Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
News from Palanga Lithuania:
Thank you again for your wonderful response to the Palanga, Lithuania Project. In my last IDE Today article I included am e-mail note from Pastor Petkunas in which he wrote of the escalating cost of building in Lithuania. In a recent e-mail he stated that labor costs have risen 100% since the building project began! None the less the construction continues. It is expected that the roof will be completed soon. Then the windows can be installed. Once it is enclosed we hope can have work crews from IDE go to do some inside work. When they are ready for that we will let you know. In the meantime I encourage you to consider whether you might be able and willing to travel to Lithuania at your own expense and lend a hand on this project. I assure you, it would be worth the time and expense!
As I said in my last article, in view of the rising cost we will continue to receive gifts and offerings for this project. Marjorie and I will be traveling to Latvia (at our own expense, in case you are wondering) where I will attend a conference. Following the conference we will go to Palanga to get a first hand look at the progress on the project.
A Wedding in the Czech Republic
While in Europe we will also be attending the wedding of Sarka (pronounced "“Scharka"”) Prchalova in Bruno, Czech Republic. I baptized and confirmed Sarka in the faith in 1994 when attended a year of High School in Waverly. Phyllis Schmidt, a member of St. John, Waverly, had met Sarka while teaching English in the Czech Republic. Phyllis invited Sarka to come to the U.S. for a year of High School. Sarka'’s parents approved and she accepted the invitation. Sarka had grown up under communism. Her first contact with the Christian faith came through Phyllis. I took her through an adult instruction course and before she left Iowa to return home she asked me to baptize her. I did and she received her first communion at St. John. It was one of the great highlights of my pastoral ministry! We are looking forward to seeing Sarka and her family again.
Ordinations, Installations and Anniversaries Around the District:
Summer is the season for ordinations and installations as the new graduates from our seminaries take up their pastoral responsibilities. This means also that summer is the season of ordination anniversaries. In our District convention we acknowledged in five year increments the 25th through 70th ordination anniversaries of thirty-nine pastors. Rev. Ewald Stuempfig is the "“SENIOR"” pastor in the District! I had the honor of preaching at two 25th anniversary celebration. It is a joy to see congregations honor their pastors in this way. If you are not doing so, I urge you to honor your pastor by celebrating these anniversaries. IDE
