2007 Ukraine Vacation Bible School
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| 2007 Ukraine VBS volunteers |
The Ukrainian Lutheran Church Vacation Bible School (VBS) program was held in early July for ten days at 14 locations around Ukraine. Some 850 children and over 150 adults were able to hear the precious Gospel message at VBS, many for the first time. This year 53 American volunteers traveled to Ukraine to assist the Ukrainian pastors and church volunteers with teaching the VBS lesson, songs, crafts and ESL lessons.
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American volunteers teach English language song to Ukrainian VBS participants at the Radomyschl, Ukraine VBS |
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2007 Latvia Youth Camp
| The 2007 Youth Camp in Latvia was held from July 16-19 near Lake Usma in Western Latvia at the Bukdangas campgrounds. 45 Latvian youth from the Confessional Lutheran Church in Latvia (CLCL) participated along with 6 American volunteers from Luther Preparatory School in Watertown, WI. The group spent the days of the Youth Camp in Bible study, devotion, fun, games and fellowship. |
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| 2007 Latvia Youth Camp participants and volunteers from Luther Preparatory School |
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Czech Students Visit School in Watertown, Wisconsin
Martin Luther School in Plzen has been sending groups of 7th grade students to visit various WELS and ELS Lutheran schools in the US for many years. The families of our 7th graders, with help from relatives and family friends, pay all the expenses involved for their children. But, the generosity of the host families in the US makes these trips possible.
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The visiting Czech students perform a Czech dance for the students at Trinity-St. Luke’s School in Watertown, Wisconsin. |
Sixteen students from the 7th grade class from Martin Luther School in Plzen, Czech Republic, traveled to the U.S. and stayed in Watertown, Wisconsin, from May 12-28. This was the first trip to America for all of the students. Our students were blessed to have families from Trinity-St. Luke’s Church and School (TSL) volunteer to bring us into their homes and school during our two-week stay. Each student was assigned a host family from the American church and school. The Czech students were already making contact with their American families all the way back in November when planning for the trip began. Brian Maurice, one of the American teachers at TSL, helped make this trip possible and successful. Brian and his wife Amy taught in Plzen for three years from 1993-1996. Our deepest thanks and gratitude go out to Brian and others at TSL for going over and beyond for us while we were visiting the U.S.
During our stay in the U.S. the students were able to practice their English skills, get a taste of America, and live with Christian families. I know the students will remember this trip for the rest of their lives for many reasons. Some of the students enjoyed themselves so much they have already started to make plans to go and see their American families again. Most importantly, six of our seventh graders here in Plzen are getting baptized in upcoming church services.
- Don Weston, Teacher from Martin Luther School, Plzen, Czech Republic
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Ukraine: St. Sophia Seminary Summer Quarter – June 2007
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| Students in the classroom at St. Sophia Seminary for the 2007 Summer Quarter |
During the month of June 2007, the Ukrainian Lutheran Church’s seminary in Ternopil’ began a new program of graduate-level study for pastors. Before this, pastors who wanted to continue their education and so better equip themselves for ministry needed to travel to the United States and take courses in English. Now they can study in Ternopil’ taking courses taught by U.S. professors but translated into Ukrainian or Russian or any other language needed. The credits earned in these courses will be accepted by the other seminaries of our worldwide fellowship and can lead to a Master of Sacred Theology degree.
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| Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary President Paul Wendland teaches a course on Paul and Culture. |
The new program has met an enthusiastic response. Two one-week courses were offered in June. Dr. John Brug of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (WLS) taught the first course on Archaeology which was attended by eleven, including a guest student from Norway and another from Siberia. President Paul Wendland, also of WLS, taught on Paul and Culture the second week. This course was attended by 18 including four pastors from Latvia as well as the men from Norway and Siberia.
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| Dr. John Brug’s students from Ukraine, Belarus, Norway and Siberia from his class studying Archeology. |
Each professor also taught a course for our regular seminary students. Two guest students from Georgia attended Dr. Brug’s course, while five Scandinavians attended President Wendland’s. In all, a total of 31 different men took courses in June, including 12 pastors and one deacon from the ULC. Students who needed lodging stayed at the seminary and in rented apartments. A financial grant from Thoughts of Faith covered travel and living costs for those who needed such assistance.
Next year’s Summer Quarter has already been planned for June 8-19, 2008. The enthusiastic response to this first year has led to expansion next year. Three professors have agreed to come and offer courses.
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Special Gift for St. Sophia Seminary
St. Sophia Lutheran Seminary in Ternopil, Ukraine, was presented with a special gift by the local ULC congregation. It is a beautiful handcrafted banner that is intended to remind the students each day of the purpose they are studying. The words on the banner, Khruzate to euaggelion, means preach the Gospel.
| L to R: Rev. Taras Kokovskiy, Ternopil Pastor; Rector John Vogt; Deaconess Lyudmyla Voychunas; Maria Romanyuk; and Volodymyr Romanyuk. |
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The banner was designed by Dr. John Lawrenz, former Pastor Mentor in Ukraine and now President of Asia Lutheran Seminary in Hong Kong. It depicts the Greek cross, the type of cross the ULC uses, is rooted solidly in the open Bible. It is in God’s inspired Word that we learn the Good News of Jesus and what he has done for us. St. Sophia Seminary exists to give the students a thorough understanding of God’s Word.
The banner is the result of many hours work by Vasyl Romanyuk, a member of Ternopil congregation. Mr. Romanyuk has had both legs amputated and now serves God by handcrafting beautiful banners and decorative pieces. Lyudmyla Voychunas, Gift of Life deaconess in Ternopil, served as coordinator for the project.
The banner was presented to St. Sophia Rector John Vogt by the Maria Romanyuk, the craftsman’s wife, after Sunday worship on May 13, 2007. It now hangs in the front of the classroom, a daily reminder of the purpose of our seminary and of our students study.
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ToF scholarship recipient Katja Brinza Graduates
Ecaterina (Katja) Brinza, is from Plzen, Czech Republic and recently graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC) in Milwaukee, WI on May 12, 2007 with a degree in communication. Before entering WLC, Katja agreed to go back to Plzen after graduation and teach at our mission’s Martin Luther School.
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Katja Briza with her mother following her graduation from Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee, WI May 12, 2007 |
Katja received a full scholarship from WLC and two generous donors of Thoughts of Faith generously stepped forward and paid her room-and-board and air transportation expenses. Katja returns to Plzen in July and is excited to be able to serve her Lord teaching at our mission’s school in the Czech Republic
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Ozolnieki Church Resumes Construction
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| Church Volunteers installing sewer line during church workday at the Ozolnieki Church, late April 2007 |
The Ozolnieki, Latvia church building project has recently picked-up steam again. The congregation is looking forward to an October 31, 2007 (Reformation Day) dedication. The project was temporarily stalled in 2005 when funding ran out due to unforeseen cost increases of building materials and labor. In late 2006, more funding was raised to finish the building project.
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| Ozolnieki Church Pastor Uldis Fandejevs inside during new santuary construction |
The Pastor of the Ozolnieki Church, Pastor Uldis Fandejes took on the direct oversight of the project in November 2006 and serves as the project’s general contractor. Volunteers from the Ozolnieki congregation and surrounding Lutheran congregations of the Confessional Lutheran Church of Latvia (CLCL) have donated their time, talents and treasures to help offset the cost of the church building project.
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| Recently laid tubing for floor heating will be covered with concrete and then the floor tile in the coming days |
This room contains the electrical box and eventually stairs leading to the second floor organ |
View from front of the sanctuary back toward the second floor organ balcony |
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The European Regional CELC Conference April 18-22, 2007
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| Participants in the CELC Conference in Plzen, Czech Republic |
The European Regional Conference of the Conference of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (CELC) was held at the Martin Luther School in Plzen, Czech Republic from April 18 to 22, 2007.
Participants at this years conference included representatives from Germany, Norway/Sweden, Russia, Portugal, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Latvia and the United States. A representative from the Georgia Evangelical Lutheran Church was also present. Thoughts of Faith (ToF), through your generous donations, supports the work of the church bodies in the Czech Republic, Ukraine and Latvia. ToF also provided the travel funds for the man from Georgia to attend the conference.
 | CELC Pastor Serhiy Romaniuk and Rector John Vogt |
Theological papers were delivered and discussed on the “end times” including the Second Petition; The Prophecy and Its Fulfillment from Isaiah 2:1-4; a Brief History of Millennialism; Jesus’ Description of the ‘end of the age’ in Matthew 24; and an exegesis of Revelation 20. A representative of each church body presented an overview of the Lutheran church in their country. The children of Martin Luther School sang for each of the conference devotions. The education and fellowship were enjoyed by all inspiring them to return to their churches to faithfully “preach the good news” in their homeland.
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| CELC L-R Rector John Vogt, Pastor Serhiy Romaniuk and Kakhaber Pitnava |
CELC Kermit Traska (center) and the Latvian delegates |
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Thoughts of Faith Board Meeting of April 7th & 8th
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| President Moldstad - Rev Richard Warnke - Rev Paul Schneider |
The Thoughts of Faith Board of Directors meets three times during the year. Several events took place at the meeting on April 7th and 8th.
Pastor Richard Warnke was commissioned as the Pastor Mentor to the Ukrainian Lutheran Church. Pastor Warnke and his wife Sally will travel to Kyiv Ukraine in Mid-June to begin the transition from the current Pastor Mentor Pastor Wayne Borgwardt and his wife Myrna. For two weeks in late June and early July, the Warnke’s and Borgwardt’s, along with Larry Dilgard from ToF will visit congregations throughout Ukraine during the annual VBS program.
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| Kermit Traska Presents Plaque to Faith and Bill Krug |
Bill and Faith Krug were recognized with a ToF plaque for serving as Lay Mentor for a year in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine. The Krug’s worked with the Lutheran congregation teaching Sunday School and VBS and English as a Second Language for outreach for the congregation. The Krug’s are retired and are from Madison, Wisconsin. They have previously served mission congregations in Chile and China.
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| ToF President Paul Schneider (center) with Oksana and Brian Diring |
Oksana Diring was recognized for her years of service to St. Sophia Seminary in Ukraine. She served as an administrative assistant doing most of the jobs that needed to be done as the seminary was starting in the mid-1990’s. Oksana recently moved to Waukesha, Wisconsin to be with her husband, Brian Diring. Brian is a student at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and spent two years teaching Greek to the seminary students in Ukraine. This is where he met Oksana and the two were married in January 2005.
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Judie and Tom Conzelmann recognized for their foriegn volunteer work in the service of The Lord
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| Kermit Traska (left) with Judie and Tom Conzelmann |
St. John’s Lutheran Church in Frankenmuth, Michigan. On Sunday February 11, 2007 Kermit Traska presents a handmade Ukrainian cross to Judie and Tom Conzelmann. Tom and Judie had recently returned from their second term as lay mentor to the Ukrainian Lutheran Church. They served September through November working on evangelism with the Sevastopol congregation. Sevastopol is in the very south of Ukraine on the southern most tip of the Crimean Peninsula located on the Black Sea
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