comes down to it “blessed” is the only word that we can think of that perfectly describes our day…

This morning we had the opportunity to visit Gutsemeni, which is a habitat community where they have built over 150 houses plus a community center that serves as a multipurpose area. It was in this community two summers ago that we worked on two different houses. It was such an amazing experience for those of us who had worked in the community two years prior. Not only did we get to see the houses that we had worked on and the amazing people that we had become friends with again, but they remembered us!!! They knew exactly who we were and came running up to us to give us the best hugs ever! This was a super powerful moment for me because we had only been with them for five days 2 years ago. That’s it! And they still remembered us! It was really cool to see the impact we had on the community and that the relationships we had made were true lasting friendships. When it was time to go see the houses, the person in charge asked us which houses we had worked on, and we responded “I can’t describe to you which ones, but I could get there!” And it was very true! It was like we had never left! It was truly incredible and a very emotional moment for us seeing the houses that we had worked on. Two years ago they were construction sites with dirt and dust and supplies everywhere, and now they were beautiful completed houses with paint and electricity and gardens and a family living inside! When we were leaving the house that we got to see the inside of, I thanked the father of the home for allowing us to come inside to see it, and he responded to me, “Thank you for serving us.” That was a super powerful moment for me and tears came to my eyes. I know we are here in this beautiful country doing service work, but I always feel like I learn so much from these trips and that it is really the people of El Salvador that are impacting me, yet he was thanking me for my service. It is a beautiful sort of exchange of service that really has no equal. As we talked about being blessed in devotionals tonight, that really is the only word that can describe these amazing experiences and the way that God is using all of us on this earth to do his work in many different ways for each other, in both physical and spiritual service. We are all truly blessed to be able to come on these trips and get to know the people of El Salvador and learn about our own faith in the process.

-Lauren

After a quick trip to the ice cream shop down the street we grabbed some suitcases and bags filled with donations of clothes from a church in South Dakota and headed to an orphanage for young girls. We were told the girls were able to stay there until they were 17 and then they are moved into foster homes. I had never quite experienced the range of emotions that I did as a result of this short visit with them. As soon as we started talking and playing with these girls it seemed like there was an instant connection. Those of us who could speak Spanish well (or somewhat got the gist of what they were saying, like me) got right to talking and listening (even though we didn’t always understand what they were saying). Dan and Adam got to show off our basketball skills and frankly they got schooled by those girls 🙂 The girls were so open to sharing with us! The little ones commented on my hair and wanted to play with it as well as telling us their names and things that they liked to do nonstop. The older girls were so willing to answer our questions about their studies and things they did in their free time but they were also so open to telling us about their circumstances that led them to be in the orphanage and their feelings and thoughts about being there. I met one little girl that sat on the ground with me and we looked up at the sky and pointed out everything we could see from where we were sitting… la luna, las luces, la montana, y las estrellas. I noticed shortly after we were sitting there hugging that she had little pink stars all over her shirt so I started calling her pequeno estrella (“little star”). To me she was the little light at the end of my day. Hearing that it was time to go and knowing I will most likely never see my little star again was and is still a hard thought to grasp onto. In that moment I wanted nothing more than to be able to pick her up and take her home with me. I speak for the whole group when I say that visiting the orphanage opened our eyes to all of the blessings we have in our lives whether it be the safe roof over our heads at night or the loving family and friends we have by our sides. We are so blessed to be in the positions that we are in and my only hope is that God grants me the strength to be able to use all of these gifts that he has given me to my fullest to do some good for others. Also quick shout out to my parents for always supporting me going on these trips!! Couldn’t do it without you guys 🙂

-Alysha

What a day! During our introductions with the masons and workers yesterday, they told us (through our very talented interpreter) that their goal for the week was that we finish digging the twenty holes needed for the church’s foundation. The holes range from six to nine feet deep, and are six feet long by four feet wide. Today, only our second day, we finished all of the holes but one! You should see how many blisters we all have. We used shovels, pick axes, a machete, and a lot of sweat! Teamwork was to thank for our work, as we realized the importance of shifts and assuring that no one got too worn out. This shot our productivity through the not-yet-existent roof! It was an incredible, tangible accomplishment being able to jump down into the holes that just a few hours earlier had only been a few inches deep.

We have enjoyed getting to work side by side with the masons and learn about their backgrounds and decipher their jokes that are half in English and half in Spanish. It is really amazing to see the masons there working every day, and watching them keep their cools – literally and figuratively.

Needless to say, we were all exhausted after our day and were so thankful to come back to our hotel. After a nice shower and putting on clean clothes, we walked to the grocery store and got some of our favorite El Salvadorian snacks. Our translator, Carla, surprised us by ordering us the country’s delicacy – pupusas. These are basically stuffed tortillas with cheese, beans, and meat. We then ended our day with devotionals on the rooftop and were all in bed by 9:30! Thank you for your continued prayers and thoughts throughout this week.

Love, The Haglins

Before and After!!

Today was day one of our group working on site. Even though it is only the first day, the sense of community is strong–both within Trinity and with the people that we have the honor of working alongside. It is amazing what a boatload of sweat, a burning hot sun, and a common goal can do to bring a group of seemingly different people together. Going through our highs and lows this evening it became evident that what sticks out the most today is the relationships we are building with the community members.
One of the women, named Maria, pushed wheel barrows back and forth all day, shoveling loads and wearing a smile the whole time. This is spectacular in itself-a consistently positive attitude. What floored us, however, is that Maria is eighty years old. When asked how she doesn’t get tired, she responded with a smile and said that her strength comes from God, “gracias a Dios por todo”.
We were also humbled by another woman named Miriam. Miriam works long hours washing and ironing clothes, working nearly thirteen hours a day and making an amount that we would not think twice about spending. She spent her day off at the site working with us. After lunch, Miriam was worried that we didn’t get enough food to eat so she went to buy crackers for the group, money out of her own pocket.
Also working with us today was a boy named Christopher, an eleven year old who stole all of the girls on our teams’ heart. He worked his butt off, laughed with (and at) us, and we were positively smitten by him. Christopher was quite possibly the hardest worker out of all of us.
These three are teaching us through their actions what it means to work hard, give the glory to God, be grateful, and delight in generosity.

– Ashley and Tori Wilson

During our first visit to the Cristo Ray congregation, a overwhelming sense of the importance of the this project to the community was clear. To see the impact alone that Habitat has had in El Salvador is incredible with their over 20,000 successful housing solutions over the past twenty years has left me dumbfounded. It will be a whole new experience for me working on a project of this scale, even after seven plus mission trips over the years for me. I am, for the first time in awhile genuinely excited to meet the members of this faith community that we share so much in common with.

–Jacob Klatt

The first night of devotionals was the first time for our group of old and new friends to get to open up about their faith and their expectations for the trip. Seeing even from our short time how happy and full of joy the people are here. Knowing that it isn’t always easy to find god in the difficult times of our lives but that in bad and good moments, he is alway with us and present. We are presented with a unique opportunity in El Salvador this week. We are seeking to help and give as much as we can, but in the end will come out being richer ourselves. Setting goals is great but I feel as if we will each come out of this with our own new understanding.

– Adam Bergh

Trinity’s second Young Adult Mission Trip has arrived safely in El Salvador! It’s my fourth trip to this beautiful country, but the other 11 in our group range from first, second, and third time travelers here. It’s so fun to be able to experience this place through eyes both new and old.

Our group came in on four flights yesterday. The largest group of 8, of which I was a part, arrived last night. After our plane landed and we found our Habitat driver, we had a little time to wait for Ashley to arrive. On other trips I have always waited for our group to gather in the back by the strategically placed Pizza Hut. But last night we were planted right in front of the arrival doors.

I have traveled to many third world nations now and one of my favorite things is the greetings that are shared at the airport. El Salvador is perhaps one of the most beautiful of all I have seen. And last night we had a front row seat. When people from El Salvador travel, they might be gone for months or even years. Many people here aren’t afforded the luxury we are for week long trips. So when those travelers arrive home, they pull out all the stops. Our group last night made it a game to see who would be the lucky recipient of the beautiful red and yellow roses being held by beautiful El Salvadoran children. Or who the family with the video camera was waiting for. Many travelers were greeted with hugs from 10-20 family members who had all made the long and expensive trip to the airport for those first hugs and greetings.

This is a reflection of what I love so dearly about this country. People who take time for people. Families whose love for each other runs so deep, and who make big gestures to show that love. El Salvador always welcomes me home.

I was a sailor this week and I don’t think I could have had a more amazing experience. After lunch one afternoon everyone fell into nap mode but I simply could not fall asleep because I had this stuck in my head, so I decided to write it down:

FLBC 2014
There’s something about the water so clear
His omnipresence, I can feel Him here
We sail His boats yet He helps us steer
Our lives in a direction of no fear
When our lives drift to times unsure
And there is no voice that we hear
His waves and His wind sail His boats back near
So whenever you are stuck in a storm
Always remember that He is here
Your life is His boat and he will help you to steer

Our group traveling to Montana had an amazing experience both rafting the North Fork of the Flathead River and sailing the waters of beautiful Flathead Lake. On our long train ride home, each of the travelers answered at least two of the following questions. It’s an incredible testament to what this place means to our youth and how much we grow as a community during our time there! Enjoy!

1. Where did you see God this week?
2. What is a memory that will stick with you?
3. What did you learn about your church and your faith?
4. How will this trip affect your role on our HS Leadership Team?

Maddie Martini
1. I saw god in the face of our counselors as well as many of my fellow campers on the sailing trip. It is also impossible not to see god in the beautiful landscape surrounding flathead lake. The mountains gently covered with fog and pine trees hovering over a glistening lake increased the already magical and godly energy we were experienced.
2. There will be so many memories that i will remember including laughing on the raft, relaxing on the sailboats, and roughing it in the wilderness. It was a very incredible week.

Molly Peltier
1. this week i saw god through everything, i saw god in the mountains, i saw him in the councilors and in all my friends. theres something about being at FLBC that makes me feel so close to God.
2. one memory that will always stick with me is when we were white water rafting and all the laughing that we were doing. it was to the point were we were crying we were laughing so hard. it was one of those moments when you take a deep breath from laughing so hard and you realize how much fun your having.

Paulina Gabos – see separate post

Hailey Pugh
1. This week I saw God in so many things. I saw him in the beautiful mountains and lake around me. I saw him in all of my group members and new friends I made. I also saw him in my counselors and their excitement to be with us.
4. Coming to Montana made me realize how great the people in our church are. They are so nice and I made so many new friends. This makes me want to keep being involved in leadership team and to get others involved in both leadership and also just coming to things like TNT. Montana was such a great experience and I want other people to experience what I did.

Kaitlin Schaible
1. I saw God in many places throughout the week. God constantly shone through the smiling, giggling girls that surrounded me on flathead lake as we flew our sails high. He was ever-present in the breeze that fed our sails and the hot sun that kissed our skin as we explored all of his natural beauty. God’s most striking presence was in the bright, abundant stars that guarded over us each night.
2. One memory that will stick with me from the trip is the amount of laughter that i constantly shared with those around me. There was never a quiet moment as we were always giggling about something new and exciting. It was refreshing to explore my faith and Gods beauty with friends–old and new– in a place as gorgeous as flathead lake.

Ellie Greiber
1. This week I saw God in several places. Mainly I saw God in all of the beautiful nature that Montana has to offer. Flathead lake is definitely in my top five prettiest places I have ever been. The view of the lake and the mountains from camp or from the sailboats is literally breathtaking. I also saw God in all of the amazing people around me and in all of the laughter and fun we had together.
2. I can’t really pinpoint one memory that will stick with me over others or a favorite moment this trip, because this whole week was amazing and the memory as a whole I think will stick with me stronger than any single memory would. This week I really got to know some amazing, some of whom I didn’t know before coming to camp. The friendships I made and the laughter and conversations we shared will stick with me.

Olivia Shirley
1. This week I saw God in the kindness/laughter with everyone around me. Also while I was on the sail boat I saw God in the nature that was all around me.
2. In this experience I got to meet new friends and to see how we all are in this together in our faith journeys and even though it may seem like we are alone this but we are not because of all of the love and support that I got through this amazing week.

Greta Johnson
1. This week I saw God in the laughter of those around me. Also, while on the boat I saw God all around me in the clear water and tall mountains.
3. Through this experience I got to know the other campers really well, which made me realize how many people there were to support me in my faith. This made me feel much more confident in my faith and even more connected to my church.

Eloise Hrusovsky 3. This week, I learned that everyone’s faith looks different and that’s okay. Its alright to have questions and by asking them, you are able to help find the right answers for yourself. I also learned that we do not need to compare our own faith to other people’s faith because we are all in different places with our faith and have different understandings and beliefs. I also learned that our church is an incredible community. It is a place that brings amazing people together to share experiences and grow together. It is a place where everyone is welcome and has a chance to learn about theirselves and their faith with the help of others.
2. One memory that will stick with me from this trip is a conversation that was had in the car on the way to start our rafting trip at the Canadian boarder. This conversation between two camp counselors, who were very willing to share about their own unique views on their faith, and a few of us high schoolers from Trinity. This two hour conversation showed me a perspective of our Lutheran faith that I had never considered before. It was very impactful to me because it caused me to ask questions that I had never considered before, gave me a new light in which to examine my faith, and showed me that not everyone has the same beliefs and that is okay. It a conversation and memory that will definitely stick with me.

Claire Hrusovsky
1) this week I saw god in the willingness of everyone. not once did i hear someone complain about the task that we had like, setting up the tents in the afternoon, making a meal, or even getting up at 2am to go to the train station.
2) one memory that will stick with me forever is that we were fully submerged in nature. Most days we would never even see a car and others we are miles and miles away from another human, to some that could we a scary thought but to me it was an experience i may never get again.

Jake Rosendahl
2. One of the memories that will stick with me was playing volley-ball at Polbridge. It was the turning point in the trip. I never thought that a competitive competition for a couple of cookies would bring a group of 17 youth, adults, and counselors together. Even though the defeat was bitter, the memories and connections it made were so sweet.
3. This week more than ever I learned that it is ok to question your faith. I learned that there are so many different perspectives from one book. Faith and religion are things that don’t just fall on you, but come to you through struggle and progression. It is ok to not have all the answers as long as you trust in God’s plan.
Jack: 1 this week i saw god through the eyes of all the counselors and how they helped me grow in my faith and they also helped me become more aware and not to just blindly follow something but to actually think about what i was believing in
2: one memory that shall stay with me for the rest of my life is that everyone has there own take on faith and that i shouldn’t be blindly following something no matter what it is but to take the time to find out what it is I’m actually believing in.

Emily Shirley
1.This week, I saw god in the generosity of everyone around me. Whether it was helping someone with a heavy load, or sharing something that was in limited supply, people helped each other out.
2. A memory that will stick with me from this trip, is the train ride. I have never previously ridden on a train before, and it was a great first experience playing games, and solving riddles.

Caitlin Boyle
3. Something that I learned about my faith this week is that being a good christian isn’t always about believing everything that you are told about the bible and the life of Jesus, it’s about finding your own path to God in the way and time that makes you happy and comfortable, I also realized how lucky i am to be part of such a good community at Trinity that supports me through my faith journey.
2. A memory that I will always remember from this week is Kristie’s whole-hearted laugh every time I wore my fisherman sunglasses, it made me happy to see how little things could make people happy.

Kristie Tunheim
1. This week i saw God in the counselors we were blessed with. For me, it is always amazing to see college kids/young adults so full of spirit and passion towards God and Camp. Eliza, one of the three counselors who rafted with our group exposed a new perspective on christian beliefs that truly made me question my faith and grow as a person. God was definitely visible in these three wonderful role models at FLBC.
2. A memory that will stick with me is the games we entertained ourselves with for hours on end. We would raft from roughly 10:00 to 4:00 every day and had the rest of the time to ourselves. I found myself whole-heartedly laughing with new friends I would have never thought of having close relationships with. Playing psychology, kum-cha, black magic, mafia and telling endless riddles made the time fly too fast and helped me to realize that teenagers can have fun without using technology. Overall the week brought me closer together with new people and encouraged me to question and grow in my faith.

Rachel Heussner
1. I saw God constantly this week but most specifically in the conversations that I was able to be a part of. Our counselors were very open with their experiences and view points. I was able to see a new side and grow through God. I also saw God through his beautiful creations.
2. I will never forget learning and continuing to play the game Kumsha. A group that went to Colorado showed it to us on our first night off site. We played in the rain and would have scared any stranger that walked by. Our counselors joined us right away which brought a big smile to my face.

Clare Halloran
1. This week I saw God in the nature and the breathtaking views around us. I also saw God in our counselors and in the conversations our group had.
2. The memory that will stick with me the most is when, at our last camping site, our group played a lot of games and we laughed together and got to know each other better.

Claire Bash
3. Throughout this week heard and saw many different perspectives of Lutheran beliefs which made me question on what I truly believe in. I learned that there is no perfect and correct answer to God and all that He does. Questioning my faith has created a lot of challenges for me, but it has brought me closer to God through discussion with Him and others and has helped me realize what kind of Lutheran I am and want to be.
4. All of the new thoughts and perspectives I heard in Montana should be brought to Trinity for more discussion and debate for more minds to bring in their beliefs. TLC’s youth has so much potential for discovering amazing things, and I plan to encourage all of their growths by prompting new questions for them to discuss.

Emma Emma
1. I saw God this week in the nature and the gorgeous environment around me. I also saw God through the relationships built throughout the week.
2. A memory that will stick with me was the games we played. Since we didn’t have a lot of activities to do, we entertained ourselves with games and riddles. It was really exciting and fun to do and to see the relationships built.

Waking up in paradise… Now this is the life!! Ready for our week in paradise!!

Our Trinity Leadership Team is on the train and on our way to Montana! The train is running pretty late, but we have smiles on our faces and good attitudes. =) we appreciate your prayers!!!

On Friday night, 19 members of Trinity’s High School Leadership Team and three adults will board the Amtrak train headed west for Kalispell, Montana. We will be met at the train station by camp counselors from Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp who will lead us in a week of incredible faith formation, outdoor adventure and team building. After tackling the high ropes course, sleeping under the Montana stars and a few crazy camp worships, 8 of the youth will board a sailboat for a few days exploring the waters of Flathead Lake and the other 11 will drive north, almost to the Canadian border, and raft the North Fork of the Flathead River right along the border of Glacier Park.

For most of the week we will be off the grid, immersing ourselves in the beautiful wilderness of Western Montana. But we will try to make a few blog posts on either end of our travels so you can hear about our adventures. Thank you for your support and your prayers! Montana, here we come!!!!

We’re all home safe and sound. We’re catching up on sleep, but I think it’s safe to say we’re all so grateful for the week we shared! To pass along some amazing feedback from one Longmont resident, read this post that was made on a Longmont neighborhood facebook page. This is what walking along side our brothers and sisters in Christ looks like.

“This morning promptly at 9am, a full sized tour bus pulled up in front of my house and out stepped about 20 young men and women from a Lutheran Church in Minnesota with gloves and shovels and huge happy smiles. They have come to the area to help through
the Boulder County Flood Recovery group. In the 6 hours they were here, they: rebuilt my 18ft x 18ft elevated rose garden, put two coats of Kilz on my concrete basement walls, cleaned my gutters, put sheetrock on the walls of my stairs leading into the basement, completely weeded all my gardens front and back, moved 3 cubic yards of river rock from where the flood left it to spots in my yard where it would be more useful, cleaned the brick walkway and patio in my backyard from overgrown weeds and flood mud, cut back new growth on old tree stumps, trimmed that huge hedge in front of my house by the sidewalk that diverted the flood water from hitting my front door in the face, repaired all 5 bicycles, hauled brick, shoveled dirt, and then thanked ME for the opportunity to help. It was hard not to cry as I hugged each of them.
You know, there is all this gang garbage in the world and kids who are frightened of life with no direction, and it is easy to say the future is doomed…. but I am here to tell you that there are real young people with real goals and huge hearts with solid backgrounds and hopeful futures who are our true future indeed, and I was blessed with having them come to my house to help me with the projects that would have taken me forever to get done. Lord, thank you a bazillion trillion times.”

The work week is over and now we get to play! The kids were amazing workers and are ready to celebrate with a day on the river. We’ve had lots of late nights and good conversations which means we’ve posted on the  blog less. But we have so many stories to share with you all! For now, a few sets of pictures. =)

Another work day, conquered. Another large list of tasks to complete, finished. Another group of people absolutely blown away by our kids. We continued our celebrity status by having a photographer and writer for the Longmont Times Call come and do a story about our group! That link can be found here.

And tonight we got to celebrate that hard work! On our way to the Rockies game in Denver, we used the time to have the kids share some stories on the bus microphones about what their days have looked like so far. I typed as quickly as I could and these are the stories you need to hear.

Paulina Gabos – Longmont – “We went off to a small little park. First we pulled out weeds, it was an area that had been covered by the flood and so there was a ton of random branches and bushes that were left from the flood. We cleaned all that up and put mulch down in that area. That’s what I was working on mainly. The other half of the group was tearing up the soil and then they filled it in with gravel. It looked really presentable at the end. After we finished those two areas, the rest of the groups came down and they put in this pink rock. At the end it looked like a whole different place. It was kind of tough to see how that was connected to the flooding. People would walk by and not really know what we were doing. But just seeing a huge change in what we did. Being able to see that we transformed that area from something that looked not presentable to a beautiful place was really nice. Then we had lunch. That was one of the most enjoyable parts of the day because people started playing games like “Kumshaw”. After that we went to a different part of the park and we mulched for a very long time. There were a ton of trees and it seemed like it just kept going. The park looked a lot better afterwards. And the city of Longmont bought us ice cream sandwiches! Charlie, who works for the city of Longmont came by, and talked about how the floods brought all these people together getting debris out and separating all these things. He said it was amazing to see all these communities come together. It connects to our group. We all came together, though it might not be noticed, or the most noticeable work, we know that we made a difference.”

Eloise Hrusovsky – Longmont – Last night in our small group we were talking about our day. We went to Longmont also. Throughout the day it was hard to see how we were helping people directly, but it got me thinking. I talked to someone who said that in a few weeks there will be thousands of people there to celebrate the 4^th of July. It made me think how important it is after such a disaster to have a place for people to be together and congregate. What I learned is that I really think it’s important that they have that nice place and it will really bring the community together even more!!

Maddie Parrott – Patty Dunlap. Yesterday we had two groups at Patty Dunlap’s house. We were with John Thiesse’s group. The entire way over Sam Sustacek kept saying it’s going to be a little old lady with lemon bars. We get there and Patty is this strong and spunky woman who says groovy all the time. She takes us on a tour through the house and around the back yard. She lives in the first house in the neighborhood so all the water came through the neighborhood straight into her house and filled her house. It rushed past both sides of her house and destroyed everything. We got to see the destruction but we also got to see how far she’d come. There were a lot of projects for us to do. We did landscaping outside, Ethan and Sara dug a log of rocks. We gardened, we cleaned her outside stuff. We painted her entire basement, we sheet rocked, we did lots of miscellaneous projects that helped her out. She said she could have done all the projects by herself but she just has so much to do. During lunch she brought out pictures and told us about everything that happened. Her son was living with her at the time in the basement. All his stuff was completely destroyed. As the waters were rushing in, her partner, Shea, ran down stairs really quick and grabbed his computer. Then the water chased him upstairs. They were picked up by boat by the rescue crews and proceeded down the street to pick up the next door neighbors with their kids from their roof. Patty is also a 10 year breast cancer survivor. One of the most important things she told us is even though this water was completely destructive, it brought her neighborhood together. She didn’t know all of her neighbors names but now they know each other and spend a lot of time together. We learned how strong a person can be and how the destruction can bring a community together.

Jessica Narum – Yesterday we went to Streamcreast. I helped out Jan and her husband in their yards. They had a bunch of weeds grown everywhere because they were focused on other projects. We had to weed out by their barn and their patio was completely weeded over as well as their garden. A bunch of other people helped out Virginia and Jan and her husband. There was a stream that brought in a bunch of sand and rocks so we spent most of the day digging out sand and rocks from the trees. They were covered with 6-16 inches of rocks. Some people were saying they didn’t feel like they got a lot done, but it looked like they cleared out a lot. Virginia is such a sweet lady. She had traveled the world so she had such cool stories to share with us. She has so much knowledge and so many stories to share, I don’t think I can even get into them!

Madi Arends –Longmont – Today we did a lot working in the front of a neighborhood by the road clearing rocks and flattening the land so the water wouldn’t pool if it flooded again. Let’s hope not. There was a lady named Grace and we were working outside her house. She was really hesitant when we first got there so she asked us to stay off her lawn. She didn’t know what we were there for. But after she saw all the work that we had done and that we were there to do something helpful she really warmed up to us. She has cancer and is struggling, but she was really appreciative of what we were doing. As we were working, cars honked at us and people waved while they were biking. They were all really happy we were there and helping. We had people cutting big roots that were there and in the way. We had people shoveling rocks. We ran out of rocks because we got through a lot more than they thought we would. It was one of those projects that looked like we weren’t doing a lot, but it meant a lot to the people who were there.

Susie Eastman – So we were on the sidewalk working really, really hard. There was a group from another church who were there working with us. We were working as a team and Grace was having Carpet One come and do some work for her. The guy working for Carpet One came up and gave me $50. He said you are working so hard and we appreciate your hard work so much, we want you to buy something nice for yourselves!

Cam Paul – Today my group went to Habitat. We went to a house that looked like a golf ball. Habitat workers said that the inside of the home wasn’t up to code so they were getting rid of part of the things in the house so they wouldn’t have to spend the extra money to fund it.. We helped put up part of the walls on the inside. People were also down the street helping with other houses.

Austin Winkey – Today we worked on this guy’s house. His name was Karl. Basically he gave us a tour and told us how there was a lot of stuff that needed work. The girls did gardening. Some of us guys moved some rocks and stuff to stop future flooding from happening. We dug out terrains and things by the river. After lunch he told us his story of how he was in Thailand and how he got skin cancer, and was in a terrible accident and lost some of his vision and is still trying to recover from all of this. Then we finished and the girls were gardening down in the front of the house. We finished a ravine and a lot of work was done at the beach and in the gardens.

Megan Albers – We went to Kary Anne’s house. We primed and painted four rooms in her basement. When we got there it didn’t seem like we were going to do much. But it was a lot of work and it was really fun. We also got to hang out with her kids. They were so cute and really good at making water balloons. It was really fun and they seemed really appreciative.

More stories to come tonight from other groups!

Monday our groups ventured out for their first day on the work sites. We were divided among three places.

Two small groups worked for a home owner who described a very vivid memory of watching water rush from the street into her home, out the other side, and carry her lawn furniture through her neighbor’s window. Patty’s story will come in more detail later in the week but it was amazing to see how much joy this woman received from our few hours of manual labor.

Two other groups returned to Streamcrest, one of the places we had visited on our bus tour Sunday, as they are amazing signs of just how much water devastated this community. Three homeowners there are being gifted with workers, largely to remove the amazing amount of sand and rocks that were carried onto their grass, sidewalks, driveways, gardens, and into their trees. An area that was once a dense forest now looks like a gravel pit that is at least four feet high in some places. Tree roots are buried so far beneath the debris that these huge, beautiful trees are dying. While insurance covers the inside of many of their homes, it does not cover the devastation to the beautiful Colorado landscape around them.

The third site that kept the remaining 7 groups very busy was the city of Longmont. They had a variety of tasks like raking, mulching, placing landscaping rocks, wedding and more. City workers have gotten so far behind with all the clean up work that the parks haven’t been taken care of. Mulch and rocks were washed away. And now the parks need lots of tender loving care before a huge Fourth of July celebration and a huge festival later in the summer. Activities like this are bringing in tourism to this community that has lost so much of that important part of their economy. With 50 volunteers at this site, it was amazing to see how far the group came throughout the course of the day. It is such a gift to be able to share our hands and our love with our brothers and sisters in Christ!

We had dinner at “Prospect Eats” which is a food truck and live music night in a park not too far from First Lutheran. It was amazing. There were at least 15 food trucks with a huge variety of food options and great music. Lots of locals were there. When we first walked in, one of the local radio stations, KRCM 1060 AM, noticed us (not like the 85 of us in matching shirts stood out or anything =) ) and pulled Colton Cates from our group to say a few words! With a headset on, they asked Colton about our group. Where were we from? What were we doing here? How did we get here? How did we pay for our trip? Then they pulled me (Kara) up to say a few words. It was great to brag about our kids for a few minutes on the air. And they kept thanking us, so genuinely, for giving this week of our lives to be here with them. The host then went on to say that he was so impressed that these teenagers, who so often get a bad reputation for creating trouble, were doing so much good. Our first public recognition of the night.

Later in the evening, after our bellies were full of delicious food truck goodies, our kids were approached by one of the guys in charge and they asked them to say a few words about our group on stage. Sam Sustacek, Jake Rosendahl and Chris Lecy gave a great summary of what we are here to do this week, and then they asked all the kids to come up. One by one they introduced themselves to the crowd, followed by huge applause for their commitment and service.

After an amazing, heart felt worship with the Sky Ranch staff, small groups reflected on their days and dove into deep conversations about faith and about life. Though the work was hard and dirty, it was rewarding as we were literally stopped in the streets and thanked for our work.

We are certainly answering a call this week in Colorado. We are so blessed to be a part of a community that supports this work, and this group. Thank you all for your prayers and support! Stay tuned for more great stories!!

After a long day yesterday, we pulled in to First Lutheran in Longmount, Colorado a little after midnight. We had an unexpected layover in Omaha, when the AC in one of our buses broke. Bus #2 had a really hot ride. But after some time in the Omaha mall, the AC was fixed and we were on our way again. We also had quite a lights show over western Nebraska with a huge thunderstorm on the horizon. But everyone was great sports and I was reminded of what fantastic kids we have!!

Today has been a great day! After worship this morning our small groups went out to explore Longmont. What a great town! Fun shops, restaurants, and a beautiful park! After lunch we went for a driving tour of some of the flood damaged areas. It was amazing to see how damaged homes and infrastructure is even 9 months after the flooding. We certainly have work to do!

Our day starts tomorrow at 7:20 and we’ve got lots ahead of us! Thanks for all of your prayers!

Saturday, June 21st at 6:30am, 67 high school youth and 12 adults from Trinity will board two coach buses bound for Longmont, Colorado. These annual Mission Trips allow high school youth and adults from Trinity and the community to explore their faith while serving our neighbors both near and far. This week our group will be working in communities near Longmont, CO who were ravaged by flood waters in September of 2013.

We hope that you will come along with us via this blog or by following Trinity Long Lake on Facebook, or @TrinityHSYouth on Twitter. There will be many stories to share and we want to share them with you!

Thanks to so many of you who picked up a prayer partner name during worship on Sunday morning. We hope that each of our youth will be prayed for individually as well as being prayed for as a large group. Thank you for all your love and support!

Final reflections by Jerry Paulson

BACK TO NORMAL?

We’ve been back to our homes and lives for two weeks, but we’re not back to normal—normal has been re-defined.  For all of us, I know, something has changed.  The recent trip to El Salvador has had an impact in some way for all of us.  These are some thoughts in reflection.

THANK YOU

Thank you to Trinity for creating the opportunity for us to travel, build, renew old acquaintances in El Salvador, and to create new relationships.  Thank you to the Thrivent Builds/Habitat for Humanity team that traveled to El Salvador in March; for giving this week of Spring Break, for taking the time to prepare, for being respectful positive representatives of Trinity and for being a great group to travel, work and talk with. 

HIGHLIGHTS

This was my fourth Thrivent Builds trip to El Salvador, and again, one of the trip highlights was Sunday morning worship at Resurrection Lutheran Church in San Salvador.  This is the Bishop’s church, and he led another memorable service.  I remember the first time I worshipped here being suddenly hit with the realization that I was singing A Mighty Fortress is Our God in Spanish in the middle of San Salvador.  But I also realized that the same liturgy and bible readings were part or Lutheran services around the world in many different languages.  I felt far from home, but yet comfortably connected. 

Another highlight of the service was worshipping with Jenifer, the Seeds of Hope child that Judy and I sponsor, and her mother, Blanca.  I appreciate so much that they travel 40 minutes each way on public transportation so we can spend that time together, and exchange many hugs and some limited conversation. 

Our group included five high school youth.  It was a unique opportunity for me to spend time with these youth, and also to see their work ethic and interaction with the community at the build site. They all eagerly did whatever work was needed, and also kept a lookout for any children walking by to start a conversation.  Many of these youth have had Spanish classes, and they took every opportunity to use their Spanish, ask questions, and learn new vocabulary.

A special thanks to Jerry Paulson and Jan Moenck for being Trinity’s Thrivent Builds/Habitat co-leaders for this trip and to the entire group of 17 that shared their love with the people of El Salvador helping to not only build homes but more importantly build relationships with a some of God’s children in this beautiful country.  Blessings,  Jill Cornell

By Julia Spacek (youth)

March 28th marked our final day at our Habitat sites. Each site started at the usual time of 8:00 am and only worked until 11:30 am. (A usual work day was from 8:00 to 4:00.) Today was the day that we were expecting to get the concrete blocks to arrive, at both sites. Unfortunately, we arrived and they were not there. However, the other site concrete blocks had arrived. Our mason, Manuel, was frustrated due to the fact his small crew of three men, including himself, would have to carry the concrete blocks a far distance from the place where the blocks were dropped off to where the house was, once we left. In addition, because the blocks were not dropped off, Manuel, could not get paid for the first half of the house that we were building. So, we had to get to work anyways.

Half of the group was assigned to clearing brush and grass. While we were working, we were promptly handed three machetes. Although we had machetes, we did not use them due to the fact most of the area we were clearing was grass. The other half of the group was assigned to manually chop down a large tree right next to the house. The whole group gathered around to watch the tree fall down. We continued clearing brushing and then switched to sifting Chispa.

While parts of the group sifted, Kristie Tunheim and I played with the little kids at our site. We played “volleyball” a rather loose term meaning hit the ball to play it up with your palm, but it didn’t even matter because the kids loved it. Later, we colored with them and drew pictures. It was very surprising to me because the little girls kept coming up to me and would hand me a box of crayons. The first time I was very confused. But then I realized that they didn’t know how to open them. They had never even seen or used crayons before.  

While we were coloring, we had left over marshmallows and graham crackers from earlier in the week so we decided to roast marshmallows. Every one loved it, and begging for seconds. The mom of the house next door, was generous enough to let us use her home to roast the marshmallows. As we were roasting marshmallows on her very small burner, she said, “I have only seen something like this on TV.” We were all a little surprised to hear it but at the same time it wasn’t. Why would she have ever had them in the past? After enjoying our two rounds of s’mores, we continued to color until it was 11:15, which meant we had to start to say goodbye.

We started off by having Manuel say a few words about how grateful he was for our hard work. Then Diego, who is the son of the family that the house was being built for, said he was so thankful that we were able to help out. We then started hugging all the little kids and saying goodbye. They kept asking us why we were leaving and where we were going. We told them that we were going to the beach then going back home to the U.S. The most shocking part of it was when all of the kids said that they had never even been to a beach before. The beach was only about two hours from the Santa Ana, where the work site was located. We were all surprised but then thought about it and came to the conclusion that they would have to have money to get there or the means of getting there.

After saying goodbye we slowly walked to the bus, many of us crying, realizing how we would probably not ever see any of them again. Our group was trying to think of ways in which we could sponsor some of the kids or send money or something, just to help out. The most heartbreaking part of it all is realizing that you remember that these kids and families are stuck in these situations and will never get out of there.

We then got on the bus and drove to Pastor Vilma’s church, San Pablo. We arrived and enjoyed lunch with her and then attended a small service. Once the service ended we played with some of the little kids. A little boy I was playing with loved to blow bubbles, he was fixed on them and even asked if he could take them home, unfortunately, we had to say no. We said goodbye to Pastor Vilma and families.

Once again we hopped on the bus and rode to the houses that were built last year by the same group. It was so amazing to see what the finished product was like, we even got to go into one of the houses and see it. It was so amazing to see that, that’s what the two houses we were building were going to look like. It was really motivating to me because it makes me want to go back to see the houses but more importantly see the families.

After visiting with a family of the past houses, we drove back to the hotel. We all showered and got changed to go to a special dinner at Ana Maria’s house. She is the director at Habitat for the western part of the country, who visited us at our work sites a couple of times that week. We arrived at Ana Maria’s house and were served delicious shis-ca-bobs. After dinner we were treated to the lovely surprise of a  mariachi band. We danced and danced and danced. Once the band left we, once again, had to say goodbye. Back at the hotel, we had to pack and get ready to leave for the beach the next day. As I was packing up and getting ready for bed I thought about how difficult goodbyes were. I felt so saddened by the fact we wouldn’t see these people ever again. People who had made a huge impact on me in a very short week. I also couldn’t believe how quickly the week had gone by and how much we had done, it also make me sad that the trip was coming to an end. I have come to the conclusion that goodbyes are never easy.

By Katie Berrell (youth)

Day six of the El Salvador mission trip strayed from the usual routine of heavy lifting and mixing cement. On our site we were unable to continue with any of the ground work of the house because the cement we had laid the previous day needed 24 hours to dry. Our mason, Manuel, introduced us to the wonderful process of sifting “Chispa”. Never have I ever done as much manual labor in my entire life as I have done in the past six days here in Santa Ana. I do not consider this manual labor a job, though. All the blood, sweat and tears you put into building the house is a reward that is one of a kind. This work is a blessing from God.

“Blessing” was a word tossed around quite a few times this week by the people we are building the houses for. In my eyes, I see these beautiful people as a blessing to me. Rena, who we are building a house for, is the most inspiring person I have met on this trip. After surviving the civil war, which caused her family starvation and lack of water for years, Rena faces the consequences of a broken country just the same as her fellow countrymen.

Sifting small stones for “Chispa”

(Rena and Katie – 2nd & 3rd from right)

At one of our breaks I decided it to be an opportune time to bring out my photo album I had brought to show the kids. After showing Rena my relatively large family, the school I went to, and all of the activities I was able to do, I returned to my seat only to jump right back up and stay by Rena’s side. To our surprise Rena had started crying. At first we did not know what she was saying, but our translator Sophia was able to help. “You are so blessed, with your family, your opportunity, I know this and I have to accept it,” she mumbled out in between sobs. I was quick to return to her side and embrace her in my arms, but no hug could mend the wounds she has.

My mother finally said that it was unfair. Although not our fault, it is unfair that we have all been born into different conditions, and someone as headstrong and kindhearted as Rena was plopped into a life of immense poverty. I struggle with the idea that I cannot just give these people the resources I have to ensure a successful life for myself, because that would never fix the problems they face. So, instead I turn to God as my guide.

Through Him, I have the resources to continue to help people in need, just like Rena. My Lord has shed light on my life and those who share it with me this week. I now have an even stronger drive to put my needs aside and aid those whose needs come before mine own. That drive has lead me to perusing service, similar to this mission trip, after I graduate from college. Through God, this week I am reminded of the blessed people who have recently been made a part of my life, and I continue to thank Him for guiding me to this wonderful opportunity to spread my love for helping others. What I consider a successful spring break is not being the tannest or going to the most exotic location. What I consider a successful and fulfilling trip is hearing from a woman you have only met a couple of days ago tell you that you have earned a special place in her heart forever.

From Kristie Tunheim
Tuesday, March 25

What today consisted of: sweating, moving dirt, making bracelets, interpreting, sweating, cutting and tying wire, painting nails, moving dirt, eating dinner, doing devotionals, making snow and more sweating. 

Our second day here in Santa Ana, El Salvador reached a high of 90 degrees which causes even my mother, Kathi, to excessively perspire.  Our bus left at 7:30 am and half of our group departed to a nearby neighborhood to begin our day’s work.  The little girls and boys screamed “Bob”! upon our arrival and their faces lit up as did ours.  Our mason, Manuel, would tell me and my mom things that needed to be done and we would relay the message back in English to the other members of our group. 

Throughout the day we switched our jobs and playing with the kids that would come in and out.  Due to our popularity yesterday making bracelets, the whole neighborhood showed up to make them. After teaching several 12 year old girls in Spanish how to make Rainbow looms I looked up to see probably 15 kids from nearby houses mesmerized by these new toys we brought along with us. 

As the day continued we were filling endless wheel barrels with sand in order to be able to make cement tomorrow as a man walked by with very good English. As we questioned where he learned to speak with such fluency his story unfolded in front of us. He lived in Los Angeles with his wife, son, uncles, aunts and numerous other family members until ten years ago next month when he was deported. Right there on the street today he said (very matter of factly) that he was charged with domestic abuse and public drunkenness. Ever since ten years ago when he left he United States to return to his home country of El Salvador, his wife told him she doesn’t love him anymore and that when the time ends before he is able to return to the states she does not want him to live with them again. He spoke of the economic opportunities in the U.S. saying as a construction worker he makes $4 a day in El Salvador and doing close to the same work, he would make $80 a day in California. When asked about his drinking problem he said that he attends a group at the nearby church, Cristo Rey , to help his addiction to hopefully better himself before returning to make amends with his family. It was an eye-opening conversation to some of the problems people in this community face.

It you were wondering how it says above “What today consisted of”, that we made snow, it was not real snow. One of our translators here from Habitat, Sofia, had never seen snow in her life. Katie happened to have stumbled upon this “fake snow mix” that you add to water for instant entertainment. We brought it out and watched her face as she become a little girl dumbfounded by the first snowfall. As much as we are trying to share all that we have what I am truly taking away is the happiness and joy coming from those who have so little. It amazes me how a young girl form our worksite is capable of being so excited and entertained by a jump rope for roughly 45 minutes. The people here make the most of what they have and cherish all of it. I have come to the conclusion that happiness does not at all depend on standard of living. I am taking notes from El Salvadorans and am working to cherish every moment here in Santa Ana, as I know the rest of this week will fly by.

Monday, March 24, 2014- Santa Ana, El Salvador

Margaux- Today was the first day we split up into two worksites and got acquainted with the masons, families, and terrain we would build on. The worksite I had the privilege of working on this year happened to be about twelve houses down from the worksite I was stationed at the previous year. Immediately after we stepped foot on the building site, I recognized both the hardworking masons and a young, male helper named Christian from my construction site in 2013.

Later during the day, the girls from the families we worked with last year came and visited us with so much praise, love and smiles. Being able to embrace them once again brought tears to our eyes and created an overwhelming feeling. Just like the previous year, the crafty young girls insisted on painting our nails and giving them paper so they could write notes to us.

Although the weather was scorching hot and brought on lots of sweat, the reward feels indescribable and life changing. I am excited for the rest of this week-long journey and I cannot wait to create new unforgettable memories.

Today, I met my “Seed of Hope” sponsor little girl.  Her name is Gloria and she is 7 years old.  When she saw me she put her arms around me and gave me a long and loving hug.   That beautiful little girl has touched my heart and has already made my trip to El Salvador a big success.  Her mother was also with her.  We went to church together,  she kept holding my hand and looking at me.

With the help of someone who spoke Spanish I told her mother what a beautiful loving little girl she had.  I told them that I pray that God would watch over both Gloria and her family and take care of them.

I asked her mother if I could please take her little girl home with me as I loved her so much.  I said she had three more children at home and she would not miss just one.   It did not work!

When it was time to go I held Gloria in my arms for a long time.  We both did not want to let go.

God has truly blessed me for my relationship with this beautiful and loving little girl.

Don Winter

“Show me how to love another, to live and serve my sisters and brothers.”

On Saturday, March 22, a group of 17 individuals will be traveling to El Salvador as Trinity’s fifth group that will be part of Thrivent Builds/Habitat for Humanity.  For some it is their first trip and others it is the their second trip or more! 

Trinity first began traveling globally to El Salvador in 2011.  For this trip, our group will begin their journey by worshipping at Resurrection Lutheran Church with Bishop Gomez presiding.   We will learn about the Lutheran Church in El Salvador and will have a chance to spend some time with some of our Seeds of Hope Sponsored students and leaders before heading to Santa Ana on the western part of the country for the week of building.  During our week, we hope to visit some of the homes previously  worked on and greet the homeowners as well as visiting with Pastor Vilma Lopez and members of Trinity’s sister church, San Pablo.      

Each of these trips change lives in ways we do not expect.  We will see God at work, powerfully and amazingly.   We will learn from our brothers and sisters in another culture what it means to follow Christ more deeply.   Our community will continue to grow and when we pray “your will be done on earth as in heaven”, we will be praying for more than our corner of the earth.    

As we set off on our journey with our suitcases filled with donations and packages for our Seeds of Hope students, we hope you will journey along with us and keep us in your prayers!   Different members from our trip will be blogging and sharing photos of our journey.

As our trip is winding down to an end I am growing more and more sad about leaving this beautiful country and its ever so generous people.

Yesterday (Sunday) was our sponsorship party with the Emaus and Hope House kids. My mom, Lori Anderson, and I had the amazing opportunity to meet the 12 year old girl Jacqueline that we sponsor. We met her parents and her little brother Wilfredo that another Trinity member sponsors as well. You could tell that they were a close family and they recognized us almost immediately from pictures. We found out that Jacqueline wants to continue her schooling to study medicine to be a doctor. And I am confident that with aide from us and hard work and dedication on her end she can definitely follow and reach this dream. At some points it was difficult and frustrating because we weren’t always able to understand each other. But it was so gratifying when her mom told me how grateful and thankful they are that we are giving her daughter opportunities through school. These words that she spoke were from so deep in her heart that it brought tears to our eyes.

There is a quote from an article by Dean Brackley entitled “Meeting the Victims, Falling in Love” that has been ringing so true to me every day we have spent here. We have heard so many testimonies from people that are affected by poverty, those affected by the war, those affected by health issues and more.

The words read, “They feel a little confused –again– like the disorientation of falling in love. In fact, that is what is happening, a kind of falling in love. The earth trembles. My horizon is opening up. I’m on unfamiliar ground, entering a richer, more real world. We all live a bit on the periphery of the deep drama of life, more so, on average, in affluent societies. The reality of the periphery is thin, one-dimensional, “lite,” compared to the multilayered richness of this new world the visitors are entering. In this interchange with a few of its representatives, the anonymous masses of the world’s poor emerge from their cardboard-cutout reality and take on the three-dimensional status of full-fledged human beings.”

This sense of the people coming out of cardboard and becoming human beings is what seems to have been happening for all of us during our time spent here. We have heard about these people and the struggles they go through but when you meet them and hear their stories it becomes so much more real to you. You take a little piece of them home with you in your heart that will stay there forever. This “new world” we have found is something that we will never be able to forget and is something that will hopefully make us even more grateful for all that the good Lord has blessed us with. It is in fact more rich than what we have known before because we get a whole new sense of the importance of relationships, belongings, and our faith. I am so blessed that God called me to this country again and I take comfort knowing that this will not be my last time here.

Alysha Anderson

Our group arrived safely home on Tuesday night, July 30th– and we are all anxious to share more with the Trinity congregation during worship on August 11th.  We’ll also post some more photos.  Thank you for keeping us in your prayers.  It truly was a life changing trip for all of us!    — Jill Cornell—-

Seeds of Hope. As a farmer plants his or her seeds in a field, sponsors plant seeds of animo in children. Farmers monitor the seedling, providing water and fertilizer, while also making sure it receives proper sunlight and air. Sponsors connect with their children, provide economic resources to attend school, pray for safety and success; parents, teachers, and pastors provide advice in hopes that the children maintain important values and are successful. Farmers hope that their seeds grow into a bountiful yield that can be used to nurture others. Sponsors hope that their sponsor children grow into beautiful educated people that can be a blessing to others.

Today, Saturday, we spent our time playing with over 250 kids at Brisas del Valle, one of Pastor Matias’ communities. All of his 5 communities that he pastors came together to celebrate the program Seeds of Hope. The group of 30 Family of Christ members and the 15 Trinity folk had the opportunity to spend the day with these children, sharing in worship, song, pray, laughter, tears, soccer, and sweat.

After an hour of winding through bumpy dirt roads, we arrived to smiling faces. We worshipped, sang, shared words of thanks, and presented skits all together with our Salvadoran brothers and sisters. Our beautiful sister Josefina sang a song of thanks to us that she had written for the delegations to express her thanks for the support because without it her daughter would not be able to attend school. Recent university graduates shared their words of thanks and encouraged the younger kids to continue forward despite the difficulties they face in their daily lives… difficulties that many of us cannot even imagine living in—constant food insecurity, constant fear of the gang violence, constant poverty.

Lunch consisted of chicken sandwiches from Burger King–a true treat that they only eat once a year, when we come to visit, along with chicken, rice, vegetables, and cold drinks. We quickly ate the food so we could continue our fellowship with the adorable Salvadoran children.

The afternoon consisted of taking pictures of every child, giving each of them their letter from their padrinos, along with a backpack and a book. Their faces lit up when they received their gifts, excited to read what their sponsors had written. Meanwhile other kids played soccer and did other various crafts. People were able to talk to their sponsor kids and sponsor kids of their friends. It was a joyous time of fellowship and love as laughter, pictures, and stories were exchanged. Their strength and love shined through as we spent the afternoon together, nurturing the seedlings and seedlings in return, nurturing us.

Our long hot day ended at our hotels, celebrating a birthday of a Family of Christ group member. Tomorrow, Sunday, will be another beautiful day full of worship with the Salvadoran Lutheran Bishop, Medardo Gomez and another sponsorship party, this time with kids from Emaus, Hope House, and Resurrection.

It has truly been a joy to watch the Trinity group grow over this past week, as they come to know our brothers and sisters here in El Salvador. It has been an honor to be their leader and be apart of their time here in El Salvador.

Que Dios les bendiga! Mucho amor!

written by Julie Laven, Family of Christ member, trip leader

My given name is Kassandra, but I’ve always gone by Kassy. Personally, I think I have a pretty good name. Spelling it with a K instead of a C is, in my mind, a bit sassy which just seems to fit. While my teammates from Trinity know me as Kassy, I’ve been introducing myself to most of the Salvadorans as Kassandra due a slight pronunciation problem. You see, when you say Kassy it sounds just like the word casi which means “almost” in Spanish. That isn’t quite the first impression I wanted to make… but sadly, my attempts at introducing myself in Spanish gave exactly that impression, no matter what name I was using.

Speaking a foreign language is far from easy. Sure, I studied Spanish in high school and college, lived in Spain for awhile, and can successfully order food at restaurants, manage public transportation, and write a business plan in Spanish… but I hesitate to say I’m fluent. My relationship with Spanish always seems to be “almost.”

I’m sharing this with you so that you can have a better understanding of my mindset when I was told I would be translating what Bishop Gomez had to say to all of us from Trinity when we met with him on Friday afternoon. First, I laughed… Possibly even resisted a bit, trying to give someone else the “opportunity” to translate for the Bishop.  Before I knew it, I was sitting to the left of Bishop Gomez frantically reminding myself to “Use Usted! Use Usted!” instead of the informal tú form when conjugating my verbs. (I mean, he is the Bishop…)

For the next hour and fifteen minutes (Yes, I was watching the clock…) I translated Bishop Gomez’s story to all of my friends from Trinity, and handled a “quick” Q&A session for the group. Bishop Gomez has been the only Bishop in the El Salvadoran Lutheran Church and is now in his 27^th year of serving as Bishop. In those 27 years the Bishop has survived the Civil War, endured torture and numerous death threats, fought the fight for true justice, and strived to bring the great Kingdom alive in the wonderful lands of El Salvador. His story is remarkable to say the least and any attempt I make to summarize it here on the blog would be insulting… especially when he starts talking about the Subversive Cross… but hey, let’s try it!

The lovely Lori Anderson mentioned the Subversive Cross in an earlier post this week when Christian shared some of the story with us. Let me tell you, hearing it from Bishop Gomez was so much better (Sorry Christian!).

Here’s a play-by-play for you:

The church made the cross and asked its members to write the sins of the people against one another and the world on the front of it. Then as a church they promised to pray for an end to each of the things written on it.

Meanwhile, the guarda nacional was out to get anyone who may be helping the guerillas.

New dictionary comes out and “helping guerillas” now includes praying for peace making churches, and their leaders, like Bishop Gomez a target. 

They came looking for Bishop Gomez at the church…
He wasn’t there.

But they couldn’t go home empty handed so they took the Subversive Cross… and arrested it.

Only they’re the guarda nacional so they interrogated it and tortured it, too.

After spending a few months in Germany, hiding from the guarda, Bishop Gomez returned to El Salvador and with the help of the US Ambassador, the Subversive Cross was released from prison, sent to the President’s house, and then (finally) returned to Bishop Gomez.

Pretty adventurous for a couple pieces of wood… Must have been the power of Holy Spirit, leading it on.

Not only are Bishop Gomez’s stories great but his thoughts on what it means to live out our Christian faith and the wonderful ways in which he leads all of the Lutheran churches in El Salvador to work together and walk along side one another (literally happening with a march on August 6^th!) in their mission, are inspirational.

Really, you need to sit down with him sometime and hear it for yourself. If you want, I’ll help you find a translator, but the Bishop really can speak English (when he wants to) and he understands every word you say… especially if your translation is only casi correct.  

         …Bishop Gomez knows me as Kassy.

Many thanks to Bishop Gomez for meeting with us on Friday afternoon. You are a remarkable man and it was a true blessing to hear your story, pick your brain, and become El Salvadoran Lutherans. We will be praying for you always.

Today was a day filled with love, laughter and the beautiful people!  We spent many hours playing with the school children.  We played a rousing game of softball, sang songs together, did crafts, tossed water balloons and even had our nails painted by the children!  Hugs abounded!  I was deeply moved by the love that radiated from the faces of our fellow brothers and sisters.  The love of Christ knows no boundaries!  I felt Christ’s love from each and every person we encountered. 

One of the highlights for me today was teaching Kevin, a sweet, serious boy how to play a few chords on the guitar.  He was so very eager to learn, and picked it up very quickly.  It was so good to see this solemn boy’s face light up with a smile and a sense of accomplishment after our “mini session.”  I will never forget Kevin, and all the beautiful people of Mission Emaus.  My  cup is full and overflowing!   

Each night we start devotions by sharing our “highs and lows” for the day. On Wednesday, it was unanimous that the high was listening to Christian Chavarria talk about his life. Some of you may recognize his name because he is the one that painted the beautiful, colorful cross Trinity has on our altar.

Christian began his story by saying he is very blessed. He began to tell about the day when the soldiers came into his home, murdered his siblings, and left him to die. He was only four years old. After spending two days fighting off the dogs who were trying to eat his siblings bodies, his parents returned to rescue him. They fled their home and went to a refugee camp where they lived for three years. From ages 7 to 14, Christian and his family did their best to stay alive and continue to live their lives. After his parents continued to receive death threats, it was decided that Christian would be safer in a different country. With the help of global Lutheran church relationships, Christian found himself shivering in northern Sweden, living alone in the tundra without any understanding of the language. Within a year he learned to speak Swedish, and six months later he learned enough English to begin going to school. His mother told him that God would always be his friend and he found comfort in his talks with God. His mother also told him to never ask God why, just ask God “what do you want me to do”? This eventually led him back to El Salvador where he continued painting crosses.

He is now a well-known artist and has painted over 250,000 crosses in over 119 countries and has even presented them to Presidents of numerous countries and the new Pope! He closed his talk by asking, “Now do you know why I am blessed?”

Christian spoke to us in Resurrection Lutheran Church where the Subversive Cross is displayed. The same men that had killed the priests had come to kill Bishop Gomez of Resurrection Church in 1989, but Bishop Gomez had been warned and had fled the country.

Instead the soldiers took the simple white cross that members of the church had written the sins of the country. This cross was later recovered and now hangs as a symbol of hope, love and the transforming power of God in the old and worn church.

Christian’s talk had a huge impact on all of us but that only got us to lunch time. After we went to UCA (University of Central America) where the six Jesuit priests were killed. The tragic story of that day, and many other massacres from the war were shared with us. We toured the museum and saw very graphic pictures of the murdered priests and the memorial garden that now stands where the priests were killed. 

I am learning more than I ever thought on this trip… not only about the history of El Salvador but about its people.  These people have much, much more to give me than I will ever have to give them. I have seen their great faith in God as they have overcome immense tragedies. They are a vision of hope, love, compassion and gratitude that I can only pray some day I will have. Thanks be to God for the people of El Salvador that will remain in my heart forever.

-Lori Anderson

Our first full day in San Salvador was as emotionally difficult and draining as it was moving and eye-opening–these emotions seem to be pretty inseparable on this trip to El Salvador.

 We began our morning with a pancake breakfast at the International Guest House (which I believe was a special meal prepared with our American taste buds in mind) before boarding the microbus, which brought us to San Miguelito. This is perhaps the poorest neighborhood in San Salvador, where homelessness, drugs and violence are at their highest. It is also the location of Casa Esperanza, or the “Hope House”, where we were to spend the first half of our day.

 Casa Esperanza is a place of refuge for those living in the street, offering a hot lunch, sometimes a place to sleep, and the support of people like Maria Trinidad and Helmut Köhler (a Lutheran pastor from Germany who acts as the head of volunteers and speaks only German and Spanish) and his fellow volunteers that keep the project going. As Helmut mentioned in his talk with us, the Casa Esperanza truly lives up to its name–it is a place of hope and refuge for the people of San Miguelito.

 We joined many of the men from Casa Esperanza for a 11:30 church service at the nearby Resurrection Church. On the left side of the church sat the El Salvadorans (a majority of which were men from the Hope House), on the right side sat our group from Trinity, and at the front of the sanctuary stood Helmut and his two assisting volunteers who spoke German, Spanish and English. The sermon, given by Helmut, was being delivered in Spanish, translated into English, and communicated partially in German as the three at the front of the room worked on translating effectively. Being able to understand all or the majority of the three languages being spoken, I had one of those “Aha” moments that you just can’t forget. Though it wasn’t anything I hadn’t heard before, Helmut’s message resonated with me a way not dissimilar to the way the three languages resonated with each other as they shared the room: some of us speak English, or Spanish or German; some of us come from places of wealth and abundant blessings, and some of us are born into extreme poverty and violence; but we are all united under God, who loves us all the same.

 After helping serve lunch to the men at the Hope House and having our own lunch of spaghetti, corn tortillas, avocados and bananas, we visited the Divine Providence church where Monsignor Oscar Romero, El Salvadoran priest and champion of the human rights movement during the civil war, was assassinated in 1980. We heard his story from Sister Bernadette, who had known him personally and whose story spoke volumes, even through her quiet demeanor.

 Some of us wrapped up our afternoon with a quick trip to the mall in San Salvador for books for the sponsored students, while the rest of us opted for a siesta at the hotel, before our dinner at Pollo Campero, which has been referred to as “the KFC of El Salvador.

 All in all, it was another significant and inspiring day for all of us.

Blessings from El Salvador,  Audra White

Before we left for El Salvador, we were all asked to make a list of what we hoped to experience on this trip.

My list included the following:

• Sipping some delicious Salvadoran café
• Becoming BFFs with a handful of beautiful children of God
• Learn at least 10 new words
• See God glorified through our work and in the hearts of the people we met.

I would like to announce to all of you, that my list is done. I can go home now…

Monday marked our last day with the members of San Pablo, and even though I knew we had a week left in El Salvador, as our drivers dropped us off at the hotel in San Salvador and pulled away, I felt as if I should head back to the airport – my time was done. Everything I hoped for on this trip came to life that day.

After a delicious breakfast at Hotel Sahara, where I was able to have three or four cups of delicious café, we made our way into San Pablo.  As we drove out of Santa Ana, up the mountain side, I couldn’t get there fast enough. After experiencing some of the greatest hospitality from those who had so little to give, I was looking forward to a chance to serve the members and community of San Pablo. I wanted to roll-up my sleeves, get my hands dirty, and do some great work for the people who had shown us show great love… and today was going to be that day. As we loaded ourselves and all our water bottles into vans we were told by Pastora Vilma that we would be working on un proyecto (a project). That was it. No details were given. No description of the tasks we would be working on, or an end result. Just a proyecto.

When we pulled up to San Pablo we were greeted by a dozen members of the congregation. Many of them had been at the church since 5 am to begin clearing the water which had flooded the sanctuary the night before. The combination of a leaky roof and the topography of the mountain side sent all the rain water into a puddle at the front of the church which quickly overflowed into the sanctuary. As we talked about the flooding they faced almost daily during the rainy season, our proyecto came to life. We were going to stop a flood.

A part of me was waiting for a guy named Noah and a bunch of animals to come running through the gates to fight back against the rain.  Before we had actual instructions, palas (shovels), picos (pickaxes), and carretillas (wheelbarrows) were being passed around and my goal of learning new words was met.

Personally, I couldn’t have been happier. It felt good to be serving the community of San Pablo in a tangible way. Sure, the heat was a bit oppressive and the rain-soaked dirt we were digging was sticky and heavy but being able to do something to help the people who had poured so much time and energy into making us feel at home seemed like the perfect way to spend a morning. Members from San Pablo and Trinity stood together, chipping away at the edge of the road to dig a ditch like the Seven Dwarfs in Snow White, whistling, singing, and laughing while we worked… and of course, drinking lots of water!

With sweat dripping down our faces, and mud caked on our bodies, all that really seemed to matter was that we were together. When Pastor Brian slipped and scraped his shin, San Pablo members ran to his aid alongside Jill and Jeri. When Marian brought a basket of mamones (a small fruit that tastes like a Sweetart), the Salvadorans showed each of us how to eat it. When someone needed an extra hand, someone else was always at their side. When it was time for lunch, we ate together, sitting side-by-side, swapping slices of pizza, and laughing the entire time. All day long, we were together.

Through a bit of sweat, and sharing stories with one another, two churches from completely different worlds became one… and in that I was able to vividly experience the love of Jesus and see our great God glorified. What I expected to happen in 10 days came to life in 2 when all of us from Trinity became a part of San Pablo’s congregation, and they a part of ours…

Together…

We became one church, fully alive in Christ.

And with that, my time in El Salvador can be done… but it isn’t yet.

I’ll see you all back home in a week or so.

– Kassy Heinrich

Sunday, July 21,

Today was a very important and exciting day.  We attended worship at our sister church at San Pablo. Unlike Trinity which starts on time, San Pablo church starts whenever they are ready.  Today w e started about 45 minutes after we arrived.  Bishop Gomez, Pastor Norma, Pastor Vilma and Pastor Brian conducted the service and were aided by four female leaders of the church, Rosa, Gladys, Terry and Marian.  In addition to the fifteen members from Trinity, there were about 50 El Salvadorians attending.

Making this a special service was the signing of the e Sistership agreement between San Pablo and Trinity, five youth receiving their First Communion, two women being confirmed and the blessing of one of the member’s Habitat house that was completed.  Trinity helped fund the building of this house.  The house was blessed by Bishop Gomez and Pastor Brian by sprinkling water with a tree branch in each room.

Each confirmand was given a pinch of salt reminding them that they are the salt of the earth.  They then ate the salt. All the family went to the altar for the first communion and all of the Pastors laid hands on the boys and girls completing the ceremony.

The church was adorned with white doves and balloons for this special service.  Incense was burned throughout the service.  The service lasted an hour and twenty minutes. Pastor Brian spoke for the group when he told the members of San Pablo how honored we were to participate in their worship service.

 After the service we were served a delicious lunch of fried chicken, rice, potato salad and tortillas and sodas.  The church went all out serving us very graciously. After lunch we gathered in a circle and all of the El Salvadorians introduced themselves and their families, after which each of us introduced ourselves and told briefly of our families.  Each of them repeated many times how happy and grateful they were of our presence.  To show their appreciation they presented us with numerous hand made beautiful gifts which we told them we would proudly display at Trinity.  This was followed by craft making and games with the children.  Some of the adults also enjoyed making necklaces with beads and crosses.  Following this we spent time talking and building relationships.

Another exciting part of the day was the trip back to the hotel in a rain storm on rough and bumpy road. There were detours caused by accidents and rushing waters.   Overall it was a very rewarding day enjoyed by all of the Trinity family.

Dean Wenger and Ron Van Buren

We haven’t been working like dogs, but the travel has been…well, let’s just say 22 hours after leaving our homes, I am writing this note and then, ah…my pillow awaits me! 🙂  The Trinity ensemble of 15 is a mix of young and ….the rest of us. There’s a familial camaraderie and it’s exciting to think we’ll be together for 10 days. The closeness you can feel in a family or family of friends is how I felt when Pastor Vilma, Marian, Terri and Rosa embraced me.  Unbelievable care and warmth from women I’d never met.  In a few hours we’ll gather for breakfast and head off to a day of church in San Pablo including a confirmation, first communion an a signing ceremony with Bishop Gomez commemorating our sistership.

Thank you for your prayers and wonderful send off,  Jeri Lowe

Tomorrow morning, 15 Trinity members leave for El Salvador at 6:30 am for an incredible and life-changing mission trip.   During our trip we will be in community together building relationships with our new sister congregation, San Pablo and spending time with Pastor Vilma Lopez and many of the leaders of the church. We will share your LOVE with each of them.

We then travel to San Salvador and will learn about the history of the Civil War, SERVE  by working alongside our El Salvadoran friends as well as worship together as brothers and sisters in Christ.   And we will SHARE together as we spend time with our Seeds of Hope children learning and playing together and visiting their schools.

We ask you to keep our group in your prayers and we will share as much as we can with you through the blog and Trinity’s facebook.    Bendiciones,   Jill

Today was our last day of service work in Jamaica. Us being the only senior girls on the mission trip, Greta Schmitt, Olivia Hrusovsky, and Sam Hartmann. We were blessed with the opportunity to visit the West Haven, a home to 80+ kids and young adults with developmental and phyiscal disabilities. Our day started with a tour that gave us a shocking first look at the kids and their living situations. We then quickly jumped into our various tasks for the day. The guys went to mix and pour concrete to create a basketball court for the kids to play at, they were rushed to finish before the rain came. We, however, were excited and nervous to help feed the little kids breakfast and begin to meet the other kids at the home. The day went quickly, and by the end of the day we were emotionally exhausted and overstimulated from all the unexpected hugs and hand holding from the day. Later, in our small group, we talked about our favorite moments of the day. Greta talked about the fact that she had the opportunity to participate in an hour long dance party with the kids. Even though it was hard because the kids wouldn’t let go of your hands, but were so happy to be dancing with her and all the other kids in our group. We danced to YMCA and other 80s throwbacks, busting out all the old dance moves. Sam’s explained that there was one little girl named Ashanti who looked to be about 3 years old. However, due to her Cerebal Palsey, she was much older than she looked and was bedridden because her muscles were stiff. When asked, the staff there told Sam that she could pick Ashanti up and bring her outside to get some fresh air. The moment they walked outside, Ashanti let out a tiny giggle as her big brown eyes lit up and the prettiest smile spread across her face. It was impossible to not smile back at her. Olivia’s favorite part of the day was at the very beginning.  We were given the opportunity to feed the “little ones” (some of them were an upwards of 30 but fit that category because they were very low functioning and practically bedridden), but I didn’t think I would do it.  Honestly probably because it made me nervous.  But, because I didnt go work with the guys, a steaming bowl of mush was thrown into my hands without much say from me.  I started feeding a girl in a wheel chair who wouldn’t eat at all.  I think she had three spoonfuls in 25 minutes.  Seeing that I was struggling, one of the home mothers switched me over to feeding a girl who was in a bed.  She was tiny, I could hold her easily, but had almost no control of her musles.  I think Sam talked about her earier.  I sat on her bed, for probably an hour, and fed her two bottles full of mush.  It was amazing. Once I started to get the system figured out, she ate quickly and smiled so much.  It was amazing to experience her appreciation and genuine love as a shared my time with her.  My time feeding Ashanti made me realize how encredibly lucky I was to have loving parents to feed me and not random strangers, as well as making me excited to have a child to feed in the very distant future. It was incredible for all of us to see how happy all of these kids were even though they were in such difficult situations. Our day at West Haven made us realize how blessed we are to have functioning minds and bodies and we all know now that we need to use what we have to better the world.

Throughout these past four days I have experienced a tremendous amount of interactions, which I will never forget. The first day was mainly travel. I woke up at 4:00 a.m. ready for a nice, long rest on the plane. We arrived at Montego Bay around 3-4ish. We all got settled into our rooms and went off to dinner at 5:30. Bed was at 10:00 that night.

Waking up at 6:00a.m. for a 6:30 breakfast is never fun, but I would have to deal with it for the rest of the week. Today, Wednesday, my small group, lead by Chris Gamble would join with Meredith First’s group to paint houses at J’abode. We ended up finishing two whole houses. Walking around the build sites, I noticed everybody’s joy! No matter their situation they say, “Ya Mon!” Also when we saw the houses they lived in, my jaw dropped. One house was about 16×16, and it didn’t have a bathroom. It made me think about how crappy their life situation must be. I went to bed that night appreciating my room which, before the trip, I thought was horrible.

The next day my group was assigned to Clifton Boys House. We arrived there after a long, winding hour car ride. I stumbled out of the van, once there, straight onto the ground. I had a case of car sickness. That did not stop me from building the goat shack assigned to us. After a few hours of work, the boys started a pick up game of soccer. I was happy to join in. Their joy, passion, and determination during the soccer game astounded me. At the end of the game I was completly wet but not with rain. We ate lunch but were bummed out when I looked outside, it was raining. Our day was cut off early due to the rain. We came back to YWAM excited to start a new day of work tomorrow.

Thanks for your prayers, Nick Wiens

Hello everyone! It’s Paulina Gabos. We have been working for the past two days and I don’t think i have had more amazing days than these. Yesterday my group, led by Charlie Allen, left Clifton Home For Boys; I was heartbroken and crying. I had bonded with the boys that live there pretty closely. Seeing the boys light up when we asked to play with them was what made my day. I had been repainting their house, and then the older boys, aged 15-17 took my paint brush and insisted that they should do it. I didn’t mind, but it was crazy to me that they were wanting to help us out. That is when I went inside the house to see all the younger boys. There was a 10 year old boy who looked like he was 6; his name was Sheldon. He was so shy at first, i hardly understood his name after asking 6 or 7 times. Kara who was at the home with us yesterday cracked Sheldon’s shell. I think she fell in love with him just about as much as I did. I talked with him about his family and how he liked living at the boys home. He has been there for about 2 months and hasn’t seen his family yet; typically, the boys see their families on holidays, sometimes. After playing with the boys all day… playing soccer, flying kites, and seeing their animals, it began to pour. (I really just made it seem like we didn’t do any work, but we were either painting the house or building a shelter for the multiple goats they had as well as taking time to play with the boys.) Any-who, as it began pouring, everyone ran under the house, but i ran into the rain with Ellie Kimmes dancing and jumping around. I have never seen rain as beautiful as this. The green mountains and the blue sky was absolutely breathtaking. God created this. I have also never seen rain pour down the way it was. The people shouted “You are going to catch a cold!” but us Minnesotans brave the long cold winters, what is a little rain going to do? After playing out in the rain, Ellie and i joined everyone else under the roof and we looked out to the view and just sat and admired it; the boys were playing, blowing bubbles, jump roping; everyone was smiling. I began to tear up. Sheldon rested his head on me as i tickled his back. I asked if he missed him family, he said yes. I began to pray. I was thinking about my family back home… and my dad at some other working site; my family has and will always be right by my side, no matter what life throws at me. I know i have stressed them out at some point or made them upset with me, but i will ALWAYS have them, at times they will only be a phone call away. These boys don’t have that opportunity, always. I have definitely taken my family for granted and i know when i come back home i am waiting to give my mom and brothers the biggest hugs possible, i already did so to my dad, and i will continue to. God has blessed me with the most amazing, supportive family i could ever ask for, i dont know where i would be without them. Definitely not Jamaica. I will be praying, and i ask you to pray for the sweet boys at Clifton. God has created this beautiful world for us to live in and it has beautiful views. He has blessed us with loving families. Rain and storms are not such scary things, for god is always watching over us. I am SO blessed to have experienced something so life changing already. I cannot wait to see my family to tell them how much i love them. And i cannot wait to see what the rest of this mission trip has in store for each and everyone on it.

Jared and one of the boys at Westhaven, the home for children with disabilities.

Charlie and Ellen’s group after a full day of service and play with the adorable kids at Clifton Home, an orphanage for boys ages 10 – 18.

Hard at work, helping in the kitchen

These are some guys ready to serve.

Our TLC youth are sure answering their call to love.

We’re having some internet issues but wanted to be able to share some of these great pictures with you! We’ve got three more full days of service work left before we get to play. =) Thank you for your continued prayers.

Jesus said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” Luke 10:2

Breakfast was served this morning at 6:30 and we were on the road to our work sites by 8. Painting, mowing, playing with and interacting with kids were just some of the things we experienced as a group. Oh, and I should mention that we’re all sweating A LOT. And don’t worry, we’re all drinking a lot of water!!! We got back in time for a swim to cool off before dinner and now small groups are meeting to process the day’s activities.

I went with a group to WestHaven Children’s Home, for children with developmental disabilities. I am so proud of the Trinity youth who interacted enthusiastically and naturally with the kids and who, under the direction of John T and Chris L completed several projects including lots of painting and some bathroom tile work. These kids are working hard, engaging and having fun! I think they are also feeling very grateful to be able to participate in this amazing experience.

Thank you for your prayers! Pastor Carrie

This morning started for most of us at around 3 am. We met at MSP at 4:45, checked in (which took a looooong time) and made it to our plane with only minutes to spare. We arrived in Montego Bay right on time and Jeff, our gracious host met us at the airport, and we were on our way. Tonight after a dinner of fish and rice, we played a little and now we’re off to devotions and small group time and then to bed.

Thank you for your prayers! We are grateful for this opportunity to serve in Jamaica

Tomorrow is the day!!!!

At 4:45 in the morning, 43 high school youth and 11 adults will meet at the MSP Airport and board a plane for Montego Bay, Jamaica! We’re prepared for the hot weather and humidity, the Jamaican jerk chicken, and an afternoon on a catamaran, but can we really be prepared for the ways in which we will be changed? Working with Mission Jamaica gives us an opportunity to be connected to a ministry that goes on throughout the year. Visit Mission Jamaica’s website here to learn more about this incredible organization.

Our devotional theme for the week is “Love, Share, Serve”. As our devotionals say, “You get to travel down to Jamaica to love people who are both old and new. You get to share this incredible experience with friends and new friends will share with you their life perspective. You have carved out time in your busy schedule to humble yourself to serve others. This might take the form of painting or maybe just helping remind someone to drink plenty of water. Regardless, thanks be to God for this opportunity to love, share and serve.”

We will try to post updates here about our experience and even have the HS youth share some anecdotes about the people we encounter along the way. Thank you for joining us on this virtual journey. We appreciate your prayers and your support!

Jamaica… HERE WE COME!!!

The following is our final blog entry from several members of the group including a final relection from trip leaders, Jerry Paulson and Susie Eastman.  We look forward to sharing more about our trip with our Trinity family this Sunday, April 14 during both worship services.  Thank you for your prayers and support!

“CONNECTION WITH THEIR REALITY”                                                                                      Written by Terry Morse

Shortly after our arrival in El Salvador it was mentioned that one of the givens of our visit there would be the “connection with their reality”. We truly did connect, with the families and neighbors at the build sites, and with the many associates of Habitat El Salvador.

Near the end of our week, many of the team openly discussed what it would be like to invite our new friends into our homes. The common conclusion was…it would be embarrassing, beyond our ability to envision. We are returning home to the “comforts”, which includes all of our wasting and wanting. Visitors to our homes would surely find a “connection with OUR reality”. While we cannot go back in time and change who we have been, we can impact who we are to become. Taking our hands and voices into their communities is so important, and is destined to continue and grow. While our lifestyles are also destined to remain similar, we have the ability to significantly grow our outreach gifting at the same time.

My hope is that our connection moves us to support the Habitat efforts by financing at least one new home in 2014. My next trip to El Salvador may be for our Seeds of Hope connection, but I am hopeful Trinity will take another step toward who we are to become, by sponsoring the building of one home for one special family we may one day meet. Blessings

Written by Patrick Codute                                                                                                          

When I was in El Salvador, doing work on our mission trip, this music started playing out of nowhere. It was coming from the house next door to the house we were working on. A kid named Walter came walking out and greeted us. He started helping us and after talking with him, we found out that Walter was 13 years old. He came over every single day to help us without asking. He was a hard worker. The moral of the story is he would just take a little time out of his day and come help his neighbor. He never got anything out of it but it motivated me to help out more even if you don’t gain anything from it.

Reflections and Re-Entry                                                                                                         Written by Jerry Paulson and Susie Eastman

“From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.”           Arthur Ashe

First of all, we want to thank the 22 dedicated volunteers who traveled with us last week. Their willing hearts, hands, and feet helped make it an especially rewarding week for us. And part of that reward was spending time with this high energy multi-generational Trinity group, and getting to know each of them better. We are also grateful for an experienced and helpful Habitat for Humanity staff in El Salvador who arranged for our lodging, food, transportation, translations, and occasional special requests.

For those who have read the previous blog entries, you know our week was filled with interesting people, unique events, much discussion, and many changed lives. Now, it seems, we are all looking back, reflecting, thinking about those people we met, and wondering if and how we can stay connected and service minded.

On Tuesday morning, we visited two communities where previous Trinity Thrivent Builds teams had built in 2011 and 2012. Those of us who had been a part of those teams were able to connect the past with the present — homes which were in construction then, and which are now completed and occupied. Those who had not been part of those teams were able to observe the shared laughter, tears and hugs, and visualize what it might be like to someday return.

During a long layover at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport on our return trip, part of the time was spent in our final small group discussions where we concentrated on the question:

When we get home, how will you answer the question, “How was El Salvador?” Most people only want to hear a one minute response. Not a detailed narration of all the ways in which our lives were changed. We took a moment to talk about and write down what memories we might share with people to tell the story of El Salvador with friends and family.

Some of the comments generated by this question centered around families, some around the communities, and some around the worship services we experienced. Now we’ve had a few days to practice these “elevator speeches”, and they are evolving. Each day and each conversation leads to a slightly different view of the past week. It seems this will continue. Each day seems to bring back a different memory of what now seems like a very short time in El Salvador.

On behalf of Trinity Lutheran Church, it was an honor and privilege for us to lead the 1st Habitat Thrivent Builds multigenerational spring break team. We know there will be many Trinity members and families who commit to serve each spring for years to come. We hope it will be you!

We are a little behind on posting blogs from our trip due to no internet service for a few days.   Below is the entry from Maundy Thursday and we will post one final blog from the trip this week.

Written by Julie Wiens

Today is Maundy Thursday, the beginning of Jesus’ most difficult days, which ultimately led to His most triumphant one – Easter. Our team of 24 from Trinity chose to do a mission trip here in lieu of the traditional spring break — which happened to coincide with Holy week – and surprising things happened to our hearts as a result.

Today we are on day 6 of our trip and day 4 of our Habitat build.  Several of us (mostly the guys) woke up in El Salvador to a roof top sunrise experience at 5:50 am. Yes, it was early but it was worth the view.

We then continued our day with breakfast of fresh fruit and juice, omelets to order and pancakes. As usual we are well nourished and ready to head out to the build sites.  We headed to the Habitat sites in our vans and quite honestly, we are all now at a point where we are comfortable with the severe poverty all around us. The sights of the dilapidated buildings, garbage and debris, dust clouds, sounds of roosters crowing, and the constant smell of burning, not to mention the scorching heat here are normal to us now but are anything but normal to us at home in the USA.  As the vans approach the site the children run towards us. We are welcomed in hugs and kisses and more hugs and more kisses. Words cannot describe the sights, sounds, feelings and emotions experienced in this place, El Salvador. After breaking into our subgroups at the site, several of us are assigned to a shopping trip in town to pick up supplies and donations. I am one of the lucky ones chosen to hit the mall!  It was a short trip and to our surprise we step into a clean, very nice mall very similar to ours with a Radio shack and many additional stores we are tempted to explore. (Okay it’s not MOA- but we are in El Salvador!) We quickly made our necessary stops to the Super Selecto grocery market, the photo shop, a sporting goods store, and finally the Christian bookstore for bibles in Spanish to give to San Pablo Church.  The best part of the mall trip was using the new bathrooms with Dyson hand dryers. The strangest was hearing Barry White and other American pop music piped throughout the mall. Feeling like we just wasted two hours of precious time, we rushed back to the job site and got to our serious work, building! The work today is on three different build sites doing heavy labor work -as much as one can do- to help this 7 week process along until the Habitat family receives their brand new home. We hope and pray our building efforts keep them safe and dry in bad weather, a concern for all living in this community.

Habitat director “Ana Marie” hosted a dinner party at her “Casa” to show us her appreciation for our efforts. After a hard work day it felt great to sit down and have conversation with our whole group and share our stories from the sites. We also learned more about the culture from our new Salvadoran friends.  I personally enjoyed the incredible food- shrimp paella- with a glass of wine. We were all sat at a table in a veranda type room with a wonderful warm breeze. Each of us was recognized personally with a ceremony & certificate and a cool Habitat shirt.  It seemed the food went on and on and on… then a loud Mariachi band made a surprise entrance and got us all up dancing-we even did a congo line! It was so fun – and so unexpected!

There is something about this place that captures & warms the soul. Even though the people we have been working with in Labato live in poverty they are incredibly rich in spirit! No one will ever understand how this changes a person unless you take the leap! I highly recommend this trip to anyone. As the saying goes “The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Gandhi

Written by Nick Wiens:

Today I woke up at the usual 6:30 to the sounds of Ethan Larson’s IPod playing Girls on Fire. I got out of bed as if I were glued to the covers, and then took a moderately cold shower. Ethan and I then headed to the dining hall to have breakfast. My usual eggs, pancakes, and juice were waiting for me at the buffet of food, ready to prepare myself for the full day of work I had ahead. At 7:30 we loaded the vans for the work site. After the 15 minute ride, I unloaded and instantly felt the wave of heat sink through my skin. It was an astounding 94 degrees out! Our task was to put the rebar into the trenches and attach poles sticking up to give support to the concrete. It definitely was a lazier day judging by the amount of sweat I produced. After lunch, we ran out of jobs to do, so I volunteered to go to the other group’s house down the road. Once I arrived, I grabbed a paint brush and went straight to work, but unfortunately I began to get a headache, cough, and became slightly dizzy. I summoned up all the energy I had and finished the work day strong. After working, the leader for Habitat of El Salvador invited us to her house for dinner. We had a lovely meal of shrimp, rice, chicken, chips, and other foods, then out of nowhere a blaring sound burst out from behind me. A mariachi band came out of the background and everyone stood up and danced. The day was coming to an end, so we said our goodbyes and left the house. When we got back to the hotel around 10:30 p.m., we were told we needed to make gift baskets for all the kids. We formed an assembly line and got it done. I was happy to crawl into bed at 11:00 and close my eyes.

Wednesday began much like it had all week – we convened in the hotel for a substantial breakfast, bottomless cups of coffee and plenty of interesting conversation. We soon arrived at our work sites to the warm smiling embraces of our Habitat families. After a very productive day of home construction and relationship building, the team did their best to clean up and head to the local church.

Then the day turned truly amazing! We were invited to our sister church San Pablo for a “Last Supper” celebration and a special surprise.  We walked from our building sites along a dirt road, lined with a mixture of Habitat built homes and shacks housing families.  We came to a blue rusted, metal double door leading into a church very different from our own.  A leaky tin roof, plastic chairs borrowed from the matron of the church’s home served as pews, and lacking of windows with a view, filled us with gratitude for the church we call home. But just like Trinity, a wooden cross was at the center of our worship. Behind San Pablo’s simple altar stood a colorful mosaic cross reminding us what is important to our worship.  No matter the church’s décor, grand to simple, stain glass to no windows, it is Christ’s presence that gives it beauty.

The Last Supper as we shared it with San Pablo Church.

The physical structure, or lack thereof, quickly became immaterial as the warmth of the congregation welcomed us.  We started worship in song, with the congregation sharing their scant few hymnals with us (no more than 10). You couldn’t help but think we have that many in first pew alone at Trinity. Though most of us can’t speak Spanish (or carry a tune), congregation members readily shared their hymnals, pointing to the words we were singing.  It was a lovely gesture, which immediately drew everyone closer together, despite the hot conditions.

Pastor Vilma proceeded with a few readings, which we were able to understand through the help of our translator Luis.  She continued to tell us we were “humble like Christ” as we served San Pablo’s community. Then to our surprise, Pastor Vilma declared that “like Christ, to lead you must serve” and announced that she, along with her fellow congregation leaders, would wash our feet as was done at the Last Supper. Jill Cornell was also invited, as a leader of Trinity, to join in this gesture of humility. This was an extremely powerful experience, bringing tears to everyone’s eyes.

After the celebration, San Pablo’s congregation (including our Habitat families) served a delicious meal comprised of local traditional fare. It was clear that these people had worked tirelessly to prepare our meal, and to ensure a special event. Warmth and graciousness radiated throughout the church. There were many heartfelt speeches delivered, and then Jill presented a gift from Trinity – a beautiful mosaic cross lovingly crafted by Jill and Pastor Carrie. The growing bond between our churches was on full display today under the hot El Salvador sunshine.

Just as Christ gave thanks and offered his blood through the cup, and his body through the bread, everyone shared a piece of themselves showing their love for each other.  From the grandmother who hand wrapped and tied the tamales for the twenty-four of us and the congregation to the cross Jill presented to Pastor Vilma, Christ’s love was everywhere.

The Holy Week Processional we witnessed outside our hotel.

Following our final adios, mucho gusto and hug, the Habitat vans delivered us safely back at the hotel. While waiting for dinner to be served, another surprise appeared. We learned about a Holy Week parade making its way through the heart of downtown Santa Ana, and quickly darted to the street. To our astonishment a full blown parade complete with candle bearers, floats, Ministers and hundreds of local faithful made its way toward our street corner. As they passed, religious songs and rosary chanting (in Spanish) echoed throughout the streets. It was a deeply spiritual and joyous event, one which none of us expected.

We openly shared the day’s experiences and devotions later in the evening. It was clear to everyone that today was special and how truly moving it was for the entire group. We were particularly proud of how the children / young adults responded, and how they have visibly grown in their faith before our very eyes. God continues to amaze us all!

Vicki and Jeff Brink

Visiting family from 2011 build.

Day 2 written by Resa Larson

Waiting Two Years for This Day!

The day started with much excitement because we were going to meet families that we have longed to see for two years.  A group of Trinity members volunteered to build homes for families two years ago in the community of Los Buenos near Ahuachapán, El Salvador and they became our families. For two years our hearts have ached to be reunited with these gracious, wonderful people. Our journey to the community was finally underway and as we neared the road to Los Buenos our emotions overtook us as we anticipated seeing the families again. We walked down the path that resembled a jungle to see the beautiful community that we were able to help build. I was concerned that some members of our team that hadn’t been involved in a Thrivent Build would not want to share this experience. Our concern was put to rest when they felt the excitement reconnecting with the families and everyone embraced the moment.  Many tears were shed and hugs were plentiful as we were able to reunite with the people that stole our hearts. We knew our time with them would be short but waiting two years for this moment was well worth the hour we were able to spend together. We longed to see the smiles, feel the hugs and see the children that continue to grow into happy, well mannered children that melt your hearts with their smiles. It’s difficult to put into words the strong connection you can make with these people and how your heart aches to know that it might be several years before we will be together again but we know God made it possible for the Trinity Thrivent Builds team to help not only build homes but more importantly build strong relationships. Some of our group talked about our decision to take our families on a Spring Break to build homes and build lives verses other types of vacations and we know without a doubt that this was the experience of a lifetime that will forever change all of our lives. We don’t know what the next few years will bring but we do know that waiting two years for this day was well worth the wait!

A little reflection on Day 1 at the work site, written by Amie Tunheim.

Clearly I’m a college student because a 6:30 am breakfast seemed anything but welcome this morning. Grudgingly, I summoned the courage to pull myself out of bed, dress myself accordingly for a hard day’s work of physical labor, and trudge down the stairs to breakfast. What initially felt like a chore quickly became a delicious meal comprised of omelets, local fruit, and outstanding coffee. The level of excitement from the group leaders was contagious. I couldn’t wait get this day started!

We drove a short twenty minutes outside of Santa Ana to a small, rural pueblo surrounded by mountains. I was initially shocked to find most of the houses that lined the road to be comprised of slabs of aluminum, rickety wood, and to round off the ensemble – fences made of bedsprings. This really set the tone for the rest of the day. The Salvadoreños needed our help. We split into two groups. One, consisting almost entirely of men, was sent to a site to construct the foundation of a house. The other, almost entirely women, was sent to continue the construction of two other houses. We shortly arrived on these three sites, to be immediately greeted by the residents of the homes. Their outpouring of love towards these blonde, blue eyed foreigners whom they had never met was empowering to witness. My six years of high school and college Spanish has really come in handy on this trip, as these people literally knew no English. The house leaders immediately delegated us tasks, which ranged from sanding the rough interior walls of the house, to sifting sand to make cement, and to beginning the foundation of the roof. Despite the early hour (8 am, I believe!), all of us quickly found ourselves sweating. A lot.

From this point on, the sweating inevitably became worse. But once we breached the unacceptable level of sweating, all cares for hygiene were forgotten and we were able to really focus on our purpose for being there. We were able to interact with the owners of the houses throughout our time there. These people were unrelenting with their kindness towards us all day. I personally moved from an almost completed home to the foundation site with all the men, for need of another translator. Everyone worked incredibly hard all day despite the heat, humidity, and primitive bathroom facilities. I am very proud to be a member of this hard working group of families from Trinity.

Some of the girls who have stolen a piece of our hearts… as well as borrowed our sunglasses…=)

At 4 pm, we were dismissed from work and convened as a whole group. Due to complications in our transportation back to the hotel, we were delayed by an hour. For a brief moment, I was frustrated that I couldn’t immediately wipe the sweat, grime, and dirt that coated by body; but it was soon revealed that this was God’s blessing in disguise for us in El Salvador. We were able to spend more time with these families for whom we were building, and I feel very blessed for these people coming into my life. Their unyielding trust and faith in God is truly inspirational, and I hope to one day be half as spiritual as these people who have so little compared to us, yet live their lives so faithfully. The cross-cultural connections we made with these kind people today will never be forgotten. The best part is that it’s only the first day! I absolutely cannot wait to return to these sites tomorrow to further foster these relationships and burn off all the papusa calories I’ve been devouring all week. Buenas noches!

This morning we split the group up in order to accommodate two extremely gracious El Salvadoran hosts! Half of the group went to Resurrection Lutheran in San Salvador where they were able to each meet their sponsor children. The other half went up to Santa Ana and worshiped at Cristo Rey Lutheran with many of the families for whom we will build. Because of the division… we’ve got a two part blog today! Half written by Emma Eastman, the other half by Margaux Brink.

Emma: Today my group went to the Resurrection church. There we met our sponsor children. Mine was named Jennifer! She is intelligent, kind, and simply lovely! It was amazing to finally meet her.

All the Resurrection worshippers with their sponsor children and families. Such a joy to walk along side these amazing people in their journey!

After meeting our sponsor child we walked around the church and sat down for the sermon. After the service and our final picture with our children, we met in the pastor’s office for a thoughtful discussion. He spoke with us about El Salvador and the issues with the environment. It was truly a blessing to meet the amazing people at the church! I can’t wait to see them again!

Margaux: Our group went to Cristo Rey church for Palm Sunday. It was such a cool experience! The bus ride was about an hour and a half to get there, and once we got there, we had to use the restroom. The only problem was, the restroom at the church was locked and there was no key. We had to drive back into town and find a gas station. This made late for the service and the people of the church held the service just for us. Immediately the members of the church welcomed us. We received palms as we walked in and many of them offered for us to sit among their families. After a beautiful sermon given in the heat, we headed outside for lunch. All of us talked among the members and we had a delicious lunch! Following lunch we had to push a Habitat for Humanity van out of a ditch that was stuck. We all got it out and it was amazing to see how happy the people were to help us. They kept telling us how nice it was to meet us and how we are angels sent from God to help them. I feel very blessed to have this opportunity to change these lives!

We’ve made it safely to El Salvador! We’re settled in to our home for the evening before we get up bright and early for worship at Resurrection Lutheran! Can’t wait to get this adventure started!

Roxanna and Ernesto

Trinity sent our first group to El Salvador in the summer of 2011, searching for a congregational partnership. What we found was so much more.

On Saturday, March 23rd, a group of 24 anxious travelers are leaving for their first, second, or even third trip to El Salvador. We will experience Holy Week in El Salvador and truly walk along side our brothers and sisters in Christ as we journey together towards the cross. We hope to visit the homes we built in 2011 and 2012 and visit the families who now receive shelter from the harsh sun and rains. People like Roxanna and Ernesto touched our hearts as we worked together to build their home. What joy to know that we have given them that gift!

As we board the plane our luggage is filled with donations, and servant hearts abound as families give their spring breaks to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world. We hope you will journey with us! And we appreciate your prayers.

“To be is to be related, not to be related is simply not to be.” – African Proverb