Merry Christmas!

We hope that you have a very Merry Christmas as you prepare your hearts and minds to celebrate the birthday of our Savior.  Let everyone know that the real present of Christmas is not found under a tree but was hanging on a tree to die for the sins of you and me.  The present of our Savior and his life, death, and resurrection is what Christmas is all about.  Help people to put Christ back in Christmas and in their lives each day.

Forever With The Lord

Dear East Fork family,

Last evening, our 1st & 2nd grade teacher, Miss Laura Clark, was called home to heaven. She was at her parent's home recovering from the blood infection that had kept her out of the classroom for the last few weeks when she suffered a heart attack. We know very few details at this time.

It is with sadness at losing a dedicated colleague, but with joy in the knowledge that she is with her Savior, that I write to you.

It is our plan to have school as usual to keep our students' lives as normal as possible during this time. It is for times such as this that our school exists. We want all children and families to know about the Savior that Miss Clark told her students about every day; the Savior who will one day take all believers to be with Him in heaven, where there will be no more sickness, pain, or sadness.

We will keep you informed about funeral arrangements when we are made aware of them.

"Brothers and Sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope." 1 Thessalonians 4:13

God's peace be with you,
The East Fork Lutheran School Staff

Eve of Annual Hike

Each year a number of pastors, teachers, and friends go with me on my annual hike up Mt. Baldy.  Mt. Baldy is the second tallest mountain in Arizona reaching 11,400 feet.  The trek from the East side is around 17.5 miles.  The views are spectacular as you ascend through thick forests of pine as aspen.  This year we're going to try doing the super loop again but do the loop in reverse.  It should eliminate the need for hiking uphill at the very end as our route has done in the past.
This week, I returned the call to serve two congregations in southern Arizona.  I pray that God will find the right man to be shepherd of these two churches.

Happy Labor Day

Happy Labor Day!  While many people are taking the day off, I figured I'd spend a few hours working ahead for the week.  Last week we took a couple days off to camping at Big Lake with Pastor Langebartels from Bylas.  We all had a great time in spite of the rain.
This week, the teachers are heading down to Phoenix for more CORE curriculum training so we don't have school on Monday or Tuesday this week.  It works out perfectly as I have an orientation class to attend on Tuesday in Show Low.  I need this class because I started taking an Abnormal Psychology class at the local community college.  I've enjoyed getting back into a classroom to study and learn.  I've always liked the subject of Psychology and know that it will help me in my counseling and ministry.
The other news for the week is that I received a divine call to serve the dual parish in Sahuarita and Benson, Arizona.  I received the call last Wednesday and since then I've spent many hours in prayer and deliberation.

School Start

The 2013-2014 school year is in full swing at East Fork Lutheran School.  We have about 75 students this year enrolled in K-8.  Our opening service was held last week with Pastor Joel Sutton speaking about the theme of the year from Philippians 1:3-6 "Joy is in the Journey".  We pray that God would bless our students and teachers as we bring the truth of God's Word through East Fork School to a new generation of students.  This year marks the 102nd year East Fork School has been open on the White Mountain Apache Reservation.

1st Annual Lutheran Women's Conference

Our first annual Lutheran Women's Conference at East Fork Mission has been a huge success.  We have had over 70 women from the six Lutheran churches of the White Mountain Apache Reservation attend the three evening event at East Fork Lutheran School.  Each night the women have been gathering for about two hours to spend time together under this year's theme of Courageous, Compassionate, and Committed.  Each night the women begin with fellowship and snacks and tonight they are planning a big closing potluck meal.
The women also have had devotions, Bible studies, crafts, and physical activities.  Below are pictures of Zumba Dance instruction that got all but a few of the women up and moving around.  Tuesday night many of the women joined together to play volleyball and tonight they will enjoy learning some Country Line Dancing.

The Monsoons Are Here

For the past week we have been receiving rain almost every day.  The grass and plants around the mission are in full bloom after not having rain for a couple of months.  We give thanks to God for the monsoon season that comes every summer to make the White Mountains green and lush for at least a few months of the year.
We're gearing up for our vacation in a couple of weeks, so I have been feverishness preparing bulletins and sermons for the next couple of weeks as well as for the weeks after I return.  I've also been working on some more projects around the mission and my home to get ready for the school year.  Today René, Darrell Dobberpuhl, Ella, Ben, Owen, and myself cleaned out the computer lab so that René can set up her art classroom there.  She will be volunteer teaching at East Fork again this year.

Never a Dull Moment

There is always something a bit unusual or exciting happening at the mission.  Today we had a flight for life helicopter land in the school parking lot.  Someone was injured and needed to fly out.  While the helicopter was flying in you could see a new fire that had started around Firebox Canyon about four miles East of the mission.  There are already huge aircraft tankers flying over that fire.  So never a dull moment.

Happy 4th of July

It's hard to believe that summer break is already half over.  Many of our teachers and staff have left for vacation, so the few of us that are left are holding down the "fort".
The teen group from Wisconsin Lutheran High School flew back home last week after spending the week in Arizona.  They worked around the mission moving mulch on our playground.  They also helped with a basketball camp before heading to Springerville to canvass there.  They had an eventful trip.  The week they arrived was one of the hottest weeks for June that I can remember.  It was around 100 most days.  Then when they went to Springerville, one of their chaperones was bit by a pit bull and had to go to the hospital for a few hours.  The other chaperone also got sick during their stay, so I'm sure they will have some memories of this trip for years to come.
I am using the break to catch up on some repairs around the church that have been sitting for a while now.  The bathroom that we installed four years ago at East Fork Church had been getting clogged on a regular basis.  I finally tackled that project today and found a pencil lodged in the piping.  Once the pencil was free the restroom was back in service.
In the past week I've also been working on some computers to use for providing hymns during the summer months when we don't have an organist.  The computer we were using at Canyon Day still had Windows 95 installed on it.  I've "upgraded" with slightly newer used computers at both churches to Windows XP.  This past Sunday we used them for the first time and they worked great.  We still need to find a better PA system/amplifier for Canyon Day but we're going to make due for now.
On a side note: In working with Windows again, I realized how much I like my Mac.  I also worked with Windows 7 for the first time this week and also Windows 8 which I really couldn't understand after so many years away from Windows products.
We were saddened to hear of the 19 wild land firefighters that lost their lives battling a blaze north of Phoenix.  We offer up our prayers for their families and all those who have lost homes from this fire.  It has been an incredibly dry and hot summer here and we give thanks to the brave men and women who fight the forest fires around here and the United States.  We had a 800 acre forest fire burning about four miles east of the mission last week.  But that fire was contained and today it finally rained again.  We give thanks to God for the monsoon rains that seem to be upon us.

EF VBS

Our Vacation Bible School at East Fork Lutheran Mission was a huge success again this year.  We had on average 115 students attending our four day long VBS program.  We had about 45 volunteers from Texas and the reservation helping out with the program.  The teen groups from Austin and Plano, Texas did a wonderful job again sharing God's Word with the children that attended.  While the groups were here they also had some fun with a 5K Run/Walk near the mission grounds, a water gun fight, and their annual hike up Cibecue Creek at the bottom of the Salt River Canyon.  This week another teen group from Wisconsin Lutheran High School will be helping around the mission as well as working in Springerville/Eager with canvassing those communities.

EF Church Remodel Project

I've been meaning to post some pictures of one of the final stages of the East Fork Lutheran Church remodeling project.  This is the completed look of East Fork Church after the knotty pine was installed in the original half of the church.  It covered up the old compressed corn husk paneling that was falling apart and did not match the rest of the building.

Before and after pictures

Summer VBS

Our Summer Vacation Bible School program begins next week.  The teens from Holy Word Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas will arrive on Saturday night and will get to work setting up for VBS on Sunday afternoon.

School's Out For Summer

On Friday, May 24th, 2013 we celebrated our last day of school for the year at East Fork Lutheran School.  This year we had only two graduates from the 8th grade but the year was a tremendous success.  In the weeks prior to the end of school the 5th-8th grade made a special trip to Tucson for the day to visit the Titan II Missile Silo and the Pima Air and Space Museum.  The lower grades made a special trip to Phoenix to visit a museum as well.  The year was capped off on Friday by a trip to the Show Low Swimming Pool.
Even though it's summer, there's a lot going on around East Fork Mission.  June 8th-15th a group of teens and adults from Holy Word Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas will arrive at the mission to help conduct a four day long VBS at EFLS.  The week after they leave another group from Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Milwaukee will be on campus to help with minor projects and a basketball camp at EFLS.  They also plan to help canvass for Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Taylor as they are starting a preschool and grade school this fall in Taylor.
The summer is a chance for all the staff to get caught up on some much needed rest and take some time to visit family and friends scattered in some cases around the world.  My family will be heading to Saginaw, MI in July for a wedding and we'll get a chance to visit with family at the wedding and on our return trip through Colorado.