Your Praise Reports and Testimonies Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits-- Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, Who satisfies your desires with good things. (Psalm 103:2-5 NIV) • to submit your Praise/Testimony Reports Click here Praise Reports Reduction in size of brain tumor My nephew Jon has been undergoing radiation treatments for a cancerous brain tumor. His latest MRI shows that there are no new tumors growing (which is common with this aggressive form of cancer) and that the growth that was 4 centimeters has shrunk to 2 centimeters. The doctors are very please with this and Jon and his family are praising the Lord for his healing. Please continue to pray...God is able to completely restore Jon's health and strength! Joan Brath, submitted: 6-9-03 Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100:4-5 NIV) Testimonies or Salvation Stories My New life started in 1987 Feb 2 1987, my fiancé took me to a word Church and I accepted the Lord, something, if you asked me 4 months before I would never have thought of doing, why you might ask. Well I thought I was a Christian, I knew about Jesus, I went to church occasionally, my kids attended Lutheran grade and highschool, I believed He was to son of God. But I didn't know Jesus personally, He was not my personal savior. For many years I searched for God in all the wrong places, I wanted more of God than I was getting at my local Lutheran Church. I wanted God in my life, I wanted a closer walk with Him, and I didn't know how to get it, I became a new-ager, I had a guru, I meditated and it scared me, I would get power rushes and it seemed I might have been a little closer too something, but I don't think it was God, He was still very far from me. I ended up with closer relationships with my other new-age buddies, a personal club, the thing church should have given me, a sense of belonging. But I was still empty, a gigantic hole inside of me nothing could fill. A trip to India didn't do it, talks with the guru didn't get me closer to God. I was awash in delusion for seven more years, walking in a manufactured fog. Then I met my husband and he started to literally drag me to church with him, almost kicking and screaming, until the power of God fell on me, then you couldn't keep me away. I wanted to feel Gods love, to know that He cared about me, not just to know with my mind because someone told me, but to feel it in my heart and soul and know that I knew. I didn't find that until I accepted Jesus Christ into my life as Lord and Savior. I cried and cried all during the service, Amazing grace always made me weepy, but not like this. I was shaking like a leaf, I wanted Jesus in the worst way, I wanted to belong to Him. I raised my hand and walked forward at the alter call and accepted the Lord into to my life, and have never regretted it. I have peace, even when things in my life are in flux and there are trials. I know my God is at the helm of my rocky ship and I do not need to fear. He has my best interests at heart and no matter what it may look like, God is in control, I just need to trust Him, Laying down your life at the alter is trusting that even if they take your life, God will lift you up and carry you off and eternity will be within His arms. I know that I know God Loves me. I never knew that in my heart before I was saved. He gives you a knower in the form of the Holy Spirit. That will carry you through your trials and tribulations with a peace and grace that baffles the world because they just don't get it until they too accept the invitation of Jesus Christ to give up their empty life and find a new life in Him. Trudi Weisser Work Day Blessings! A work day was scheduled for June 25, 1994, as there were so many project's around the church building that needed attention. The main project (and most costly) was the repair seal and paint of the metal roof which covers a large part of the building. The funds for is project came in as soon as the need was mentioned at our first "all church' meeting - praise God! Pastor Joe and Skip did all the prep work the weeks previous to the work day and on that Saturday were able to completely paint the entire roof. The neighbors were thrilled to see the difference! The rental apartment was in need of a smaller window as the existing windows was set in below the metal roofline and seemed to be causing a leaking problem in the hall. Bro. Harold "happened' to spot a window in excellent condition curbside and with Bro. Don's carpentry experience, the window was framed to fit and completely installed that day! It looks wonderful! The West side of the building was in need of a face lift-with a paint sprayer donated by Gonzo & Bev, Harold and Audrey went to work scraping & painting until what was an eyesore was transformed into a beautiful painted surface! What a difference! Our sign on the east side of the building was beginning to fade so Lynn took a can of burgundy sign paint and spent the day on a ladder carefully repainting each letter until the sign looked as good as the day it was put up over five years ago. Even to pot luck dinner we planned for the day was blessed - Georgia joined us with a big bowl of potato salad that perfectly rounded out a delicious meal! God Bless us with seven willing workers, funds to complete all the projects, and a beautiful day to work outside. We all had such a sense of unity and accomplishment by the end of the day that we all left feeling blessed to be a part of "God's work day"! Sister Joan The Goodness of God I was brought up in a traditional church. The Lord gave me a Christina husband, later took us out of the traditional church, and we met many new brothers and sisters in Christ. At one point in my life I needed surgery. Because I was given wrong medication I was near to heart failure. But with the Lord and a new physician my health was restored. At sixteen years of age our oldest son broke his neck. He was completely paralyzed for four months, just before Thanksgiving day the Lord started a healing process in his body. The doctors and hospital staff said it was a miracle. Two others sons were delivered from drug abuse and all the gross things that go with this. A grand daughter with serious learning disabilities is helped tremendously by Christian teachers and she has a great love for the Lord. The Lord Jesus is our healer, our deliverer and comforter in time of trouble. He makes a way where there seems to be no way. I want to give Him all the praise and glory. Audrey Koch Lost Wallet In August of 1994 I lost my wallet. We looked and looked, after two days, I called the credit card company to cancel my master charge, that was on Saturday. Sunday during the prayer request time, Pastor Joe said to look in a stuffed chair, praying that we find it. Monday I prepared to go to the motor vehicle department to get a new drivers license. Just before I was going to leave, I asked my wife to help me as I turned the recliner upside down, which at the time, was our only stuffed chair. When I turned it over, Audrey got behind it and looked, and in some springs, my wallet was found. Thank God for all His help. I am so thankful God hears and answers prayer, and that our church believes and teaches this truth, and encourages us all to pray and expect answers. We do see many answers to prayer here. Anonymous Doctor Mystified I was having a problem with my cycle. I went to my Doctors office, and was examined. He told me that my uterus was enlarged to the size of a four month pregnancy, and that the probable cause was fibroid tumors and the usual treatment for this condition was a hysterectomy. He made an appointment for me to have an ultra sound to confirm his diagnosis, then he would send me to a Gynecologist. I asked for prayer, and was anointed with oil. A few days later I went for my ultra sound. When the results came in, it was not what my Doctor expected. No tumors were found and my uterus was only slightly enlarged, nothing to be concerned about. They also found a possible cyst, but they weren't very sure about that. Upon hearing this, my Doctor wanted to re-examine me. This time, he found the same results the ultra sound showed. He told me the problem must have been caused by the cyst and it had taken care of itself, as they often do. To my surprise, a week later the nurse called and said that the Doctors would like to examine me again after one or two normal cycles. I didn't know why he wanted to see me again, so when I went back for my 3rd examination, I asked him about it. He told me, "I still think something must have happened between the first and second time I saw you." He tried to figure out some sort of explanation, I told him, " I think something happened too... we prayed about it!" Lynn Knop