Honduras Trip--Days 4-5

Honduras Trip—Day 4-5, Sunday: We all got up later than usual, and met for breakfast in the cafeteria, as we had done throughout the weekend. The assembly continued for 90 minutes more as they considered the Minutes that had been completed the night before. The tradition is that the assembly approves the minutes of the assembly before closing. Not a bad idea, actually.

We ate lunch early this day so that we could be in the chapel for the closing service and the installation of the new national church council at 1:00 pm sharp. The service was led by the pastor from Colombia (who had come to serve the church while the theological students were finishing their studies this year) and the Brazilian pastor who was called to serve as a specialist in adult Christian education. The Bishop of Costa Rica presided at the installation service and was quite moving. Several of the visitors were asked to help with the distribution of communion, which was done in a circle around the table. The pastor from Columbia is a very gifted woman, and very prepared liturgically. Though trained in the seminary in Brazil, she managed to learn how to be an effective liturgical leader. Unfortunately, though this is an area in which she could offer pastoral leadership in the ICLH, she is returning to Colombia at the end of the month. As always, the service ended with the passing of the peace that lasted for some time, as each participant made sure that they greeted all the others.

All kinds of good byes followed the service, as we all prepared to depart the place of our meeting for several days and return to our homes. Mary and I rode with Josefina and the ELCA representative for Latin America, to Tegucigalpa, to our hotel room. There we met several other folks returning from the assembly, and we all got in a large van that took us to Los Angeles, a small town just north of Tegucigalpa, so that Mary and I had an opportunity to buy some regional gifts for family and friends. We had a great time together in the ride and shopping, as we laughed and learn from each other. We ended the day at a Honduran version of KFC. The meal gave us a great opportunity to talk with these former’ church leaders in a less formal setting. We wanted them to know what we witnessed and what we saw as the challenges ahead, and we wanted to discover their reaction to the leadership changes in the assembly. I raised the idea that the church, as policy, needed to require the pastors to have a given number of continuing education hours in several areas, every two years. This would make them accountable to the church and might make them more a part of the church’s emphasis that ALL members need to be trained for their ministry in the church. I also expressed my impression that the ICLH is on the cutting edge of ministry by Lutherans in Latin America, and that I hope that was not in danger of changing with the presence of two newly ordained clergy.

Monday: Mary and I had the most beautiful view of Tegucigalpa from our hotel room, at night and in the morning. We enjoyed a filling and wonderful breakfast, but our time had come to an end. Josefina met us with a taxi to take us to the airport where we met Rolando and the Colombian pastor (Mary and I think that they have something going on between them). We said our last good-byes and then headed toward our plane. The return flight was good, a lot shorter than the many flights we took to Argentina. We were back in Houston in 2 ½ hours, and into Grand Rapids in about the same time. Our trip back to Suttons Bay took the longest of the legs of our trip—3 hours. We were exhausted, and we both took Tuesday off from work.

Observations: The church seems a bit fragile to me, but I stand on my impression that the ICLH is setting a model on how to do Lutheran mission and ministry in Latin America. The force for this comes from the base and membership of the church, not from the clergy. Maybe the “greenness” of the clergy will actually help that process to continue. Nonetheless, there is a real need for pastoral, liturgical, confessional, and educational assistance. They are really open to new ideas from the outside, but they also want a church that is Honduran. They need to set the tone of what assistance they get from outside, and set the parameters of that assistance. At the same time, those of us who wish to help, we need to always be attentive to the needs they have, try not to solve all those needs with money and cash, insist that they continue in their mission of being a self-supporting church (no matter how long that might take, and how unrealistic it might seem to us), and to be conscious of what it means to be an Honduran Christian Lutheran Church. This assembly was centered so on structure that I heard very little about mission and ministry. I know that they are doing some very important things, such as the work of Josefina, but we heard nothing about it. I know that what the Minnesota synod is doing is very important, but we heard very little about it. I need to know more of what they do in mission, ministry, and worship before I agree to too many more commitments to the church in Honduras. More on this tomorrow and December 7^th.

Honduras Trip--Day 3

Saturday: After a lovely breakfast and a moving devotional, the assembly was called back to order and I was given the opportunity to address the assembly on behalf of the synod. Not having a command of the language as the other visitors did (all of them were native speakers) I wrote down what I wanted to say ahead of time so that I could be both prepared and speak in intelligible Spanish. Several people came up to me afterwards and said, “You speak better than most of us.” That made my day!

Most of the day was spent in discussing and approving the rest of the Internal Rules and Regulations of the Church. The first point today was to define the process for dealing with serious conflicts and ethical violations in the church. I thought this would take hours, but they resolved it in 20 minutes.

Elections were held after lunch. After a long explanation concerning the rules of the elections and a prayer by yours truly, Rev. Martin Giron won the presidency by two votes in only one of two secret ballots. The bishop from Costa Rica counted the votes in the presence of the assembly. Martin was one of two pastors recently ordained by the ICLH and was serving a church in La Ceiba. Unfortunately, that church will now be without a pastor, again. Rev. Hernan Lopez, the recently ordained pastor, was chosen as the new Secretary General of ICLH. This is also a paid position, as is the presidency, but I was under the impression that it is NOT a full-time position, meaning Hernan will probably still serve the congregation he has in his charge. The young, 25 year old, Gloria Rodriquez was elected treasurer, and Suyapa Ordonez became the Fiscal for the church, a position defined as a kind of administer (a position uniquely Latin American, from what I can tell). The regional members of the council include Inmer Martinez from the Atlantic Region (a young man trying to get into college), Susana Barahona from the Northern Region, and Mauricio Barreatos for the Central Region.

The new council is very young, and everyone seemed truly excited for the new council. A group photo followed the elections, and the assembly took some time to present a list of challenges for the future work of this new group.

A letter was received from a congregation in San Pedro Sula announcing its withdrawal from ICLH. It were a former Anglican church that decided it wanted to go in a different direction. After a lengthy conversation, the assembly organized a group to visit the congregation to express their sorrow for their leaving and to find out the reasons.

The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent with the DECOFE chairperson reviewing the areas of strength and weakness of the work of each congregation and mission point of ICLH. It seemed a bit painful for some of the participants to hear the summary of their respective congregation, and some of the evaluation was quite pointed. But the church is committed to growth, Christian education, mission, ministry, worship and stewardship and they definitely hold one another accountable, in a public way. I was wondering how our own congregations would like to have such a public accounting of their mission and ministry. I am sure that many a pastor and lay leader would cringe at the thought.

They set the date for their next national assembly: June 11-13, 2010 in La Ceiba. I would love to attend that one. La Ceiba, as many of you know, is on the coast of the Carribean. What a great place to hold an assembly.

As night came, Mary and I found that everyone wanted to celebrate, both the end of the meeting and the close of a long session. We found the visitors gathered in the lobby drinking wine, and we took some time to talk with them about the events of the day. We then headed upstairs to our room, but another party was going on in the upstairs lobby, where all the Hondurans were drinking beer and sharing stories.

They loudly invited us to join them. The conversation was centered on the church and some of their own personal stories. They are a happy group and we shared in their joy of being together.

Observation: I still hold that the future problems facing ICLH will be centered in the ministerial—the pastors. I wanted to watch and listen to them throughout the assembly to see how well they fit into the process of the church, how open the assembly was to hear their ideas, and how prepared they were to speak theologically to the issues facing the church. I must say I was greatly disappointed in the new pastors. They are just that, NEW pastors, with all the stuff that goes with new pastors serving a church for the first time as an “ordained’ clergy with four years of theological education. They are “green” and unaware of the issues, conflicts, and trials they will face. But more importantly, they seemed unable to speak theologically or spiritually to any of the issues to which they spoke. They did not present any kind of spiritual insight or piety that could rally a frustrated and confused church. The young members of the council will look to the clergy for guidance, but they are so young and theologically fragile to be of much inspiration, in this stage of their pastoral development. I pray that the pastoral leadership offered by LWF and the many other bodies that have contributed spiritually and financially to ICLH through Latin America and the world, can still offer some guidance for this struggling and precarious church. How our synod might be a source of insight and strength during the next two years needs to be discussed.

Honduran Trip--Day 2

Friday: Mary and I met together for breakfast with the other participants of the annual assembly in the cafeteria of the school. The meal was simple but quite filling, as were all the meals during our stay. More importantly, the food was fresh and wholesome. Most of it came from the farms owned and operated by the school and the students. After breakfast we met in the grass on the campus for devotions. They were quite good, and included testimonies from several members about why they were members of the Lutheran Church.

After a lively discussion of the minutes from last years annual assembly, the meeting passed to the General Secretary’s report. Rolando gave a summary of what he had been up to this past year, and his report was received enthusiastically. The Treasurer’s report was presented, and revealed a savings of nearly $11,000 since the end of 2007. They owed this to being more vigilant in their use of the funds, and keeping closer tabs on project administration. Everyone was encouraged with the changes that have improved the administrations of funds, since a deficit of $28,000 was experienced in 2007. The General Secretary challenged the assembly to ask questions about where, how and from what sources the funds came from and how they were spent. “This is our church and these are our finances. We need to know!” was his challenge to the assembly. After lunch Roland gave a very detailed presentation of where the funds came from and how they were spent.

Most of the rest of the assembly that day, and most of tomorrow, would be concerned with the “Internal Rules and Regulations” of the church—rules that further define certain aspects of the operation and function of the constitution. The mediator facilitating the discussion, made clear to the assembly that between the large number of rules being considered and the allotted time for discussion, they should spend no more than 45 minutes on each point. I had to chuckle a bit, wondering how he was going to keep them moving on such a rigorous schedule. It soon became evident that some issues would take as much as 90 minutes to resolve. The visiting leaders from LWF, ELCA, and the other Latin American Lutheran churches seemed to become a bit frustrated with the discussion, but I found it to be quite enlightening. I was frustrated because I would have liked offering an opinion or idea. But I vowed to be an observer and support only. Nonetheless, they have come a long way in the last six years, from being a church “led” by a president, to a church trying to grown from the base up. Their extensive discussion was important for the growth and unity of the church. Though at times the discussion became somewhat heated, they always respected their differences and worked hard together to maintain their unity. This was a long day, but very productive for the ICLH. I was proud to have been there through this historic process.

Mary and I bugged out about 30 minutes early, thinking that they would not cover much ground before closing and continuing tomorrow. We met most of the other foreign visitors in the lobby of the center where we shared several bottles of some good South African wine, conversation about Obera, Misiones, Argentina, and many funny stories from everyone present.

Observations: One thing is evident throughout the world, when Lutherans get together, there always seems to be good food, and a lot of it. This is true even in Honduras. I was amazed to see the differences between the members on any given issue, and how quick they would remind each other to allow everyone to express themselves, and to maintain unity of the body. Many of those present had never participated in an assembly, and most of them did not know the others there, beyond the group from their conference. Yet, they seemed to truly care about each other and the mission and ministry of their church. I also found out that, like in the US, not everyone is of the same political persuasion, and certainly not everyone is poor. The Lutheran church in Honduras is quite homogeneous, which surprised me. Mary and I spent all of the meal time and free time getting to know the different people at the assembly. We made sure that we talked often with everyone from the assembly who came from Honduran congregations. They share much about their lives, their politics, their church, and their many recipes for preparing plantains, a green fruit similar to the banana. They are a very gracious, hard-working, industrious group who love the Lord, their country, and life.

Honduras Visit--Day 1

The following is my journal during our recent travels to Honduras, which I sent to the members of the synod Global Missions Committee, which I wanted all of you to see:

Mary, my wife, and I left Suttons Bay early in the afternoon of Wednesday, November 11 (Veterans Day), and drove to Grand Rapids where we picked up the plane for our first leg to Houston, Texas. We had a 13 hour layover, so we rented a room at La Quinta Hotel near the airport. The next day we returned to the airport around 7:00 am and picked up the plane for Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

We arrived a little after Noon on a sunny day in Tegucigalapa. Josefina was there to meet us, though we did not see her right away. After a 45 minute car ride from the airport through the mountains south of the capital, we arrived at the Kellogg Center, part of the Zamorano Panamerican Agricultural School. This school was purchased by the United Fruit Company and includes a 1500 acre estancia that has been turned into a world renown agricultural school for kids 17 years and older. It is simply beautiful, with open stone buildings all over the main campus, and farms all around for the students to learn and attend. Students come from all over the world, but mostly from the US and Latin America. Every one of them greet each other and the guests with a hello every time they pass you. They are the cream of the crop throughout the western hemisphere, and many or most are on scholarships of one kind or another. It costs $15,000 a year, and the education, food, and housing is simply top notch.

When we arrived the dining room was filled with foreigners, representatives from LWF, ELCA, the Swedish Church, and Lutherans from throughout Central America, to participate in a round table event just three days before the ICLH's annual assembly. Most of them stayed for the assembly and then headed on to El Salvador for a similar round table event with the Lutheran church there.

Josefina took us to our room in the Kellogg Center where we relaxed for an hour or so to get ready for the opening worship at 5:30 pm. The room was exceptional, with a widescreen television, our own shower and a queen-size bed. I felt like I had not left the US, the room was so well put together. We walked around the grounds of the Center for a bit, took a few pictures, and then met Josefina and another large crowd that walked about a 1/4 of a mile to the chapel of the Institute. The chapel was a beautiful building, with the sides open to the grounds around it, six narrow but tall stained glass windows in the narthex, and a huge balcony. Obviously they must fill this place on Sunday for Catholic mass.

The worship service began on Honduran time, closer to 6:00 pm, and included the leadership of their two newer pastors. I thought I knew most of the songs sung in Latin American Lutheran churches these days, but was I wrong. I did not know any of them. The spirit of worship was quite evangelical in nature but with a strong "liberation" element to it, the clergy were vested only in clerical shirts and colorful Honduran stolls, and there seemed to be more confusion during the service than I had expected. But the congregation knew the songs quite well, even if the melody was difficult to make out, and they sang with enthusiasm and life. I was asked to help with the distribution and many people, foreign and Honduran, lay and clergy, participated in the leadership of the event. Worship ended with the passing of the peace, Honduran style, which means everyone greets everyone else, si or si. The day ended with a very typical Honduran dinner (we were told). Mary and I returned to our rooms tired, and ready for some much needed sleep.

Observations: I was really wanting to worship in this opening service, expecting something better organized. I was surprised to see that the new pastors knew less about worship leadership than the members. They seemed to be well prepared theologically, but their pastoral, worship skills have not yet been honed. Nonetheless, the Honduran members were enthusiastic, joyful, and appreciative of the opening worship event.
Mary and I felt a bit like fish out of water, knowing only a few people there, but we figured that would change when we had the chance to get to know more of the people during the next few days of meetings and meals.
We both noted that there were quite a few young people present, some elderly, a good mix of clergy (I use that term loosely), and quite a mixture of social-economic levels. We were glad to be there, and we were looking forward with anticipation to the next several days.

Honduras or Bust

Holy smoke! It's for real! I am going to Honduras, and it looks like Mary may be going also. I attended a meeting of the Global Mission Committee of our synod last night and they agreed with me that it is safe enough to go. They will pay for my ticket and expenses, and Mary and I will cough up the cash to pay for her ticket. It should be a great trip, for both of us. It is our first visit to the country and the Lutheran Church. They are doing some fantastic work and they are about to make some very significant changes in the way they define and do ministry. The synod wanted me to go and represent them at their annual assembly. The trip is a go!

We leave on November 11th and return November 15th, late in the evening. On the way we do have a lengthy stay-over in Houston, but we will probably catch some sleep and head out early for Honduras. Mary is in the process of getting out of school for the trip. She is hoping that it will be easy, and that it will help her Spanish classes at Kalkaska.

I let my council know on Thursday. They assured me that they did not have ransom money to bring me home. They are a bit concerned, but I assured them that the people there will take very good care of us. I know that Mary did not want me to go, but since I decided to go, she decided that it would be better to be together than apart this trip around.

I have a whole list of things to talk about and investigate while there. The synod here wants to know more about them and how we can intensify our relationship with the Honduran Lutherans. I am excited about how they are doing ministry. I think they might have finally figured out how the Lutheran Church can be an effective, growing and relevant church in Latin America. I believe they are a real model for Lutheran ministry in that part of the world, and I am anxious to see more of what they are doing, first-hand. Knowing the language and Latin American culture helps. I hope to participate in theological education in Honduras down the road. Some of that is already being done by another synod of the ELCA, but I think that our synod has some very special gifts to offer in that direction.

Wish us luck, pray for us.

Fall only means preparation for winter

Don't get me wrong, I love the fall; the smells, colors, and holidays that make up this season. Up north, in northern Michigan, fall is exceptionally beautiful, though I think the beauty of this season will fall off a bit this year because of the constant rain we are getting. I know, this can be a great time of the year as cooler weather sets in, and sleeping becomes a bit nicer with the window open above the bed. But for me, it is just a time to get ready for winter.

There is so much to do! Decisions have to be made this year about our outdoor swing. Last year we brought it indoors, but room in the living room is now limited. Hoses need to be drained and carried into the garage. The garage needs to be cleaned and rearranged so that Mary's car can be stored through the nights of winter. The work shop needs to be rearranged as well to store the snow blower and shovels for winter snow clearing. Neither of these tasks are simple or small. Our bicycles need to be hung from the workshop ceiling, the picnic table must be set on edge, and oh yeah, the leaves. We get our share of leaves which seem to fall all the time, right up to the first snow.

One blessing we received this fall, the Chinese elm trees are finally down. They were the messiest trees I have ever seen. Every wind would cause hundreds of sticks and limbs to fall in the yard, even in the winter. Last year we had cleaned up the yard for winter, picking up a huge amount of elm sticks and limbs that had fallen from a recent wind storm. That same night, after cleaning them all up and putting the yard in great shape for the winter, the first time since moving here 20 years ago, we received another wind storm with a foot of snow that brought down more limbs which we could not clean up until March, when the snow disappeared.

Next week a crew will come in and landscape the front yard of the parsonage and the church. Obviously, the best time to do this is the fall, so that the plants have a chance to root themselves for spring. A member of the church is a landscaper and he is bringing in his crew for free to replant and spruce up the front. This should be exciting.

Angela is on the verge of buying a house, the first to do so in our family. She is ahead of Mary and I. The house looks good, and she likes it a lot, though not enough yet to "fall in love with it." She made an offer today and is waiting their response.

Of course, all of this is just to "get ready for winter." As beautiful as fall can be, it is only a passing month or two, and the first snow falls, we have to dig out, the sky turns gray, and we are in the dark times of winter. Sound gray? Well, as you can tell, it is not my favorite time of the year. Nonetheless, like the other 19 winters we have experienced, I guess we will get through it and try to find some kind of joy in the midst of the snow, cold, and wind.

Back to the grind already?

Such a great summer, and today is the first day of, dare I say it, FALL. I know, I know, it is a beautiful season, with the leaves changing color, the pumpkins all over the place, and Halloween (actually that would be Reformation Day for you Lutherans). But Fall only means one thing for me, WINTER is just around the corner here in northern Michigan. Sure, it is a time to cheer the Buckeyes, rub the scarlet and gray in the wounds of the U of M Wolverines, and to take in the last few rays of sunshine and warmth. But Fall is a passing fancy here. We will soon be in for deep snow, absent members off hunting deer, and the return of gray and cloudy days, long nights, and whiteouts.

I guess I shouldn't fret so much. After all, it is still the middle of September. But you will remember that we got buried last year in October, and it did not go away until April. That is way too long. Heck, the youth even went to a Corn Maze at the end of October, and we had to walk it in the snow. Yuck! May God be gentler on us this year!

Anyway, Mary is back at school, with a fresher spirit, more computer skills, and a handful of new electronic toys to help her in her work. She is coming home each day a bit more relaxed, and more positive than last year. That is good for her, her health and the sanity of the household. Allison is back at school, finally in her much-waited-for program. She will be tested well this year. David, well, David is David. Still hoping to finish his associates degree, looking for a job, and enjoying his music. Angela is hoping to buy a home yet this Fall, and settle into the American Dream. Me? Well, I am still trying to get back to work, go to meetings, and continue leading this congregation down the way of the Gospel The ELCA's decision this summer does not help me do that, but family will be family.

So, I guess it is back to the grind. Continue the fight, the run, or whatever we are calling it these days, and praying that we can all keep our healthcare in tact.

A Facelift Is in the Making

Change is in the making, this fall at Immanuel Lutheran Church. One of our newer members is a landscaper and he would like to help us make some changes in the landscape around the parsonage, the annex, the church, and the parking lot. I am so excited about what we are going to do, I cannot contain myself. This treasured member will donate the labor, Mary, the church and I will buy the plants, and watch how the space around this place will be transformed. We are ven thinking of installing a watering system next spring.

On a lesser note, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has approved the ordination of men and women you live in permanent same-sex relationships, commonly referred to as gays and lesbians. I was not in favor of this move, but it has been done, and now the congregation will have to make some decisions. I know that we are divided on this issue, and that one member has already expressed his opinion of never coming back to ILC. We will be discussing this issue the next several months, but I believe no action will be taken.

On a lighter side, Mary and I have been looking at houses in the area. We found a very nice one this morning, and we will be talking more about it. At present it is being rented, something we would plan on doing until I retire. There are so many things yet to consider about buying a house we would live in after retirement. I cannot even get used to the idea of that word, "retirement." Stay tuned for more on this issue.

What, August already?

OK, so it doesn't officially come until tomorrow, but the summer is flying by. What a grand time with our friends from Argentina during the month of July. We wanted them to feel the gracious hosting they gave us during our tens years of service there, and I think they were impressed. We drank all kinds of different wines from Leelanau County, Michigan, we visited Niagara Falls, both from the Canadian and the US side, we showed them a bit of Michigan beauty and history when we visited Mackinaw Island, and they saw all of the mid-belt of the US when we traveled from Miami to Michigan. They got to see the Cincinnati Reds play St. Louis in Cincy, they watched the Traverse City Beach Bums on artificial turf, they climbed the sand dunes of Sleeping Bear Dunes, and we watched the sun set over Lake Michigan from the heights of Peterson Park in Northport. Quite a ride I must say. One of the highlights was the Argentina asado we put on with their help for the NW Lower Michigan Synod Global Mission Committee, early in July. Everyone, including the bishop, was impressed with the food, the graciousness of our friends, and the wine (oh yes, always the wine).

But, good things come to an end, only to open the door for other good things. I returned to the task of painting the caboose, which will be ready for the open house on August 7th. I will be including pictures of the caboose next week. Mary and I both returned to our diets, that are going quite well, and now we are preparing some goodies for the Church's bake sale at the Suttons Bay Art Fair this Saturday and Sunday, August 1-2. The Global Mission Committee has asked me to represent them before the national assembly of the Lutheran Church in Honduras in November. I am hoping that Mary can go as well. It will be a fun time, even with all the problems that are happening there. Our anniversary is coming up soon, and Mary and I have agreed that we need to get away more often. Maybe we can take off to some interesting spot this year.

Angela is back at work with a nice bonus and raise, looking to make some changes in her life. David is doing what David usually does, work, music, and spending time on the computer. Allison is getting ready to begin a new year at Ferris State University in the program she has longed to complete. She will enter in August, go for a whole year, and then spend an unpaid year of internship. After that she is guaranteed a job, unless Government Health Care ruins what we have (sorry for the political commentary).
Mary and I are reflecting on retirement. I will be taking a course at Luther Seminary, Minneapolis, in September to train me for interim ministries. We are thinking seriously about retiring in or around Suttons Bay. At least that is the thought of the week. Been looking at houses in the area and thinking about what to do during winters up here.

Wait a minute, does August begin tomorrow? Oh my! How the summer has gone by, and still so many things yet to build.

The shock is beginning to fade

Turning 60 is bad, that goes without saying, but the shock does begin to wear off, at times. One day later and I am still bothered by my age, but there are so many other things that take up my time that I cannot always dwell on it. that's good. Nonetheless, it will take some time to get over it, like maybe ten more years when I enter a real shocker, the 70's (sorry Betty Lou).
For now, I will just do what I have to do, like continue helping pay my kids bills, fix their cars, and pull them out of financial woes, work till the cows come home, and try to convince Mary that she needs to make a decision about where we might live after retirement. That last one takes more time and patience then the other concerns. There are still things God has in mind, and I guess I need to be about doing those things as well.
In the mean time, I will pray that God continue to help me get used to this "getting older" stuff and remind me that Easter was not just a one time thing.

Paul Joins the 60 Club

Today I join that club that seemed so far away just a few years or decades ago. I don't know how it came oupon me so fast. I thought I would be prepared, but here it is, July 22, 2009, and I turn 60. As I look back, there are so many things I wished I could have done, and yet I know so many things must now remain undone. I look ahead at a shorter future than when I was thirty, but probably filled with new and exciting things. There will just be fewer of those things than before.
Others have crossed this path before me. Many of them are friends and family. I guess I just enter as another member of an important group, and be satisfied that the alternative may be worse. After a great deal of prayer last night, I came to see a bit more clearly that each day, and each year, brings me that much closer to returning to my real home. Though I may not be remembered much after I am gone, I know that in the eyes and heart of God, I will be remembered, cherished and love for eternity.
In that case, it's not so bad to be 60.

What has gotten into the Michigan Kuhlmans

I do not know what is happening, but we have been active like bees up here in Michigan. I am not sure if it is the SAM-e that we are taking, or just the fact that the worse winter of the century has finally come to an end, but things are happening up here.

I just finished two furniture pieces for David and Mary. I finally complete David's wardrobe. The last dabs of paint go on today. I am also finishing the painting of Mary's new closets for the laundry room. They will help to clean up that part of the house. I hope to hang them this week. We also bought some used furniture for David, planted some new flowers on the south side of the house, including some of Mom Kuhlman's iris, we put up an arbor in front of the shop, replanted some snow-on-the-mountain (I consider it a weed) on the norther part of the parking lot where nothing grows (hoping it will invade our neighbors yard), and have cleaned up the house to get ready for our friends from Argentina. Today I take out everything in the cellar way so that I can paint it, rebuild the shelves, and finally place the wine rack that Lou built in Dayton.

Besides all of that, I have been helping a group connected with the Tart Trail who are refurbishing an old caboose. I am including pictures of the caboose so you can all see it. I found out that it was built sometime between 1890 and 1915. It was originally condemned by its first owner, but was purchased by the C&O and became part of the Leelanau Scenic Railroad that went defunct a few years ago. The Tart Trail bought out the LSR and kept the caboose on the trail for scenic reasons. Though they tried to repaint it over the last several years, this year we have a crew that is serious. It has been sanded, sand/water blasted, and we are now putting on the primer coat. We are talking about painting it yellow.

Mary and I will be leaving for Miami on Sunday. We hope to make it to Dayton for a night, and then make it to Miami to pick up our friends fr0m Argentina on July 1st. Then we will head back north, passing through Cincy and Dayton to meet family on the 4th, and maybe catch a Red's game with St. Louis. They will be with us in Michigan for about three weeks. We plan on visiting Niagara Falls, pass through Canada, show them the locks at the Sou and tour a bit of the UP of Michigan. We will probably go to a Traverse City Beach Bums game on the Holy Day, July 22nd. There is a big Argentine asado planned for July 13th. Folks from the Synod Global Mission Committee will be up, along with all of the kids and several of their friends. We plan to make Argentina sausage, grill several hundred chickens (kidding), boil some mandioca, drink mate, and enjoy all kinds of Michigan wines. Should be a great time together, mixing people from all over the western hemisphere and the midwest.

Mary is glad to be out of school. Her foot is healing well, and she is making plans for next year. Angela is doing well, David is fine, with a new cat in their apartment, and Allison is enjoying the summer, working some, and getting to know her new boyfriend, Matt. Matt is a good kid, and we are glad she found someone with a head on his shoulders.

Out of breath yet? I am, but there is still light in the sky. I guess I better get back to my duties.

Some things never change, continued

Wow, what a week. We seem to spend most of our time helping our kids find solutions to their issue. I was ready to settle down after a long day on Monday when I got a call from David. He said that he had had an accident with his bike and was bleeding badly. I agreed to meet him at the hospital, where he received 15 stitches above his left eye. Brought him home for the night to keep an eye on him to see if he had other head injuries not apparent. Well, he made it through the night fine, we took him to his apartment Tuesday evening.
Allison returned home on Monday, worried about how to get money for gas to drive from Detroit to Suttons Bay. She worked that out, but called from Grayling when she got lost, blaming it on the GPS. Was I suppose to go and get her. She finally figured out how to salve her problem and made it home grumpy and tired.
Angie? Well, Angie is Angie. She would like to be closer to home when problems arise in the family, but glad she is far away and on her own.
Mary is just three days away from summer vacation. She has finished any preps for classes, and her exams are all ready. It will be fun to have her home everyday. She can help take care of the animals, Spike and Toby.
This is funeral week. I have one on Friday and another on Sunday afternoon. We lost the oldest member of our congregation (102 years old) and a member who was always offering to help with the mission and ministry of the church. She was a great volunteer, and we will miss her.
I hope to finish the caginets for the laundry room this weekend and paint it, with David's wardrobe, together. Need to paint the cellarway before Lou and Jean arrive. He is bringing the new wine rack that has a special place in the cellarway. So many things to do and so little time. Isn't that the way things are always? Some things just never change.

Some Things Never Change

It just seems that some things never change. Mary goes to school everyday, leaving at 6:40 am and returning after 5:00 pm. Angela goes to work each day and calls everyday to see how things are going. David continues to do his thing, with little contact with his parents. I seem to do the same thing each week, with little change, even though the usual turning point of each year, Easter, is now past. Allison traveled to Las Vegas, like everyone else in the family, and ran into problems, losing her credit card and driver's license, obliging her to call her parents to bail her out. Some things never seem to change.

Finally Home

Paul was down in Lansing most of the week, for the synod assembly and to participate in the Honduras Summit. The assembly was like all the other assemblies, except on Monday evening Paul played golf at a local Lansing course with several friends. The assembly ended on Tuesday morning.
On Tuesday evening the Honduras Summit began. Honduras is a Companion Synod of the NW Lower Michigan Synod. Paul is part of the synod Global Mission Committee. At a meeting of that group they decided to invite three leaders of the Christian Lutheran Church of Honduras (ICLH) to visit with our synod and three other synods of the ELCA which include Honduras as a Companion Synod. The NE Minnesota Synod and the New England Synod were the other two participants in the summit.
All kinds of things were learned. We spend most of the first three parts of the summit listening to the interesting changes in the ICLH. Then we learned what the other synods are doing together with the church in Honduras. Each of the synods are involved in different ministries. We all agreed that we need to share our gifts with each other. The final part of the summit was spent on how we could change and/or expand our companionship with Honduras.
Interestingly, Paul has always wanted to be involved with teaching worship and preaching in Latin America. The NE Minnesota Synod sends four or five pastors down twice a year to do just that. They invited Paul to go along in September. He is not sure he can make it, but he will try.
Paul was able to bring his Spanish up to par again. He found out he can still translate well, and he met some real new friends. Paul also planted the idea among the group that leaders from Honduras could possibly help his parish open up a new ministry among the Mexican population in Leelanau County. The plan would include bringing a pastor or congregational leader from Honduras to Leelanau County in Michigan to open up a dialogue with the Mexican population, discover their needs, particularly their spiritual needs, and attempt to be a brindge between the Mexicans and Paul, pastor in Suttons Bay. The bishop loved that idea, and found other ways the synod could take advantage of the visit. Hope to have this planned for the summer of 2010.
Mary continues to struggle back at school, wearing a boot for her broken foot. The kids are horrible, but the year is nearly finished. Exams are coming soon, and then the summer. Needless to say, Mary is ready for a break.
David is working two jobs for the summer. He is still at Target, putting bikes together all day. He also works a few hours early in the morning at a local golf course. He hopes to earn a bunch of money this summer.
Allison is busy with her job at Black Star Farms. She is a bit bored, not having her college friends nearby. The summer will be looooong for her, but it will come to an end and she will see them all again.
Angela is doing fine. She has some funny ideas for doing some crazy things. More on this later.

Spring 2009

Spring has finally sprung in northern Michigan. Though the nights dip down into the 30's, the days are relatively warm. We say relatively because this is shaping up to be one of those summers that is cooler than normal. We all hope that is not the case.
David is moved into Traverse City, happy as a lark because he found this huge house himself, and his friends are slowly moving in. We are making a wardrobe for him, so that he has a place to keep his clothes. Hope to finish this up soon.
Allison is home and working right away at Black Star Farms. A friend from college came to visit, so they are running all around, visiting parts of Leelanau County.
Angela seems to be doing well. The legs for her new dinning table arrived yesterday, so the next project is already set to go. We will need to order the ceramics that she wants in the middle of the table top.
Mary is back to school. She was off for a week and a half because of a broken foot. Things have improved, though with a limp. She started back yesterday, trying to get her kids back on task.
Paul is doing fine. He heads out for a week in Lansing, for the synod assembly and a few days of a Honduras Summit. He is working on David's wardrobe and will then begin Angela's table, reorganize the garage, and paint the cellarway. Lou, Paul's brother, finished a new wine rack that needs to go into a repainted and reorganized cellarway.

Car Woes

When Murphy comes and visits the Kuhlman family, well, let's just say he plans on moving in for awhile. It all started with Mary's car having exhaust problems. The dealership wanted to put on a new muffler and pipe system for big bucks, but I took it to a muffler place and fixed it for a lot less. Then Allison, who was complaining about the noise beneath her car, brought it home for repairs. Honda dealership got under it and decided that it needed repairs that had not been done at all, and her car now has 150,000 miles on it. So, after $1,020 repairs later, we returned her car to her, watched her participation in the Ferris State University choir, and then stayed the night in Cadillac. We got a call from Angela, only to find out that she was having car problems. It sounded like the poles on her battery were clogged up. When she took it to the dealership, they found that her alternator was bad, a $650 job. So, after sending her the money, it looks like Murphy and his law is finally decided to move on. At least I have my fingers crossed. Yeah, like that ever help!

A Look Back at Easter Sunday

What a wonderful Easter Sunday. The Hilltop Sunrise Experience was absolutely beautiful, though very cold, 19 degrees, but no wind. The Sunrise Service was very well attended and a great conclusion to the Lenten program we had. The youth and their families put a great breakfast together while the kids of the congregation collected more than 300 hidden Easter eggs. Late service was my favorite, returning to our Tree of Life Eucharistic Liturgy, by Marty Haugen. Then I had to take communion to several homes, grab a bite to eat and do an Easter service at Tendercare, our local assisted living home just three blocks from the house. I have four people of my congregation living there, so I stayed after worship to give them communion as well. Of course, Sunday is ice cream day at Tendercare, just after worship, so I stayed to grab a bite to eat. Needless to say, getting up at 4:00 am, I spent the rest of Sunday in my favorite chair, napping.

Mary spent most of Easter getting ready for a week of teaching Spanish. She is such a trooper. David went into town to practice with his band. They head down to a college bar in Lansing on Thursday. Angela, well we did not hear from her this weekend. Allison is have a few roommate problems, but she only has a month left, and then she is back home for the summer. It will probably be her last summer with us. After that she has an internship and then off to a job. Wow! How time changes.

Holy Week weekend

This is a busy weekend for Paul. He will preside at 7 different worship services in 4 days. He is thrilled, nonetheless, because this is his most favorite time of the year. The snow is going fast now, and it cannot go fast enough. It looks like winter has had its last fling, but nothing in northern Michigan is for sure. Mary and her colleagues are getting tired of the school year. The kids seem to be over the top. Angela continues doing a great job in Cleveland. She called her dad the other day with a very special early 60th birthday gift--tickets to the Navy-Ohio State football game on Labor Day weekend. That is special. David is putting in more hours at Target, and is still looking to move in with a friend some time. He has had any number of prospects, but nothing has panned out. Allison was accepted into her medical program and is now signing up for classes. Spike is calming down now that he is allowed to sleep the night on Mary's chair. The cat is as crazy as ever, but a bit calmer in her old age.
Oh yeah, and we are now only 7 days away from the federal income tax deadline. Leave it to the feds to ruin some of out Easter celebrations.

Time to get serious

I put together the most awful set of shelves i have ever seen. They were given to me to use in the basement for my new "small" shop, where I have a new lathe to work on some projects in the winter. They were so bad, that I hesitated placing the lathe on them. It is time to get serious. I saw some very good shelves with draws at Menard's, that place where all men long to visit and spend a week there. It is the best of all "men's" building stores. Then I need to run a few new wires to the spot for light and power for the lathe. I have some big plans.

The weather here is atrocious. We have had one or two "warm" days out os the last several weeks, but we have gotten more than 15 inches of snow. We even got one snow of 8 inches, wet and impossible to move. I hoped that it would just melt, but you have to have WARM WEATHER to do that. It is time to get serious, God. Easter is just a week away, and we need to see the sun, warm days, and NO MORE SNOW.

Great visit but it is good to be home

Angela was a great host and made us feel at home. She has so changed and matured these past 18 months. We also enjoyed the visit of Lou and Jean. It is always fun to get together with them. The trip home was uneventful, but we had to unload more stuff than what we took to Cleveland. Spike was glad to see us. Toby, "the cat"was less enthusiastic, even though he got his liter box cleaned out. Allison did well on her Spanish exam, and David seemed to keep the house together while we were gone. Right now we are tolerating two inches of April snow. Too close to Easter for this white garbage falling from the sky. Oh well, we do live in northern Michigan.

Mary and I will hit the Pottery barn today, with Angela. We are looking for some new glasses for the kitchen. We had a great time with Lou and Jean yesterday. Even though we ran all over Streetsboro and surrounding areas, looking at stores, it was a great time. I bought a new saw for the shop that also includes a sander. Mary is still wondering how that thing got in the trunk of the car. We had a good lunch at Ruby Tuesdays. It is hard to stay on the diet when people visit or when one travels, but I did pretty well. Always a great time with Lou. He mentioned of some property near his that is for sale, in the woods. That could be a good opportunity, since there is a creek that runs through the property (something Mary likes) and there is woods in the front yeard (something Paul likes). Running around today.

Mary and Paul are traveling during Spring Break

Mary and Paul are traveling to Cleveland, Ohio to visit Angela. We will spend a few days, visiting malls, shops, and stores. Angie had the most grubby looking microwave oven, so we bought her a new one. On Tuesday, Lou and Jean will visit. We brought them more than 100 canning jars and a couple of cow things for the girls (if you know what I mean). Allison was accepted into her program at school for the fall That means two years of work and internship. She also found a new apartment for the upcoming year. David received a small upgrade in his work with Target, and his boss has noticed his good work. Angela is taking a few days off while we visit, and she helped us get connected with Facebook. Mary is trying to relax for a few days druing the break. There are just a few weeks left in school, but already she is feeling the stress. Paul has lost 21 pounds and is staying with his diet (Nutrisystem). Holy Week is coming up fast, which means many hours and much work. But hey, it is what he signed on for, right?

First Day of Spring

The sun will soon be over the equator and the first day of spring. While we go through our days in the midst of piles of snow, warmth is on the way. We hope to see the 40's the next several days. Allison is due to return to Ferris State to continue the last months of school for this year. We enjoyed her visit. David is back to work, waiting to see if he got the promotion at Target. Haven't heard from Angela, but no news is good news. Mary has a weekend coming up and an opportunity to rest. Paul has lost 15 pounds from his Nutrasystem diet, well on his way to lose his goal, 55 pounds. Spike is back sleeping in the living room and is enjoying the warmth and sleeping on his favorite chairs.

More winter

Well, it looks like winter still wants to hang on a bit. It is still very cold, and lake-effect snow is still in the offing. We have enjoyed Allison's visit during spring break, even though we do not see as much as we would like. David is over his illness and is back to work, trying to get in as many hours as he can. Angela seems to be doing well, trying hard to stay in her budget. Mary was out late last night, watching the Kalkaska-Suttons Bay basketball district finals in Kalkaska. Suttons Bay won and will move on to play for the district championship. Paul is doing well on his Nutrasystem diet, having lost 15 pounds in less than three weeks. The cat is still beating up on the dog, but Spike is beginning to stand up more for himself.

Family run-down

Mary is back to work, after a welcomed snow day. They are testing at school this week, so her work load is taking a bit of a pleasurable break. Angela is working hard in Cleveland, Ohio. She is down quite well, and we are very proud of her. David is still looking for a full-time job, something that is complicated in a state that has 11% unemployment. Nonetheless, he is working at Target and getting some hours in. Unfortunately, he is a bit sick this week, worried about having diverticulitis, again. Allison is home from college, Ferris State. She was admitted into the program she applied for, so she will be starting that in the fall. For now, she is working at Family Videos, trying to stay on top of her Spanish class, and enjoying Spring break. Paul is working his usual hours. Other than the 4 hours he spent at clearing snow. things are moving along well at church. They are presently trying to move ahead in a strong way, in outreach to the community. The church needs to grow.

Sick of Winter

It is only appropriate that the first posting of this blog is to complain about the winter. The snow started on November 10th and has not gone away all winter long. At the present we are posting about upwards of 150 inches of snow the winter. Wen things looked like they were starting to improve and move toward spring, we got dumped on again with 18 inches in less then 12 hours. It took Paul 4 hours to clear the snow, that is 2 and a half hours more than usual. Now we are getting ice and more snow this week. HELP! Someone send some sun and warm weather up here fast, before we all go bonkers.