Testimonials
Camp Metigoshe
The loon appears daily in the calm afternoon waters of small Pelican Lake, not far off shore of Camp Metigoshe. She swims, dives, and fishes, skimming the water gracefully. Cormorants are regular visitors now in late August, as well. Since the campers and counselors have left, the waters are quiet. Earlier in the summer and now again, each morning seven pelicans fly in line from nearby Long Lake here to Pelican Lake, where they belong, of course. Lately, an industrious beaver has downed a birch tree and left chewed remnants near one of our cabins, a builder on a mission of its own.
We have but a few days left to complete building the last of six cabins that have been our task for the summer, to complement or replace the 22 original rustic cabins. The new 30’ x 40’ cabins have two sleeping rooms to accommodate ten campers each, separated by space for two counselors, all adjoined by a long enclosed ‘porch.’ The older cabins sleep approximately eight or ten. Our new cabins have electricity; the older ones do not. Other upgrades include cement floors, dry wall ceilings, and lots of natural light from the thirteen windows.
When I arrived on June 1, I was the last to join our crew of six builders. Builder Bob (and wife Chris), our foreman, has been a Mission Builder for seven years, Les (Jeanne) for 16, John (Sandy) for 13, Gene (Caryl) and Jim are on their second project. To say that my building-related skills were weak would be an overstatement - they were nonexistent. But my fellow builders not only instructed me patiently, they encouraged and even cajoled. With their help, I am now able to use a nail gun (strip and coil), palm nailer, screw gun, impact driver, saws of various kinds (chop, table, circular, saber, jig), and dry wall and palm sanders. I have laid out and built interior walls, installed windows, nailed in truss clips/hurricane hooks, hung exterior and interior wall panels, hung visqueen and exterior dry wrap, installed soffits and fascia, built and installed bunk beds, and sanded and sealed interior wall panels until it invaded my dreams. And I drove the telehandler. The crew also shamed me into purchasing good quality tools. And, apparently they hadn't yet seen someone stomp on a soffit cutter to get a clean cut. I'm glad I could provide them with work-site entertainment.
So, yes this has been my first Mission Builder experience, and it's been an exceptionally fulfilling one. We're in one of God’s special places, among the peacefulness of nature, separated from most of the cares of everyday life. How could anyone be discontent here? And we were among an exceptional set of permanent and summer staff, bringing joy and God’s word to more than 1,000 campers.
I'm especially thankful for the relationships built with my crew members and their spouses. None of our crew was a professional builder in his previous life, yet each has become an excellent builder, with unique skills and talents. Builder Bob has a meticulous and exacting eye for the hundreds of details required to make the work flow smoothly. Les’s knowledge of building and the intricacies of wood is amazing; nobody can bend a board better than he. John is encouraging, kind, and patient, accepts any task, and never takes credit. Jim’s concern for others is inspiring; I turn my back for a moment and find my nail gun refilled. Working with Gene, a storyteller with a John Wayne voice, is a proverbial chuckle a minute. It's been fun. Yet, they are always sincere and respectful, but most importantly, they are committed to the purpose of Mission Builders.
As for the spouses, Chris managed our calendar and assignments (devotions, treats, socials, etc.) and the volunteers’ sanding and sealing process, as well as volunteering countless hours herself, along side Caryl, who was also our unstumpable keyboardist. Sandy and Jeanne provided great break treats; Jeanne’s sewn stuffed critters (giraffes, frogs, elephants, and cats)
became must-have collectibles for the counselors.
I enjoyed a wonderful career as a university professor and administrator, but had long been intrigued by the prospect of building something. In my high school, females were not allowed to take ‘shop’ or industrial arts; I satisfied my creative urges by sewing, knitting, stitching hardanger and such. After I retired, it was time to do something different. I considered several alternatives, but when I heard Bill and Becky Graves speak at my church, First Lutheran in Minot, ND in 2015, the possibility of building became more real. In February 2017 I purchased a small RV, a 2001 Roadtrek 190 (about 19.5’ long, 100,000 miles, under $20,000), and in May I took it on a 4,000 mile, two-week round-trip ‘experiment’ between Minot and New Hampshire with my cat Sophie. The following week, my Metigoshe Mission Builder experience began, cat Sophie along, the RV becoming our summer home.
While many women Mission Builders have come before me, apparently they were accompanied by spouses. Hence, I've been told I'm the first female to join Mission Builders as a single person. I find that rather amazing, this being 2017. With but a week left in this project, I find myself reflecting on the summer’s highs (many) and lows (few), and what I would do differently (buy a better hammer from the get-go, for starters). I've learned many new skills, acquired a wealth of general and specific knowledge about building, made some great new friends, strengthened my faith, truly enjoyed this beautiful setting - and gained muscle and lost weight, all while eating five times a day! Advice I might have for other single females considering Mission Building: try it, it's challenging, easier than you think, and immensely rewarding. And, be able to laugh at your foibles, there will be (maybe more than) a few, at least to start. In the end, you will come away a changed person.
Rejoice!
JoAnn L.
We have but a few days left to complete building the last of six cabins that have been our task for the summer, to complement or replace the 22 original rustic cabins. The new 30’ x 40’ cabins have two sleeping rooms to accommodate ten campers each, separated by space for two counselors, all adjoined by a long enclosed ‘porch.’ The older cabins sleep approximately eight or ten. Our new cabins have electricity; the older ones do not. Other upgrades include cement floors, dry wall ceilings, and lots of natural light from the thirteen windows.
When I arrived on June 1, I was the last to join our crew of six builders. Builder Bob (and wife Chris), our foreman, has been a Mission Builder for seven years, Les (Jeanne) for 16, John (Sandy) for 13, Gene (Caryl) and Jim are on their second project. To say that my building-related skills were weak would be an overstatement - they were nonexistent. But my fellow builders not only instructed me patiently, they encouraged and even cajoled. With their help, I am now able to use a nail gun (strip and coil), palm nailer, screw gun, impact driver, saws of various kinds (chop, table, circular, saber, jig), and dry wall and palm sanders. I have laid out and built interior walls, installed windows, nailed in truss clips/hurricane hooks, hung exterior and interior wall panels, hung visqueen and exterior dry wrap, installed soffits and fascia, built and installed bunk beds, and sanded and sealed interior wall panels until it invaded my dreams. And I drove the telehandler. The crew also shamed me into purchasing good quality tools. And, apparently they hadn't yet seen someone stomp on a soffit cutter to get a clean cut. I'm glad I could provide them with work-site entertainment.
So, yes this has been my first Mission Builder experience, and it's been an exceptionally fulfilling one. We're in one of God’s special places, among the peacefulness of nature, separated from most of the cares of everyday life. How could anyone be discontent here? And we were among an exceptional set of permanent and summer staff, bringing joy and God’s word to more than 1,000 campers.
I'm especially thankful for the relationships built with my crew members and their spouses. None of our crew was a professional builder in his previous life, yet each has become an excellent builder, with unique skills and talents. Builder Bob has a meticulous and exacting eye for the hundreds of details required to make the work flow smoothly. Les’s knowledge of building and the intricacies of wood is amazing; nobody can bend a board better than he. John is encouraging, kind, and patient, accepts any task, and never takes credit. Jim’s concern for others is inspiring; I turn my back for a moment and find my nail gun refilled. Working with Gene, a storyteller with a John Wayne voice, is a proverbial chuckle a minute. It's been fun. Yet, they are always sincere and respectful, but most importantly, they are committed to the purpose of Mission Builders.
As for the spouses, Chris managed our calendar and assignments (devotions, treats, socials, etc.) and the volunteers’ sanding and sealing process, as well as volunteering countless hours herself, along side Caryl, who was also our unstumpable keyboardist. Sandy and Jeanne provided great break treats; Jeanne’s sewn stuffed critters (giraffes, frogs, elephants, and cats)
became must-have collectibles for the counselors.
I enjoyed a wonderful career as a university professor and administrator, but had long been intrigued by the prospect of building something. In my high school, females were not allowed to take ‘shop’ or industrial arts; I satisfied my creative urges by sewing, knitting, stitching hardanger and such. After I retired, it was time to do something different. I considered several alternatives, but when I heard Bill and Becky Graves speak at my church, First Lutheran in Minot, ND in 2015, the possibility of building became more real. In February 2017 I purchased a small RV, a 2001 Roadtrek 190 (about 19.5’ long, 100,000 miles, under $20,000), and in May I took it on a 4,000 mile, two-week round-trip ‘experiment’ between Minot and New Hampshire with my cat Sophie. The following week, my Metigoshe Mission Builder experience began, cat Sophie along, the RV becoming our summer home.
While many women Mission Builders have come before me, apparently they were accompanied by spouses. Hence, I've been told I'm the first female to join Mission Builders as a single person. I find that rather amazing, this being 2017. With but a week left in this project, I find myself reflecting on the summer’s highs (many) and lows (few), and what I would do differently (buy a better hammer from the get-go, for starters). I've learned many new skills, acquired a wealth of general and specific knowledge about building, made some great new friends, strengthened my faith, truly enjoyed this beautiful setting - and gained muscle and lost weight, all while eating five times a day! Advice I might have for other single females considering Mission Building: try it, it's challenging, easier than you think, and immensely rewarding. And, be able to laugh at your foibles, there will be (maybe more than) a few, at least to start. In the end, you will come away a changed person.
Rejoice!
JoAnn L.
Caring and Sharing the Christian Vocation
As a wife of a Mission Builder I like to give back to the community in which we are serving. The volunteers that come to the sight give us so much joy and lots of laughter as we work together on the site. I extend that service into the community in which we are serving.
In Helena, Montana during the build for Redeemer Lutheran Church I chose to volunteer in the local food bank program. Carole Schenk a fellow mission builder wife joined me. I sought this out on my own through a city planner. It did not involve the members of Redeemer but some were aware of our work in the community. Carole and I volunteered one day a week.
I enjoyed this job. Carole and I did a variety of jobs at the food bank to include, registering people, checking them in and helping them select their groceries. On occasion we would stock shelves or sort food. This was huge for me in learning how a food bank works well. No one was turned away and everyone could come daily if needed for fresh foods. Once a month they would come get a large supply of sustainable foods.
In Duluth, Minnesota I volunteered at a Hospice House. Here often I was called upon to fix and serve the evening meal as the cook went home at 3PM. I also was able to spend time answering patient call lights and visiting in patients rooms with them or their families. Again some members of the church were aware of my service within the community.
In each of these incidents I was the benefactor of the gift of being able to serve. This was a very natural setting to witness to others about service for Christ and to share the ministry of Mission Builders to the extended community as people are very curious and ask many questions on why you are there.
-Gwen Daugs
In Helena, Montana during the build for Redeemer Lutheran Church I chose to volunteer in the local food bank program. Carole Schenk a fellow mission builder wife joined me. I sought this out on my own through a city planner. It did not involve the members of Redeemer but some were aware of our work in the community. Carole and I volunteered one day a week.
I enjoyed this job. Carole and I did a variety of jobs at the food bank to include, registering people, checking them in and helping them select their groceries. On occasion we would stock shelves or sort food. This was huge for me in learning how a food bank works well. No one was turned away and everyone could come daily if needed for fresh foods. Once a month they would come get a large supply of sustainable foods.
In Duluth, Minnesota I volunteered at a Hospice House. Here often I was called upon to fix and serve the evening meal as the cook went home at 3PM. I also was able to spend time answering patient call lights and visiting in patients rooms with them or their families. Again some members of the church were aware of my service within the community.
In each of these incidents I was the benefactor of the gift of being able to serve. This was a very natural setting to witness to others about service for Christ and to share the ministry of Mission Builders to the extended community as people are very curious and ask many questions on why you are there.
-Gwen Daugs
Together, We Build
Construction Site – Camp of the Cross Lodge at Sunrise,
Photo by: Sue Ost (Mission Builder)
“11 The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ…” Ephesians 4:11-13 (NRSV)
Oh, how I enjoy visiting churches! Large, small, rural, city, old construction or newly built. Entering a building I’ve not visited before – well, it’s like opening a present! The anticipation of what it might be I find inside. Each with its own character… brilliant stained glass, highly polished pews, baptismal fonts filled with water, scarred communion rails… God’s house.
As I wander the sanctuary, I quite often spend time wondering about the hands that built this particular house of God. Were they those of farmers and ranchers who built between haying, seeding, calving, and harvesting? Perhaps those who constructed this building were skilled craftsman hired to complete the build? Either way or something in between, those builders shared their particular skills and gifts.
If only these churches could talk! The stories they could tell! The joys and challenges… of the builders and of the congregation… stories of a people of faith in the midst of building a building, discerning God’s purpose for them, and building a ministry… Together – as a people of God.
Over the last four years, it has been a joy to learn of and come to know a ministry of the ELCA. It is a blessing to witness and share in the ministry of this dedicated group of builders. These men and women come from across our church. They come from all walks of life. Leaving their homes, their communities, and their own congregations, these servants travel – most in motor homes – to builds. Whether it is a new church construction, a retreat center, a building addition to house a child development center, or an outdoor ministry lodge, they work side-by-side with people like you and me. Daily, as the foundation is poured, the walls are framed with nails driven by carpenters of all ages, and the rafters are raised a beautiful thing is happening…
On each job site, work stops daily for a time of Dwelling in the Word. Fellowship is shared. Relationships are deepened. Community is strengthened. As a building is built, so too, is the body of Christ. Through intentional tending to the Word, giving thanks for the giftedness of one another, and celebrating the ministry of this particular build and building, these Mission Builders are the hands, feet, face, and voice of Christ. In the midst of the pounding and sawing, the conversation and laughter, the calm and the chaos, the Spirit is at work. People are changed. Congregations are changed. Communities are changed.
Peace Lutheran, Burlington. Christ Lutheran, Minot. Camp of the Cross, Garrison. Bread of Life, Minot. Hope Lutheran, Surrey. Upper Missouri Ministries, Epping… Just a few of the ministries in our synod blessed by the ministry of the Mission Builders.
Mission Builders… focusing on Christ… building structures… building ministry… building up the body of Christ… And for each, and all of them, I give thanks. And with them, together, we build; we REJOICE!
-Sherie Heine, Assistant to the Bishop
Oh, how I enjoy visiting churches! Large, small, rural, city, old construction or newly built. Entering a building I’ve not visited before – well, it’s like opening a present! The anticipation of what it might be I find inside. Each with its own character… brilliant stained glass, highly polished pews, baptismal fonts filled with water, scarred communion rails… God’s house.
As I wander the sanctuary, I quite often spend time wondering about the hands that built this particular house of God. Were they those of farmers and ranchers who built between haying, seeding, calving, and harvesting? Perhaps those who constructed this building were skilled craftsman hired to complete the build? Either way or something in between, those builders shared their particular skills and gifts.
If only these churches could talk! The stories they could tell! The joys and challenges… of the builders and of the congregation… stories of a people of faith in the midst of building a building, discerning God’s purpose for them, and building a ministry… Together – as a people of God.
Over the last four years, it has been a joy to learn of and come to know a ministry of the ELCA. It is a blessing to witness and share in the ministry of this dedicated group of builders. These men and women come from across our church. They come from all walks of life. Leaving their homes, their communities, and their own congregations, these servants travel – most in motor homes – to builds. Whether it is a new church construction, a retreat center, a building addition to house a child development center, or an outdoor ministry lodge, they work side-by-side with people like you and me. Daily, as the foundation is poured, the walls are framed with nails driven by carpenters of all ages, and the rafters are raised a beautiful thing is happening…
On each job site, work stops daily for a time of Dwelling in the Word. Fellowship is shared. Relationships are deepened. Community is strengthened. As a building is built, so too, is the body of Christ. Through intentional tending to the Word, giving thanks for the giftedness of one another, and celebrating the ministry of this particular build and building, these Mission Builders are the hands, feet, face, and voice of Christ. In the midst of the pounding and sawing, the conversation and laughter, the calm and the chaos, the Spirit is at work. People are changed. Congregations are changed. Communities are changed.
Peace Lutheran, Burlington. Christ Lutheran, Minot. Camp of the Cross, Garrison. Bread of Life, Minot. Hope Lutheran, Surrey. Upper Missouri Ministries, Epping… Just a few of the ministries in our synod blessed by the ministry of the Mission Builders.
Mission Builders… focusing on Christ… building structures… building ministry… building up the body of Christ… And for each, and all of them, I give thanks. And with them, together, we build; we REJOICE!
-Sherie Heine, Assistant to the Bishop
ELCA Mission Builders Never Really Leave
It is five years this summer and fall that a team of ELCA Mission Builders, headed by Lyle Petersen, came to Mt. Iron to live, worship, and work side by side with the people of Messiah Lutheran Church. They were helping us build a new center for worship and mission as a part of a transformation that had begun when our old church was struck by lightning. It was an unforgettable time. Their presence inspired us beyond measure with their example of joyful giving and their gracious reception of our hospitality.
The Mission Builders’ work in a congregation is so much more than the dedicated, skilled labor which they bring to the construction project. Their most powerful impact comes from their example of going beyond their own familiar circle to serve others. They do not just come to build church buildings: the come to build the Church, the living body of Christ. They serve for Jesus’ sake, not any glory for themselves. Their service has been an ongoing catalyst at Messiah, like a good contagion that keeps spreading. Whether it is the youth mission trips which started the year they were here or the volunteer teams serving in the soup kitchen, Halloween parties for the disabled community or sending three people on a poverty immersion trip to the Honduras, or simply the thousand unsung ways that people serve their neighbor every day, our serving grows like ripples from our experience of being served by the Mission Builders.
But Mission Builders not only gave us a witness in their example of serving. They also gave us the opportunity to practice biblical hospitality. In a small town area like the Iron Range, where most people have known each other literally for a lifetime, the Mission Builders helped us discover Christ in Welcoming strangers. This welcome has continued to be a theme of ministry in this new facility which they helped make possible. We have welcomed many new people into active participation since we welcomed them. We have also welcomed scouts and recovery groups, Headstart families and ELCA conference women, elderly care providers and youth ministry teams, guest concerts and student recitals. In every decision, we ask the question, “How can we be welcoming?” We are actively considering writing a welcome statement that would let everyone know, even people who have felt shunned by churches, that in Christ they are all welcome here. How could we not want to extend hospitality to strangers after our half year with Mission Builders, who came as strangers and left as dearly beloved brothers and sisters in Christ?
This summer, a group of volunteers from Messiah restained the lovely vertical cedar siding that Mission Builders with congregational volunteers had put up five years ago. Hundreds of hours went into the summer’s staining project. Some of this summer’s crew had been on hand five years ago. Some were new to the congregation since then. All of them worked with the same spirit of dedication, the same deep satisfaction in giving of oneself, that the Mission Builders brought with them. As I watched them work, I could swear I was seeing our Mission Builder friends. Indeed, I did see them. Although they had long gone elsewhere, they have never left us. As long as Messiah Lutheran Church continues to welcome and serve in Jesus’ name, they never will.
Pastor Kristin Foster
Messiah Lutheran Church
Mt. Iron, MN
The Mission Builders’ work in a congregation is so much more than the dedicated, skilled labor which they bring to the construction project. Their most powerful impact comes from their example of going beyond their own familiar circle to serve others. They do not just come to build church buildings: the come to build the Church, the living body of Christ. They serve for Jesus’ sake, not any glory for themselves. Their service has been an ongoing catalyst at Messiah, like a good contagion that keeps spreading. Whether it is the youth mission trips which started the year they were here or the volunteer teams serving in the soup kitchen, Halloween parties for the disabled community or sending three people on a poverty immersion trip to the Honduras, or simply the thousand unsung ways that people serve their neighbor every day, our serving grows like ripples from our experience of being served by the Mission Builders.
But Mission Builders not only gave us a witness in their example of serving. They also gave us the opportunity to practice biblical hospitality. In a small town area like the Iron Range, where most people have known each other literally for a lifetime, the Mission Builders helped us discover Christ in Welcoming strangers. This welcome has continued to be a theme of ministry in this new facility which they helped make possible. We have welcomed many new people into active participation since we welcomed them. We have also welcomed scouts and recovery groups, Headstart families and ELCA conference women, elderly care providers and youth ministry teams, guest concerts and student recitals. In every decision, we ask the question, “How can we be welcoming?” We are actively considering writing a welcome statement that would let everyone know, even people who have felt shunned by churches, that in Christ they are all welcome here. How could we not want to extend hospitality to strangers after our half year with Mission Builders, who came as strangers and left as dearly beloved brothers and sisters in Christ?
This summer, a group of volunteers from Messiah restained the lovely vertical cedar siding that Mission Builders with congregational volunteers had put up five years ago. Hundreds of hours went into the summer’s staining project. Some of this summer’s crew had been on hand five years ago. Some were new to the congregation since then. All of them worked with the same spirit of dedication, the same deep satisfaction in giving of oneself, that the Mission Builders brought with them. As I watched them work, I could swear I was seeing our Mission Builder friends. Indeed, I did see them. Although they had long gone elsewhere, they have never left us. As long as Messiah Lutheran Church continues to welcome and serve in Jesus’ name, they never will.
Pastor Kristin Foster
Messiah Lutheran Church
Mt. Iron, MN
Time on A Project as a Mission Builder Spouse:
Exploring ,Witnessing, and Volunteering In the Local Community
When I learned we would be traveling to Great Falls, MT. for Mission Builders, I looked up to see if Hospice services were present in the community. I currently volunteer one morning per week at Gulfside Hospice in Zephyerhills, FL., delivering breakfast trays, feeding patients, talking with families, and helping in general. I obtained a letter of recommendation and documentation of my orientation from Gulfside and sent it to Peace hospice in Montana.
The documentation was just what Peace needed so I could volunteer there. With the paperwork completed when we arrived in Great Falls I met with the volunteer coordinator and they made a spot for me for the two months I was there. I volunteered two days a week delivering breakfast cooked by volunteers. The organization had a great system of made to order breakfasts. The job was pleasurable and offered a great opportunity to discuss with the patients the weather, what was happening in the community about Mission Builders, Bethel Lutheran Church, about Main where I was from and other topics the clients were interested in. Sometimes the most, simple conversations can be comforting to people, and through this experience I was able to meet other people in the community sharing with them about Mission Builders being in the community and learning from them about current activities in Great Falls, and places to dine on our nights out into the community. I love to swim and was able to find a place to do that twice a week.
In every community there is always somewhere to volunteer. While in Great Falls I helped to re-organize the church library, stuff envelopes. In other communities I have worked at a food pantry. I did catch the spirit at the church building project and help do demolition of a wall with much help and decided that was not for me, but I did try!
All of these activities helped round out my Great Falls experience, and we also had time to enjoy the Falls, the Lewis and Clark history Museum, take hikes in the mountains, experience my first rodeo, and walk in “Relay for Life” sponsored by the American Cancer Society.
Bailey Johnson
The documentation was just what Peace needed so I could volunteer there. With the paperwork completed when we arrived in Great Falls I met with the volunteer coordinator and they made a spot for me for the two months I was there. I volunteered two days a week delivering breakfast cooked by volunteers. The organization had a great system of made to order breakfasts. The job was pleasurable and offered a great opportunity to discuss with the patients the weather, what was happening in the community about Mission Builders, Bethel Lutheran Church, about Main where I was from and other topics the clients were interested in. Sometimes the most, simple conversations can be comforting to people, and through this experience I was able to meet other people in the community sharing with them about Mission Builders being in the community and learning from them about current activities in Great Falls, and places to dine on our nights out into the community. I love to swim and was able to find a place to do that twice a week.
In every community there is always somewhere to volunteer. While in Great Falls I helped to re-organize the church library, stuff envelopes. In other communities I have worked at a food pantry. I did catch the spirit at the church building project and help do demolition of a wall with much help and decided that was not for me, but I did try!
All of these activities helped round out my Great Falls experience, and we also had time to enjoy the Falls, the Lewis and Clark history Museum, take hikes in the mountains, experience my first rodeo, and walk in “Relay for Life” sponsored by the American Cancer Society.
Bailey Johnson
Christ Lutheran Church, Minot, ND
Kathy Thiel
Our experience with Mission Builders has spanned the Summers of 2013, 2014, and 2015. Our church, Christ Lutheran in Minot, ND, was flooded in the Summer of 2011. After many months of meetings, planning, and prayers, we made the decision to rebuild with the blessing of a commitment from Mission Builders to help us. The rebuild began the Summer of 2013.
We really weren't sure what to expect from the Mission Builders crew and we really did not fully grasp the impact that they would make not only in rebuilding our church but in the building of our faith as we worked side-by-side with them. These generous, hard-working, and down-to-earth people have a passion for helping others. Maybe for some of them they are just paying it forward and for others they just simply delight in making a difference.
The first Summer of the rebuild was a growing process getting to know each other and getting to know how we as a congregation could best help them. The Mission Builders worked 7:30-4:30 Tuesday through Saturday side-by-side with our congregational members and then worshiped with us on the weekends. We also had the opportunity to do a Bible Study as well as devotions with them. Their friendship, leadership, and unwavering faith were really unbelievable and by the end of the Summer we had become not only working partners but friends as well. It was a true labor of love!
When the Mission Builders returned for the second Summer of the rebuild it was almost like welcoming back members of our congregation. We easily picked up from where we left off and the majority of the rebuild was completed.
The Summer of 2015 found some of the same Mission Builders returning to our area to build a Fellowship Hall at the Camp of the Cross by Garrison, ND. After experiencing the generosity of Mission Builders toward Christ Lutheran, several of our congregational members traveled to the Camp of the Cross as well as to a building site in Chaska, MN to pay it forward and help them. We had experienced the joy of having the Mission Builders help us and now we felt the call to be one of them. Even though our congregational members that worked at these sites were not official Mission Builders they got a brief insight into the demands and rewards of being a Mission Builder. The camaraderie and feeling of accomplishment that they experienced were immeasurable!
And so...
"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."
Philippians 2:4 ESV
"Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."
Matthew 5:16 -
"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
Matthew 5:16
Kathy Thiel- Christ Lutheran Church, Minot, ND
We really weren't sure what to expect from the Mission Builders crew and we really did not fully grasp the impact that they would make not only in rebuilding our church but in the building of our faith as we worked side-by-side with them. These generous, hard-working, and down-to-earth people have a passion for helping others. Maybe for some of them they are just paying it forward and for others they just simply delight in making a difference.
The first Summer of the rebuild was a growing process getting to know each other and getting to know how we as a congregation could best help them. The Mission Builders worked 7:30-4:30 Tuesday through Saturday side-by-side with our congregational members and then worshiped with us on the weekends. We also had the opportunity to do a Bible Study as well as devotions with them. Their friendship, leadership, and unwavering faith were really unbelievable and by the end of the Summer we had become not only working partners but friends as well. It was a true labor of love!
When the Mission Builders returned for the second Summer of the rebuild it was almost like welcoming back members of our congregation. We easily picked up from where we left off and the majority of the rebuild was completed.
The Summer of 2015 found some of the same Mission Builders returning to our area to build a Fellowship Hall at the Camp of the Cross by Garrison, ND. After experiencing the generosity of Mission Builders toward Christ Lutheran, several of our congregational members traveled to the Camp of the Cross as well as to a building site in Chaska, MN to pay it forward and help them. We had experienced the joy of having the Mission Builders help us and now we felt the call to be one of them. Even though our congregational members that worked at these sites were not official Mission Builders they got a brief insight into the demands and rewards of being a Mission Builder. The camaraderie and feeling of accomplishment that they experienced were immeasurable!
And so...
"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."
Philippians 2:4 ESV
"Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."
Matthew 5:16 -
"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
Matthew 5:16
Kathy Thiel- Christ Lutheran Church, Minot, ND
Critters and More!
Jeanne Sitz
Jeanne Sitz and her husband Les have been involved in Mission Builders for fourteen years and have been involved in thirteen projects across the US. They have also been involved with projects for Habitat for Humanity and Laborers for Christ.
While Les is out building, Jeanne continues a project that that started twenty five years ago at their home church in Irving, Texas. The church ladies would sew critters (dogs, cats, giraffes, frogs and elephants), stuff them, and then deliver them to hospitals and clinics in the Dallas and Fort Worth area. Jeanne participated in this for about ten years, making 800-1,000 a year as her contribution.
Jeanne has been making these critters every year that she and Les have been building churches. Her first time was in Green Bay WI and this past summer she made them for the VBS kids and the day care at Crown of Glory in Chaska, MN. She makes them for VBS, church day care centers, the Sunday School children, or anyone who requests one. Jeanne does it so that the children and their families have a remembrance of the Mission Builders. In the twenty-five years that she has been sewing these critters, Jeanne has made at least 15,000!
In addition, Jeanne also makes quilts for Lutheran World Relief and lap robes for veterans and Christmas items through the Elk lodge that they belong to.
While Les is out building, Jeanne continues a project that that started twenty five years ago at their home church in Irving, Texas. The church ladies would sew critters (dogs, cats, giraffes, frogs and elephants), stuff them, and then deliver them to hospitals and clinics in the Dallas and Fort Worth area. Jeanne participated in this for about ten years, making 800-1,000 a year as her contribution.
Jeanne has been making these critters every year that she and Les have been building churches. Her first time was in Green Bay WI and this past summer she made them for the VBS kids and the day care at Crown of Glory in Chaska, MN. She makes them for VBS, church day care centers, the Sunday School children, or anyone who requests one. Jeanne does it so that the children and their families have a remembrance of the Mission Builders. In the twenty-five years that she has been sewing these critters, Jeanne has made at least 15,000!
In addition, Jeanne also makes quilts for Lutheran World Relief and lap robes for veterans and Christmas items through the Elk lodge that they belong to.