The Poison of Resentment

Matthew 6:9-15[Jesus said to his disciples:] Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.A Sunday school teacher once said: “Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other one to die.” Think about it. Resentment hurts more the one who holds it. Think about all the poison we take just because we don’t want to forgive.Did you notice that there are seven petitions in the Lord’s Prayer, and that after Jesus finished teaching it, he explained only one of them? Do you know which one? The one on forgiveness.Forgiveness is the key that opens heaven. To withhold forgiveness is to close the access to Holy Communion and the access to heaven. Not to forgive is to poison our lives to the point that we become bitter and sour people.Forgiveness on the other side, frees us, because forgiveness is not resentful. Forgiveness throws poison to the trash, where it belongs. Forgiveness does not keep account of wrongdoings and is not offered in a limited way.By Rev. Hector Hoppe

Free Swim Lessons For Refugee Children

Lutheran South initiative began following the drowning of immigrant Henry Manu

Lutheran South High School student Riley schelp teaches basic life-saving skills to refugee children in st. louis. The four-week program is held at affton hign school.

The Lutheran South High School girls swim team has partnered with Christian Friends of New Americans to provide free swim lessons to refugee children in St. Louis.The initiative was inspired after the death of Lutheran South student Henry Manu. Manu was 18 when he and his friend, Samuel Neal, 17, drowned in the Meramec River at Castlewood State Park in June of last year. Neal attended Roosevelt High School in south St. Louis.Manu, an immigrant from Africa who lived with his grandmother and aunt, was supported by Christian Friends of New Americans when he arrived in the United States.The student body and faculty at Lutheran South were devastated by the tragedy. Manu had survived and fled war-torn Liberia 10 years earlier, only to drown in the Meramec River while attempting to have some summer fun.While attending Lutheran South, Manu played football and was part of the wrestling club. Following his death, Lutheran South Principal Brian Ryherd described Henry Manu as "a young man who possessed great faith.""Following Henry's death, the people at Christian Friends of New Americans wanted to find a way to teach refugee children water safety skills to prevent drowning episodes in the future," said junior swim team member Riley Schelp.The goal of the program is to teach basic life-saving skills, such as how to float and how to tread water."For those with no to little experience, we are just trying to get them comfortable with the water, so in the case of an emergency they don't have to panic and they'll know what to do," said Schelp. "For the more advanced kids, we introduce them to the different types of strokes and drills."The four-week program takes place on Saturdays at 2 p.m. at Affton High School. The first session, held on Saturday, Feb. 18, had 35 kids in attendance."Refugee children ranging in age from 5 to 15 participated in the first lessons. They learned to blow bubbles, float and tread water. By the second lesson some were jumping into the shallow end, and a few even managed to swim across the pool," said Schelp.In addition to swim team members, more than a dozen other students from Lutheran South are helping with the project under the direction of faculty member and lifeguard Cathy Wietfeldt.Pool rental costs are being offset by a memorial donation from the family of Stacie Belew (Lutheran High School South Class of 1998), who was a member of the swim team during her years at Lutheran South.Organizers hope to continue the program to the next school years, but whether that happens depends on whether funding will be available.(Information for this story provided by Lutheran South Communications Coordinator Amanda Schoedel)(This article is provided by www.timesnewspapers.com) 

English as a Second Language

two syrian esl kids

The CFNA English ministry has been growing during the past several months. We have added class topics in multiple levels, welcomed many new students and thankfully, many new volunteers as well. Last year our Saturday classes averaged 5-10 students. This year it has been 15-20 students from Syria, Congo, Afghanistan, Sudan, Nepal and Bosnia. Their English skills range from beginner level to those ready to apply for college.

Additionally, we have organized multiple small groups, the curriculum for each tailored to that group’s needs. Students come one week, and bring friends the next! Along with this growth we have started a Saturday Kids ESL Program for Syrian mothers who otherwise could not attend classes like this because most programs do not offer child-care.

After trying a variety of topics, we’ve found several that are very popular. Our Driving Class is an incredibly helpful service, and in high demand. We offer three “tracks” depending on needs and levels of English. Track 1 focuses on learning driving-related English words, along with basic road rules and safety. Track 2 offers dedicated study for students trying to pass their written permit test. Track 3 is for students with a valid permit, their own car, and proper insurance. We pair them with volunteers for some real practice in their own car, and have more students on our waiting list than we can handle. We are at near capacity in our other classes as well, and could accept more students if we had more tutors.

teaching an esl class

One of the great challenges is anticipating who will show up each week, and having available enough material for them (and their friends, and now, kids!). Presently, we are in great need of a LEAD volunteer to coordinate the Kids ESL Program. This person will ideally be confident, experienced with teaching a variety of ages and able to take charge of a sometimes chaotic situation. This person will also need to be flexible, able to adapt lesson plans to accommodate the number and ages of those who come. It’s a plus if this person has experience teaching ESL, is willing and able to plan lessons/curriculum, and coordinate volunteers. We are able to offer support and training for these tasks as needed.

Interested in serving as a driving instructor, or as Lead Coordinator for the Kids ESL Program? Contact me at 303-502-0067.

Christa Wilson Earl Chai V’Shalom Lutheran Church

Ageena Hass - Volunteer Of The Month

CFNA Volunteer of the Month

For most of the past four years, Ageena has served as a CFNA volunteer, assisting with ESL classes, and with the Health and Wellness Screening program. Here she shares her observations and reflections.

In July of 2013, my son, John, and I were visiting friends at the LCMS synodical convention and met Pastor Teddy Workeneh and his wife at the CFNA exhibit booth. I had been looking for places to volunteer; as a stay-at-home mom, I wished to find somewhere to help here in St. Louis city. When I realized the Peace Center was only seven blocks from our home, I spoke with Carol Buckman, asking if I could volunteer.

At first, I helped with the ESL classes and was amazed to be meeting people from all over the world. The classes were the highlight of our week, as John would often come with me. I had learned sign language, as John is deaf, but the new languages at the Peace Center were so much harder. One afternoon, I was leading the class, and a few ladies from Bhutan were teaching me how to say vegetable names in their language while I was teaching them to say those names in English. They were way more successful than I was, and my attempts at vocalizing Nepali words had us all in stitches.

In August of 2014, I started back to school to finish my education and pursue the dream of medicine. Carol invited me to help with the Health and Wellness Screenings, and I have been checking blood sugars there ever since. I help with other things too, but mostly check glucose levels and talk to those who have abnormal numbers to help them understand how to care for themselves. While the language barrier does pose a challenge, I find the transient nature of the care provided to be most challenging. There are some who come back time and again, and I get to see them make progress; their hard work to care for themselves is inspiring and beautiful to watch. But others I only see once, and then they don’t return. Though I pray they are having good outcomes, I never really know.

This past December, I graduated from University of Missouri - St Louis with a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, Summa Cum Laude, and started working at an urgent care center here in the city. My plan is to apply to medical school in May of this year, and God willing, to begin studies in the fall of 2018. Until then, I will be at the Peace Center for the health screenings, checking glucose, talking to those with high numbers about eating less carbs and getting some exercise, and assuring those with good numbers that they are doing well.

To be sure, I have been blessed with this opportunity to travel the world through these beautiful people that God has brought to St. Louis.

Ageena Hass Holy Cross Lutheran Church for the Deaf

Reliant Church at CFNA

Michael Knippa, Emily Knippa, Maria Spilker, Natalie McLaury

“We are loved in Christ Jesus, and therefore sent into the world” is a key teaching instilled into church members by the pastors at Christ Memorial Lutheran Church. In keeping with this emphasis, the city campus of Christ Memorial, – Reliant Church – reached out to CFNA to identify avenues of involvement and service.

Reliant members, Mrs. Bethany Pittman and Mrs. Natalie McLaury, recruited a sizeable group to serve with CFNA’s After School Tutoring program (AST). For the past several weeks this dynamic group has been consistently sending between 2-4 volunteers every Thursday to the Peace Center to help with tutoring.

This wonderful support from Reliant members has been most appreciated by CFNA and its client kids. This academic year the AST program was facing a severe shortage of tutors during the Thursday sessions, which has now been nearly alleviated. Also, the fact that all these volunteers are young adults has not gone unnoticed by the young students. “We had so much fun during play time today…,” “Is that young guy coming?…,” and “Is she married?…” are some of the questions that intrigue our kids. This is in part, because our Reliant friends provide a mentor model that relates closely to the youthful children.

Moreover, by building relationships with children who are different from them and by taking time from their busy work schedules, our Reliant friends have exhibited a desire for learning, sharing their faith and bringing this experience into their life journeys. More importantly, the Reliant volunteers show how a small community can enhance the work of a Christian mission organization by smartly rotating its willing members for volunteer service on a weekly basis. In doing so, they demonstrate a true “loved in Christ” reality.

Thank you, Reliant, for your partnership in reaching out to New Americans through love, commitment, and service.

Prepared by Rev. Stanish Stanley

Love Your Enemies

Matthew 5:43-48

[Jesus said:] You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven… For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?… Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Jesus explains the law in a much different way than it was interpreted and taught by the religious leaders of his time. In other words Jesus was saying: Do not pay attention to popular religiosity. Pay attention to the clear message of Scripture, because one thing is what you hear, and another thing is what God says.

By loving those who do not like us, or hate us, we are showing who we are: children of God. If there is one visible way we show that we have received God’s forgiveness, it is by loving those who need extra grace. Reconciliation is now required, not only among brothers and sisters and friends, but among you and those who are –in everyday terms– “impossible.”

This action will require an extra measure of humility and maturity on our side. We are called to be perfect as the Father in heaven is perfect. We are not called to be perfect without sin, but perfect in the sense of maturity. We are called to be mature, and patient, and understanding, and loving towards those who dislike us.

We are not to be like the unbelievers, so, before we address any issue with our brothers or our enemies, we look up, and learn how our heavenly Father would do it. What would he do to those who hate him and persecute him? The same thing he did in the past, when people hated him and persecuted him killing his dear and only Son: he forgave them. He will treat his enemies the same way he treated us when we were still enemies. Saint Paul reminds us, “While we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son” (Romans 5:10).

We are reconciled children of God. Now, in our relationship with others God gives us daily opportunities to show that we are his beloved children.

Rev. Hector Hoppe

Dr. Nhung Tran - Volunteer Of The Month

Volunteer of the Month

Editor’s Note: Dr. Nhung Tran, together with her husband and two children, fled Vietnam as refugees in 1975. Two and a half years ago she relocated to St. Louis to be near one of her adult children. Here is her story.

I am a retired physician. In 1975 I came to the USA from Vietnam as a refugee with an MD degree. Nevertheless, I had to work really hard to pass the USA medical board exams before I was able to practice here. This included three years of residency, which took us to Chicago from our first home in Opalika, Alabama.

During the early years, our family was sponsored by a Christian family who provided us with much encouragement and assistance, and with whom I remain in touch. After completing my residency and becoming an MD in pediatrics, I moved with my husband (also an MD, but now deceased) and our children to Pittsburg, where my husband and I practiced medicine for 20 years. From there we moved to Orlando, FL, where we practiced for another 20 years. After the death of my husband, our children – two of whom are MDs and the other an entrepreneur - insisted that I come to live near one of them.

I became acquainted with CFNA through my son, who met Dr. Buckman one day as he was carrying out trash at the Peace Center. Our donation of home furnishings (we were then in the process of moving) was the link that put me in touch with this organization.

Since I knew from experience the hardship of settling in a new environment, and after coming to know the mission and purpose of CFNA, I offered my services as a volunteer. Mostly, I assist with the Health and Wellness Screenings offered regularly at the Peace Center, but I also assist with the weekly After School Tutoring program and the Trivia auction, as well as participate in Heart to Heart Sisters.

I very much enjoy the work, as well as serving with the friendly CFNA volunteers. Seeing these children mastering English and growing up in a safer environment than what they had experienced in their home countries is my reward. For me, this provides a true sense of fulfillment. 

Valentine's Day Party

Leading chapel

decorating cookies

coloring, tutoring and relationships

Editor’s Note: In December the National Honor Society students at Lutheran High School South provided gifts for several recently arrived Syrian refugee families. Here, Riley Schelp shares how they reached out once again, this time to provide a Valentine’s Day party for the after school tutoring participants at the Peace Center.

Thursday, February 9, the Lutheran High School South National Honor Society came to the Peace Center for a Valentine's Day party. The CFNA kids decorated heart-shaped cookies, made valentines, sang songs, and played games. The high school students also helped the kids with their homework as they tutored them upstairs. At the end of the night the NHS students performed a skit about Valentine's Day.

After the skit, there was a devotion about the love that Jesus shows us and the love we show each other. It was incredible to see the high schoolers interact with the kids and build relationships. As Peyton Anderson put it, “I love how excited everyone got: the kids and the students from Lutheran South and the workers at CFNA. I also loved how everyone sang really loudly and got into the worship.”

It was a great opportunity for the students of Lutheran South to show the love of Jesus this Valentine's Day. The NHS students at Lutheran South look forward to continuing to work with CFNA in the future. Meghan Acheson spoke for all of us when she shared, “I had a great time at CFNA! I loved decorating the cookies with the kids, and I can’t wait to go back in the future.”

Thank you so much! Everyone in the NHS group keeps talking about the Valentine's party because it was such a great experience.

By Riley Schelp National Honor Society Member Concordia, Kirkwood Member

Health and Wellness

Syrian refugee mother and children

Registration

How tall are you?

Ten times a year, CFNA hosts a health and wellness screening for refugees and immigrants. We were blessed to have 42 clients, 9 translators, 10 registrars, 4 practitioners, 3 drivers, and 1 devotion leader at the January 7 screening!

Of course, the health screening serves to introduce people to CFNA. We had 22 clients from Syria; 7 from Nepal/Bhutan; 6 from Iraq; 5 from Congo; and 2 from Sudan. With an influx of Arabic speaking clients, we were fortunate to have 6 Arabic speaking translators. Thankfully, we also had translators to help with Nepali, French, and Swahili. Almost all our translators are former or current clients. Additionally, eight of our registrars were students from Visitation Academy. They were helpful, energetic, and assisted clients with a smile! We very much appreciate all of these great servants.

The screening helps identify clients’ health needs. CFNA refers those with issues to treatment centers, and makes medical, dental, and eye appointments as needed. One client, a little girl who arrived in the United States just two weeks earlier, had run out of epilepsy medicine. The issue was identified and referral was made immediately to the International Institute for treatment.

During the winter months, we have also been able to distribute needed clothing, blankets, and dishes to participating families. Thank you, generous donor congregations and individuals!

In addition to referrals and making appointments, we try to arrange rides, if needed. We can always use volunteers to drive individuals to their appointments, which are usually during the day, Monday through Friday. If interested, please contact Laura Brink at lbrink@cfna-stl.org or 314-249-9219. Or if interested in volunteering as a driver, registrar, practitioner, or translator at the screening, please download the flyer and connect with Laura Brink to express your interest.

By Laura Brink Ascension Lutheran Church

Blankets For Refugees

A Syrian Refugee Family Recipient

“Pastor Stanish, Syrian people need more blankets! … this winter, very cold for Syrians in America,” was what I heard when I answered the phone of CFNA’s Arabic community facilitator. This plea was heard in the last week of November, 2016.

Clearly, our Syrian New American friends were facing an urgent need for something the Christian believers could help provide. Shortly thereafter, an appeal went out to the Lutheran community in the St. Louis area for blankets. The response was both immediate and generous. More than 200 blankets were received from several congregations including Ascension, Concordia-Kirkwood, Trinity-Kirkwood, Webster Gardens, Salem (winter coats), and Timothy, and numerous other individuals.

Gift Packages

Those most desperately in need of blankets and warm clothing received them right away. The remainder were distributed a few days later during a Christmas party for Muslim women, organized by Heart to Heart Sisters, held at the Peace Center and generously supported by Christ Memorial Lutheran Church.

In addition to blankets and warm clothing, the approximately 40 Syrian and Afghan women who participated in this event also received gift packages, compliments of CFNA. All of this was received with expressions of heartfelt thanks. “Blankets very good … now good sleep for children and all,” said one Syrian lady, now able to keep her family of seven warm during these winter months.

CFNA offers its sincere thanks to all the congregations and individuals who shared the love of Christ in this way with our Syrian and Afghan friends in need.

By Rev. Stanish Stanley (Christ Memorial) with Carol Buckman (Concordia, Kirkwood)

Scholarship Students Are Serving

Kritika basnet (Nepal)

Secondo Kaka (Eritrea)

New American students who receive scholarships from CFNA and the Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis are serving others with CFNA, with their schools, their churches, and their families. These students recognize that serving others is one way they can thank and repay the people and organizations who have helped support their scholarships.

Beginning last year, CFNA asked its 6th through 12th grade students to provide some service directly to CFNA. For those of you who have participated in the spring Walk-A-Thon or attended the fall Trivia Night, you have seen scholarship students helping or have benefited from their behind-the-scenes work in setting up those events. Nine scholarship students helped out with the 2016 Trivia event.

Two Lutheran High School South students have provided support for CFNA’s Heart to Heart Sisters program, registering participants and taking care of the children so their mothers can participate in the luncheon and Bible study. Two Lutheran North students volunteer regularly for the After-School Tutoring program at the Peace Center.

High school students also do service projects through their churches and youth groups; one LHSS student helps with the nursery and tutoring at her church and several have gone on mission trips with their church youth groups.

Finally, some of the younger students report that they and their families routinely donate clothes or money to help disadvantaged people, help neighbors with chores, and even help their parents lead Bible studies for other New American families.

Thus far, CFNA has not fully funded the scholarship program for 2016-17. We hope that you will consider a gift, which will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis, to assure that these students can continue to benefit from attending Lutheran schools.

By Judith Meyer (Timothy Lutheran Church)

Betty mulat (eritrea)

Marchello Kaka (Eritrea)

Heart to Heart Sisters

beena stanley with gifts from concordia gospel outreach

On Saturday, December 17, Christian Friends of New Americans (CFNA) in St. Louis, Missouri, hosted their monthly women’s Bible study. Each month, in partnership with LWML’s Heart-to-Heart Sisters, women from around the world gather around the Word to learn more about their Savior, Jesus Christ, and share food from their own cultural backgrounds.

sisters and gift basket

This particular day, however, was a little different. First of all, it was their Christmas celebration. In addition, it was much larger than usual: more than thirty women met, twenty of whom were refugees from Syria. Over the past several months, women from this community began attending the study, and the numbers continue to grow.

The CFNA volunteers wanted these newcomers to feel welcome and cared for, so they prepared gifts for their Christmas party. Many of these volunteers are refugees themselves, sharing the Christian love they experienced upon their arrival with others. These volunteers gathered baskets of goods, blankets donated by local LCMS churches, and—thanks to the generous donors of Concordia Gospel Outreach—Christian books for children.

“The Heart to Heart Christmas Party for Syrian and Afghan Refugees began with a welcome and an inspirational devotion that told the Christmas story,” reported Carol Buckman on the CFNA site. “As translators shared in Farsi and Arabic, there were smiles and there were some tears.” Children also attended the event, enjoying a movie with friends and receiving God’s Word through these books.“

I think the event was great!” said Fadia Jenkins (wife of Seminarian Tim Jenkins), who was raised in Lebanon and is fluent in Arabic, and a volunteer who uses her own international experiences to reach out to people from all over the world. “Many of the refugees have children that speak English. The books were given to them in baskets filled with other home items, hoping the kids will read about Jesus and the Bible and be able to share their stories with their parents, as well as use the books to practice their English.”

Christian Friends of New Americans actively seeks out refugees and others who arrive in the St. Louis area, providing them with goods, educational opportunities, and connections to Lutheran church homes. A few of the books donated by CGO were also placed in the classrooms of their building to reach children from all nations.

“First of all,” said Jenkins, “thank you for sending these very nice books! Your contribution helps reach out to families in need to hear the Gospel in more than one way at a time in their life where they may feel lonely, misplaced, confused, and desperate for kindness.”

Those who may have never heard God’s Word before now have the truth of Jesus in their homes. “Though we may never know whose heart is touched,” Jenkins added, “we believe God's Word never returns empty.”

By Lisa Clark, Ascension Lutheran Church

Forgiveness

Matthew 5:23-24

So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

It doesn’t matter here how the whole thing started. We must go even if we didn’t start it, even if we may not be guilty, and even if we don’t feel like it.

One time, a colleague, and my pastor at that time, counseled me to go and make peace with a brother that, according to him [that brother], I offended. My colleague said that by me going, I was going to be able to provide a space for reconciliation between me and my brother, and that I would give myself a great opportunity to exercise humility. The good part of this advice was that my pastor saw in me some type of humility… that obviously needed to be exercised and worked towards improvement!

Every day I am given an opportunity to exercise humility as I come to realize that all my excuses are futile. I actually need to drop all my excuses for not making peace or for not working toward reconciliation. It doesn’t matter if I started the fight or the disagreement or not.

God didn’t start this whole business of sin and brokenness. We did. He did not push us into sin, he did not persuade us to disobey, and yet he made the first move to reconcile ourselves with him. Not only that, he didn’t only talk about reconciliation and forgiveness, he actually did the most costly thing somebody can do for reconciliation. Jesus went to the cross to accomplish and to announce to us God’s forgiveness.

How do we work on reconciliation? How do we announce forgiveness? No need for us to go to the cross, although it might require some sacrifice on our side. To work on reconciliation we stop everything we are doing, and before we go to church next Sunday and before we go to the altar to feast at the table of the sacrificed Lamb, we practice humility and go and make peace with our brother. The Holy Spirit will assist us to do so. There is nothing more important than to be at peace with God and with those around us.

By Rev. Hector Hoppe

Angels! What Blessings!

God's gifts to us of forgiveness and salvation, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, are certainly His ultimate and most important gifts. However, another important undeserved gift of God's love is His creation of the angels. There are numerous references to angels in the Old and New Testaments. Their role was often that of messengers and protectors.

What a fantastic message the shepherds near Bethlehem heard when an angel appeared and spoke to them concerning the birth of Jesus. Then, "Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God and saying 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased.'" Luke 2:8-14.

It is not unusual for many of us to give the angels credit for personal protection from storms and automobile accidents, etc., even though we may not actually see the angels at work. However, I can verify through a personal experience, and in conversations with others, that, at times, the helping angel is visible and speaks with the person experiencing the protection. Such experiences of obvious protection call to mind the words of Luke 4:10-11, "He will command His angels concerning you, and on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone."

Are the angels only involved in our physical well being, or do they also play a role in our spiritual life? In Jesus' explanation of the Parable of the Weeds to His disciples, Matthew 13: 39-40, He states that the harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels... “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil... Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father."

Luther recognized this spiritual-protecting role of the angels. He provides a model prayer request in his Morning and Evening Prayers, "Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me." Thus as we pray to God for the help of the angels, we should also ask Him to send His angels to ward off the temptations of the devil, to shield us from all temptation and the committing of sin.

We pray, "Dear God, thank you for creating Your angels to protect me from physical harm and misfortune, and also for sending them to help me fight off the temptations of Satan himself. Amen." Angels — What Blessings!

By Dr. Al Senske St. Louis, MO

Heart To Heart Christmas Party

CFNA associates with party gifts

Dinner is ready

30 recently arrived Syrian Women

The Heart to Heart Christmas Party for Syrian and Afghan Refugees began with a welcome and an inspirational devotion that told the Christmas story. As translators shared in Farsi and Arabic there were smiles and there were some tears. Children had Christmas story videos, games, and popcorn. Following the devotion and singing, we went upstairs for a delicious international potluck. Each woman had been asked to bring a favorite food. The result was awesome.

Many helping hands and a generous gift from Christ Memorial enabled us to fill baskets (red plastic bowls) with the practical soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, and tooth brushes that ladies treasure. Also included was a coffee mug filled with chocolates and a candy cane. A giant candy cane made it easy to tell the story of Jesus, the good shepherd. More generous gifts from KFUO and CPH helped tell the Christmas story. The YMCA gave warm clothes and shoes for children 4 and under. Church members had felt the biting cold and sent more than 90 blankets and warm clothes to add to the gifts. Many thanks to those patient church secretaries who answered phone calls.

After the event, a Concordia family went with Pastor Stanish and one of our Arabic speaking friends to visit a family who had arrived 15 days ago. They brought gifts and much needed warm, loving smiles. If you would like to go with a CFNA representative and bring a Welcome Pack to a new Syrian family, call or email Carol – (314) 517-8513 or buckmancal@aol.com.

By Carol Buckman Concordia Kirkwood

Thank You Immanuel Lutheran

Enjoying Snacks

On November 18, 2016, seventeen seventh graders (plus their chaperones) from Immanuel Lutheran School in Valparaiso, IN, set off for St. Louis, MO, in order to put into action the 2016 theme verse for their school: “Look not to your own interests but to the interests of others”.  (Philippians 2:4).

They strove to show the love of Christ through their actions and worked at two separate events at the Peace Center. On Saturday, November 19, they cleaned and scrubbed, swept and vacuumed — helping this ministry center maintain its welcoming ambience. On Sunday, Immanuel students ran a Thanksgiving-themed VBS program for nearly fifty new Americans, from preschoolers to teens. The participants had the opportunity to taste traditional fall flavors:  pumpkin snacks, craisins, apple cider, and stuffing. Immanuel students read books that explained the origins of the Thanksgiving holiday, and the participants sang folk songs, made turkey center pieces, and worked on coloring pages and word searches.

Learning To Play

The Immanuel students are very thankful for the opportunity to meet and serve students from more than eight different countries! Thank you to Christian Friends of New Americans for allowing us to have this experience.

By  Ellen Prahlow Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Valparaiso, IN

Lutheran High Students Reach Out

Playing a new game with Syrian friends

The National Honor Society at Lutheran High School South partnered with CFNA for its winter service project this year. We raised money to buy Christmas presents for CFNA families by hosting a penny drive at our school. Each day, kids brought in their spare change and put it in their class jar. This fundraiser became a friendly competition between classes and even the staff to see who could raise the most money. The penny drive made a grand total $1,623.79. This was enough money to sponsor five families, which was a total of twenty-two people.

Members of the NHS used the money to buy gifts at Kohls. Each student was assigned a person to shop for and had fun picking out gifts for each family member. We also gave each family a gift card to Schnucks. After that, we wrapped and sorted all the gifts. We delivered the presents to the families on Tuesday night after the CFNA Christmas Celebration. It was an incredible experience that we will never forget.

Mariah & Riley

Seeing the joy on the children's faces when they opened their gifts brought tears to my eyes. This is not just a charity that students donated their spare change to. These are real people, with real stories. Getting to meet these families changed our entire perspective. Interestingly, the recently arrived Muslim family from Syria was as eager to receive our prayers for them as they were to receive our gifts. It was a perfect reminder of what Christmas is really about.

As we celebrated the birth of our Savior, we were able to spread the love of Jesus with others. This Christmas season, the NHS has learned that it is in giving that we receive.

By Riley Schelp National Honor Society member Concordia, Kirkwood member

After School Tutoring Christmas Party

Enjoying Dinner

“Pastor Stanish are you coming to pick my children… they want to go to the Christmas party,” said my Syrian refugee friend as I picked up his phone call on the evening of December 13.

The excitement was substantial, as other New American kids also made sure that they were picked up for the Christmas party at Epiphany Lutheran Church in Holly Hills. As the evening progressed, thirty American volunteers were joined by fifty-eight refugee kids from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Liberia, Congo, Sierra Leone, El Salvador, Nepal and Syria, to celebrate the occasion. It was a special sight as the children, ably led by CFNA volunteer tutor Mrs. Jennifer Janssen, made hats for cancer victims, thereby involving these New American students in an act of Christian service.

Thereafter, the kids enjoyed a Christmas meal prepared by friends from Trinity Lutheran Church, Soulard, and subsequently gathered in the sanctuary for a Christmas devotion. Connecting the protection of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Daniel 3) in an alien land to the visit of the Wise Men from alien lands to see Jesus, Pastor Mike Zeigler drove home the Advent message of people from all nations and cultures worshiping the true King - Jesus Christ. The devotion was followed by a gift distribution to all our volunteer tutors, whose commitment and love of Christ has made the tutoring program possible at the Peace Center. The enthusiastic celebration concluded with the distribution of Christmas gifts to almost sixty excited kids.

Making Hats

CFNA takes this opportunity to thank Village Lutheran Church and Lutheran High School South, for their generosity in providing Christmas gifts to our New American kids. Likewise, CFNA celebrates and thanks its volunteer tutors and drivers for their commitment in sharing the love of Jesus with refugee kids in an ongoing manner.

May this spirit of joy and service shine in all of us this Christmas and in the days to come!

By Rev. Stanish Stanley Christ Memorial Lutheran Church

Peace and Family

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility… So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are… members of the household of God.” Ephesians 2:13-14,19.

God has good news for you in a world of war, hostility, walls and divisions. He brings you true peace by sending his own Son Christ Jesus to shed his blood for you on the cross in payment for the sins of the world. All who believe in Jesus as Savior have peace with God. Every believer from every language and culture is brought near to him and to each other. Jesus is our peace.

God has good news for you in a world of loneliness, distrust, fear, and broken relationships. He places you in a family of believers as “members of the household of God.” God gives you as New Americans Christian friends who believe in the same Jesus and care for you, not as a stranger or alien, but as members of God’s family brought together through the blood of Christ. Your friends need you and your hospitality and are inspired by your stories of faith.

Lord, thank you for sending your Son Jesus to be our peace and for making all of us part of your forever family. Amen.

Stephen J. Carter, Oakville, MO

Syrian Refugee Friends

Playing fussball at the Peace Center

“I come to CFNA Peace Center for English for my children… Wadya (not her real name) told us here are good Christian people who help us.” This was the response from a recently arrived (less than three months) Syrian refugee lady to my enquiry regarding her desire to admit her five children to CFNA’s After School Tutoring (AST) program. Because it is difficult to cross barriers of language and culture when reaching out to recently arrived refugees, in this case from Syria, this response was a most welcome surprise.

It was even more encouraging to become aware of how the Lord has used CFNA during its 10 years of ministry at its Peace Center location. Wadya, a fluent speaker of Arabic and a five-year St. Louis resident, has often been the beneficiary of CFNA services in the past. As has become her custom, she took it upon herself to alert the recently arrived Syrian refugee families about the services available at the Peace Center.

To be sure, God’s ways of bringing people of other faiths to hear and encounter Jesus is often unforeseen. The Syrian lady’s visit to the Peace Center two weeks ago, and her on-the-spot interactions with volunteer tutors and New American student participants immediately triggered a frenzy of phone calls which resulted in three other families (total of 16 Syrian kids) joining the tutoring program that very evening. Moreover, these connections subsequently led to seven Syrian families (over 25 kids) accessing CFNA services like ESL, Tutoring, Health and Wellness Screenings, Drivers Education and Furniture Delivery during the past few weeks.

Even as CFNA hopes and prays for the Holy Spirit to lead our Syrian friends to Christ Jesus, it celebrates the seed of the Gospel sown through all these years of CFNA work in the city of St. Louis. For this, we commend the spirit of Christian love and sharing that the many friends of CFNA have manifested in their simple but genuine Christ-driven interactions with their refugee and immigrant neighbors.

Prepared by Rev. Stanish Stanley Christ Memorial Lutheran Church