Spring 2014, Vol. 1, No. 1
the everyday
Divine
a publication of The Bridge of Storm Lake
Spring 2014, Vol. 1, No. 1
CONTENTS Front Cover We are committed to valuing individuals, nurturing relationships, and witnessing the transforming power of Jesus Christ.
The Everyday Divine Spring 2014, Vol. 1, No. 1 Published four times a year by The Bridge of Storm Lake
SUBSCRIBE Subscriptions are free of charge to addresses in the United States. Contact The Bridge to subscribe.
DONATIONS For information on how you can support the ministry of The Bridge, call (712) 213-0195 or visit thebridgeofstormlake.com
CONTACT 205 Flindt Drive, Suite 1 Storm Lake, IA 50588 (712)213-0195 thebridgeofstormlake.com Blog: frontporchinspired.com
Tess Posekany, Bridge volunteer, and a girl from Park Center area take advantage of the ordinary moments to connect and share a laugh.
4 | Planting of Tulip Center Bob and Natalie Schaller describe how God is directing them to start The Bridge’s third neighborhood center.
6 | give & receive What does it mean to really value an individual? Anne Dahlhauser explores this concept from her point of view at Seneca Center.
8 | A Party in Heaven! A young boy from Park Center gives the angels a reason to celebrate in this story recounted by Nellie Jimenez.
10 | Our Everyday Divine Here are a few glimpses of life at the Seneca and Park Centers!
The Bridge of Storm Lake
is a ministry of Christ For the City International www.cfci.org
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12 | Bridge NEWS From updates on the summer camps ministry to a special milestone at The Bridge, this section has all the latest info.
From the Editor
Anne Dahlhauser, The Bridge Communications Director
Can you hear the music?
T
he day-to-day life at The Bridge isn’t made up of flashy, emotionally-charged experiences. No spotlights, no cameras rolling, no red carpet. And, there is certainly no heart-felt theme song highlighting all the divine moments. But, if there were music in the background, at what moment would the theme song play? Would it be at the hundredth time I wipe a certain runny nose? Is that when love finally moves in, and the child feels cherished?
soar in and out, and the brass horns raise, proclaiming that this, this is THE moment. Although we can’t really hear it, we believe the music must be in the mundane and the routine of life at The Bridge. From our front porches to our kitchen tables, God’s always teaching us to offer up our “commonplace” and our “everydays” to be used for His divine work. As Jesus modeled, we believe that beautiful, divine moments happen when we are willing to treasure the little ones, love people, share food with each other, teach about His Word, tell stories, and have conversations. As Renato likes to say, “it’s so simple, people don’t get it!”
Would it be during a hug after a conference about grades and behavior when the student finally starts to grasp God’s grace and forgiveness? For this reason, we’ve entitled this Would it be during a routine Bible study publication “The Everyday Divine.” Rather when the hesitant newcomer feels than a newsletter, we are switching to a comfortable asking questions late into the quarterly magazine-format. This is the effort of us all, as we attempt to document what night? we are learning, what God is doing here, Or, maybe it’s during the weekly Food and how He is glorifying Himself in the midst Distribution, amidst plastic bags of leftover of our everydays. food, when the gathering of hungry souls experience a sense of community in giving Through it, we hope you are not only informed and inspired about what is and in receiving? happening at The Bridge, but also that you Or, during The Bridge’s Tuesday morning are encouraged to see your own “everyday” prayer time, when a group of random people in a new way. May you embrace your routine bow their heads and lift up names, the moments and witness how God’s hands ministries, the leaders, the community of mold them all into something remarkable. Storm Lake? And, be listening closely, for you may hear Maybe it’s in that stillness, without the cymbals that herald the mundane as highlights or spotlights, when the something miraculous. cymbals explode. The director’s arms
The Everyday Divine, Spring 2014
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The Planting o W
e entered marriage knowing we were called to be witnesses for Jesus no matter where we lived. We have felt led to focus on Romans 12:1-2 as the theme verse for our lives together, and desire for our family to be a living sacrifice for the glory of God.
TEACHING/MEDICAL SCHOOL
Natalie attended medical school and Bob had the opportunity to teach inner-city students in Kansas City, MO. During these four years, we had the opportunity to meet physicians and mentors who lived among the people they serve in some of the most underUNDERGRAD/INTERNING WITH CRU served neighborhoods in the United States. Our passion grew for this sort of During our time serving with Campus ministry, and God continued to put the Crusade for Christ (CRU), God pieces of our life’s puzzle together. nurtured a love for other cultures in our hearts. We considered joining staff fulltime with CRU, but God had other plans‌
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o f Tulip Center prayer and seeking, we were able to God richly blessed our lives with the purchase the lot. Unfortunately, the opportunity to complete Natalie’s bidding on the house had already training at In His Image Family closed! So, we moved into a rental home Medicine Residency in Tulsa, OK (a in Storm Lake August 2013. Later, we Christian medical program). She joined found that the house for bid had not yet moved. Through further and trained under a sensational team that been investigation, we learned that the spurred us to consider our calling to do previous contract medicine, fell through teaching, and “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of and the daily life as a God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and house ministry for couldn’t be acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do God’s glory. moved… we not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the Bob assisted didn’t renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern with ESL believe it! what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and teaching Jay and Bob perfect.” Romans 12:1-2 during this went out and era and made measured the precious connections with the streets and house together…and sought international students as he worked out a second opinion. A moving toward completing his Master’s in ESL. company told us that this could be done! By God’s grace, the hospital re-opened the bid on the house after our request… STORM LAKE AND THE BRIDGE and we were the winners! We were connected with Jay and Anne Dahlhauser during our interview day The house has now been moved, and we with the clinic in Storm Lake, and anticipate Tulip Center opening this immediately loved the vision of The summer! God has been the guide for Bridge. God led us to join them and we each step of this process, and we have began to search for a way to bring a seen that His timing and ways are neighborhood center to the Tulip Lane perfect. We have seen His faithfulness area. We found a house for bid that over the years, and it is a joy to look needed to be moved from the hospital back at how He has been shaping our property…but we didn’t have anywhere future from the beginning!■ to place it. We brainstormed and found Bob and Natalie Schaller, an empty lot perfectly situated next to Tulip Center the apartment complex. After much TULSA TRAINING
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give O
ne of my neighbors makes food for us consistently. At first it was a great mystery to us:
What is the green stuff?” Okra. “What kind of meat?” Lamb. “How do you use this spongy-bread-type thing?” With your fingers. With your fingers. You can eat everything with your fingers. Sometimes the facts get lost in translation, and we don’t really know what kind of meat it is or what the ingredients are. What we do know is that it is not pizza, or cheeseburgers, or steaks. We are not in Iowa anymore. More important than any ingredient or smell, however, is the heart and message behind the cooking. She offers it to us. We thankfully, humbly receive it. She is the giver; we are the recipients. Two-way relationships are vital in our world of neighborhood ministry.
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& receive
We are not the rescuers, reaching down to others. While we have certain attributes to offer, like the ability to speak English, the opportunity to have an education, and numerous connections in this community, a true relationship includes meaningful giving and receiving from both parties. What that really means is, it is absolutely necessary to intentionally value the individuals around us.
learned under the African sun, like grinding corn and cooking, are not recognized here amidst drive-thru lanes and frozen meals. Yet, she presses on.
My neighbor has talents and individual resources beyond my comprehension. Just because they don’t always fit naturally into the Western priorities and standards doesn’t make them any less notable.
And, she brings me food. This week, she made us supper two times.
She is a survivor. She has birthed more children than I have, and without pain killers, far from any hospital, crouched low over the African soil – all after a day’s work. She has crossed an ocean and arrived in a strange land with light bills and driver’s licenses. She has striven to understand a new life, with a strange white neighbor lady who goes running when nothing chases her, lets her husband cook and clean, and sits at the computer for hours. Her kids speak an unfamiliar language and represent a way of life which she struggles to understand at all. The skills she
She brings us the letters she can’t read. Jay fixes their computer, windows, plumbing. We pray with her before appointments, clear their driveway, give rides and more rides to their kids.
Tonight I could get supper on my table in less than a half hour; my cooking is simple, efficient, and very Western. Thus, her gift comes in an unlikely form, seemingly out of the scope of our life, or needs, or priorities. Yet, in order to truly value an individual, we must acknowledge her contributions. And so, I choose to appreciate the long hours my neighbor has taken, the cost of the meat she bought, and the care she took to make us something. I need to value it if I value our friendship at all. She wants to give, and the real beauty of the two-way relationship happens when I choose to receive with humility.■ Anne Dahlhauser, Seneca Center
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A Party “Nellie, are devils and demons the kitchen sink. real?” I’m thinking, as kids do a lot of the It was another typical after school day time, he’ll ask some questions and here at Park Center. The boy asking then within a second after you’ve this question was 6 years old and was started talking their attention is on something else...but not this time. I stopping in after school. You might be shocked at his straight turned around and he was looking up forwardness but those questions have at me with his adorable big brown actually been asked around here quite eyes just listening to every word I said. a bit by other kids too. Of course we’re pretty open here and truthful to the kids and explain, age-appropriately, what they’re asking about. We talked about his question. Heaven and Hell. Sin.
Then I shared about having Jesus in your heart and asked if he knew how to have Jesus in his heart. He thought for a bit…"like being good, doing good stuff?”
“I don’t get it, Nellie, where did We talked about how we were all born with sin, what Jesus did for him, that all come from?” and how all he had to do was ask I went back to the beginning of Jesus to forgive him his sins and ask Creation with the story of Adam and him to come into his heart and then Eve. Talked more and more… We try to live the way Jesus would want started with sitting on the couch and him to. by this time we had traveled through the living room and now standing at He repeated it all so I knew he
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in Heaven!
understood, the way a 6 year old would. After that he ran off, I thought, to play. He went into the bathroom and shut the door.
I told him, right at that moment up in heaven, there was an angel choir singing just because one person accepted Jesus. They are celebrating Shortly after, this little guy came (pretty much having a party!) just walking in, smiling.…"Nellie, I did because of him! He could hardly believe it, and there was a big grin on it!” his face! At first I didn't realize what he was talking about...I was caught so off- What an unexpected turn to this guard! "What did you say?" I asked. "typical" Monday. When the Lord has an appointment, well….you just never "Well, what you told me, like know! ■ forgiveness, and about asking Jesus Nellie Jimenez, Park Center in my heart."
The Everyday Divine, Spring 2014
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everyday
Divine
An early out?? That usually means I’ll be having a lot of company for the rest of the day. The last time the kids had an early out, they started trickling in about 11:45. Cold? Yes. Hungry? Yes. Hyper? Umm‌yeah. Hot chocolate was the first thing asked for after the cold walk from the bus stop. We cooked a meal and ate lunch together. Then baked some cake and rolls and played games. Each of the kids got their own piece of dough to make whatever they wished. Of course, the dough ended up molded into a variety of objects and stuck in many places before the end of the night! -NJ, Park Center
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Every Monday night we host a Bible study around our kitchen table here at Park Center. It’s usually a lively evening! A mix of people attend from in and around our area. Together we learn about Jesus and a lot from each other, considering our different languages and backgrounds. It’s been exciting to see the power of God’s Word work in everyone’s lives. And, not only are we getting spiritually fed but this sweet lady from our group makes sure our bodies get fed too! This week she brought us dinner—delicious Lao food! Sticky rice, glazed chicken, and some nice ‘n spicy chile. Our mouths were watering when she first opened the containers, and the aroma filled the air. It was soo good! -NJ I have loved watching the kids race for the bus every Wed. evening over the past weeks! They have been going to the Kids for Christ program at Summit Church. We have been so grateful for our faithful bus drivers, the volunteers who ride along, and those at Summit who have loved, fed, and taught the kids every week. –AD
Here is Super Bowl Sunday at Seneca, writing thank you notes from The Bridge. It’s all hands-on-deck when it comes to mailings! We eventually got to watching the game (1/2 hour late) but we had fun together.
-AD, Seneca Center
BridgeKIDS started up again at Seneca Center! BVU students have committed to coming each Thursday to tutor and do activities! Here they all are making valentines and doing homework. –AD
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NEWS
A Milestone On Friday, February 21, the Leadership Council and ministry leaders of The Bridge met for an afternoon and evening retreat. It was a time of sharing, reflecting, and praying together. Most of all, it was a time set apart to seek the Lord and His guidance. “It was encouraging to me to see how the Leadership Council came together to pray for this ministry, to support its missionaries, and to take a spiritual responsibility for it. The retreat gave us opportunities to connect and share about how God’s been at work in our areas of ministry as well as our personal lives. It was great to sense the unity among all of us, first because of Jesus and also because of a common mission.” – Jay Dahlhauser, Director
New Blog! Reflections, updates, and lots of pictures are posted weekly by Jay & Anne (Seneca Center), Renato & Nellie (Park Center), and Bob & Natalie (Tulip Center) about life in neighborhood ministry. Feel free to check it out, subscribe, and leave a comment! We love to hear from you.
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Go to: frontporchinspired.com
All the Way from Honduras Josue is a missionary from Honduras who has come to serve at The Bridge and to learn English. His dad is a missionary with Christ For the City International, the parent organization of The Bridge. We are excited to have Josue here for the next 6 months, and we are looking forward to working together! Josue plans to spend the first weeks and months concentrating on learning English and becoming accustomed to life and ministry here while staying with Zach and Abbey Green. Once the Schaller’s house is moved, he will live with Bob and Natalie at Tulip Center and help there. Josue will be a wonderful addition to the team! Please keep Josue in your prayers as he adjusts here and be sure to welcome him if you see him around!
Summer Camps Update Plans are being made for summer 2014, namely for the middle school summer camps. There will be some changes this year and new developments! SONS OF HONOR will now be held August 13-16, rather than in June. Also, what was formerly called “SUMMER SIZZLE” will now be split into two separate camps for girls. This will help accommodate the growing number of campers! We are planning to hold both camps July 14-18 with one camp held in the mornings, and the other one in the afternoons: MASTERPIECES is a summer camp that seeks to equip 5th/6th grade girls with an understanding of their value and image in Christ. MOSAIC is a summer camp that seeks to nurture 7th,8th & 9th grade girls in their cultivation of healthy relationships with Christ and with others.
If you are willing to serve in The Bridge’s Summer Camps ministry, please contact jay@thebridgeofstormlake.com For more info, go to thebridgeofstormlake.com
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NEWS 2nd Annual
Run for our Future
Team Bridge will again be running in the local Marathon to Marathon race this June in order to raise funds, prayers, and awareness for The Bridge Summer 2014 Youth Programs. Currently, there are two committed marathoners, two halfmarathoners, and four runners for a marathon relay. Would you also commit to running for this cause? In addition to runners, The Bridge is looking for area business and community partners who will sponsor the run and then receive advertising benefits. Consider how you could sponsor this effort and help make an impact on area young people—our future! Contact jay@thebridgeofstormlake.com for details! My New Retirement! {Jill Engelmann}
Bruce and I have lived in the Storm Lake area our whole lives, and we have watched it change drastically right in front of our eyes. As most of you know, Storm Lake has 28 different language groups and at least 32 different cultures. It seems to us that the Lord has brought the nations to us, so we had to ask ourselves—what we were going to do about it? We decided to get involved with The Bridge in Storm Lake, and we are so blessed to be a part of this ministry. This past summer, we were part of Park Center’s Bible study, and we were the only ones in a group of 8-12 people who didn’t speak Spanish. We met 6 blocks from our home and I felt like I was in a different country. Yet, what a joy to be a part of! The Lord continues to lead me “out of my comfort zone” and earlier this month I attended Orientation and Training with Christ for the City International in Omaha. I’ve been approved as a base missionary for The Bridge of Storm Lake. I am not sure exactly how the Lord will use this, but I am willing to serve where He calls me – this is my new retirement!
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NEWS For more current news about The Bridge, go to thebridgeofstormlake.com/news
ARTICLES For additional articles, pictures, and reflections about The Bridge’s neighborhood ministry, go to frontporchinspired.com
WAYS TO PRAY The Bridge sends out a weekly email with updates and ways to pray. Also, the Dahlhauser and Jimenez families email monthly newsletters. Sign up for any of these emails at thebridgeofstormlake.com/get-involved/pray
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Give?
If you are inspired by the work God’s doing in this area through The Bridge, please consider a tax-deductible gift to this ministry. The Bridge is a ministry sustained by God’s grace because of the partnership of many volunteers and financial contributors. The full-time staff are all missionaries with Christ For the City International who raise their own financial support in faith. God’s continued provision for this ministry is a testimony of His faithfulness and blessing!
Please complete the enclosed response device and return it with your donation in the envelope provided or go to thebridgeofstormlake.com and click on “Donate.”
Thank you! The Everyday Divine, Spring 2014
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Storm Lake, IA 50588
The Bridge is a ministry of Christ For the City International
205 Flindt Drive, Suite #1
The Bridge of Storm Lake