Denise Johnson- Southern Region

It doesn't take long in a conversation 

with Denise Johnson 

to hear her love for family

and those she serves in ministry. 

From her growing up years north

 of Fort Wayne, Indiana

to the last nineteen years
 as a pastor's wife at St. John's Lutheran

 in Conover, North Carolina,

her life has been people focused.

Denise and her husband, Scott, 

have four children of their own 

and adopted brothers 
from the foster care system. 

Life lessons come along with
 mothering six children

 and questions always arise that 

speak to the heart of all mothers. 

"Am I doing it right?" 

"Am I meeting the needs of all my children?"

Her passion for connections and her experiences 

with the adoption process allows

 her to be an encourager to others

 in the foster care and adoption process.

 A sympathetic ear and understanding

 of the advocacy process

 certainly allows her to be a support to others

 who are "learning along the way."

 Her greatest blessing is raising children

 that work as a unit

 and seeing that it isn't all about ME.

She is savvy enough

 to see the opportunities that Satan 

 uses to grab JOY in the moment-

 when he places the guilt

 in the lives of women of "not enough."

 Part of being an advocate for children in the 

flawed system of adoption

 is learning to be a vocal advocate.

But, that also includes the shaping of heart

 of someone who is learning to "give up control".

It is about a woman that looks at every situation

 and purposely looks for the JOY.

Denise loves her work
 as a Pampered Chef consultant-

and is the 
Director of St. John's Preschool,

Conover, North Carolina.

She is currently organizing the Mission Trip
 this summer that brings members
 of their congregation to serve in Fairbanks, Alaska. 
They will put together a Teen Week for nearby teens.
 This year they will be gathering 13 teens 
from 4 different villages.
The teens come as guests to the camp.
It costs $800 for each teen to attend.
If you are moved to help sponsor a teen
 or make a donation- please contact Denise at: 
sddsjohnson@gmail.com.

Denise will be sharing with us part
 of the story of The Alaskan Teen Camp experience.
She will also be a contributing encourager
 for the Journeys of Faith blog. 
Welcome Denise.

On the road to Haiti

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,

 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Habakkuk 3:17-18

On the road in Haiti

February 2015

Thirteen of us stuffed ourselves and more than two dozen suitcases into one truck for the ride between Port-au-Prince and Croix-des-Bouquets, 8 miles northeast of the capital city. We were ready to install cabinets in the kitchen at Hope House and paint the depot. 

Although there was a break in the taxi strike, there was a possibility of demonstrations and burning tires along the way. So a police escort rode with us. Sheer bumper-to-bumper traffic was more the obstacle than disgruntled tap-tap drivers, angry at the government for raising gas prices.

That wasn’t the only problem; the World Food Program that had distributed rice in Haiti for so many years is now overwhelmed by the volume of Syrian refugees running from ISIS. Since the 2010 earthquake, Muslims have been active in relief work, building schools on this island nation; it is estimated 3,000 to 5,000 Muslims are in the country where voodism is still practiced by 90 percent of the population. Glad I brought along a few French tracts of Adha in the Injeel and the Connecting with Muslims book from Crescent Project.  Resident VOH director Bert Anderson told us 80 percent of the rice in Haiti is imported. There is concern that importing cheaper rice could negatively impact native rice farmers just like the U.S. supplying subsidized chickens in 2012. 

The Village of Hope School has reduced the serving size of their rice and beans meals to deal with this new challenge. Still in the days following our arrival, there were signs of hope – more cows, goats and chickens; growing number of wells; widening roads and concrete sidewalks and a garbage truck! On an island that still burns trash, the garbage truck was a welcome sight. Plus Roberta Anderson took us to a new supermarket but we still purchased avocadoes and plantains from vendors on the street.

About 640 children attend VOH with full-time elementary school teachers and part-time high school teachers. Donated school supplies included: 1,480 pens; 1,849 pieces of chalk; 491 toothbrushes and 115 tubes of toothpaste; 1,576 colored pencils and 1,277 crayons. Many thanks! The children also enjoyed the Valentine’s cards.

There also are plans for establishing a library and computer lab. Borrowing books is a new concept for Haitians, who are used to owning books. Computers need cool, dust-free and secure room. So both of these projects may take awhile, but just a few more signs of positive things to come.

The health clinic next door serves many patients suffering from high blood pressure, parasites, malnutrition, scabies and malaria. A mobile medical team arrives quarterly to serve about 600 people within a 5-mile radius. At present, there is no stroke rehab facility. However, infant mortality has dropped from 20 percent to 17 percent, a very encouraging medical indicator.

Traveling along National 9, we visited the mass grave where 50,000 were buried after the devastating temblor with an epicenter near the town of Leogane. The memorial remains unfinished but at least we were able to pray for those who had lost their lives. We had worshiped just that morning at a new mission church with a sermon based on Ephesians 4:11 “And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers.”

Moving on to Little Children of Jesus orphanage, we met Missionaries of the Poor, a new order of monks established in Jamaica in 1981. The brothers normally have 3-year assignments and these14 monks took over from staff of Food for the Poor in July 2014. On the morning of our visit, many of us fed the children breakfast, while others cleaned beds.

VOH field director Debbie Berquist joined us after attending funeral for her husband Wilner in Deschapelle. We met her two brothers before they flew back to Canada. She made a special rice and mushroom dish for our dinner. We also had Haitian pumpkin soup to celebrate the people’s independence and freedom.

We did not go near the Carnival celebration. A singer seated atop one of the floats hit an overhead electric cable causing a sudden large flash that triggered panic among a crowd of spectators. Seventeen were trampled to death. Haitian President Michel Martelly declared three days of mourning. He has yet to call for elections after parliament dissolved in January.

Our departing flight was cancelled due to snowstorm in Northeast. On that extra day in Haiti, some of us napped, others read, journaled or played dominoes. The team from St. John’s included: Linda Anderson, Liz and Tom DeMik, Richard and Sarah Finger, Jim Lofgren, Ken Lorang, Yvette Moy, Christine Payne, Greer and Scott Putnam, Deborah Wegman, Saron Yohannes. These represented eight churches from four states. Our servant trip began during Epiphany and ended at midnight on Ash Wednesday – some very blessed days and evenings together.

Yvette Moy

March 7, 2015

The daily blog written by Sarah Finger and Jim Lofgren may be accessed with this link: http://stjohnshaititrip.blogspot.com/

 Thanks to contributing writer- Yvette Moy for this post.

Muriel Ernstmeyer- In Memoriam

• .•

On December 13, 2014,

 Muriel Helen (Koch) Ernstmeyer,

 92,was lovingly taken home 

by her heavenly Father.

 Born March 7,1922, 

in Floral Park, New York, 

the daughter of Elsie and Henry Koch, 

Muriel was raised in New York

 and eventually attended

 the College of William and Mary.

  She was President of Chi Omega,

 on Mortar Board,

 and met her future husband, 

Chaplain Milton Ernstmeyer. 

After graduating from William and Mary, 

Muriel worked at Good Housekeeping,

 where she was a chemist.

 Soon after the end of World WarII, 

Muriel andMilton were married 

and began their ministry together, 

serving members of the military

 and their families through the Navy chaplaincy.

In the early years of their marriage,

daughters Jan, Carol, and Lynn were born.

Muriel experienced the moves 

and necessary separations of militaxy life,

 and enjoyed the challenges

 and opportunities to serve 

that arose in her role as a chaplain s wife. 

During those years, she exemplified

servant leadership as 

president of the Officer's Wives Club,

 the Chaplain's Wives club, 

and the Lutheran Women's Missionary League.

She is survived by her husband,

 Milton Ernstmeyer; her brother,Warren Koch,

 and her sister, Doris Hicks;

 three daughters and their husbands;

 six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. 

We give thanks for the heart of grace 

and faith-filled living that is Muriel's legacy. 

May the Lord grant us all the time 

to affect relationships for a heavenly impact.

Holly Borrasso- Bible Journaling

Bible Journaling- A Heart for Worship

I- ( Connie) have been blessed to participate

 in a wonderful new process

 for Bible Study and worship time.

Since September I (Connie) joined the

 Journaling Bible Community on Facebook-- 

Journaling Bible Group.

 There were 35 members when I joined.

 Today at this posting there are:

 11,810 men and women from around the world.

 Featured here are the pages from a pastor's wife

 Journaling Bible

 in the Southeastern District-

 Holly Borrasso.

One year out of the seminary and into parish life.

She was featured on this blog post here-as a vicar's wife

Holly-Borrasso

They now serve Redeemer Lutheran Church

 in the Northern Region-

in Parkton, MD.

Holly uses a Journaling Bible

 made with space in the margins

 for notes, prayers, art notes, and other additions

 that might enhance her study time.

Holly has multiple Bible resources-

so if some of the text "is covered"-

that is fine.

This is a meditative art process in

God's Word.

Sometimes paint gets added.

or a stamp or washi tape or alphabet stickers

or maybe a simple tag collects the thoughts

Holly is experimenting with all sorts

 of processes and many places

 to bring this to ministry life-

her work with women and their families

 and Confirmation students.

The blessing has been

 to see all the ways that God

brings His Word to visual life.

His WORD is active, moving and alive.

And--- a visual image stays with us longer

 when we have created it 

with our own hands and our eyes

 store the visual in memory.

We give thanks for all the ways

 that Holly uses her creative gifts

 to help us see the life that God

 wants each of us to have abundantly.

    Connie

An Unexpected Blessing & an opportunity

Hi all,

My name is Emily Phoenix and I am guest blogging today on the Women of the SED blog. I currently serve as Director of Discipleship at Galilee Lutheran Church in Pasadena, MD. Check out a neat story of how God has used my gifts to minister to young people transitioning into a new chapter of their lives!

*******************************

It’s so funny how God works through our thoughts!

Just this morning I was thinking that I needed to write this post so I could be ready to press the “Publish” button when it was time. I’ve been pretty anxious/excited recently, and you will understand why as you keep reading!

It has been awhile since I have blogged about an unexpected blessing, but this is a pretty big one that I am very excited to share!

It’s been just over a year since I was asked to write a book. It was an unexpected request, but one that I had been longing to pursue for quite some time...


Read more over at my blog: Unexpected Blessings.

Paulette Gaines- Northern Region

A servant heart lives the walk- not just the talk. 

 That is Paulette Gaines.

Here is a peek into the

 heart and soul of a servant leader.

On Saturday, February 28, 2015

this group of women gathered at 

Peace Lutheran Church in DC.

To make pillowcase dresses
 for little girls in Haiti.

Sara Wilson joined this event

 because of her heart for Haiti

 after a mission trip there in High school.

Terri Bailey displays a lovely finished dress.

Paulette has been a long-time
 advocate for the LWML-
at all levels.

Seeing the need and
 bringing hearts and hands together.

A day out of the ordinary.
Using gifts and talents-
and maybe learning a bit along the way

Bringing beauty to fabric with LOVE and 

sending HOPE.

We laughed and shared life stories.

Paulette pours courage into women to do more 
together than they can do by themselves.
That is Gospel Light living in the flesh.
We give thanks to God for
Paulette- encourager.

 A $250 grant from Thrivent Financial 

was given  to purchase threads, 

bias tape, food for the volunteers

 and any other items needed

 in making the dresses.

 Pillow cases were donated 

by those attending and others for the project.

 The project coordinator, Georgetta Watts,

 was very instrumental in helping us

 to apply for and obtaining the grant. 

Paulette serves with her husband Rev. Lloyd Gaines
 at Peace Lutheran Church in the District of Columbia.
  This event was supported by THRIVENT- 
and we thank them for their support.