This is good news! It seems Doctors in Italy are refusing to do abortions. 70% many claiming moral grounds. Thanks to Gene Veith for this story.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080422192609.lcpkej77&show_article=1
7am Breakfast... breakfast here is very hardy lots of carbs for energy. Randy was asked to work on a van they got in today. He didn't go to the sight till later so I was team leader by default. I had a hard time keeping everyone busy. I tried to get the kids going on mudding. They needed to be taught and had lots else to do. Got them busy on an outside project moving rocks. They found a broken angel that belonged to the homeowner. Lunch was homemade Jumbilia (spelled) Best lunch so far in New Orleans. Randy came at 2pm. We did get quite a bit done.
I stapled my hand today. Bethany and I were going to staple up some insulation that had fallen down. She asked "How do you know if these things have staples in them?" I said you just put the thing on our hand and squeeze the trigger. Later I was trying to staple up the insulation. It was one of those new staplers that look like they are backwards. I couldn't figure out why no staples were coming out, so I pointed it down at the ground and placed my hand under the back end to hold it steady, and pushed the trigger. I found out I was holding it upside down when the 1/2 inch staple came out in the palm of my hand. It wasn't easy to get out either! As I've told every one... it was poetic justice. It didn't hurt really at all... but my pride hurt instantly. Really I think it's quite funny! My fingers are sore tonight and it's a bit of a trick to type.
Jim Likens had devos on at camp tonight. He's the one who wrote "God knows your name."
Special Note: I found out that Waunita had emergency surgery today. She's doing fine. I feel pretty helpless... can't begin back till Sunday. We'll leave after church and have the 22 hour trip home.
Pray for her speedy recovery and my trip home.
Pastor Watt.
It was a great birthday. Camp Restore is filling up. I met some folks from Norfolk, NE. I told them I was born in Norfolk 45 years ago today. They didn't really seem impressed. I thought it was newsworthy. I switched today to Pastor Sturzenbecher's group. We did dry wall at the house of a woman who works for the New Orleans fire department. She's very nice. Her house is cool duplex. She fed us a lunch today with Hot Wings and Fried rice. Her house was flooded four feet deep. She wasn't here when the water rose she evacuated early. She said she had just remodled her home. Now I guess she'll have to do it all over again.
We almost had an accident today. Randy and I were getting a vent fan out of the attic. We thought it was really light but it was caught on a nail. When the nail let loose we found out just how heavy it was... too heavy. I recieved a glancing blow on my forehead and shoulder a little sore but not bad. Randy got a scrape on his nose.
Still more to do tomorrow.
The camp is full to capacity. 2 to 3 groups came in last night from Nebraska (Pious X HS); California; and Mt. Pleasant MI. Miciah painted with a the other SD folks. They found a stop sign in the owners yard. The homeowner said they could keep it. They're taking it home to hang in the Divine Shepherd youth room.
Dinner and bed. I'll sleep well.
Pastor Watt
Miciah and I arrived safely after a long bus ride. We got on the busat 9pm Christmas Day and arrived then next day in New Orleans at8:30pm the next night. Thanks to 2 bus great bus drivers the trip wasuneventful. One slept the other drove, back and fourth all the way.A few trip hightlights: It was funny to drive through St. Louis andnot stop after having lived there during the our time at the sem.Driving through Memphsis I thought about a Bob Dillon son "...Mephasis blues again..." as we were driving by a billboard for"Heartbreak hotel" next to Graceland. No we didn't stop there either.The first morning at the camp started at 7am for breakfast. We haveto be seated by seven or we're singled out for "special duty." I'mnot planning on finding out what that is.I was assigned to one of the Laborers for Chrsit named Paul. Wecaulked some leaks on one woman's house and patched the roof at HolyCross Lutheran Church.Holy Cross was under ten feet of water. The inside of the church iscompletly gutted. Bare studs and floortiles. Sometimes as I lookedat the damage I was overwhelmed with how much work there is to do justto get even this church back up to usable. Many of the houses herehaven't been touched since Katrina. Most all of them bear themarkings show when the house was searched for bodies. It's a big Xwith the date and some codes that I can't decipher. One of the mostcommon numbers is 0 at the bottom. I think that's the body count. Ihaven't seen any with anything else. but I'm only guessing.Miciah stayed at camp today and did "housekeeping" as it turns out forher it was cleaning toilets. She took it like a trooper. She'shaving a pretty good time. Tonight two big Orphan Grain Train truckspulled in. There's a farm truck and a van, for use down here. Weended the evening with Devos for the South Dakota Group and then abunch of folks went to Wal-Mart on a needed shopping trip. They weregone quite a while, they said that everwhere seems to be understaffed.I don't know what tomorrow will bring. It's my birthday, I've beenthinking of volunteering to clean toilets... that'll be a change fromthe roof to the can.I've taken some very interesting pictures... but there's not a good wefor me to get them on the blog yet so we'll save them for later.God's BlessingsPastor Watt.
Hello Everyone!
Miciah and I are on the road to New Orleans. We'll be there a whole week doing Hurricane relief through CampRestore. We're traveling with other Christian folks from Rapid City, including Pastor Randy Sturzenbecher, Megan and Ryan (his kids). Pastor Sturzenbecher is Pastor at Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church, Blackhawk, SD
Miciah and I will make some reports during the trip as we are able. Keep this trip in your prayers.
Pastor Watt.
Teri, my sister-in-law (She and my brother, Nathaniel are missionaries in Nigeria, North Africa) has posted and interesting description of a village ritual called the "Queens Dance." This took place at the village where my Uncle and Aunt served for years as missionaries. She promises video soon. Check it out. Ask a question!
Their blog is http://nateandteri.blogspot.com/
The Queen's Dance post is http://nateandteri.blogspot.com/2006/11/queens-dance.html
I'll update you when the video arrives.
Pastor Watt.
Steve Newell has a nice description of Christian Baptism on one of my favorite blogs, Extreme Theology. It's simple, straight forward, and worth reading.
Nice job Steve.
Read the article Baptism Saves.
Pastor Watt.
Pastor Watt's brother and sister-in-law have posted a newsletter on their web page.
Nate and Teri are missionaires in Nigeria. You can check it out http://nateandteri.blogspot.com/
Lutheran Carnival XXXI came out earlier today at What Did Jesus Do. Stop by to check out a fine sample of confessional Lutheran blogging. Including an article written by yours truley, "United... in Howard "
July 30 - Due to the instructional liturgy used at St. John's on July 30, 2006 there will be no sermon posted this week.
Pastor Watt
A note from Lois Watt (Pastor Watt’s Mother), now In Nigeria on a mission trip;
Dear family,
We got here with no problems. I was a long ride and I didn't sleep very much. It seemed as though they were always feeding us on the plane. We got on at 5:30 and so we had a meal , then we changed time so we ate breakfast at my time of 12 midnight. The Nigerian people are so friendly. Nathaniel and Teri have really made it their home. The kids are happy and have lots of friends. I am sure I will like it too. I have not gone over the Mashiah Foundation (A mission project for women with Aids) yet but Nathaniel said I should rest a week. I feel really good. All for this time. I Love you all and God bless you. Mom
-- Lois Watt.
On My Reading List
A Theology to Live By: The Practical Luther for the Practicing Christian
Preus, Herman A
Concordia Publishing House, 2006
Price: $14.99
On My Reading List
The Blessings of Weekly Communion
Wieting, Rev. Kenneth
Concordia Publishing House, 2006
Price: $23.99
…a child is born… (Isaiah 9:6, ESV)
The busy time is here… again! With Thanksgiving turkey still on our breath we look forward to Christmas green, a white blanket of snow on the ground, and brightly colored packages under the tree. There is always a lot to do. Just look at the calendar for the church; advent services every Wednesday night (It all adds up to 10 church services this month!), Christmas luncheons, Christmas eve program practices (Saturdays!), bible classes, budget meetings and elections, etc. And that’s just the church schedule. Most of us have school events, work events, family events, and maybe even a few other things folded in just for good measure. Wow! No one can say we don’t get the most out of the holiday season. Now, it’s a great time of the year, and there’s nothing wrong with getting the most out of it. There’s nothing wrong with Christmas lists, and shopping, and parties with family and friends.
But we know what the season is really all about. It’s really all about those four simple words from Isaiah …a child is born… It even sounds simple. Children are born every day. Families grow. It’s the way things work. We often put out of our minds that child birth is a messy business. We forget that in years past it was down right dangerous. Only a few hundred years ago a woman giving birth had a one in four chance of dying. Really …a child is born… is not as simple as it sounds, actually it’s extraordinary. On a dark night, in a dark stable, in a far away land, there was an extraordinary event …a child is born… everything was pretty normal as far as normal goes, for child birth. There was pain and blood and a nervous father. It was another extraordinary birth of a human baby. But there was something else that made this extraordinary event something different. In the middle of all that was normal, there was something very abnormal, because that completely normal baby boy was more than just extraordinary because he was born. He was much more than normal and even much more than extraordinary. He was God. That night God was born as a baby boy. …a child is born… doesn’t begin to grasp the significance of God suckling at his mother’s breast. …a child is born… doesn’t begin to explain the Creator of the Universe wrapped in diapers. That must be why Isaiah says more: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6).
That’s what the busy time is really about. God in human flesh, born of a virgin, wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. But also let’s remember that that’s not the whole story. Being born is only the beginning. That same extra-extraordinary baby, lying in diapers, also hung naked on a cross. …a child is born… also fails to grasp what it means that God himself paid the awful price, the eternal consequences of human sin. That baby that was born in the normal extraordinary way, died in a very extraordinary way, as the complete and total payment for sin. It’s the gift that all the giving is about, God taking your sin and killing it by dying himself.
So, keep busy, celebrate fully, but remember the baby, remember the cross, and what Jesus, that extra-extraordinary child, has done for you.
God’s Peace.
Pastor Watt.
