We are excited to announce that we at Immanuel have teamed up with the Malawi Orphan Care Project (MOCP) to raise monies to drill a water-well in Malawi! MOCP is a non-profit organization run exclusively by volunteers which means that 100% of every dollar raised goes directly to the Missions efforts in Malawi.

On Sunday, May 6th, the ILC Global Missions Committee rolled out their "May is Malawi Month at ILC" fundraising initiatives! If you were unable to attend Sunday's service, please be sure to contact a committee member for details and to answer any questions you may have.

The committee presented five fundraising initiatives to raise the funds necessary for drilling the water well and also sending a team of four to Malawi this summer!

The five fundraising initiatives are:

1. A fundraising letter with an insert flyer & return envelope has been created and is available at the church for pick-up and distribution. We are asking EVERY member of Immanuel to please reach out to their family & friends! Our hope is that if EVERYONE embraces this lifesaving missions venture (drilling a well in Malawi & sending a team of four there in July) and reaches out to as many people as they know (10, 20, 50!), we will reach our fundraising goal reaching out to the poorest of the poor with lifesaving clean water! Tax-deductible donation, checks should be made payable to: ILC - Malawi Project
2. Two Meals with a Mission. The first is scheduled for Sunday, May 20th. The proceeds from this meal will benefit the cost of our team-of-four going to Malawi. This team consists of Pastor Paul and Jill Mattson, Lisa Meyers and her daughter, Shannon Lundgren. The second Meal with a Mission is scheduled for June 24th. The proceeds for this meal will benefit the drilling of the well in Malawi which will impact the lives of 1,900 people, mostly orphans and widows. If you would like to be a "hands on helper" for either or both of these meals, please indicate so on Sunday's bulletin insert/friendship card.
3. Miles for Malawi. With inspiration from Claudia Tessmer, Shannon Lundgren designed a Miles for Malawi board which will track the dollars donated specifically for the expenses of the missions trip. Based upon one dollar per mile, the board's airplane will move along the air path as the giving increases. The miles for the round trip are 18,000 (9,000 one way). Wow! Our Malawi Missions team is asking that we please "fly them home"!
4. Silent Service Auction and Bake Sale. The long hallway leading from the front entry of the church has been renamed, "Silent Auction Boulevard"! This is where the donated auction "services" will be posted. Be sure to watch these postings every time you enter the building and let the bidding begin now! This silent auction will end at noon on Sunday, June 3rd. There will also be a bake sale on June 3rd from 8:30 a.m. to noon. If you have a service you would like to donate for auction and/or if you can bake a goodie or two for the bake sale, please be sure to indicate this on Sunday's bulletin insert/friendship card!
5. Malawi bracelet/bands will be sold for $3.00. The bands are blue (for the water well) and are similar to the Lance Armstrong LIVESTRONG bands. These circular bands should be arriving soon and will be immediately available for purchase to the first 200 purchasers! Be sure to get one and be sure to wear it every day while our team is in Malawi, remembering to pray for them as well as our Malawi friends and the well that will be drilled!

PLEASE be an answer to someone's prayer today!

Please be sure to check out our Malawi displays! Our bulletin board that's showing the progress of reaching our well drilling goal, our wishing well (donation envelopes can be placed here!) and our Miles for Malawi board to watch the progress of the airplane reach Malawi and head back home to Crosby!

We would like to extend a special "Thank You" to Rich Roberts for graciously loaning us his wishing well for this Global Missions event! Rich builds custom wishing wells and can be reached at 218-232-1253, if you would like to have one custom built!

May God Bless You as You Bless Others!

"Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?" And the king will answer them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me." Matthew 25:37-40

I would like to reveal, to this caring congregation that several young characters are facing a homeless life. These individuals are friendly, well-known animals and children who, without personal intervention, will face the future alone, and most certainly all the coming holidays too. Yes, these sweet characters reside in a homeless shelter. Your puppet ministry team: PBJ, (Puppets by Jesus_ being the kind and benevolent people that they truly are have organized an effort in which many of these yet-to-be-friends can come, join our family and reside right here at Immanuel!! Here they will live happy and productive lives, leading and teaching children and adults in a variety of ways.

The opportunity now exists for church members to adopt one of these characters, simply by paying the adoption fees and transportation fees as managed through PBJ's adoption agency. (This is actually the cost of the puppet). For a reasonable donation an individual or family might adopt Wee Willy Wooly, al title lost lamb who would like to come and be a part of children's church or a couple can share the joy of bringing Sweet Sarah Sue, a seven year old red head to our church and share the fellowship of our congregation. Sound corny? Of course it does! But we all love fantasy and when we can create a living story in which you can have a part and the Bible is taught, then we are all happy to take part.

Please take time to view the puppets your PBJ team would like to have here in Immanuel's puppet dormitory. Select the one you'd like to adopt. Leave your request in the puppet ministry mailbox or make your wish known to Karron Tarr at 218-251-0668. Once the adoption fee has been paid we will send for your puppet. When it arrives here at Immanuel, you as adoptive parent(s) will be notified. You will be invited to meet your adopted puppet. You will have your photograph taken with your puppet and receive a "certificate of adoption. You will know that your puppet will be placed in Immanuel's puppet dormitory where it will be safe and it will teach Bible truths to children and adults as long as it can!

The Adopt-A-Puppet Adoption Agency is now open! The agency will close the program on Saturday, July 7th. No further adoptions can be made after that date.

FINK: FINK will meet for the final time this school year on Wednesday, May 16th as Salem in Deerwood.

Sunday School: Sunday School meets during the 10:30am worship service. The children are dismissed to their classes after the children's sermon.

Trash Pick Up Day by John Klopfleisch: On Wednesday May 9th, - 27 adults and kids from the Immanuel Lutheran Church and the Salem Lutheran Church picked up trash in Crosby. They filled 18 bags in just over an hour.

New Drivers: Students who have recently received their drivers' license were recognized at the 10:30am worship on Sunday, April 22nd. Recognized were Whitney Arneson, Chelsea Holmvig, Brett Nelson, Riley Jacobs, Shannon Lundgren, and Max Snook. Each student was presented a leather keychain made by Tom Webber.

For more information about youth events and to see photos check out the Facebook page.

Sew, Stitch and Salad: The women of Immanuel met on Saturday, April 28 to sew dresses and shorts for the orphans in Malawi. Immanuel is partnering with First English Lutheran Church in Mansfield, Ohio to have 200 shorts and dresses completed by July so that they can be delivered during the mission trip to Malawi.

Rummage Sale by Melva Panitzke: The ILC Rummage/Bake Sale was a great success. The total amount raised was almost $2500.00. Immanuel youth (VBS) and community missions will be donation recipients. The charities that benefited from the leftover rummage were Catholic Charities, Salem West, and Goodwill. Thanks to everyone that helped set up, working during the sale, and clean up.

Spring Luncheon: The annual spring luncheon for women will be Saturday, June 2nd at 12:00pm. All women of Immanuel are invited to bring a friend and to bring a salad to share.

Immanuel welcomed new members into the family on Sunday, April 29th. The new members are Gerry Belseth, Lloyd and Marcy Bordwell, Darlene Christopherson, Josh and Tadina Ikola, Carla Lueck, Linda Rono, Archie Sabyan, and Dan Wisniak. Please make sure to welcome these new members when you see them.

The May Meal With a Mission on May 20th will benefit Malawi Mission Trip expenses.

Immanuel Lutheran has joined the Interfaith Hospitality Network, IHN, to host homeless families with children through the New Pathways program. We will serve families for four weeks a year, and our first week is June 10-17. We are currently looking for volunteers of all ages to help in this effort. If you would be willing to assist, please stop at the IHN table outside of the sanctuary between services over the next few Sundays to select your specific day/time. You can also call host coordinators Bonnie Lapierre, 546-6707, or Nancy Evans, 546-2817. Thank you! (Tasks marked with a *** are currently our areas of greatest need).

• Adopt-a-Bed" - provide sheets, blanket, hand towels for one bed - pick up the informational sheet from us on Sunday
• Set-up/Take-down team - get rooms ready for families
• ***Transportation team - round trip between Crosby & Brainerd, choose a morning shift or afternoon shift
• Meals team - teams of three will prepare & serve dinner and eat with families, 5:30 pm
• Family time team - board games, puzzles, cards, toys, arts & crafts, outdoor play, adult conversation, 6:30-8:00 pm
• ***Evening host - chaperone a quiet time before the lights go out - reading, studying, quiet conversation, young children to bed, 8-9 pm
• Overnight team - chaperones sleep in fireside room, 9:00 pm -6:30 am
• Morning shift team - quick breakfast & out the door, 6:30-7:45 am

Some members have previously indicated an interest through the friendship cards in the church bulletin, but now we need to ask you to specify the day & time that you would like to serve, so please stop to chat with us in church or call us at home.

~Bonnie & Nancy

This newsletter is published the 15th of every month. If you have any photos or news items that would be of interest to the Immanuel family, please send them to msegersten@charter.net.

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