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Contact Wes Sahlstrom with questions.

This is a report of the last few days of our Africa adventure and the exhausting trip home. We will reduce all of this to a cogent report that we hope will encourage your hearts about the greatness of our good God, and say thank you for your prayer and financial support. It will also include pictures that will help make the story line more meaningful. We got home, as you will read, late Tuesday night. Since then we have been recovering and trying to catch up. Many of you know that Maggie had surgery on Friday for the removal of a parathyroid gland (one of four) and a part of the thyroid. The surgery went well and she will come home sometime today (Saturday). Thank you for your prayer for her. She is looking forward to the elimination of the symptoms of parathyroid disease.

Sun. Apr. 29: As we prayed together, board members and spouses, missionaries and staff people, Maggie and I were moved by their understanding of the glory and power of God. They know that only he can do what has happened in Senegal. Only God can take a sinner and make them into a saint. Only he can forgive, sanctify and glorify humans. Only he can use his followers to transform a culture. To God be the glory, great things he has done. The worship service we attended was truly that; a worship service. We sang, we prayed, we gave, and we met with God together in his Word. The people seemed to be warm to each other. Their singing was enthusiastic, and most importantly, God was central in it all. The trip from Thies to Dakar included a stop at the camp the Lord has provided on the Atlantic Ocean. As the church is growing, this is a great tool for youth and children camps, church leaders’ prayer retreats, women’s discipleship group meetings, and many other normal camp kinds of opportunities. In the evening we gathered with all the missionaries at a restaurant on the peninsula that is the westernmost point on the African continent. After a hot and harrowing drive from Thies down to Dakar, we had a dinner with the missionaries at a restraint on the peninsular that is the westernmost point in Africa. Maggie and I ate with three of the missionaries we had not met yet. We wish that all of you could meet with these quality people who are investing their lives in building Christ’s church. And the result is that God is being glorified in this rapid growth in the face of the opposition of Islam.

Mon. Apr. 30: How wonderful it is to see all God is doing in the face of some of the most intense opposition Satan can throw at us. Part of our tour of Dakar Academy included time in a fifth grade classroom that includes kids from nearly a dozen nations and the children of two ambassadors to Senegal. Quality education and discipleship of the children is one more way the mission is influencing Senegal for Christ. In a completely different setting the Talibe Center is caring for the street boys that have been forced into slavery to masters that force them to beg in the streets. Meals and medical care are used to attract the boys into a club like atmosphere where they learn about Jesus and the Bible. What we have seen in these few days is a group of missionaries that are following Jesus into his harvest with faith and commitment. They use their wide variety of spiritual gifts and natural talents to bring people to life and maturity in Christ. Driven by their love for God, resting in his grace and power, they enfold new believer into healthy churches. They equip them to use their spiritual gifts and train them for leadership. We prayed together for that next generation of Senegalese leaders that would lead these people into increased growth and influence for our Lord. Between the teams in Uganda and Senegal, along with many other missionaries from other agencies and nations, Jesus is being lifted up and his church is growing at a phenomenal rate in Africa. And in our lives we have never seen greater contentment than what these people have, though they have none of the things that American dreams are woven out of.

Tues. May 1: Tuesday began on Monday when we rose from bed at 6:00 Am, and ended 45 hours later when we finally got home. Along the way we rode in five land vehicles and three air planes. We saw some of the work in Dakar described above, got hassled by Senegalese customs officials—really big ones, flew from Dakar to Brussels to Newark to Minneapolis, ate seven meals and three snacks, slept fitfully for a couple of hours, read until our eyes blurred, and looked forward to our own bed.

To summarize the last two weeks with statistics about how far we traveled and in what vehicles would miss the point of the trip. Even to describe the abject poverty and improved lifestyles would miss why we came and what we saw. The real story is the smiles of the people whose lives have been transformed by Jesus. What really matter is the people whose eternal destinies have been changed, whose families have been healed and entire lives have been altered by God.

Thank you for your prayer for us. Our prayer is that we will all obey Jesus command to “ask the Lord of the harvest for laborers,” for Africa, people in our nation, and those in each of our spheres of influence.

Wed. May 2: How do we learn what God is teaching us, and how do we faithfully and aggressively apply it to our lives? What changes does the Spirit want to make in our lives? IN what ways will our obedience to our Lord grow from what we have experienced? How do we communicate what we have seen to our people? What pictures will help them see Africa the way God sees Africa? More importantly, what can we share that will help people see God the way the Bible pictures him—see Jesus and his mission as it really is? The question that keeps circulating in our minds is; can we possibly follow Jesus and not have his mission central in our lives as a major priority? Rephrased we state to ourselves and others that you cannot separate the two and grow in Christ, experience intimacy with him and receive his gifts which he has offered to you.

Thank you again for your love, prayer, and support.

Today is the great celebration of what God has done in Senegal in these last 50 years. First, an introduction to time in Africa. The meeting was to begin at 10:00 AM, so the stadium we were in was made ready and the microphones were turned on at 10. There were a few people there, but most began getting ready at 10, after all, the meeting had begun. We waited until about 10:45 to leave as the board and president of WorldVenture needed to be there. When we arrived a few minutes later there were a few hundred people in the stands, music playing, and many tall policemen on hand “just in case.”

At about 11:30 people were singing and many more were on hand. They did want to wait until the local dignitaries arrived for some of the special parts of the celebration. For the next couple of hours there were a number of speakers with interpreters, including local pastors and a couple of missionaries.

At 1:30 PM it was decide that the city officials who had promised to come were not going to show up, so the presentations were made, we prayed and began to mingle. During that time there were many times when the people broke out in applause, usually because of something God had accomplished in building his church. You see, relationships are far more important to Africans than are schedules and time in general. They are free from time pressure to enjoy each other, and to worship in an unhurried way.

In addition to the nearly four hour worship celebration, we had a couple of wonderful encounters with missionaries. We knew Marilyn Escher over four decades ago as she was going to seminary and preparing to go to Senegal. She is one of those who worked so hard for a twenty years to see only seven people come to know Christ. And today she stood and wept to see hundreds of people, led by several godly Senegalese pastors in a rapidly growing church community on the edge of the Sahara Desert.

We also spent time with Mary Yuill, retired after 13 years in Congo and another 30 in Senegal. As we talked I learned that she was from North Syracuse, and that she was led to Christ and disciple by Ernie Laycock, who years later was the first pastor I worked under as a youth pastor. What a delight to hear how Pastor Laycock had influenced her life in many ways. Be greater still was to watch as Africans came up to her, their whole bodies breaking into a grin, and thanking her through tears for training them to bring others to Christ for his life transforming power

Fri. Apr. 27:

 UP at 2:05 AM, taken to the airport at 3:15, on the flight to Nairobi at 5:10 AM, landed in Nairobi at 6:15, took off for Ouagadougou at 8:25 AM, landed in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso at 4:40 PM, took off for Dakar at 5:30 PM, landed at Dakar at 8:00 PM. A two hour drive to Thies, Senegal, meant dinner at 10:00 PM, and to bed at about 11:30 PM; a rather draining 22 ½ hour day of travel.

Another of those great conversations around the table involved Sam Williams, former director of Target Corporation’s international purchasing, a position he left to be the administrator and missions pastor of a church in California. I (Dan) was humbled as he expressed some of his opinions of what he has seen on this trip. Having traveled the world for Target, and not to connect with missionaries around the globe, Sam has the wisdom that God can give through those experiences for someone who is willing to listen and learn. He asked me a question and then used my answer as a teaching opportunity about the greatness and majesty of God and his perspective on the world. It was a wonderful encounter with the greatness and majesty of God with a man older and wiser than I am who walks with God

Thurs. Apr. 26:

On another wild game drive we saw our first lions, three more hyenas (up close and personal), a skink (part lizard part snake), franklins (much like a pheasant, Malabo storks (their state bird, bigger than any bird in our area outside of the zoo), kudu, water buck, both ring neck and red neck doves (There must be a “how do you know a red neck dove?” joke around here somewhere), fobia trees (no, I don’t know what they have to be afraid of), crested cranes, and at least saw evidence of an aardvark.

One of the great benefits of these kinds of trips is the conversations around the dinner table. Twice we sat with Catherine Coon who founded and runs the Hope Alive ministry in Kampala. She shared her spiritual journey as God walked here through some very difficult times in the early years of her ministry. Even with missionaries God is more interested in building our relationship with him and becoming more like Jesus than he is in using us in some way. Our service comes out of our walk with him and his transformation of us.

In the afternoon MAF pilots flew us back to Kampala. We’ve never had a pilot pray before taking off. Since we were going to fly through some bad weather, it was comforting.

Wed. April 25:

After all the busy days and short nights we slept deeply for over eight hours last night. But we know that it will be our last good rest for the next several days.

Today we visited Kiburara Bible School in eastern Uganda. Of course, the central thing they do is recruit, educate and train pastors for their part of the world. We divided into groups of four and met with the teachers in their homes for a “spot of tea” and to hear their testimonies and learn of what God is doing and how it is being accomplished. In the home we visited the headmaster explained all that God has accomplished in and through the churches and school, and then three of his seven children sang for us.

A key component of the pastoral training is that they teach them work skills to support themselves as they plant churches. In a country where the unemployment is over 90% this is essential part of theological education and church planting strategy. In the process missionaries have developed the largest solar pumping and irrigation system in Uganda. This enables them to have large gardens to provide for their own needs as a community, to train pastors in more modern farming techniques (but they have never even seen a John Deere, must less used one), and supply food for their town.

They were visibly honored by our visit, but it is we that are honored, encouraged and challenged by their love for God and commitment to his work. These are the people who are helping to plant over 100 new churches in Uganda each year.

On our way to the school we stopped at the equator, took pictures by the sign, and relaxed for a few moments. On the way home we were reminded again of the promise of bad roads experienced by most missionaries: about 40 miles of bad road (complete washboard conditions).

Mon. Apr. 23:

We flew to the Southwestern edge of Uganda, to the Mweya Safari Lodge where we will conduct our board meeting, visit our seminary near here, and hang out a bit.  It took three small planes to transport all 22 of us about one and ½ hours flight.

After checking in and getting settled into our rooms we ate a late lunch and then went on a river ride to see animals in the area.  In about three hours on the channel between Lake George and Lake Albert we saw more kinds of birds than we could count, elephants (lots of them up close), monkeys, hippos (more than the elephants),  crocodiles (2), cape buffaloes (even more than hippos), brilliant bright yellows African weavers (birds), huge white  egrets and herons, a few wildebeests, enormous African fish eagles (with pure white heads and tails, and significantly larger than our bald eagles) African monitor lizards, African kingfishers diving at small fish in the water, African ducks and geese ( same body shape but very different colors from ours in America), and back at the lodge, huge millipedes and a black mamba (they have serious poison). 

It was great to be able to relax after the intense time in Kampala, but tomorrow we will get to work on the board business of prayer and making decisions in the face of a leadership transition.  Thank you all for praying for us.

Tues. April 24:

We started the day at 6:30 AM with a “game drive.”  There had been an intense storm earlier and so it was very wet.  We did see many more animals, including more elephants and birds, spring bucks (they look a lot like prong horn antelopes), kob bucks (The Ugandan national animal) golden crested crane (the national bird that is on their flag), mongooses, lots of other smaller critters, and hyenas.  Back at the lodge, a couple of our board member spouses saw two lionesses at about 20 feet, and elephants almost that close.

In short, that sentence you have all read has already been true:  “This will be a strenuous trip including but not limited to long flights, bad roads, hard travel, unsafe conditions, substandard medical care available, some long days, some early mornings, being in areas where terrorists operate, limited choices of food, exposure to tropical diseases, thieves and other things that become normal for the missionary.” 

More importantly, we made some significant decisions about worldwide ministry and met and prayed with some missionaries that serve here.  God has opened a great door for the Gospel in this impoverished, disease and war torn part of Africa, as Christ’s church is growing at a significant rate.  What an encouragement to see the power of the Gospel on display in the face of such significant opposition.  “The gates of hell” surely cannot prevail against our great Lord.

We must keep praying for laborers and open doors for those that are on the front lines here.

Dan and Maggie

4-21-12

Dear praying friends,

What an incredible rollercoaster of a day! From the high of the worship and testimonies of the Hope Alive kids to the in-home visit of two homes, the unfairness of life beyond our wildest imaginations was clear. Sixteen of us in a 12 passenger van drove down narrow roads, past sumptuous mansions and through crowds milling around open bazaars to buy their goods. After passing several huge houses we turned onto a dirt alley, then onto another and finally one that dead-ended into a complex of tiny mud and brick huts. One of the mentors guided us through a maze of narrow walkway to what looked like the opening of a cave dwelling.  As my eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room we had entered, I saw the rough brick walls, a few chairs on a dirt floor, and not much else. This is the one room living room of a family of nine. It is about ten by ten feet, and has a similarly sized adjoining bedroom, separated by a hanging blanket, where they all sleep each night.  We learned that the dad had deserted the family for mom to care for. With a national unemployment rate of over 90%, mom has a tough time finding odd jobs to provide for the family, and is currently behind two months on their rent of $28.00 per month. And a large percentage of the 1,000,000 people in Kampala live in similar circumstances.  In 1988 I was on the regional interview committee that met with Catherine Coon to evaluate her as a candidate to go to Africa to make a difference for Jesus Christ. After working in Ivory Coast for a decade she moved to Uganda to care for the endangered Children, the orphans to AIDS and violent civil wars in central Africa. She founded Hope Alive in 2002, and today it is helping the vulnerable people of Uganda and Southern Sudan.  Our celebration of the 10th anniversary in the morning was as exciting as any meeting we have ever been a part of. There are currently over 400 students who live in “care giver” families, are introduced to Jesus Christ in the local churches that serve as bases for the entire ministry, receive funding for basic needs and education, are mentored by others who are graduates of the program, and serve Christ in a wide variety of ways.  God has poured out his faithfulness through faithful servants. For Hope Alive this means host families, donors who support children, personal mentors, faithful workers to oversee all of the details of this work, and people who faithfully pray for the workers and the kids.  The needs in this part of Africa are overwhelming, but God is at work. And he has called Catherine Coon, Grace Chapel, and Rachael Martin and their supporters to make a difference where it is badly needed. What a delight to see the magnitude of the problem being influenced by the unlimited power and resources of our great God.

Pastor Dan and Maggie

4-20-12
Praying partners,

We left our kids’ home in Brooklyn Park on Wednesday, and got to bed in Kampala, Uganda 30 hours later. We did sleep from time to time, and got to sleep for four hours before our (leisurely day) in Kampala.

Far more importantly we visited Hope Alive, where students who have lost their families are shown the love of Jesus, housed with healthy families, educated, mentored, and trained. All of the mentors began as students, have grown in knowing and loving Jesus Christ, and now are investing their lives in others for Jesus’ sake.

We also visited the church that birthed Hope Alive, and saw discipleship in action, as well as missions’ partnerships that have worked well.

We toured the city in vans, each group being guided by one of the mentors at Hope Alive. It was exciting to hear their testimonies and see the love of God at work in their lives. Dorothy, the young woman we traveled with lost her family as a young child and is now a leader in bringing others to faith and maturity in Christ.

A highlight for Maggie was the singing of the young people at the Hope Alive high school. Each of them hugged each of us enthusiastically. And then they sang loudly for and to their Lord. Their smiles are infectious; their hearts are open, and they welcomed us as special guests. They have been praying for us for a long time and think it was a privilege to have us there. Do they have that backwards!

Thank you all again for your prayer and support. We are praying for you.

Pastor Dan and Maggie

Click the link below for more info!

2011-08-21 Bulletin Inside.pdf

2011-08-21 Bulletin Outside.pdf

If you would like to listen to the sermon from Sunday's worship service click on the Sermons tab and scroll down to the date you would like to hear.  Or click here to be redirected to that page:  http://milacafreechurch.com/sermons

This group is open to newcomers at any time.

Excerpt taken from Love & Respect Ministries:

What is Love and Respect? We believe love best motivates a woman and respect most powerfully motivates a man. Research reveals that during marital conflict a husband most often reacts when feeling disrespected and a wife reacts when feeling unloved. We asked 7,000 people this question: when you are in a conflict with your spouse or significant other, do you feel unloved or disrespected? 83% of the men said "disrespected." 72% of the women said, "unloved." Though we all need love and respect equally, the felt need differs during conflict, and this difference is as different as pink is from blue!

We conduct conferences and provide resources to the married, divorced, separated, dating and single. Men and women will learn how to resolve conflict, dealing with the negative reactions (the crazy cycle). They will also learn how to motivate each other by meeting each other's need (the energizing cycle). Even those who feel hopeless in their relationships will gain understanding on how to handle an indifferent or unresponsive partner (the rewarded cycle).

Each cycle centers on two concepts: love and respect. These two words surface in social research and the bible (Ephesians 5:33) as the two key ingredients for a successful marriage. From our research, those attending the Love and Respect conference, watching the Love and Respect DVD in small groups, or reading the Love and Respect resources, are experiencing understanding, forgiveness, reconciliation, change, and hope. Through personal enrichment, they go on to minister to others in small groups. Check out our menu - especially the testimonies. God bless!

To read more go to www.loveandrespect.com

Make plans now!  Men’s Retreat at Rock Ridge Camp 

August 19 – 21. 

q  Guest speaker will be Joe Richter from the Lake Superior North Shore area.  He is the Executive Director of Farms International, and will share the inspiring testimony of his coming to faith in Christ as a Peace Corp worker in the  Philippines.    

q  Lots of fish and good food, fun, and fellowship.  You can go to http://www.shamineau.org/RockRidge/index.html for more information.

q  Cost:  Age 13 to adult - $50

            Age 12 and younger - $35. 

Payment is due by Wednesday, August 17^th and to be given to Pastor Mike.  Please make checks payable to Milaca Evangelical Free Church.  You can register on the south bulletin board in the foyer.

q  Summer Sunday School will be held June – August.

q  Parents (or other interested adults) are needed to be teachers for one or more Sundays.  Teens are encouraged to sign up to help with crafts and games.

q  Sign up sheet is provided on bulletin board by the Christian Ed office.

q  Please contact Beth McLouth (983-5308) or Rachel Gutlovics (983-3668) for

questions.

Dave & Sharon are located at:   9392 137th Ave, Foreston, MN

A Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers

10:00am. at Gloria Olson's home, limit of 15 ladies. 

6:30pm at church limit of 10 ladies.

Led by Jan Vetsch

This is a study of 5 women in Jesus Christ's lineage and what the Bible says about the circumstances and others involved with these 5 women, Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary.

If you are interested in this study and want to order the book, please contact Jan Vetsch; 320-983-5803, or 320-362-0081.  Cost for materials will be $12.00 by July 15, 2011.

Join us this fall, Jan Vetsch.

Grindstone Lake Bible Camp http://www.grindstonecamp.com/

Camp Evergreen  http://hstrial-evergreenbibleca.homestead.com/

Camp Shamineau/Rock Ridgehttp://www.shamineau.org/

Church Around the World at 1-800-495-3265

Focus on the Family at (800) A-Family (232-6459 or http://www.focusonthefamily.com/

Significant Living Magazine at 1-800-223-3161or http://www.significantliving.org/

Click here to go to their website for more information: http://nationaldayofprayer.org/