Edina Community Lutheran Church

Pastor Pam Fickenscher, Pastor Carol Mork, Pastor Warren Salveson, Pastor Erik Strand
Office Manager Eileen Supple

Faith Formation - High School

Sundays for grades 9-12

The Youth Room is the site of treats and conversation each Sunday morning during the school year for high school youth at ECLC. The schedule is below. Questions?

Contact Anna Marsh, youth leader.

"Connections"

On the first Sunday evening of each month during the school year, high school youth meet at someone's home from 6-8 pm.

Youth Mission Trips

Members in grades 9-12 have the opportunity each summer to participate in a Youth Mission Trip. In 2007 the trip will be to Boston. In 2006 it was to Biloxi, Miss., to help with Hurricane Katrina recovery work. In 2005 the trip was to Panama. In July 2007 the youth went to Boston and in 2008 they will go to China with China Service Ventures.

High School Youth to Boston

Notes from Pastor Pam Fickenscher

Departure day, Sat., July 21 8:15 a.m. Meet at MSP airport group check-in lower level NW 716 to BOS 10:10 am, ARR 1:55 pm	Quote of the day: “We are carrying all this food back to the church?!” (Said by a member of the team who went grocery shopping for the group via subway this evening. They found that many hands made light work, and some of them insisted on taking the stairs instead of the escalators even with groceries in hand). It's a beautiful day in Boston and our group of 17 youth and 3 adults are now settled in at University Lutheran Church, where we will be spending the week. UniLu, as it's called here on Harvard Square, makes their basement available as a homeless shelter during the winter months. For the summer, it's available to groups like ours. Four members of our group had luggage lost on the way out here. . .along with about 26 other passengers. All bags finally were delivered to us in the middle of the night. We made our way to Harvard Square on the T and settled in at UniLu, then headed out to Harvard Square for pizza. Everyone was quite hungry by 5 p.m. . .and quite tired because many in the group were up late last night acquiring and reading Harry Potter #7. We divided the labor of cleaning up and setting up our quarters and shopping for food. Getting groceries for 20 people turned out to be pretty simple: UniLu is 2 blocks from the T stop and a major grocery store is only one block from the next stop on the Red Line. We are stocked and ready for the week. Back at the church we got a little better acquainted, played a game and had devotions. Tomorrow we'll go to church downtown, explore the Freedom Trail a bit and go whale watching. The weather is gorgeous here, so we're counting on a nice afternoon on the water.
Sun., July 22	Quote of the day: “Oh, I forgot. . . . .(fill in: transit pass, backpack, etc) . The good news is, nothing was lost permanently. Our first full day in Boston was glorious – sunny, breezy and not at all hot. We had a little time before church to explore Boston Common and the Public Garden (the same made famous by Make Way for Ducklings), then headed up the street to Tremont Temple Baptist Church, an ornate, theater-style Baptist church that has quite a history as the first integrated congregation in New England and the first church in the state not to “charge” for its seats back in the 1850's. The congregation is still visibly integrated and diverse, but we were surprised to find how many of the seats were empty. After church we headed to the waterfront for brown bag lunches and to get ready for whale watching on a giant catamaran staffed by folks from the New England Aquarium. About half the group found the going a bit rough on the way out – 30 miles to the feeding grounds for many whales and dolphins. Picture people (including myself) rather green and, in some cases, sleepy from Dramamine, but not losing lunch over the back. Once we reached our goal, however, the whales were abundant and close, narrated by a marine biologist talking about what we were seeing. The boat also held an abundance of human diversity – many languages were being spoken in between the exclamations of “Look!” “Oh!” “Wow!” Some members of the group enjoyed talking to a family from Poland on board. The ride back, I'm happy to report, was calm and lovely, so everyone was ready for dinner when we got off at 6 p.m. The group enjoyed another crush of humanity and some street performers at Quincy Market (near Fanieul Hall) at dinnertime, and then we all headed back to UniLu. An encounter with a panhandler on the subway ride back lead to some good conversations about the complexity of poverty this evening. Everyone is very tired from all that fresh air, but looking forward to digging in to some work tomorrow.
Mon., July 23	Quote of the day: “Everyone is standing around admiring the snacks.” (Kelly, our trainer at the Greater Boston Food Bank, warning the group of the tendency of volunteers to stop working to check out the wild variety of things that get donated to the food bank.) We started the day early today to get across town by subway and bus to the Greater Boston Food Bank, a Second Harvest food bank that accepts, sorts and distributes thousands of pounds of food. The GBFB is essentially a huge warehouse, equipped to accept large corporate and USDA donations as well as smaller canned food drives. Over 600 member agencies receive food from the GBFB for soup kitchens, child care programs, shelters, food shelves, and so on. After an orientation and training our group went to the sorting area, where we first sorted the results of a canned food drive held by the Red Sox this past weekend, then moved on to the “salvage” products such as dented cans and past-date dry food items that are donated by grocery stores in town. The group worked well together and with other volunteers there today, sorting thousands of (I think the total was around 16,000) pounds of food during the day. It was also a good day to be inside, as it has been cool and drizzling all day. Among the discoveries: (1) individuals donate more healthy food than grocery stores do (2) lots of food that would otherwise go into the dumpster is still good enough to eat, (3) experienced forklift drivers are a wonder to behold and (4) Bostonians do really eat (or at least buy) brown bread from a can. After a full day on our feet, we headed back to UniLu for a spaghetti dinner and some down time. Favorite free time activities so far are reading Harry Potter, playing cards, and walking the 2 blocks from UniLu to Ben & Jerry's for ice cream.	(No photos may be taken in Food Bank.)
Tue., July 24	Quote of the day: “A group of new volunteers is coming. You need to train them in.” Kelly, our Haitian volunteer supervisor explaining that we'd be working the last few hours of the day with a new volunteer group from Best Buy. We are all well aware of today's date, having spent the day sorting food that is in various states of being past or near-past date. Our second day at the Greater Boston Food Bank went well. We worked hard largely by ourselves for the morning, then were joined by others. Most of the group got a chance to work at several different positions on the line, from unloading a box of random items to “palatizing” a fully sorted, weighed and labeled box of items ready for distribution. At the end of the day we were told we had again sorted thousands of pounds of food during the day, which will eventually result in about 9150 meals for the hungry in this area. The coordinator was impressed by our pace, but allowed that we hadn't come close to the food bank's record, which was set by a large group from—where else? – FedEx. We have tired arms and feet but the group is in great spirits. We look forward to a change of pace tomorrow – visiting the JFK presidential library and museum in the morning and traveling to work at the Waltham Community Farm in the afternoon.
Wed., July 25	6:22 a.m. from a coffee shop... "It's been harder to get on line than I anticipated here. . . most hotspots are not free and most time is not either... we're supposed to be out of the building this morning (we're sharing the space with a day camp this year, so we can't really linger in the space much)...Everyone is in good spirits.We continue to get compliments on the group as we move about..." Quote of the day: “This place is so dirty! Isn't it great??!” Priya Larson at Waltham Community Farm It was an entirely different day from the last two for our group –though the morning routine remains the same: wake-up call for the breakfast group, wake-up call for everyone else, sleepy breakfasts, more wake-up calls for the stragglers, getting dressed and making lunches for the day's activities (most of the group showers the night before to reduce the crush and sleep a little more – though is still a female or two who sacrifices sleep for looking her best for. . . I'm not sure for whom. . . but you know the phenomenon). This morning we departed on our now-familiar Red line train for the John F Kennedy Memorial Library and Museum, a beautiful spot on the water and a fascinating museum, at least for some of us. We only had a couple hours there though, because our trek to our service site today involved a bus, a train, and two more buses. We made all our connections easily, though, and arrived at Waltham Community Farm in time for a relaxed lunch on the grass and some ultimate Frisbee before starting work. Waltham farm is a community-run nonprofit that is both a CSA (members buy “shares” of the season's harvest as well as volunteer working hours) and an endeavor to feed Boston's low-income community some seriously healthy organic produce. We learned the last two days that fresh food is in short supply at most kitchens and food shelves, so Waltham 's farm fills a serious gap in feeding the hungry, not to mention its benefits to the surrounding community and the environment. Our supervisor for the day said that she moved down from Vermont specifically to work at Waltham , because although there are quite a few organic farms in her home state, none has the dual mission of serving the hungry that Waltham does. (While we were there a few volunteers and members showed up as well, including a Carleton grad whose brother is a U of M grad. I have to say, the demographic of these members reminded a great deal of our own CSA in Minnesota – lots of Subaru wagons and very friendly people). We spent the afternoon hours weeding on the farm's vast property – first leeks, then sweet potatoes. Our host told us we weeded 2800 row feet. . .not too bad for an afternoon's work. Many members of the group commented how satisfying it was to see such visible results, and a lot of conversation and singing happened as our hands were working. We were, however, VERY dirty by the end of the afternoon (someone on the T felt compelled to ask, “what were you doing?”). It was also quite warm working in the sun, so no one complained when we were finished for the day. Showers were a big priority when we returned to UniLu. A few brave souls tried the Boston canned brown bread with their baked beans this evening. Tomorrow we are sticking closer to “home” – Cambridge – for our service in the city here and at UniLu.
Thu., July 26	Quote of the day: “The important thing is to be aware.” – Darwin, a volunteer with Cambridge Student Partnership, an alliance of college students in the area working on issues of homelessness. This morning we shifted our focus from hunger to homelessness, from doing to a bit of reflection and conversation. We traveled just one stop up the red line to the Cambridge Multiservice Center, an agency that serves people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in the Cambridge area. We were welcomed with a large room to converse in and ample snacks. The executive director of the center spent over two hours with us, and also introduced us to other case workers at the center as well as three students who have been there as volunteers with the Cambridge Student Partnership. We were impressed with the dedication and thoughtfulness of all of them, and noted that the center has a very healthy employee retention rate. . . a good sign. The students were particularly passionate about their work there and the way that a couple hours a week has changed their perspective on people at risk. Len (our host) talked about the complexity of homelessness and the many situations that cause people to fall into such situations. An experience we had earlier in the week with a panhandler on the T came up again as an example of how there are varieties of responses and no easy answers to how best to help people, and the importance nonetheless of listening and being aware of those around us who are at risk. Our original agenda for the afternoon was to work at UniLu around their building, but that plan was derailed when our host, the office manager here at UniLu, was called away with a family medical emergency. We decided we’ll do the best job of making this place look its best after we are packed up ourselves on Saturday, so we traded some sleeping in on Saturday morning for some fun this afternoon. We took a brief walking tour of Cambridge, which was probably less appreciated because of high heat and humidity today. After that, most of the group went swimming at a nearby public pool, and a few of us splintered off to check out MIT’s museum of science. Fun was had by all. We returned “home” briefly for showers and re-grouping, and then went back downtown for a variety of activities. Several folks had a good Italian dinner on the North End, some went to an interactive game experience (I can’t really describe this. . . you’ll have to ask Erich), and others grabbed some quick food and headed back to Boston Common for part of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which is being performed nightly on the Common. The effects of many busy days, lots of walking and not-the-longest nights is visible in the group by now. We are tired. But the group is still enjoying one another and taking in the entire experience wholeheartedly. In many ways it has been a good learning experience to be away from the church and on our feet most of the day, because the experience of having no place to “let down” and rest is common to the homeless, even to those in “good” shelters such as the one we are in this week. Friday our last full day of service is at a place called “Cradles to Crayons” – more updates to come!
Fri., July 27	Quote of the Day: “I need some action figure experts.” Craig, our volunteer coordinator at Cradles to Crayons This morning we awoke in a muggy basement and prepared for another day of service. The temperatures were not quite as hot today, but it is still pretty humid, and 20-some showers in our unvented bathrooms every day have added to the closeness downstairs. We took our longest ride yet on the T to North Quincy , the site of the Cradles to Crayons warehouse. Cradles to Crayons calls itself a “giving factory,” offering “gifts-in-kind to kids-in-need” for the Boston area. In many ways it is like the food bank – a warehouse operation accepting large corporate donations as well as the results of book-, clothing- and toy-drives by churches, businesses and other organizations. The only difference is that C2C exclusively focuses on the needs of children 0-18. The founder and director of C2C was around as we worked today, so we got to hear a bit of its remarkable story. It began only 5 years ago as a one-woman operation in some extra office space of its founder. She was phasing out work as a business strategy consultant, and seeing the contrast between the wealth of some kids and the poverty of others, she began the work of C2C virtually on her own, with the help of work and family friends. It provides an invaluable service to all those organizations – from the public schools to city social workers to after school programs – who see the needs of families first hand but can't store, for example, every size of coat a child might need. Instead of trying to organize the drives themselves, or using valuable program space to store items that can't be distributed immediately, Cradles to Crayons allows agencies to place online orders for a particular child's needs, which are then filled by volunteers and taken to the kids. ECLC youth spent the day sorting action figures, books, Legos, and other toys. We also unpacked hundreds of donated backpacks, scissors, pencils and crayons for an upcoming school supply effort. At the end of our work we were informed that in the morning alone we assisted 202 children through our efforts. We've been frugal grocery shoppers and eaters this week, so the group has a few funds remaining in our budget. So each of us is choosing one of the places we visited as the recipient of our surplus. Our remaining time will be spent in Cambridge , wrapping up our weeks' discussions, worshipping together, and cleaning up the UniLu basement that has been our home for the week. We intend to leave it better than we found it (and given the fact that not only our group, but a day camp has also been using it all week, that shouldn't be too difficult). Weather permitting and God willing, we'll be home in Minnesota before 4 p.m. Saturday!! Thanks to everyone who supported the youth's trip this year with your prayers and support. We look forward to sharing pictures and more stories in the fall.
Sat., July 28 Return BOS - MSP 1:15 pm, ARR 3:21 pm	Made it!

In 2007 Pastor Erik Strand and Deb Strand are taking 10 of ECLC's graduating high school seniors to Arusha, Tanzania, to begin what ECLC hopes will be a continuing relationship with Selian Lutheran Hospital and the Lutheran community in Tanzania. See travelog below.

See some of the photos at: http://picasaweb.google.com/edinacommunitylutheran

Seniors to Tanzania

Departure day, Wednesday, June 20

12:45 p.m. - Meet at MSP inside Door #6 on ticketing level

NW 756 to DTW Dep 3:10

NW 54 to Amsterdam

NW 8481 (KLM 571) to Kilimanjaro

ARR 8:00 p.m.

NWA flight notification (sign up to receive notification of arrivals or departures)

Tanzania travelers Erik and Deb Deb & Erik "before"

Operation Bootstrap

Arrival Day, Thursday, June 21, 8:00 p.m.

Stay at Ilboru Safari Lodge through June 27

KLM website shows the flight landed in Kilimanjaro at 8:09 pm (12:09 pm our time). Waiting to hear from the group.

Friday, June 22 - Selian Lutheran Hospital

Morning devotions, orientation and tour of Selian Lutheran Hospital. Our contact and host, Dr. Mark Jacobson, is the brother of ECLC's Kris Jacobson.

Selian is near the village of Ngaramtoni within the Arumeru District of the Arusha Region.

email from Pastor Erik received Friday morning: "Hello. All is well... flights were fine.. we are at the hospital.. the weather is cool and nice... the kids are doing fine.. will be doing lots of interesting things.. heard much about medical care here.. i will send more later.. this is just a quick note. take care..."

Later: "... it has been a good day... though we are all pretty tired.. came back after hospital in the a.m. and AIDS program in the afternoon... changed some money and had lots of folks who wanted to sell stuff to us.. but on we went.. weather is great... we met annalise thomsen this a.m. who is doing work at Selian this summer [Annelise is a former member, daughter of Paul and Naomi Thomsen].. it was great.. the work and the issues folks face are sobering - we saw little children with AIDS and more... tomorrow is a visit to hospice program home visits.. we see lots of folks walking everywhere.. deeply rutted road and real poverty.. the kids are doing fine.. learning to speak some Swahili.. our drivers are very good.. i am off to dinner hope all is well there.."

Tonight we will talk about the times in the Bible when many times folks like Jacob, Moses, Jesus.. end up going to the wilderness (new and strange places) to encounter God.. we'll talk about where we see God in this place that's new and strange to us.. Flying over Sudan yesterday was a metaphor for how americans fly over dafur and places like this.. without connecting and touching down...

Saturday, June 23 - Hospice visits

Education about AIDS epidemic and visits with Selian hospice team to homes in the Arusha area.

"...we have had a full day.. not sure how often this email systemt will work ..keeps freezing...no news just means we are not able to get access.. all is actually very well... we visited with hospital hospice teams today... split into 3 groups.. each going to visit folks in homes... some in urban alleys others out in the country on the mt mero.. very powerful stories of grandmothers taking care of orphaned children who at age 3 or 6 have HIV as well (parents died of AIDS)...we were in very small dwellings... mud construction mostly... there is a team of over 180 volunteers from lutheran churches that go and visit and bring medicines and food... one visit was with a family where both parents are very ill, and there is no food in home and no blankets.. so we have encountered much.. and yet many in arusha have hopes for a better future.. much education and work on HIV/AIDS.. and lots of work gong on to build up community... the church works on 3 pillars of faith, health, and development... so.. in the midst of it all we realize our great abundance... tomorrow is church and getting ready to visit villiage on monday where we will paint and share in a community feast... we are bringing school supplies, soccer balls and ourselves.. so i hope this computer works again soon.. spirits are good here take care.."

Sunday, June 24 - Swahili Worship Service

Join Mark and Linda Jacobson for worship in Swahili at the church near the hospital

"... we went to church this a.m....we got there at the end of the packed first service... still lots at the 2nd service.. . amazing choir.. lots of energy and earnest prayer.. in between they served us lots of treats and tea and coffee.. which i am sure they really did not have in their budget.. i spoke at both services.. thanking them for their hosptiality.. talking about how we in edina were reading today from Galatians where Paul writes about there is neither greek nor jew but all are one in Christ.. and how it is that despite our differences we are one ... Tanazanian church and ours .. they were very friendly and they spent time talking with us ...we went to lunch and then to a beautiful craft place... lots of strange contrasts between the poverty and the beauty of the crafts and our ability to spend $ .. tomorrow we go to a very poor villiage and will paint two classrooms and then eat with the folks there.. we are bringing many school supplies to them.. everyone is doing fine.. the weather is still cool.."

Monday, June 25 - Losinoni Village

Visit Losinoni Village, where Selian Hospital and other organizations, including the St. Louis Park (Minn.) Rotary Club, have worked to bring safe water into the community. Our group will bring school supplies from ECLC and the St. Louis Park Rotary.

"...we drove out of the city on the road to nairobi and went off on a dusty path/road to the isolated villiage of Losinoni.. visited the Rotary water project which has greatly improved the health of the children...visited a boma compound - home to 2 wives, 15 or so children, husband/father, and goats and cattle.. the children were wide-eyed to see themselves in a digital camera...saw the mud grass-roofed round huts that you needed to bend low in order to enter (2 at a time).. here most folks make $1 per day.. having email trouble so i am going to send this and start chapter 2 so you at least know we had a powerful visit and, as tali said.. now it seems we are in aftrica.

"...we were there to visit the school of 660 children - to bring school supplies, paint a room and participate in a lunch in our honor... they were very pleased to received the supplies .. we also went and purchased much masi beadwork from the women who gathered.. a mini market where we knew our purchases were greatly needed... the poverty was very real and the ECLC youth were very moved.. they loved the children and Kate and Luke participated in the speech making.. talking about their hospitaltiy and deep commitment to the children and their education for which the villiage sacrificed much.... even one of our drivers has told us how he sometimes has gone without food to be sure that his children were able to go to school ... these folks are working hard to build up their school where desks for 2 often have 6 childen sitting at them.. we brought pens, pencils, soccer balls, 800 exercise (as in academic) books, mathematics kits (rulers etc).. hats and t-shirts which were very popular.. tonight we have dinner with the Jacobson family...

"...other sites and sounds are the young men hanging out near the $ changing spots seeking to sell stuff.. they are pretty assertive and we are learning to say no in swahili... tomorrw we go to the girls school.. and then the snake park for dinner...

"we are talking a lot about paying attention to all that is around us.. because it is so new ... we have had good conversations about our privilege ... and of the deep faith of the people we meet..

"i think the spirits of the group are good.. "

Tuesday, June 26 - Monduli and Snake Park

Visit the MaaSae Girls Lutheran Secondary School (MGLSS) and bring them supplies. Lunch of beans and rice with some of the students.

Visit Meserani Snake Park in the afternoon. Share a Tanzania "nyama choma" (BBQ) there.

Pastor Strand called and left a voice message at 2 p.m. local time (6 a.m. CST). His cell phone has a new SIM card procured locally and is working! He said he would contact us later but that they had had a very good visit at the MGLSS (see left), including some good time with the girls. They were on their way to the Snake Park (see left) as planned for a traditional Tanzanian BBQ.

Later: "...we have had another good day.. we are a little tired out from all of the variety of experiences but the group rose to the occasion as we visited the Masai Girls School in Monduli. It is an impressive place where girls who are often excluded from educational opportunites are in an amazing environment of encouragement .. ECLC youth met with girls their own age who gave us a great tour and with poise and focus spoke of their dreams for the future.. they had a great time and were amused and wide eyed at the pictures Tali showed of snow and her prom ... the time with the girls was a definite highlight.. the countryside is impressive and the sky is big.. we had a good meal at the snake farm and had a very interesting tour at the Masai museum.

"...we are hoping to sleep a little longer tomorrow as it promises to be a full day.. originally scheduled to be only the heifer project we are now also going to the women/widows project to hear about the situation of women in Tanzania and then on a visit to the Simonsons.. legends around here.. Pastor Simonson, now 78, is nicknamed the bulldozer around these parts .. he started over 40 churches, the Masai girls school and many other service/adocacy organizations..

"we are going for tea at 4 p.m... (the kids are developing a taste for tea.. both black tea and chai...) then it is packing and dinner in prep for going on safari.. our drivers and developing friends Audax and Isaac have been great and promise us more adventures to come.. take care all .. blessings.."

Wednesday, June 27 - Heifer International

Visit Heifer International in the Arumeru district, learn about their efforts to stop world hunger through the gift of farm animals and agricultural assistance. Visit a few farmers affected by HIV/AIDS who have received goats. Share nearly $2000 in contributions given by ECLC.

Paraphrased from phone conversation with Pastor Erik:..everybody's fine...all doing well...yesterday more tired...today more energy...we had another full day...to Heifer Project, which was quite impressive..a well-run, efficient organization. Went to two different farms, husband/wife teams...men would speak first then ask us to listen to their wives because they're partners and as such each needs to know everything the other knows...an unusual situation for women in Tanzania...Each farm had been transformed from a dry, dusty patch of land into a lush, lovely place within 5 or 6 years of getting a goat from Heifer Project. They're now organic farms with goats, calves, cows, rabbits, chickens, manured turned into compost (even solar power and television). One farm raises rice, too -- both have fish ponds with tilapia. Both couples went to training through Heifer and completed a yearlong prep process.

Went to a roadside cafeteria where we had a good meal at very little cost.

Visited "The Widow's Might," an organization set up by Linda Jacobson and her neighbors...widows in this society cannot inherit husbands' property...it goes back to husband's family. Widow'w Might helps women learn a trade...for example, they have a weaving collective that produces beautiful weavings...

...our spending feels sinful and important here all at the same time.

Also went to see Pastor David "Bulldozer" Simonson, his wife, Eunice, and daughter, Naomi (see June 26 entry) at their home. Pastor Simonson, 78, was made an elder in the Masai tribe and the tribe gave him a hilltop plot of land in thanksgiving for his work. He and Eunice have transformed it into a lush green setting with a beautiful home designed in a five-ring setting. They served the group angel food cake in celebration of Pastor Erik and Deb's 32nd wedding anniversary, which was June 21, their first day in Tanzania.

Tomorrow we head to safari and, our drivers tell us, we will lunch with the elephants.

Thursday, June 28 - Safari begins

Travel through the hilly grasslands of the Maasai people to Tarangire National Park and game view.

Stay in Tarangire Safari Lodge, a permanent tented campsite high on a bluff overlooking the valley and Tarangire River.

"...just a quick check in... we are in Tarangire ... beatuiful place.. overlooking valley full of elephants, zebras, wildebeasts, ostriches... saw a leopard!! and a herd of bull elephants walk right in front of us... many pictures and lots of excitement.. tomorrow is early ...off to southern part of park but will get back in early afternoon for some relaxation which will be very good!.. everyone is fine.. food is amazing here in the middle of nowhere.. lodging is fine.. will check in more tomorrow.. e-mail is slow.. so we will see.. "

Friday, June 29 - Safari continues in 1000-square-mile Tarangire National Park

".. we had a very good day again... lots of elephants, giraffe and baboons!! ... still looking for lions but maybe tomorrow!! ...we came back by 2 p.m. and had a relaxing afternoon and then a very good talk re: being on safari and being treated so well with good food, etc. embodies the differences between the rich and poor in this world.. we then had a good discussion of how to have faith in God in a complicated world.. the kids are definitely thinking and takng in a lot of stuff on this trip... everyone is feeling well and i think is doing well... tomorrow is another safari day here and then we are off to the Ngorongoro Crater.. for another safari!! ...all is well here.." the weather has been great! (Note: click on "weather" and zoom all the way into Arusha and Tarangire Park.)

Saturday, June 30 - Safari continues in Tarangire National Park

A couple clarifications in the course of a phone conversation on Friday: The herd of bull elephants that passed in front of them on Thursday...was only 20 feet in front of them. Also, the level of relaxation is high...the biggest worry they had yesterday was whether 100 baboons in a tree overhead would 'exercise some bodily function. Finally, Kate was surprised to learn that a new-found friend had already called her home...at 2:15 a.m. Minnesota time...not realizing Kate was still in Tanzania...and perhaps not thinking through the time zone differences.

From Pastor Strand's email: "hello, all is well here.. everyone is doing great!! ... today we saw 3 cape buffalos up close and personal... and some elephants with young very near as well.. and wart hogs in front of our tent!! the weather is nice and cool.. we have so many pictures that parents and friends will be entertained for hours... today we also learned what it means to "check the tires".... after the ride gets a little long and one has consumed liquids for breakfast one often must let the driver know that you have to "check the tires".......

"we have pre-Sunday worship just now as tomorrow we leave at 6:30 a.m... we are very aware of the gift of God's creation in this place.. it is simply beautiful... and it places us in the context as creatures... which is a good thing for fast paced americans to be.. tomorrow, we are going to the crater where there are many lions, hippos and rhinos and will stay in a new place so i will see if they have e-mail... we stay at that lodge for 2 nights.. so take care everyone.. the kids have clearly been keeping their families in their prayers.. as we often go around in the circle mentioning our concerns.. and everyone at one time or the other has mentioned their families..."

Sunday, July 1 - Ngorongoro Crater

Spend the day game viewing in the Crater. In the afternoon, ascend from the Crater and drive on to the town of Karatu. Stay at Bougainvillea Safari Lodge until departure day.

Left a voice message Sunday at church: Calling from the midst of the crater [where there WAS cell phone service]. Thousands of animals throughout the crater. Beautifu. Saw our second leopard [one of the rarer animals sighted], lions, elephants, giraffes...many animals.

Text message from Pastor Strand: "Hi...no email here...all is well...lions, hippos, etc...nice place...kids all good...will try to call monday."

Monday, July 2 - Spend the day game viewing in Lake Manyara National Park.

Phone call: In the highlands awaiting dinner after last day of safari. All are well. Has been great trip but kids are probably read to come home. They're excited about a potential mission project.

Tuesday, July 3 - Departure day

Return to Arusha, shower and repack at two rooms at Ilboru Safari Lodge and transfer to airport for departure at 8:55 pm on (NW 8481/KL 571) from Dar Es Salaam to Kilimanjaro to Amsterdam.

KLM Flight Status

via email: "...we are at our hotel waiting to drive to the airport..we will leave here around 5 for our evening flight.. [KLM lists the flight as being on time].

"i think most are ready to go home.. some would like to stay longer.. we had a good last evening dinner .. invited our drives/guides to join us.. after our day of leopards, elephants, baboons, and hippos.. we were very touched by Isaac's little speech at dinner where he said that he often takes tourists around but that we were not tourists but instead were people.. he was touched by the group's interest and concern for Tanzania.. he was very kind... the group spent some good time before dinner on our reflections and thoughts and feelings about the trip.. everyone had important things to say about what they will bring back home with them in their hearts and minds..

"we are currently repacking, some are reading and some are playing soccer.. so.. the kids will be back soon and deb and i will be on to Italy.."

Wednesday, July 4 - Arrival day

Arrive from Kilimanjaro about 7 am and depart on NW 41 direct to Minneapolis at 9:50 a.m.

NWA Flight Status

The kids are back! Healthy, happy, exhausted and, no doubt, experiencing culture shock. (Not to worry, Dan is back...he had left before the photo.)

Group returned

High school youth in Mississippi

ECLC's high school youth traveled by bus to Biloxi, Miss., on June 23 and 24 to help rebuid after Hurricane Katrina. They are working through the Cornerstone Foundation and its "Call of Nehemiah" project. Stay tuned to this page for meeting dates, trip details and fundraisers.

Updates from Pastor Strand

Friday, June 23

Departure day!

group photo

Erich

loading bus

on the bus

parents

Saturday,

June 24

(Above) Parents protesting the departure of the bus??

(Left)

Sharing a meal under the bleachers at Biloxi football stadium, site of the volunteer center and home for the week to the ECLC mission trippers.

IN BILOXI

We have arrived in Biloxi safe and sound after a long bus ride. We had great bus drivers and there was lots of conversation and fun for all - sleep was a challenge but most of us got some. We arrived here around 4 p.m. today and have had an orientation and just finished dinner. We are staying in the volunteer camp under the bleachers at Biloxi Yankee Stadium run by the Salvation Army.

Coming in to town we saw significant signs of destruction. Thousands of homes have been destroyed and damaged. We will begin our sheet rocking, painting etc. on Monday a.m. on three different homes. We will see more of Biloxi tomorrow after church. We will provide updates as the week progresses and hope to be able to do pictures at some point. Keep us in your prayers. We will do the same. Blessings..

Sunday,

June 25

Hello. I am writing this sitting in the bleachers at Biloxi Yankee Stadium watching a couple of our kids ( Andy and Nathan) running laps here at 10:30 p.m. Hopefully not too many bugs will bite as I write.

It was a good day - we began with breakfast at 8 a.m. and then went to chruch at Calvary Gulf Coast Church, which was a different service for our group. We sang for 15 minutes and then heard a presentation about a ministry in town and then had a 45 - 50 minute sermon! The people were very welcoming and appreciative for our presence in town. In fact whereever we go we encounter folks who thank us for showing up in Biloxi.

We came back from church and left for the "fun" event of the week - the water park. Just reopened. But on the way we drove on Highway 90 and saw mile after mile of devastation - it was a sobering view. We made it to the water park but because of an approaching storm we went to lunch nearby first. After eating we went back to the park where we stayed for 90 minutes until another storm chased us away.

Back at the volunteer villiage we met with our group leaders who told us about the work we begin tomorrow - dry wall, mudding, priming, painting and debris clearing. Tomorrow we will also take a tour of the town and learn more about the destruction. After the orientation went to Aunt Jenny's Catfish House and ate either catfish, shrimp or chicken - fried green tomatoes, and more. The spirit of the group is good - everyone seems to be doing well. So tomorrow I hope to tell you more about the work we are doing and perhaps get some pictures to you as well. God bless..

Monday,

June 26

Check out USA Today link

Back up in the bleachers on another steamy night - though it has cooled somewhat. I am very thankful for our nice cool sleeping quarters. If you'd like to learn more about the place in which we are staying by looking at page 3 of the Monday, June 26, USA Today newpaper or click here to see USA Today's online version and online slideshow. (The story is not about our group but the accommodations are the same.)

Today we got up for our 7 a.m. breakfast and then went off to our work groups for 1/2 of the day. Kids hammered nails, moved debris, painted, prepared to sheet rock tomorrow among other things. They met and talked with residents whose homes had been filled with water and lost much. After lunch we were joined by Mary Dee and Hunter and Johnie so now we are at full strength. We took a tour on our bus and saw first hand the results of the power of the storm. Particularly impressive was the huge concrete sections of the bridge between Biloxi and Ocean Springs that lay torn and piled upon each other. We viewed whole sections of the city that were now empty lots. As one of the group said, "it is one thing to read about this and another to see it!"

We returned and many showered. We then had dinner and went bowling and have now finished our evening devotions where the group talked through the day and what it might mean to share in God's ministry of presence. Tomorrow will be a full day of work. The group and the individuals in it are doing very well. We are keeping you all in our prayers.

Tuesday,

June 27

Highway 90 Bridge

Highway 90 bridge

Waiting to leave for work

Karin and Natalie's new toy

Karin and Natalie's new toy - a staple gun

We are back at the stadium after a full day of work. The groups spent the day sheet rocking, painting, putting up trim in a room (hence the staple gun), turning a shed at a church into 2 sleeping rooms for future volunteers to come, warehouse sorting and more. I would say that the goup is tired but most of the boys are currently playing football on the athletic field and some of the girls just came back from playing basketball!!!... Tomorrow is more work and then a free guided tour by a shrimp boat company that is offered to all volunteers. Mission trippers told of stories heard today by residents of surviving the storm in an attic with water up the chest and of riding out the storm in a church. We are drinking lots of water and are well fed by the Salvation Army. The group is mixing well with each other and friendships are being made and deepened. Mary Dee has got some great picture I will try and send tomorrow. Sleep well tonight - we will!!

a brief rest from painting

Wednesday,

June 28

Today we have learned even more skills. Kids were mudding and sheet rocking, removing windows and plumbing from a home that has been gutted and is being readied to be redone inside and a major demolition job on a shed structure. Sledge hammers and crow bars, brooms, hammers, shovels and more were all used today.

We all spent time in East Biloxi today. One homeowner told us of spending time during the storm in his attic and another that it only got up to her hips at her house; while our shrimp boat captain told us about riding out the storm in “Hurricane Hole” – a spot of water surrounded by high land so that the wind blew over them even as the waters rose!! The shrimp boat captain was our guide late in the afternoon on a “shrimp cruise” – a 70 minute tour of the bay which included letting out the net and catching shrimp and other sea creatures. He and his wife escaped the storm with minor damage and are giving back to the rebuilding effort by providing a free “shrimp cruise” tour to any groups that come down to help out.

The youth are quite impressive. They are working hard and have developed a strong commitment to the rebuilding effort. They all seem to be feeling just fine this evening. The heat and humidity are certainly part of our experience but have not gotten in the way of doing our work. Tonight we just hang out here at the volunteer village; tomorrow is another day of work (we have breakfast at 7 a.m. and try to be at our sites by 8 or so). Tomorrow night we are going out for some barbeque!! We will work most of Friday, shower and leave. I will try and give your more details later. God bless.

accomodations

Sample boys room

before demolition

after demolition

Thursday,

June 29

One of the folks we have been working with told me this morning that the other day as we were leaving his home, he was in his living room and upon hearing the kids laughing and talking outside as they loaded into the van.. he said to his wife.. "listen"...and she asked "to what".. and he said.. "to that sound... it is such a good sound to hear the life that is represented there!" These kids have learned and done alot in the last few days.. and they have also shared alot of life!... They have prayed and played and worked with a love and loyalty to the people in whose homes they have been working. Today was hot and full of work. We went out to Shed BBQ. Tomorrow we work until noon and then after lunch have a closing devotions and then it is clean-up, packing and loading the bus. It is likely we will get into Minneapolis by mid-afternoon but will begin calling parents on Saturday as our arrival time becomes more clear. See you all soon. This is my last entry unless i get up early tomorrow or catch some time early afternoon. No pictures today.. i don't have time.. sorry.. take care.. and God bless. Erik

Saturday,

July 1

WE HAVE ARRIVED BACK HOME! After working on Friday a.m. we ate lunch and then gathered for our closing devotions. We also presented Katy and Kevin - our Call of Nehemiah leaders - a check from the ECLC for $4000. It was the money raised by the youth to help pay for supplies to rehab houses. It is also important to note that our stay and our meals at the Salvation Army volunteer villiage was a service provided by the Salvation Army to volunteer groups who come to work in Biloxi. It is amazing to see all the faith based groups working together on this important mission. After devotions we packed up the bus, and were on the road again by 3:30 p.m. We stopped at the famous Waffle House (famous to our bus driver Brian anyway) for dinner and drove throught the night. We made very good time and arrived back at church by

1 p.m. The weather here made us feel at home (thought it wasn't as hot - it is humid). We were able to sleep better on the way home but there is much more sleeping to be done now that we are back!....Come back to the site and look for more pictures next week. Thanks for your prayer and support.

ps. It was nice to hear from the security guard at our livng quarters that she believed that our group was the "best behaved" and easiest to work with for the summer so far!!

We meet in the Youth Room on Sunday mornings, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

Travel Log

Interesting Links

Article on the trip from StarTribune
Live Cam from Panama Canal
Current weather in Panama City
Facts about Panama

Photo Gallery

Pre-Trip Fundraising

Easter breakfast, Cinco de Mayo luncheon, Silent Auction

Trip Prep

Farewells

In Panama

Back home

group at MSP airport

Flag of Panama

¡Vayan con Dios!

(June 14, 2005) The ECLC group -- 35 strong -- gathered at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport at 8:00 this morning to fly to Panama City via Houston. Kids were tired, excited, nervous, anxious and trying to remember what they forgot to bring. Adult chaperones were excited and too busy checking in kids to know what else they felt. Each of the nine adult chaperones has only about three kids to track.

Lisa N. called about 6:45 p.m. to tell Pastor Strand that the group had landed safely in Panama City.

Backpacks, tent bags, boxes of quilts and layettes were packed and ready to go. Blue jeans, shorts and cargo pants that convert to shorts were the fashions for the day. Erich M. issued a Minnesota Gophers cap to each traveler to try to identify the group at a glance.

To the beach!

(Wed., June 15, 2005 -- From Lisa's call from the beach where she was sipping coffee and eating pancakes.) The group arrived in Panama City on time Tuesday evening and had dinner at midnight. The group is enjoying life at the beach today and everyone is fine. Weather is hot and humid. They will be heading to the mission site tomorrow (a 4 hour drive). The phone reception was excellent!.

Heading west

(Thurs., June 16, 2005) The group stayed last night in a family-run resort in Penonomé, a town of about 30,000 people in the province of Coclé. It was hot and beautiful and some kids were nursing sunburns after a day at the beach yesterday.

The kids are acclimating to being in another country and some even dared to practice their Spanish yesterday in town. They've come a long way since deplaning on Tuesday to surroundings completely void of English.

The group left about 10:00 this morning for the mission site. After a four-hour bus ride, they would walk 2k (about 90 minutes) to their campsite. At the time of this update, they weren't sure if they would have access to a vehicle to haul their gear, including tents, or whether they would be carrying it.

From the campsite, the group will walk 90 minutes to the village each day -- and 90 minutes back to the campsite. The kids reportedly felt some trepidation about the six to eight miles each day but are committed to doing what needs to get done.

At the Mission Center in Ngobeland, email will be available. Watch for more updates and PHOTOS.

Schedule note: The revised itinerary is to tour Panama City when they return for the flight home.

Waiting for an update

(Saturday afternoon, June18, 2005) No official update available yet. As soon as we get one it will be posted. We did hear from Kari & Dan, however, that Nick had called home and left a message that all was well, it was VERY hot and they were having a good time.

Sunday: All's well!

(Sunday afternoon, June 19, 2005) Despite a very bad phone connection, Lisa called to say that all are fine -- very healthy -- and having a great time.

At worship this morning, the community dedicated the quilt from ECLC and the layettes from Hardie's Creek Lutheran in Ettrick, Wis. Laura F. and Dan S. sang during the three-hour service. The group has several children's songs in Spanish in its repertoire now.

The community center will be dedicated on Tuesday. As of today, four walls and part of the roof are up. Luke's height has been handy in the construction process (closely follwed by Nick, Ron, Jack and Russ). The weather has been 95 degrees (F) and they're quick to say they all smell terrible. The walk to and from their campsite each day truly is 90 minutes...each way.

Lisa said the group is "very pumped" and the trip is "everything we hoped for." She cautioned that we may not hear from them again until they get back toward Panama City.

(If anyone hears from the group, please give one of the pastors a report to share.)

Back in contact

(Wednesday afternoon, June 22, 2005) Lisa called this afternoon as the group stopped for a burger and culture shock at McDonald's in Santiago, Panama, midway between Ngobeland and Panama City. Some kids wondered aloud if they'd get sick if they ate too much McDonald's fare. The adults guess? Yes!

The group finished the walls and roof of the community center yesterday and the dedication took place late yeterday inside a shelter with a thatched roof during a torrential downpour The community center had not yet been sealed against moisture. The group joined about 50 villagers who sang and spoke in their native Ngobe language, which was translated to Spanish and, ultimately, to English. Lisa called it a "beautiful, almost mystical chanting." She said the ECLC group felt as if they were in a different time, in a different world.

After the ceremony, they hiked back to their campsite in the downpour. This morning they said goodbye to the folks at the mission center, hiked back out transportation and headed back east. A trip to the beach (while packing biodegradable soap) was in the plan for today.

The rainy season did not disappoint during their time in Ngobeland. It poured part of each day but never all day, according to Lisa. Mornings often were beautiful and sometimes the rain let up in the evenings. She said they'll have entertaining stories to tell about where individuals ended up sleeping in order to stay dry.

The travelers were bothered by chiggers universally and look somewhat spotted, Lisa reported. Other than that, there were a couple bruises and cuts, some mild diarrhea, and a bit of sunburn...but nothing else.

Tomorrow will be spent seeing Panama City. We may or may not receive additional updates.

Plan to pick up your child at the Continental baggage claim area at MSP airport. The flights and times are listed at the top of this page in the itinerary.

THEY ARE HOME!!

The group made it home on Friday evening... Pictures and stories will be on the web site asap.

Quilt from ECLC

Quilt made by ECLC women for our host congregation in

Panama. Embroidered at the bottom is: "Benediciones

de ECLC a ustedes" ("Blessings from ECLC to you").

Panamá Itinerary

June 14, Tuesday evening	Arrive in Panama City
June 15, Wednesday	Beach day Travel to Penonome, capital of the province of Coclé (see map below)
June 16, Thursday	Travel west to Chiriqui province, set up camp
June 17 - 21 Friday - Tuesday	Work at mission compound in the mountains near the Costa Rica border and on building of new community center; camping. Sunday: worship service with a baptism at Ngobe Mission Center. Tuesday: Dedication of new community center.
June 22, Wednesday	Return to Panama City
June 23, Thursday	Tour Panama City, Panama Canal, Cuna Indian market
June 24, Friday	Return to Minnesota (Note: Panama City is the same time zone as Minneapolis)
	Depart Panama City - Continental Airlines Flight #889 at 10:25 a.m. Arrive Houston, TX Intercontinental Airport at 2:29 p.m. Depart Houston - Continental Airlines Flight #1416 at 3:35 p.m. Arrive Minneapolis/St Paul International Airport at 6:30 p.m. Parents: Please pick up your traveler at the airport, baggage claim level.

NOTE: Flight times and numbers are subject to change. Contact Continental Airlines at 1-800-784-4444 to

reconfirm the arrival time in case of delay or change.

panama map

Provinces of Panama

Summer 2005 Mission Trip: Panama!

The 2005 Summer High School Mission trip will be to Panama. We are scheduled to leave June 14 and return June 24. We will be working with a Lutheran Mission program there in two different locations, doing physical labor as well as working with children.

We will also take in the sights and experiences of Panama at the ocean, canal, and up in the mountains near the border with Costa Rica. This will be a great opportunity to experience a different culture and see how the Church is living out its mission there. This trip might also lead to opportunities for adult mission trips as well in the future. We plan on both pre-trip and post-trip events which will provide the congregation information and education about the mission needs in Panama.

In additional to Ron and Sue Ann, chaperones will include Laura, Erich M., Anders, Lisa, Mark, Steve, and Russ. Among the chaperones we have the gifts of fluency in Spanish, medical training and youth ministry, (two pastors too)..

Our trip will include time in Panama City (including the Canal district), La Martillada in Penenome and Ngobeland in the west.