Summer 2014, Vol. 1, No. 2
The Everyday
Divine
a publication of The Bridge of Storm Lake
Close Enough to Love Celebrating Life at Día del Ni Niñ ño Hope Wins Our Everyday Divine Bridge News
Spring 2014, Vol. 1, No. 2
CONTENTS Front Cover We are committed to valuing individuals, nurturing relationships, and witnessing the transforming power of Jesus Christ.
The Everyday Divine Summer 2014, Vol. 1, No. 2 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
Kids at Seneca Center spend a Saturday afternoon working with Jay to prepare a small garden.
4 | Close Enough to Love What does it mean to love like Jesus, and not just complete a charity project? Love stays close, and it changes us.
6 | Día del Niño It’s a special day to celebrate kids! As Jesus humbly modeled, we want to intentionally love and value children.
8 | Hope Wins A look at how hard times display the tenacious hope that is anchored not in life’s circumstances but in the person of Jesus.
10 | Our Everyday Divine Here are a few glimpses of everyday life at the Seneca and Park Centers!
The Bridge of Storm Lake
is a ministry of Christ For the City International www.cfci.org
2
The Bridge of Storm Lake
12 | Bridge NEWS Stay updated with all the latest news from The Bridge in this section.
From the Editor
Anne Dahlhauser, The Bridge Communications Director
Leaning into the Heart of Jesus
S
ummer is fast approaching, and with it, a busy season of work, long hours, and activity for us here at The Bridge. Just like the cover photo shows, we’ve been planning and preparing the ground, getting ready for our Summer Youth Team, neighborhood center activities, language classes, youth programs, and more. And, thankfully, I’m reminded of our focus Scripture from God’s Word for this summer: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus invites us all to come – we, the laborers, the heavy laden. In fact, the people He summons are not those who have it all together. He calls the ones who are in need. That’s us. Maybe that’s you, too. But, Jesus doesn’t promise a quick fix. He doesn’t assure us of a life free from sorrow, battles, or trials. What He promises is far better. He offers Himself. He invites us to draw close to His heart, to have ours set to
the same gentle beat. He welcomes us and bids us to learn from Him—not from powerless self-help strategies or positive thinking techniques—but from the risen and victorious Savior of the world. And, as we lean into His heart, we are changed. The gentle love, the humility, and the hope we find in Jesus heals our weary hearts and transforms us. Dependent and with child-like trust, we can surrender our strivings and, finally, rest. As you read the reflections in this magazine, may you understand more clearly the heart of Jesus—His sacrificial love, His humble care for children, and the hope only He can provide. Jesus is the gentle, selfless love talked about in “Close Enough to Love.” He embraced and welcomed the children, an act that defied societal norms, as mentioned in “Día del Nino.” And, as shown in “Hope Wins,” He alone is our source for relentless, sustaining hope. So, for us and for you, working hard and weighed down with worries, let’s lean into His heart. Learn from Him. We find rest for our souls only in the person of Jesus Christ.
“
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
The Everyday Divine, Summer 2014
3
Close Enough to
L O V E
“Y
our house smells weird!” He dramatically shook his head and crinkled his nose. I agreed. “Yea, it smells different than yours, huh?” I didn’t rush to open a window or light a candle. He was right. My place doesn’t smell like his. In fact it’s so different, it must be “weird”
4
to his eight-year old nose. As I’ve lived and worked among various cultures, I have come to recognize the unique smell of each; we all tend to cook certain types of foods, use certain cleaning products, prefer certain fragrances over others, etc. It’s obvious, and it’s apparent even to the
The Bridge of Storm Lake
children. Although I think my house smells like home, to another, it’s just plain weird. There was a moment last summer when I sat at my counter, exhausted. That day, I had been in and out of the homes here, held the babies, ate the food offered, played with the kids. After an emotional day of ups and downs, there at the counter I buried my head in my arms. And, on my skin I could smell the smell of the families here in my neighborhood. But, it was no longer “weird.” In fact, in some way, the scent seemed rightly placed, for finally there was outside evidence of what my heart was carrying. And, I pictured Jesus, in the midst of a mob of people. They were pushing to get close to Him, wanting to touch Him. He drew them close, especially the children, and held them on His lap. He loved them up-close. And, he must have carried their scent on His body.
Can love be any other way? How I relish the idea of watching from my window some days; loving upclose brings pain untold. Yet, that day God reminded my tired heart that it’s not really love at all if it doesn’t change me, affect me, even linger on me.
Without love, it’s just a charity project.
or check it off your to-do list, or record its effectiveness in statistics. You can fall asleep at night without remembering the faces. You can talk about “making a difference” and “impacting lives” without realizing it is you who has been impacted and it is you who is different. In a charity project, you only see the lack, the poverty – for you must focus on the deficiency, or your service wouldn’t be needed.
But, love?
Love stays close. It walks through life hand-in-hand. It can’t be measured or photographed. It blurs the line between the giver and the receiver, until it’s just one circle. It puts an arm around another – not a hand out or a hand up. It’s not just a warm feeling. Love sees the worth, the contributions, and the value of every life. It leaves you grateful and humbled. And real love, the kind that lays down one’s life for a friend, only comes from God; Jesus loved until it hurt. I was comforted in that moment at my counter, with the sounds of kids playing on my porch, to know He knows. Jesus knows far better than I do about the beauty and the pain of being so close to other humans that you carry their essence with you – on your skin and in your heart. ■ Anne Dahlhauser, Seneca Center
You can walk away from a project,
The Everyday Divine, Summer 2014
5
Celebrating life with apple-bobbing,
It’s Día del Niño Niño!!
T What is “Día del Niño”?
his past Saturday we celebrated our 2nd reason to laugh. Annual Día del Niño! On a very basic level, it just makes sense to intentionally value children, as Jesus modeled Literally, in English it means “Day of the for us. Child.” And, here at Park Center, it is as Over and over again, The Bridge ministry simple as it sounds – it’s a day to celebrate has affirmed the importance and value of chilkids! It’s a day focused on the kids. It’s a day dren by intentionally working to engage and full of laughter and play, when adults are support them through a variety of ways- the reminded of the importance of childhood, and neighborhood centers, summer VBSes, youth children teach us how joyful and simple life Bible Studies, summer camps, and the list goes on. The goal is always that they may can be. More specifically, it’s an official excuse to have the opportunity to know personally what have a mustache painted on your upper lip, it means to be a child of the one true King. get smashed in the face with an already-very- How did Día del Niño begin? runny pie, and to indulge in scoops of vanilla Two years ago, we decided to do a “miniice cream with as many unhealthy but oh-so- carnival” to kick off our Fall BridgeKIDS aftergood toppings you can possibly layer on. It’s school program at Park Center. A BVU the perfect reason to hit a piñata with a stick volunteer, Tes Posekany, had started to come until candy comes pouring out and then to join consistently, and we were looking forward to the mob of squealing candy-seekers as they a weekly opportunity for BridgeKIDS to have battle for each piece. It’s just the right time to tutoring and activities after school. run around, from carnival game to carnival Of course, the kick-off event was a hit! game, finding the kid in you and embracing a When Día del Niño (a holiday that is
6
The Bridge of Storm Lake
pie-eating, piñata-breaking & more... celebrated in Mexico and many other countries of the world) came around, we decided another carnival would be the perfect way for us to celebrate this holiday. We wanted to bring Día del Niño to our little corner of Storm Lake and to celebrate it with all of the BridgeKIDS.
What do you do at Día del Niño?
company and watching the kids having a blast! Regardless of which neighborhood they come from, culture, religion, background, or unseen struggles, everyone can just enjoy being a kid!
What does Día del Niño mean to you personally?
I’ve realized often lately just how patient God is with us, as His children. Just like kids, we have our ups and downs, we’re not always kind, and we’re demanding; although we may not act out in the same ways as children, the attitude of our hearts is often the same. Thankfully, God is consistent and loving with us as we learn to walk with Him. Working with youth each day has challenged me personally to be a better reflection to the children of how loving God is as my Heavenly Father. These kiddos are important to Him and to us, and we have a great opportunity to share with them what true love really is! If that means running from game to game or giving a piñata a few whacks, we are happy to celebrate life and children here at Park What is your favorite part? Center! ■ It’s a lot of fun to see people from all over Nellie Jimenez, Park Center come together, enjoying each other’s There are many carnival games around Park Center! Kids get tickets for winning at each game station, and later they can use tickets for ice cream sundaes and to vote for the pie-in-the-face candidates. Bobbing for apples is an all-time favorite around here, almost an extreme sport! By golly, the kids will bite into that apple if it’s the last thing they do - even if that means dunking their whole body into the container! Each year, there are four jars with different names on them, all potential pie-in-the-face candidates. Jay was the LUCKY winner this year! He thought he knew something was coming and tried to avoid it, but we still managed to deliver his pie!
The Everyday Divine, Summer 2014
7
Hope S
s n i W
he and her kids walked across her home country. It took them a year. Their village had been burned in the war, so they had to flee for safety. And, I can’t get the weight of those lines out of my mind. I could fill you all in with more details, but at some point, it just seems indescribable. Wordless, I want to hang my head and just close my eyes to the pain she’s experienced. I’m not sure I’ll recover or that I even should. But, you know, it is not simply the pain that moves me. Countless refugees living in our community have equally emotional life experiences. So, do you know what really sucks the wind from my lungs? It’s her smile. It’s beautiful. It’s alive and full of inspiration and light. And, she laughs. She, one who has faced the fear of not being able to feed her children, one who has stared down the loss of not one but two spouses without flinching, one who has courageously envisioned a new life for her kids and works with aching muscles to accomplish it. She laughs. Somehow, the darkness of this life’s grief
8
and dread is defeated in her smile. Hope wins. Because, the truth is, hard times don’t always make heroes. Sometimes hard times just leave people throbbing with bitterness, anger, and resentment. While it may be understandable, it’s not inspirational. I am honored to walk alongside this woman in this lifetime. She has tread the waters of everything I fear and dread. And, she has survived. But, she’s done more than survive. She still smiles, she still laughs, and, by the grace of God, she has emerged heroic and saturated in inspiration. As she left my house the other day, I told her I’d be praying for her and a difficult situation her family is facing. She was already out the door, walking down the steps. After a moment, she turned around and called back to me: “I will pray for your dad, too, Anne.” “Thank you,” I replied, more than a little surprised. My dad was having an angiogram the next day, and I wasn’t sure she’d even remember. I didn’t expect her to. To be
The Bridge of Storm Lake
honest, I wanted to call back, incredulous: How are you not just completely cynical about the frailty of human life at this point? You still cling to hope, committed to prayer – you who have certainly cried out to God endlessly during that year of walking, or those long years at the refugee camp, or now in the midst of trials again? How are you still breathing… much less praying for my family? I closed the door behind her and visibly shook my head. What an unsung hero she is. Her faith has ministered to me consistently; it speaks volumes about the possibility of surviving life’s greatest tragedies with hope unharmed and anger disarmed. Praise God, it is possible. Human strength is notable, but lasting and victorious hope is found in a Source beyond us. Sharing life with refugees like this woman has given me a constant visual of Isaiah 43:1-3, fleshed out: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” I look into her eyes, and I see one who was divinely escorted as she walked. She has passed through the rivers and was not overwhelmed. She
has walked through fire and was not burned or consumed by the flames. We may not be able to avoid the long, painful walks of this life. We may not be able to sidestep the threatening rivers. Yet, this woman’s persistent smile reminds me of the promise of victory through the Lord – victory over the trials but also victory over the destructive reflex of resentment and bitterness. No, hard times alone don’t mold people into heroes. Hard times simply display the tenacious hope that is anchored not in life’s circumstances but in the person of Jesus. For those He has redeemed, He promises His consistent love and comfort. And, with that promise, the waters do not overwhelm, nor do the flames consume. We can emerge victorious through the unexplainable, abiding hope in the One who has claimed us and called us by name.
Fear not, hope wins. ■ Anne Dahlhauser, Seneca Center
The Everyday Divine, Summer 2014
9
Divine
Our Everyday
This is our new type of English class – the coffee-drinking, couch-sitting, dog-petting kind! The Bridge is no longer offering official Adult Education classes. Instead, we are encouraging adults to utilize the ESL instruction offered at Iowa Central. Our fearless and former Adult Ed Coordinator, Angie, left huge shoes to fill, and we simply didn’t attempt it for some time. Eventually we saw an opportunity to continue in our primary calling at The Bridge – relationships with each other and with God. We realized we can supplement an individual’s ESL learning with the opportunity to have a conversation partner and English-speaking friend outside of class. So, we opened up our neighborhood centers for individualized, casual, and relational learning. We had already purchased iPads to use during Adult Ed classes, and they are working wonderfully at Seneca Center for ESL! These ladies come weekly and have a ball using ESL apps on the iPads! We informally practice conversation skills and, of course, get some coffee and tea time in as well. This has to be one of the very best ever uses for iPads. Technology has allowed me to simply open my home to friends and, at the same time, offer an opportunity to build English skills. Simple. Engaging. Effective. -AD
10
The other day, a couple of our neighbor friends came over in the afternoon and basically took over my kitchen! They made tamales and a warm, creamy, cinnamon-flavored drink called atole. We helped too, with our limited skills of spreading tamale 'masa' into the corn husk. They got some good laughs in, to say the least. ;) Everyone at Bible Study that night enjoyed the results! -NJ
The Bridge of Storm Lake
It’s y l l a n i f y a l p o time t ! e d i s t ou When old friends come back to visit, everyone has a party! Recently, Liz stopped in to catch up. Liz is well-loved and has worn many hats around here she's "house sat" for us at Seneca Center, she was an intern, she taught Adult Education, and she helped with countless doctor appointments. More importantly, she's a friend of many. She learned from these ladies and values their role in her life. Although they didn't know Liz was coming, a gathering was quickly arranged, food was cooked, and guests invited. It was a highlight for us all! -AD
The Everyday Divine, Summer 2014
11
NEWS Please continue to pray for Bob in his battle against non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Bob began chemo in Omaha the beginning of April, and treatments will likely continue through July. Bob and Natalie have a two year-old son and a new baby due in July. In addition, they are in the process of finishing the house they moved to Tulip Lane area, in order to eventually move in and start the 3rd Neighborhood Center with The Bridge. Please pray for the treatments to go well and for God’s strength and grace to continue sustaining this family! For more info on practical ways to support the Schallers, please contact The Bridge. Thank you for standing with this special family and supporting them at this time!
Tulip Center Updates
The house that will be “Tulip Center” has been moved to the lot and is in need of renovations before Bob and Natalie can move in. Can you help out? Volunteers with experience in remolding would be a plus, but anyone willing to work is welcome! This would include tasks such as: moving lumber, washing walls, painting walls, removing carpet, & installing laminate flooring. If you would like more info on upcoming work days or to volunteer, please contact The Bridge.
12
The Bridge of Storm Lake
Summer 2014 Plans We are thankful to report that The Bridge has again been awarded a team of full-time summer youth workers through the AmeriCorps VISTA program. This year, the following individuals comprise our Summer Youth Team: Krislyn Erickson, Karen Tellez, Carissa Gross, Ken Kohl, Lidya Mulgae, April Hase, Hannah Zimmerman, Nathan Peterson, Nyawargak Ngut, and Kelsey Davidson. Zach Arens is also an AmeriCorps VISTA and will be splitting his time between The Bridge and BVU. Nyamal Dak, a CFCI short-term missionary, will be leading the team. Please pray for this team as they head into a challenging and rewarding summer!
We look forward to special events for BridgeKIDS (elementary students), middle school, and high school youth who are involved with The Bridge! There will be summer camps, weekly Bible studies, and other activities for these groups throughout the summer:
Elementary students
5th-8th grade boys
5th-6th grade girls
7th-9th grade girls
Additional Trailer Purchased to Help Strengthen the Work of Park Center The Bridge has purchased an additional trailer close to Park Center. This was made possible by a grant from the Buena Vista County Community Foundation as well as a generous donation from Hope Reformed Church in Spencer. We are so grateful for both! The vision for this trailer is to allow The Bridge to have additional space in the trailer park for the overflow of Park Center. It may also help with housing short-term workers from The Bridge who are working alongside Renato and Nellie there. Pray with us that this becomes another place of hope, security, and love for the neighborhood!
The Everyday Divine, Summer 2014
13
NEWS
Go to The Bridge website and click on Run for Our Future in order to donate, to become a Team Bridge Sponsor, and to get more info! Team Bridge will again be running in the local Marathon to Marathon race this June in order to raise funds, prayer support, and awareness for our Summer 2014 Youth Programs. Currently, there are over 20 committed runners on Team Bridge! Each runner has a goal of raising $100/mile towards the 2014 Summer Youth Program. Would you help support one of these runners? The Bridge is also looking for area business and community partners to sponsor Team Bridge and receive advertising benefits. Consider how you could sponsor this effort and help make an impact on area young people—our future! We depend on this fundraiser to fund all our summer programming for youth. Thank you in advance for your vital support!
14
The Bridge of Storm Lake
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
$
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, Summer 2014
15
Storm Lake, IA 50588
205 Flindt Drive, Suite #1
The Bridge of Storm Lake
The Bridge is a ministry of Christ For the City International
NON-PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID STORM LAKE, IA PERMIT NO. 101