It's a girl!

The last few weeks have been pretty busy around here at East Fork Mission.  On March 24th we hosted the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Choir who sang at East Fork School to a crowd of over 450 people.  That night the choir stayed in the old dormitory next to the church and then continued on their tour heading to Prescott in the morning.
On March 29 over 130 ladies from all over Arizona and even Texas and New Mexico attended an LWMS rally at East Fork Mission.  The worship service began at East Fork Lutheran Church.  The rally featured presentations by Rev. William Kessel on Apache culture and Ruth Tainatongo spoke about her time here as a teacher for the past 26 years.  The ladies from various reservation congregations cooked a fry bread and beans meal for all who attended.
Last week was also very busy for my family as we were waiting for the arrival of our fourth child.  The due date was going to be the 12th but Clara See-Yun Parsons decided to come a week early very early in the morning of April 5th.  Clara and her mother came home from the hospital yesterday and Clara and the rest of the family are adjusting to life with a newborn.  Her older sister and two brothers have had mixed emotions about their new little sister.
But what a great blessing to have new baby and a family that loves her unconditionally in spite of the late nights, the messy diapers, and how fragile and helpless newborns really are.  And what a great blessing we all have that our heavenly Father loved us unconditionally in spite of how much we scream against him, how much of a mess we make of our lives, and how utterly helpless we really are.  So great was his love for us that he would send the thing he loved the most, his own dear Son, to suffer and die for us.  If only we as parents, as brothers and sisters, could love like that.

Seminary Chorus to Visit

The Seminary Chorus, a 50-voice choir composed of young men studying for the pastoral ministry at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, WI, will present a sacred concert at East Fork Lutheran School on March 24th, at 7:00 PM.  The choir presents hymns and anthems in traditional and contemporary styles, accompanied by a variety of musical instruments and includes congregation participation. Besides presenting concerts in Wisconsin congregations, the Chorus will also appear at WELS churches in Arizona, Texas, Nevada, and New Mexico during its 2014 spring tour.

The Seminary Chorus is directed by Prof. James Tiefel and has toured throughout the country in its 82-year history. Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, located in suburban Milwaukee, Wis., prepares pastors for the worldwide mission of WELS. WELS is the third largest Lutheran church body in the U.S. with about 1,300 churches in 49 states and 390,000 members. Headquartered in Waukesha, Wis., it carries out mission work in 23 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.wels.net.

A Year of Growth

Last week I had opportunity to attend a Pastoral Institute in Glendale with a number of fellow WELS pastors to study the book of Philippians in the original Greek.  It was great to be surrounded by my brothers in the ministry and to continue my own personal growth and study of God's Word.  While the institute was only a day and a half, the important and valuable ministry and study advice I received from those in attendance will last a lifetime.
This year also has been one of tremendous growth for the congregations of East Fork and Canyon Day as we've had a number of new faces in church.  Attendance increased at both churches and we have our largest number of students enrolled in Bible Information and Confirmation Classes.  It has been exciting to lead people through God's plan of salvation and the main teachings of our Christian faith.

Happy New Year!

As we enter into a new year we look forward to serving God's people in the Apachelands of Arizona with the gospel message.  It's that message that makes all the difference in the lives of every person on earth.  Lives that can be so unfulfilling, depressing, and meaningless without the truth of God's amazing love and mercy.  That thought has really hit home these past few weeks with a number of our brothers and sisters who have completed their journey of faith here on earth and are now standing before the throne of their Almighty Savior.  With the confidence of Job we can say "I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!"