Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I wrote and submitted this piece for Outreach for Hope. It may appear in their fundraising appeal. I thought I would share it with you as well. For several years we have received $16,000 towards our ministry with Lao immigrants from Outreach for Hope. This is a source of funds for ministry in our Synod with people in poverty. When you receive your Giving/Stewardship envelopes for your 2010, you will find an envelope for Outreach for Hope. Our giving of time, talents, and treasure is a powerful statement of faith in a God who is at work through us and through the church. I encourage you to Pray, to listen to God in Christ’s Promise of abundant life, and Pledge to serve, give, and live a life of faith filled hope and trust.
Everyday Miracles
This isn’t the stuff of blockbuster movies. This isn’t the stuff of book club novels. This is just every day in the life of first, second, and third generation immigrants from Laos and the ministry of St. Paul’s in Milwaukee.
It’s been a long morning, 20 some youth-- some Lao, some African America--have been in Worship. They’ve made lunch, and now they are gathering in small groups. The topic for the day is prayer. The time goes by too quickly as we read scripture passages. We discuss why we pray, what we pray for, and how we pray. Prayer is not new for some of the youth. Their parents and grandparents have been turning to God for generations. Prayer for others is new. Some of the youth are not yet baptized. The morning passes too quickly as we stand in a circle, hand in hand, being led in prayer by one of the teen Lao boys. He is thanking God for the time, the safe place, the sharing, for helping us to pray always, to not give in and give up.
It’s the middle of the day, five men without work are sitting around a TV. They each have a beer; a plate of squid is on the table; a young woman is singing and dancing on the screen. Viengsavanh has opened his home to these men who know very little English and who are currently out of work. They are talking, discussing the stuff of life, the struggles of being American, of being fathers, of looking for work. They are asking questions because they know Viengsavanh is a Christian; he goes to church at St. Paul’s; he works with Ajan (pastor/elder) Phetsamone. They know that Ajan Phetsamone helps anyone in the Lao immigrant community. They know he’ll take them to a doctor, help them with paperwork, visit them or their elders when they are sick (bringing a bag of rice or other food as is the custom in Lao culture). Some of the questions they ask are: why can a pastor get married? Why can Christians drink beer? Viengsavanh uses words like grace, love, freedom, Jesus. God’s Word is spoken in an apartment, around a table, around the stuff of life.
On any given night, Pookie’s mom and dad, and her brother will open their home to a Lao teen or two. These are young teen boys whose families are struggling. Extended families are moving in together. Sometimes there’s just no room for Justin; oftentimes Nautica will have no ride to St. Paul’s. Pookie’s family is big. They bring these cousins to worship and youth activities at St. Paul’s. This summer they were part of a group who were welcomed to spend the weekend in Door County. Some of these youth hadn’t traveled the 3 miles to see Lake Michigan. Pookie’s family is growing. Soon after her baptism in 2008, Pookie was hospitalized. Ajan Phetsamone and Pastor Donna visited often. Her family of faith not only sent cards but prayed for Pookie and her family. When she was able to, Pookie, felt the arms of Christ as her family of faith welcomed her back to Sunday School and Worship. God’s family is bigger than we can even imagine.
