GOD CALLS SPECIAL MISSIONARIES ON NOVEMBER 3RD, 2007
The day started early on November 3rd, 2007 at Mission Central, our LCMS World Mission outpost 2 miles east of Mapleton, Iowa. Yes, the first one to arrive that day was staff member Rev. Lee Mentink from Galva, Iowa, our "Volunteer Video Director", who arrived at 7:45 AM. At 7:55 AM Missionary Ashley Effken and her parents, Chris and Gail Effken from Friend, Nebraska arrived to complete a 7 minute DVD interview. It was a wonderful event where Ashley was able to tell about how God had "called" her to be the first LCMS Teacher to teach at Cezy Tesin, Czech Republic. There she will work with area congregations and Teach English and witness to the children of her faith in the Lord Jesus.
It was especially exciting for all of us at Mission Central, because the Director of All Mission Support from our International Center was present as he stayed the night before at Mission Central, and Jeff Craig-Meyer was very interested in what God can do in the middle of a cornfield in the hills of Western Iowa. At 9:00 AM special Staff Members Irv and Anne Dana from Omaha arrived bringing mailing materials to be used in our Annual Thanksgiving Mailing that had been completed by Volunteer Data Entry Specialist, Richard Thies. Irv and Anne were interested in a new Video of the Hedtke Family in Thailand, and they wanted to see the video that was recently completed. At about 10:45 A.M. the huge busload came from Holdridge, Oxford and Arapahoe, Nebraska bringing another 51 guests. The group met in the barn to see the amazing things in the Mission Central Museum, and had the privilege of hearing of the latest mission news around the world and meeting in person our Czech Republic Missionary, Ashley Effken. Then the noon meal was served by 4 of our special Volunteer Meal Specialists, and all were amazed at the meal, and the tour of the office and facilities at Mission Central.
After the meal in the fellowship hall....we don't call it a hog house anymore....we then moved to the barn for the final program of the day. After a special power-point presentation was given on work in the Districts and around the world, Ashley Effken was asked to come forward. She had been so concerned about her support, as she had called earlier in the week so concerned about the $10,000.00 that she had to raise to provide her support for her year term in the Czech Republic. As a number of people were called forward to "place their hands on Ashley" to send her off to her new "calling"....Gary presented gifts that had been collected just during the course of the week, from people that God has "raised up" at just the right time...and with many, many tears, Ashley accepted the amazing gifts that totaled nearly $8,000.00 for her support. It was a special time to pray together that God would keep Ashley safe and that He would use her as an instrument to tell many people in the Cezh Republic about Jesus our Savior who died for them.
A special picture was taken at the time of the Commissioning, and what a joy to have Jeff Craig-Meyer to be a part of the sending as he is pictured at the far right of the picture and as always is the case Rev. Lee Mentink was present with his familiar white beard in the picture....also a part of the sending was Rev. Dale Hedstrom, former missionary to Thailand, who is now the pastor at Oxford, Nebraska who is pictured standing second from the right just back of Jeff Craig-Meyer. The pastors offered special prayers for Ashley, and it was a time that all would always remember, on a day in November in the middle of a cornfield in the hills of Western Iowa in an old barn, where Pastor Robert Roegner came on August the 23rd, of 2003, when it was dedicated and said, "If Jesus were born in a stable...then we should be able to worship in a barn!" God can use the most amazing people and the most amazing places to accomplish His kingdom work!
