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.

Christmas Celebrations

Christmas celebrations were a huge success this year at East Fork and Canyon Day missions:

1. On December 21st, East Fork School held their annual school Christmas program held in the East Fork gymnasium.  
2. A wedding was held on December 22nd at Canyon Day Lutheran Church
3. Regular Sunday services were held at Canyon Day and East Fork with Pastor Daniel Rautenberg as guest preacher.
4. Christmas Eve Sunday School Christmas Program was held at East Fork Church on December 24th.  The service included a host of songs and readings as well as acting by the Sunday School students to retell the story of God's salvation from the Garden of Eden to the manger in Bethlehem.
1. Following the service the toys from Toys for Tots were distributed to every child in attendance.
5. Christmas Day service was held on December 25th at East Fork Church.  Pastor Parsons preached on Isaiah 52:7-10 with the theme "What do mountains, feet, and walls, have to do with the Christmas story?"
1. Following the service the toys from Toys for Tots were distributed to every child in attendance.

Altar area at East Fork Church complete with manger, shade house stable, and animals.  The service hymns and readings were all projected onto the screen during the service as only the spotlights in front were on during the service.





 Children's Christmas Eve Program at East Fork Lutheran Church 2012

 Children's Christmas Eve Program

 Ben, Owen, and Ella Parsons enjoying the manger animals from the Children's Christmas program.

Christmas Eve 2012 at East Fork

Pastor Parsons

René Parsons

Ella Parsons

Benjamin Parsons

Owen Parsons

East Fork Roof

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  East Fork and Canyon Day Lutheran Churches have been incredibly blessed this year.  Earlier this year, Canyon Day Church went through a bit of a remodeling process with the installation of new semi-clear windows to replace the rather dated red plexiglass windows.  The new windows allow for more natural sunlight to flood the interior which makes the church feel more open and inviting.
In the past month, with the help of generous donations, East Fork Church finally replaced the aging and failing metal roof that was installed at least 50 years ago.  The new green metal roof and gutters should last for many years to come.  During the installation we also had insulation panels placed on the roof to provide a bit more insulation from both the summer heat and the winter chill.  Below are some before, during, and after pictures of the process.  After the roof was installed we had our first rain and snow storm which put the roof through its paces.  There was not one drop or puddle on the inside of church which was a welcomed change from the old roof.
In January, we plan to install knotty pine tongue and groove boards on the rest of the interior walls at East Fork.  A generous donation of materials has been waiting for our crews to arrive. A number of volunteers from a number of states plan on coordinating the project.  When that project is done, the only pressing improvement needed on East Fork is a new concrete front step and railings.  Otherwise, East Fork Church will be pretty much remodeled on both the inside and outside.  Below is the list of recent improvements since 2008:

• New windows and doors throughout
• New masonite siding
• New roof and gutters
• Improvements on front porch area
• New concrete steps, sidewalks, and wheelchair ramp
• New exterior lighting
• Parking lot gravel and barracades 
• Planted grass on west side of church
• Refinished interior hard wood floor
• Installation of new tile floor to cover front of church and altar area
• New PA and speaker system
• Donated used altar furnishings - candelabras, cross, and altar coverings 
• Donated used baptismal font to replace rotting baptismal font
• Rewiring of entire facility to meet code
• Installation of new energy efficient light fixtures
• New wood trim around windows and doorways
• Enclosure of existing side entry ways to allow for the completion of a bathroom and storage closet
• Additional pew seating in wings of church