Ambassadors of Reconciliation

Prayer Requests for November 11

2010-11-11T13:42:00.000-08:00

Thank you Lord for each and every veteran who put their lives out there to protect our freedom, may you continue to bless and guide them and their families. Our thoughts and prayers are always with them. Amen.

Thanks for coming to check the prayer requests for today.

Today I decided to include some of Ted's recent message to our board members to let you know what he's been up to lately. Ted writes:

A brief update on this ministry and its work . . .

I am pleased to report that activity for case work and training is quite busy right now.

I have completed two major training events in Canada, originally scheduled by Bruce. One was a coaching practicum in Ontario for the East District circuit counselors, our first-ever training in the East District of Lutheran Church-Canada! The next was a full-day Responding to Sexual Temptation in a High Tech Society seminar at the pastors/deacons conference for the Central District in Winnipeg. Both went very well.

Ed also completed a training originally contracted by Bruce for the Kansas District. It went well, and more work will likely come from it.

I made a trip to Calgary to meet with the new resource manager for AoR-Canada. Our new Canadian sister organization has a long ways to go organizing, but we have made some significant progress in the area of resource sales. I will update you in more detail at our board meeting.

Here is my schedule for the next several weeks:

Sonja and I will drive to Denver tomorrow for a two-night, one-day vacation. On Sunday, November 7, Sonja and I will drive to Aurora, Nebraska.
Sunday, November 7 - Saturday, November 13: Ed Keinath and I will teach our week-long Church Reconciler Training course in Aurora, Nebraska. We have 15 registered.
Saturday, November 13: Sonja and I will drive 800 miles home to Billings.
Sunday, November 14: Both Ed and I will fly to Phoenix.
Monday, November 15-16: Ed and I will provide pre-mediation coaching for a dozen people in a Christian ministry, preparing for a mediation in either December or January.
Wednesday, November 17: Ed and I both fly home.
Thursday, November 18: I fly to Michigan to teach a seminar at a church.
Friday, November 19-20: I teach and attend this conflicted church. I fly home late that night.

Bruce and Kathy are nearing the end of some rest time in northern Idaho. From there they plan to visit family in Spokane and Portland. The latest from Bruce is that Kathy's FBI background check has been completed and arrived in Billings. Bruce expects his to arrive in Billings on Saturday. From there it will be mailed to the Australian embassy in Washington DC, hopefully for the final approval on their visas to Australia. Once their visas are approved, they will fly to Australia.

Ed has been busy in counseling appointments as well as working with a few congregations from the Indiana District. He will have much to report on in our board meeting.

So you see, Ted and Ed have been quite busy. We pray that God will supply all they need to serve Him well in their work. We also thank God for providing us with the opportunities to serve Him. We pray for the many individuals, congregations, districts, and church professionals with whom we work, that they will be able to live out lifestyles of reconciliation.

Bruce emailed this morning with the very good news that they have received the final approval from Australia and they can be on their way. They have made arrangements to leave the USA next week Thursday. They will stay for a few days with the district president and his wife, then travel to Hamilton to get settled. Bruce's installation is scheduled for November 28. We pray for them as they travel and that their adjustment to a new congregation, job, country and home will be smooth and enjoyable. Bruce will be celebrating his birthday on Saturday while they spend time with their son and family. We pray for blessing for Bruce in this next year of his life.

While Ted is gone, the office is very quiet. I've gotten a number of tasks completed and am thankful for continuing to have work to support this ministry. Today I've been preparing a mass mailing postcard for Christmas. Keep a look out, you will likely see them soon. Thank you, dear friends in Christ, for partnering with us in support of this ministry. Your efforts on our behalf are much appreciated.

Prayer Requests for October 28

2010-10-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. 2 Cor. 1:3-7

We have such a remarkable God. Even in times of distress, He shows us His care and protection. And in times of joy and celebration, He again cares, protects, and brings us blessing. In every situation, He remains steadfast in His love and care for us. On the other hand, we tend to go with the flow of whatever is occurring and respond to crisis with panic, or to joy with relief. Our great God teaches us and blesses us through trials and strengthens us so that we can be a blessing to others. And in conflict, He teaches us how to bring Him glory as we strive for reconciliation. Unfortunately, due to our fallen nature, we will always have conflict to deal with. But in His faithfulness, our Lord is always with us.

Well the time has arrived and we said our farewells today to Bruce and Kathy Zagel. They have received approval of their position from Australia and are waiting on the clearance of their background check. The last leg of the wait is to spend a week of vacation in Idaho, including a few days with Bruce's parents. From there they will travel to Portland to spend some time with their grandson Zander (and yes, his parents Adam and Leah will be there too, but of course Zander is the big draw.) They will wait for the final approval in Portland and then depart the country. We pray for God to bless their travels, speed the final approval, and bless their new adventure in Australian ministry. Go in peace, dear friends.

Since my last posting, Ted has taught Church Reconciler Training in Minnesota. We thank God for the receptive participants and the growth that God has given. We pray these men will be greatly strengthened in their ministry. Ted has also taught two events in Canada, one was a practicum on conflict coaching, the other on responding to sexual temptation in a hightech society. Both went very well and we pray will continue to be a blessing for those present. Ted also met with the board of the new Ambassadors of Reconciliation-Canada. There are many decisions to make as they get established. We pray for God's direction and wisdom as they make this exciting beginning. Ted will travel to Nebraska next week to teach another Church Reconciler training. We pray for God's blessings on the those traveling to the event. Also we pray God will bless the teaching and learning that will take place. Ted has been extra busy this month since Bruce has been gone. We are grateful for the slight increase for case work that we've had. Our financial situation is still serious, but slightly improved.

Ed continues to tackle the physical therapy prescribed for him. He is regaining some range of motion and strength in his shoulder. We praise God for the improvement and continue to pray for Ed as he heals. Ed recently taught a leadership seminar in Kansas. We thank God for his skills and for the conference going well. We especially thank God for Ed being able to continue teaching since his injury. Ed is quite busy and we are very thankful to have him on staff.

I had a delightful vacation in Canada. We traveled there to take care of two grandchildren during our daughter-in-law's sister's wedding in Hawaii. With Mum gone, Grandma and Papa were the primary caregivers. They are 4 and 5 and yes, we slept very well while there. We find that the grandkids are the prize for all those years of sleepless nights and endless athletic games, etc. of parenting. Since being back, the office has been pretty busy and I am thankful for such a fulfilling job and meaningful work. It is always good to come to work. The variety and challenge of each day is a blessing.

Thank you, dear friends, for your partnering with us in this ministry. Your faithful prayers help to sustain us in ministry for our brothers and sisters in conflict. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for His glory. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 2 Cor. 1:20-22 We need never fear for God has given a guarantee to us in Christ. May you be sustained and emboldened to further service and ministry for Christ. We pray for you as well.

Prayer Requests for September 30

2010-09-30T14:50:00.000-07:00

After a little hiccup, I'm back to posting. How quickly the time passes! It never fails to surprise me how quickly things can pick up.

Ted has been back in the office for a bit over a week. David, Sonja and Ted's son, was married here in Billings on September 24th. We pray for David and Hope as they make a new life together. Ted's trip to Australia was very good. When he returned on the 11th, he spent one night at home and then traveled to Virginia for the Peacemaker Ministries Annual Conference. He was one of the presenters for the conference. He always enjoys this conference and the opportunity to renew many friendships. We pray that God will continue to bless Peacemaker Ministries. They do wonderful work and we are so very thankful for the supportive relationship we have with them. They are wonderful encouragers in our ministry and we are so thankful for all the help they have been over the years. Ted has been very busy this week preparing for a number of events. He will leave on Saturday to travel to Minnesota. On Sunday he will preach and teach Bible study in Detroit Lakes. On Sunday evening he will begin our Church Reconciler Training at Lutheran Island Camp in Henning, MN. We pray that everyone will travel safely to the training and that each participant will grow greatly in their understanding of biblical peacemaking and how it will fit in their congregation. We pray that Ted will be enabled to teach well and that the all will be able to stay healthy and learn well. It is a very full week and quite intense. Ted will return to Montana for a few days before flying to Waterloo, Ontario to teach a Conflict Coaching practicum, then directly on to Winnipeg, Manitoba to teach a seminar on Responding to Sexual Temptation at a District Conference there. Again, we pray for safe travel for all and that the training events will serve well for those attending.

Bruce and Kathy are still waiting for their visas to be approved for their move to Australia. They have moved out of their house, and the renters have moved in. Zagel's are now living with their grown son here in Billings. It has been a lesson in patience for them and we pray that the approval will come very soon, trusting in God's timing. Bruce and Kathy are eager to get to their new location and begin this new chapter of their lives. It seems very strange to not have Bruce actively involved , but we know God will use him effectively in every situation. We pray for continued care for the Zagels.

Ed continues to see clients and work with the district with clergy couples. He also will be speaking in Kansas in mid-October for a district event, so he is preparing for that. We pray that God will bless his preparations and in his work with clients. Ed is also working at physical therapy on his shoulder. He is making good progress and regaining some mobility in it. He was joking that he will soon go into lifting weights, but that lifting iron for him was beginning at one pound. We pray for God's blessings for Ed as he continues his rehabilitation.

I am looking forward to some time off. My husband and I will be traveling to Drayton Valley, Alberta to spend some time with our son and his children. Their mother is traveling to Hawaii for her sister's wedding and we get to take care of the kids. It will be a whirlwind since they are 4 and 5 years old. I'm sure I will return tired, but contented. I'm really looking forward to it and pray for the energy I will need to keep up with them. I'll be back in the office on the 18th, so it will be a while before the next update.

We also pray for some congregations where we are doing work. We are in the midst of a group reconciliation at a congregation. We pray for God's direction and wisdom for the team who is serving them. We also pray for the congregation to have open hearts to God's Word and His working to bring reconciliation to their relationships. Another conflicted congregation is planning to have a seminar later this year or early next year, but has some long-term issues coming to a head. We pray for those serving them and for the congregation to be willing to look at and deal with them. We continue to get phone calls and messages from struggling people and organizations. We pray for God's direction and wisdom in serving them.

I pray for you, as well. Your faithful pray support for the ministry of Ambassadors of Reconciliation is very much appreciated. I pray God will richly bless you.

God of love, through Your Son You have commanded us to love one another. By the guidance of Your Word and Spirit, deliver us from impenitence and teach us the truth that we might confess our sins, receive your forgiveness, and be reconciled to one another, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. (Lutheran Service Book, CPH: 2006, p 312)

Prayer Requests for September 9

2010-09-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,

It's a rainy cool day here. I love the change of seasons and the glories that God showers on us through all seasons. Even through rainy and gray days, we are reminded that God is with us through all the yuck we experience. I spoke with a person today who has significant conflict in his marriage who is hurting deeply and very much needed the assurance that he was not alone, that God will never leave him but is even now working to bring joy. How unfathomable are His ways! I pray that this man will allow God to work in his life and in his marriage, and that God will shower them with His grace.

I have been back at my desk since Tuesday. We had a lovely trip to New York City to visit our son. The heat and humidity made me so thankful for Montana weather (and our son said it was much less than they have had this summer). We marvel at the different lifestyle and get to enjoy it for the short time we are there. I have to admit it would be a challenge to live it full time. It's a great place to visit, but I'm thankful to live here. While I have been gone, we've had several large orders from churches gearing up for their fall classes. We also heard from a church that is planning on using Ted's essays from the convention for a study this fall. We pray for all of the congregations that will study about peacemaking, that they will understand God's plan for us in conflict. We thank Him for His Word and the riches of His grace. We are still experiencing a slowdown of work. We suspect the economic situation has much to do with it, but we pray for God to show us His plan to continue in this environment. We have some training events planned for this fall and pray that they will be well attended.

Bruce is still coming in most days for a time. He and Kathy await the approval of their visa for Australia. They may have up to a three month wait. We pray for God's strength as they wait. It is hard for them to be between places.

Ted is about to begin his trip home from Australia. It is early on Friday there and he will leave after his day of teaching to fly to Sydney. Tomorrow afternoon he will leave Sydney on his way to Billings. He will spend one night here in Billings, then will trade suitcases and head to Washington, DC for the Peacemaker Ministries Annual Conference where he will teach several sections. He will return home on the 19th and may be able to be in the office by midweek. The last I heard, he was battling a cold and was pretty tired. We pray for Ted to able to get well and to be sustained through this next trip. I had to smile when I got a message to him from a fellow conciliator in Australia. It is clear that he has had some opportunities to relax, too. This photo was included.

We thank God for the friendships Ted has been able to make and for the opportunity to teach in Australia. It has been a blessing for AoR, as well as for Ted. We also pray for Ted's safe return.

Ed has been unusually quiet as of late. I suspect he is pretty busy with his full schedule and now adding in time for his therapy for his shoulder. We pray for him as he juggles the time demands and the physical therapy. We pray for an excellent result of the therapy.

Thank you for your interest in the work of Ambassadors of Reconciliation. Your prayer support is much appreciated. I pray that God will bless you with joy.

Prayer Requests for August 26

2010-08-26T08:33:00.000-07:00

Hello again, dear friends. I pray that your week has been blessed and that you have been able to bask in God's grace.

This week has been flying by. Ted is in Australia and has spoken at the South Australia/Northern Territory District Synod Convention. The topic was Free: Forgiven and Forgiving. On August 24th, he began a training event at Australian Lutheran College. They expected 40-50 students and others from around the church to participate. Ted has been teaching personal peacemaking and coaching for the three-day training practicum. We pray for all those who took part in the event, that they will be able to implement the things they learned, and that God's name will be glorified.

This weekend, Ted will have an opportunity to meet with a person whose story he has told for years. He became aware of her during his time in India. Graham Staines, Gladys and family were missionaries in India. Graham and their two young sons were burned to death in their car one night in 1999 by a group of about 50 Hindu zealots. After the conviction of the leader of the mob, Gladys was interviewed by an Indian newspaper. She said,

"I have forgiven the killers and have no bitterness because forgiveness brings healing and our land needs healing from hatred and violence. Forgiveness and the consequences of the crime should not be mixed up," and "God in Christ has forgiven me and expects His followers to do the same. The Bible says: 'To whomsoever you forgive their sins will be forgiven'. Therefore, in the light of eternity we all need forgiveness of our sins to enter heaven,''. She also said, "I have no comments regarding the law taking its own course in crime and punishment. We are called to be under subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except God and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. We need to honour both God and man respectively."

Gladys returned to her native Australia in 2004 and has agreed to meet Ted on the 30th. Ted is looking forward to meeting this woman whom he has spoken about many times. We pray that the connections all go well, and that their meeting will be the beginning of a friendship and that God will be glorified through it.

On September 3rd, Ted will begin a series of training opportunities in Queensland with PeaceWise. He has worked with them on each of his Australian visits. He will begin his journey home of September 11. We pray for his continued good health, and for his teaching to be well received.

Bruce and Kathy continue to work on all the details of moving to Australia and back into congregational life. They do not know when that move will happen. We pray for God to work out the timing and for patience as the Zagels embark on this new chapter. Bruce remarked the other day that during the packing up, he has realized how much they are leaving behind. They are not able to move much beyond clothing. Since freight would take so long to get there, even his books will be packed away and left in Billings. We pray that God will help them deal with all these attendant circumstances and the emotions that they go through.

As Ed has returned to a more full schedule, he has many situations to address. We pray for those with whom he counsels, that they will have open hearts and minds to the Gospel and the counsel that Ed brings. We continue to pray for Ed as he heals. In September he will begin the therapy on his shoulder. The doctor tells him it will likely be ten months of therapy, so we pray for a good result and continued patience for Ed.

Things are picking up a bit here in the office. Churches are preparing for fall Bible classes and scheduling for the coming year. We pray for the Lord to bless our ministry and provide for our needs as we serve His people.
Next week, I will not be able to post the current prayer requests. My husband and I leave on Friday for a week to New York City to visit our son. We look forward to the time away and some days to enjoy the Big Apple. I'm not sure how the city got that nickname, but maybe I'll know by the time I return. In the meantime, I pray for God's blessing for you.

Prayer Requests for August 19

2010-08-19T12:22:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone.

Today is a quiet day around here. Ted is on his way to Australia, Bruce is home packing, and Ed has returned home to Indiana. Ed was here in Montana for almost a week. For a few days, he spent some time for R & R in Yellowstone National Park with his sister and brother-in-law. Then he came to the office for some planning work and a Board of Directors meeting. It was great to actually see Ed. He is beginning to heal. He showed us some of the progress he is making and why it will take so long to regain mobility and strength in his shoulder and arm. His irrepressible personality is still quite intact, and it was a joy to have him here. We pray for continued healing for Ed, and patience and fortitude as he begins therapy in September. Ed is back to work and still notices some fatigue, so we pray that he also be blessed with endurance.

It's official, Bruce has accepted a call to Hamilton, Victoria in Australia. He will be there for a year and this will be a Reconciliation Ministry Pastorate. The congregation has had some conflict which resulted in the vacancy. Bruce's role there will be to help them reconcile relationships in the congregation and put together a reconciliation ministry in the congregation to address lingering and future conflicts. He will teach biblical peacemaking studies, train reconcilers in the congregation, coach and mediate existing conflicts, and help them to prepare for calling a pastor. In some ways, this will be a more thorough process, similar to a Group Reconciliation Assistance that AoR does with congregations. Bruce and Kathy have rented out their home and will need to sell their cars, get visas in place, and make their transition over the next couple of months. We pray that all will go smoothly and that God will bless them with the knowledge of His guidance as they try to tend to all the details. Bruce completed his last training event as an AoR representative yesterday in Wyoming. It is a bittersweet occasion. We will miss them terribly, but know that God will be with them. It is an uncertain time with many unanswered questions. We pray for God's will to be plain to Bruce and Kathy, and that they will understand His leading and directing. He has still been coming into the office to continue his work here, but his hours will be lessening. We also pray for Ted, Susan, and me to be able to pick up all the things Bruce is so good at here at AoR.

Ted is in transit to Australia. He will arrive just after lunch tomorrow, Adelaide time. Taking into effect the time change (at present it is 1:45 pm here but 5:15 am Friday in Adelaide) that means he still has about 7 1/2 hours of travel yet. He left early afternoon yesterday. His first presentation is the evening of August 21, so he has a little recovery time. He has begun this trip already tired, so we pray for his strength and good health, as well as God's direction of his teaching. Ted will begin with a presentation at a district convention of Lutheran Church of Australia. His next event is at Australia Lutheran College, then on September 3rd, he begins teaching with PeaceWise in a number of different locations. He will begin his journey home on September 11 and arrive (with time change, he loses a day) home that evening. He will change suitcases and leave for Washington, DC on the 12th for the Peacemaker Ministries Annual Conference. Ted won't be back in the office until September 22nd, a very tired man. We pray that God will help all the details to fall into place, and that Ted's teaching will bring God glory. We pray for those who will receive the training, that their hearts will be open to the Gospel and see God's plan for them in regards to peacemaking.

Last Tuesday, our Board of Directors met by conference call. We were very pleased with our phone system. We were able to have the conference call at no extra expenses other than our normal phone bill. We have a VOIP (Voice Over Internet Phone) that has been very economically beneficial. This is the first time we had used it for this purpose, and it came off quite well. Thank you, God for all Your blessings, even technology. The Board looked very thoroughly at our financial situation and discussed some options for the future. We pray for God's direction and for improvement very soon. We pray for God to provide the answers so that AoR will be able to continue in the work that is so necessary in the kingdom.

In October and November, AoR will be having Church Reconciler Training events. The first is October 3-9 and will be at Lutheran Island Camp in Henning, MN. The other is November 7-13 in Aurora, Nebraska. If you, or someone you know, is interested in attending or in seeing more about this training, see http://www.hisaor.org/web-content/Training-Practicum-Reconcil.html. We would love to fill up these events to train more people for service in peacemaking. We pray that God will provide the participants, and bless the preparations and training.

I pray for you, dear brothers and sister, that God will bless you. With the summer winding down, most people are returning to more regular schedules. Kids are back in schools and churches renew classes and see people return to regular worship. Thanks be to God for the ease of summer, but also for the resumption of "regularity". May we all be strengthen for service to our Savior.

2010-08-12T15:25:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. We are experiencing one of those glorious summer days. The sun is shining, but the temperature is just right, not too hot and not too cold. Forgive me for sounding like one of the three bears here. J

Ted had a very moving trip up to Cross Lake, Manitoba. He joined a group of youth and adults from our congregation to lead Vacation Bible School for a week. Each day they gathered with kids at two different schools in Cross Lake and on Thursday had an evening presentation for the parents. They return very tired, but exhilarated by the week. One day, they had over 200 kids, and had many opportunities to speak to people in meaningful ways. We praise God for the trip. Ted is putting in some long hours preparing for a multitude of upcoming events. Next Tuesday, Ambassador's Board of Directors will have a quarterly meeting. We pray for God's direction for the board as they make decisions about our organization. On Wednesday, Ted leaves for Australia. He will be gone until September 11th. We pray that he will be able to get all the many things completed before he leaves. We also pray for his strength and stamina as he goes. These long days and the trip to Manitoba have begun to take a toll and he is weary. The day after he returns to the USA, he will travel to Peacemaker Ministries Annual Conference in the Washington, DC area. He will lead some sections there and then return home a very tired man. So we pray for his preparation for all these events, for his travel to be problem-free, and for his health over the next months.

Bruce has made a decision on the call to New Mexico. He has declined the call and is awaiting information for a congregation in Australia. We pray for God to direct him. He and Kathy are making plans to leave Billings. Wherever God places them, they will be going for a limited time, and hope to be able to come back to Billings. With that in mind, they have decided to rent out their home. God has provided a family who will move in the end of September. Zagels have begun to pack some things and move them into a storage unit. In a recent report Bruce said,

"These past 5 ½ years have been a life changing and extremely rewarding time for both Kathy and me. We have had the opportunity to see God’s grace personally at work in many individuals and congregations and have witnessed God work powerfully through Ted’s leadership. While I regret I will not be able to see first hand how God will continue to work through AoR and CLM, I will continue to promote AoR’s mission wherever the Lord takes me and however he allows me to interact with AoR in the future."

We are so thankful for Bruce's years with us. He has brought much richness and wisdom to our interaction with clients. I personally will miss him so much here in the office. He ministers to me often and both he and Kathy have become good friends. We pray God will be with them through this transition. Before he goes, Bruce will lead a seminar in Wyoming for us. We pray for him as he prepares, travels and presents next week.

Ed is on his way to Billings right now. He will have a few days off visiting his sister and family here. Then next week he will be in our office for meetings. He is working at approximately a 2/3 workload. We pray for his continued healing. He continues to work with clergy couples, congregations, schools, and individuals. He plans on presenting at Peacemaker Ministries Annual Conference in September, as well as, a seminar for Blessed Are the Peacemakers also in September in Indiana. May God bless Ed as he prepares and presents at these events. CrossLife Ministries will host a major annual fundraiser at the end of September. It is a golf outing and hence Ed will be hiding out on one of the holes, seeing how he can make the day of those passing through. Golf is not one of Ed's favorite pass times, preferring to be on the tractor instead. We pray for the success of the fundraiser, and for Ed to enjoy/endure the day.

Our finances continue to be quite strained. Recent sales have increased a bit, but only nominally. We have learned that a training event scheduled for early next year has been significantly reduced because of the client's finances. Our two Church Reconciler Training events for this fall are still planned, but the registrations so far are very low. We trust in God's providence, and pray that the sales, registrations, and events will increase and that our finances will improve. We pray for God's direction and also for strength to follow Him in this and all things.

I once again thank you for your interest and faithful service to Ambassadors of Reconciliation. The community of believers gathered around God's Word are a wonder and comfort. May He bless you as you walk with Him.

Prayer Request for August 6, 2010

2010-08-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

Hello again to all of you.

Today the weather is in the mid 80's and just feels gentle. It's lovely and a respite from the high 90's that we have been having. I got up to a chuckle this morning. When I opened the shades, I saw that my front yard was filled with pink plastic flamingos. One of the fund raising ideas of the mission team (of which Ted is one of the members) used the idea of inviting people to "flock" others in the congregation with this surprise. Each night they set up the flamingos on someone's front yard, for a fee, of course. They return the next day to retrieve them. When you get "flocked" you can pay a small fee to find out who the culprit was. You also can buy insurance to protect yourself and not get "flocked". It has been much fun and quite profitable for the team. They have had a HUGE response and are getting a bit fatigued with all the requests, but so thankful for the contributions that continue to come in. Great fun!

Ted is presently in Cross Lake, Manitoba with the Mission Team from Trinity Lutheran in Billings. It is the second time our congregation has sent a team to this community for Vacation Bible School. They are putting the VBS on at two different schools. On the first day they had thirty children at one and sixty at the other. This evening they will have a program for the whole community, focused on the adults. We pray for their continued efforts at bringing God's word of love and forgiveness to those in Cross Lake, and for a safe journey home this weekend. It's a very long drive for the team of 27. It takes 26 hours over two days to get home.

On August 17 our board of directors will be meeting by phone. Ed has decided to come to Montana for a few days around the time of the board meeting. He will spend some much needed time off with his sister and her husband who live here in Billings. Ed and his brother-in-law plan on going to Yellowstone National Park for a few days, and then he will be here in the office for some planning. We ask for your prayers as the board meets, reviews our situation and makes decisions for the future.

We are pleased that our orders have picked up a bit. As churches make plans for their fall Bible studies, we usually have an upswing in orders. I suspect we are also having some interest from the Synodical convention essays. We pray that God will move His people to gather around His Word in study and growth. We also thank and praise Him for living in a place where we have the freedom to study His Word openly.

Bruce is still deliberating the two calls he has received. He hopes to make a decision soon. We pray for God to make clear to Bruce what His will is and to close doors on things that are not His will. Bruce continues to administrate the casework for AoR and to tend to the financial affairs of our organization. He also continues to coach over the phone. When he leaves, there will be much for us to take on. We pray for a smooth transition when that all takes place.

Ed has returned to light duties at CrossLife. He has resumed driving for short periods which allows him to resume some counseling for the district. He still gets tired quickly and notices the jiggling of travel. He also cannot lift (briefcase or suitcase) so has had to learn how to ask for help from others. This is not an easy thing for a very independent man, but he knows that he must be very careful as he resumes activities. He appears to be improving and we pray for continued healing for Ed.

Ted will return on Sunday evening. He will have a little over a week for the Board meeting and prep for Australia. Some prep has been done, but I know there will be some late nights involved. We pray for Ted and his prep, and that he will not be overtired even before beginning a long trip of intense work. Ted will return from Australia September 11 and do a quick turnaround to the Peacemaker Ministries Annual Conference in Washington, DC on the 13th. The conference begins on the 16th, but instructors have work to do before the training begins. We pray for those who will instruct and those who will participate that the training will be a blessing to many as they make peacemaking a lifestyle. The theme this year is Forgiveness, and we pray for God's Word to flow richly, and for Peacemaker Ministries as they manage this training event.

We continue to struggle with finances. Donations, sales, and training events are all down. We have some casework scheduled, but it also is down. We ask for prayers for as we face this crisis. We know God is with us, but once again, Bruce and Ted were not paid this month. We pray for God to sustain and direct them. Ed has also seen a real decrease since his injury. We pray for God to see him through this difficult time. "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen."

We ask for your prayers for the congregation in North Dakota that will have the first visit of a Group Reconciliation at the end of September. We pray for God's Word to have full effect in their hearts and for the team to be well prepared to serve them. We also pray for the congregation and team to be protected through this process.

We pray for you, our supporters in prayer. "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven." Thank you for your faithful service.

Prayer Requests for July 28

2010-07-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

A very tardy hello to you all. It has been so long since I have taken the time to distribute the prayer requests for Ambassadors of Reconciliation. Yesterday, after talking to Ted about it, I committed myself to once again regularly putting the requests together for all of you to participate in this ministry. Please forgive me for my lax attention to it for the past year. I will try to do much better.

How to catch you up to things here at AoR? It has been a rather hard six months, but an exciting time. It seems the recession has hit us. In the past 9 months, we have had to cancel 5 major training events. If it had not been for our work in Australia we would likely be in worse shape. We thank God for His blessings and trust that He will continue to direct and bless this ministry. However, we have had a real downturn of income through training and our sales and donations are also down. We have been unable to pay Ted and Bruce for several months and we do not project much improvement until at least fall.

After much prayer and discussion, Bruce has decided that he will leave the active work with AoR and start to develop a new direction. Our board, Ted, and all of us here at AoR are convinced that this is an opportunity to fine tune the ministry, not decrease it. To that end, Bruce will be testing a new direction for AoR to expand into. He will be designing and testing a Reconciliation Pastorate Ministry. He will be accepting a defined term call to a congregation who has become vacant because of conflict, and then lead the congregation through a process of dealing directly with that conflict. This will be done by bringing the Gospel to bear with individuals and the conflict culture within the congregation. He will teach Bible studies, lead seminars, counsel and coach people, mediate where necessary and identify people to begin and continue their

Reconciliation Ministry at the congregation so that they are equipped to go forward in a God-pleasing and biblical way. At this time, Bruce has two calls coming, one from the US and one from Australia. We ask for prayers from you to God for direction for Bruce, that he may make a God-pleasing decision between these options. While Bruce will be testing a program for AoR, his first responsibility will be to the people who have called him, and he wishes to serve them to God's glory and their good. We pray for God to help Bruce and Kathy in their decision.

Within two years, we hope to have 10-12 pastors trained to serve as Reconciliation Pastors. We have been in contact with synodical leaders from the US, Canada, and Australia and they have affirmed the need for this ministry. We have been encouraged time and again that there is great need and that there is much frustration on how to best address that specific need. As Bruce's work draws to a close in this first call as Reconciliation Pastor, AoR will prepare a special course to formally equip other pastors for this specialized ministry. So once again, God is leading us in a direction we had no idea we would be going in. Please pray that AoR would be sustained through this change and that God will direct and lead us. We have prayed often for God to open wide the doors that we are to walk through, and close tight the doors that are not His will for us. Although we mourn the change in not having Bruce actively with us in ministry, we know he and Kathy will be a blessing to whichever congregation they go. We also know that when God builds the house, it will prosper, so we desire to do His will and walk in His direction. Please pray for us all in this time of uncertainty, that God will be glorified and His people blessed.

Another big concern I would covet your prayers for is our dear brother Ed Keinath and his family. At the same time these other challenges were developing, Ed was injured and not able to work. He was with family and moving his daughter into a new apartment. They decided to go for a meal, and he needed to wash up before eating. When he entered the bathroom, he slipped on water due to a leak in the plumbing and fell causing severe damage to his shoulder. He had surgery and has been in major pain, but that is easing some as he heals. He is still in an apparatus which holds his shoulder in position and has begun some exercises to prepare for therapy. The doctor has made it clear that his surgery went much better than expected, but that if he is not very careful, it can be undone and he will lose much use of his shoulder and arm. Please pray for Ed to be protected and sustained in his long-term recovery. Pray for his family as they care for him and that they will be able to financially sustain this trial, as he is not able to work much. Also pray for LuAnn, his assistant to be able to deal with the changes and extra responsibilities.

We also pray for an upcoming Group Reconciliation. In September, a congregation in North Dakota will be be beginning the process of reconciliation. Our Board chairman, Rev. Dick Thompson will lead the team of three as they assist this congregation. We pray for direction and discernment for the team, direction and strength for the congregation and open hearts for them all as they confront this conflict and the sin that accompanies it.

Ted was honored to be able to be the essayist at the Synodical Convention just completed earlier this month in Houston. It is the largest group that Ted has ever addressed, and he did feel the weight of addressing such a group. The essays were also live-streamed to anyone wanting to watch them on the Synodical website. If you are interested in hearing or reading them, they are still available at

http://www.lcms.org/pages/convention_internal.asp?NavID=17241

We hope to also have them available on our website in the near future.

At the end of the week, Ted will be leaving with a group of 27 from our congregation for a mission trip to a native reserve in northern Manitoba. He and the group will be leading a VBS based on reconciliation for the children of two different schools. They will also reach out to adults in a special program. He is very much looking forward to it and we would ask for God to bless them as they bring God's word to these communities, that He would bless them with safe travel, and that God would protect them in all ways and give them courage to speak His word.

In mid August, Ted will once again be traveling to Australia to work with the Lutheran Church in Australia and PeaceWise. He will be leading training events in two states. He always looks forward to his time in Australia and will be spending over a month there. We pray for God to bless the preparations and time spent there.

In light of our financial situation, I also ask for your prayers for two Church Reconciler Training events we have scheduled in the fall. The first is in October in Henning, MN and the other in Aurora, Nebraska in November. Pray that God will bring the people to attend the events, and also for us as we prepare and lead them.

As I come to the close of this communication, I am again struck with how quickly God is working in our ministry at AoR. We have had numerous new products developed and now being used by people across the world. We are nurturing the new organization of Ambassadors of Reconciliation-Canada as they formally become established in our sister church of Lutheran Church-Canada. We continue to serve in congregations in need of reconciliation and in training leaders in reconciliation techniques. The opportunities to address groups and individuals to cultivate lifestyles of reconciliation continues to the glory of our great God. So we praise God for all His great blessings to us and we trust in His message of care for us in all circumstances. We thank Him for faithful donors and know He will always be with us. We also pray to our Father in praise to Him for you and your partnership in ministry. Thank you.

Prayer Requests for September 24

2009-09-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

At long last, I'm finally getting back to some normal updates. I couldn't believe when I actually got back here that it's been so long. Please forgive me for the long delay. There has been so much going on. In case you have not gotten the news, we have moved our office.

We are now located at 2110 Overland Avenue, Ste. # 101B, Billings, MT 59102. Our new location also means we have a new mailing address, P.O. Box 81662, Billings, MT 59108-1662. Please update your records for us. The last couple of weeks of August were a blur of packing and preparing for the move here. We have increased our shipping/storage area by 100% which we will need very soon with the planned addition of two products. We thank God regularly as we've gotten used to being here. There are so many ways this office has made our work more efficient and easier.

At the end of August, less than a week after our move, Ted, Bruce and I traveled to the midwest for the first visit of a church intervention. This is the first time all three of us have been on an intervention team. It was a grueling six days with interviews of over 100 people. We ask for your prayers for them as they go through this process. There are many hurting people in need of God's Words of grace. We will return there on October 14th for the second visit. We pray for God's wisdom and strength as we meet with them for mediations, and recommendations. We pray for God's Word to work the miracles needed to bring about repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation.

After returning to Billings, we settled into our new office and tried to catch up with emails and phone messages. We ended up also doing an unexpected mediation in our new office. Our office includes a conference room, which we foresaw using occasionally. We've already realized that God had plans for that room beyond what we were expecting. It is amazing to see how God works for our good well in advance of our being aware of it. We thank Him for the blessing of His care. We thank Him for the great blessing of this new office which allows us to serve Him better and more comfortably.

This week, Ted, Bruce and Ed are in Dallas for the Peacemaker Ministries Annual Conference. They are teaching and meeting with numerous people while there. After their return they are all preparing for upcoming events. Ted will be traveling to Kansas speaking at a conference with the district workers. Bruce will be presenting at a Montana district conference. Ed will be leading an intervention team at a very large congregation in the midwest. We pray for God's care for them and for His direction and wisdom as they lead these events. Ted is also scheduled for a trip to Nebraska in late October to present at a conference there. He will also be going to Calgary for a meeting with the leadership of AoR-Canada as they get active. The first entry has been made on their blog (see the Canadian flag link on our homepage). We pray for them as they prepare for reconciliation work in Lutheran Church-Canada. In November, AoR will be leading a Church Reconciler Training in the Southeastern District. If you are interested, see our training page on the website at www.hisaor.org or contact me at the AoR office for more information. The phone number is 406/ 698-6107 or my email at mrichholt@hisaor.org. We pray that God will mightily bless this training event.

Ted recently found out he is returning to Australia in January. He enjoyed Australia so much last time, and is really looking forward to going back. He is still trying to set up additional events, but will likely be there for about a month. We pray for God to provide the connections to be made for His work there.

As I look over the calendar as I write, I'm amazed at how fast the time is going in 2009. Fall is in the air with cool nights and the trees starting to change colors. I pray that God will bless you richly in all that you do in His Name. Thank you for your faithful service for Ambassadors of Reconciliation in prayer.

Prayer Requests for August 6, 2009

2009-08-06T13:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday to everyone. I feel a little bit like an octopus today, except it isn't eight legs I have, it's eight ways in which I'm being pulled. We have been exploring some options and directions for Ambassadors of Reconciliation. We found out last month that after four years, our rent is going up. We have been so thankful for the stability and economical rent we've enjoyed. But the raise has prompted us to look ahead and assess our office needs. We are now in a position to expand a bit, and the Lord has opened doors wide. So AoR is moving!! When I said the doors have been wide open I mean just that, so we move on August 22. Yes, just over two weeks from today. There is a myriad of things to do to and all of them needing to be done yesterday. But we are really excited about the space we will have. The offices are about the same size, but we will have an extra one for growth. For now we plan on using it for a conference room and mediation room when needed. Our inventory space will almost triple. We are very cramped at present, so with the addition of new resources we just could not have done it in our present office. The new one is accessed without stairs, another big asset because delivery people are not allowed to bring large deliveries down or up stairs. We are so thankful that God has provided for our growth, with the new office and the ability to pay for it. God is so good. Please lift your praises with us to our bountiful Father.

Bruce is frantically trying to get us prepared with phones, computer hookups, address changes, carpet cleaning, door relocations, and paint. On top of that he continues with his usual heavy load of coaching, event scheduling, and many other things. He travels to a nearby state this weekend for a seminar and consultation. We pray that God prepares the people who will attend the seminar, that their hearts are soften to His word and direction. We also pray for traveling mercy for Bruce, and for wisdom as he teaches and gives counsel to those in need.

Ed is in the midst of a trip out east to help his son move to his vicarage assignment. Ed had a tough week. The community had about 6 inches of rain in one morning. You may have seen the pictures on the news from Indianapolis and Louisville. Seymour was equally hit by the same storm. We pray for the people in these areas who have had to struggle with bad weather for much of the year. We pray that the farmers crops are not ruined and that they will be able to take care of their families in these hard times. Ed continues to meet with ministry couples in crisis. We pray for them as they deal with troubled marriages and careers. We pray for Ed as he travels and as he gives counsel to many.

Ted is in Billings this week making many arrangements for our move. He is also working with a congregation who will be having an intervention soon. We pray for them as they prepare. Ted will also be teaching next weekend at a Peacemaker Ministries event here in Billings. We pray for him as he prepares for that event. We ask for prayers for our Board of Directors meeting on Monday. The directors will meet by phone and we pray for God's direction for the meeting and the decisions they will make.

I ask for your prayers also this week. Ted and Bruce have asked me to be a member of the team for the intervention later this month. This is a first for me. I have become more comfortable with the coaching aspect of peacemaking, and have participated in a mediation. I have not been on an intervention before, so I pray that God would be with me as I prepare and that I will have the time to prepare since this move will take some extra time as well. I will be assisting in teaching some of the seminar, so I pray for God's direction for that. And I also ask for God to sharpen my mind as we interview people, so that I might serve them and our God well.

Things change quickly in this ministry. We praise God that He has blessed us with the financial stability to be able to make this move. We praise God for the contacts for services we offer. We thank God for the increase in resources we offer. May all these things enable us to better serve His call to live lifestyles of reconciliation.

Thank you again for your faithful prayer service in our behalf. May God bless you richly.

Prayer Requests for July 30

2009-07-30T10:35:00.000-07:00

Good day to everyone. Montana is an adventure. We’ve been having some cool weather which came down from Canada for the last few days. Last night it got down into the mid 40’s. Great sleeping weather, but a bit nippy to say the least. It really does feel like Alberta.

It’s been another busy week which has flown by very quickly. A little bit quieter this week because Bruce has been out of the office for most of it. His son and family arrived Monday evening, so Grandpa is definitely not coming to work. They are all spending a few days in Yellowstone National Park. We pray for God’s blessings on their family time together. Bruce will be returning on Monday for a few days before heading out for the next event.

Ed called in this morning and has asked for prayers for two churches he is working with. They are making some major decisions about staff changes which are being fueled by financial difficulties. One church may have to terminate a DCE and another is evaluating their options for a pastor who struggles with MS. We pray for God’s guidance and direction as they deal with these difficulties. Ed will be traveling to Virginia this next week helping his son and daughter-in-law make the transition to their vicarage assignment for the next year. We pray for them throughout the trip, but also as they make their way in the new role. May God bless them. Ed asked for prayers also for the local Lutheran school as they start school on the 13th. I remarked to him that it seemed rather early to be starting for the fall and he explained that Indiana is pushing to go to year-round school and that there were several schools in the area that had already started school this week. We pray for the school and ask for God’s blessings and direction as they begin another year.

Ted has returned from Minnesota. The teen conference at Lutheran Island Camp on Responding to Sexual Temptation in a High-Tech Society went very well. The age range was 14 to 17 and included some adults as well. Ted remarked on the different dynamics between the young teens and the older one, and of course the adults were another dynamic. He said the youth very quickly work through the small group discussions and the adults didn’t get through the questions in the allotted time. Perhaps another indication of the effects of frequent texting and the concise comments they are used to using. But he was very impressed with their ability to discuss delicate subjects and with their openness. He also remarked that the adults were much less informed about this topic. Ted will be teaching this seminar again to an adult audience next month on the 13th in Kansas and on the 26th in Nebraska. We pray for the seminars as Ted brings God’s Word to them on this topic.

We also ask for your prayers concerning some upcoming events. There will be a consultation and seminar over the weekend of August 7-9, and a Group Reconciliation Assistance (formerly known as an intervention) weekend on August 28-Sept.1. We pray for God’s wisdom, direction and aid for all concerned. We also pray for our Board of Directors phone meeting on August 10th. We ask for God’s direction and leadership as they discuss and make decisions. We also offer prayers of praise and thanksgiving for the soon-to-be Dr. Dick Thompson, our board chairman. Dick successfully had his oral examination for his doctoral degree from the seminary at Ft. Wayne, IN. We give thanks for all of Dick’s work with AoR, and for the future opportunities he will have as a result of this degree. Well done, Dick. We have several conflicted churches considering their options right now. We pray that God will direct them in those decisions, and that they will clearly understand Him. We pray for hearts to be prepared and for His Spirit to be victorious over the fears they have.
Once again, I thank you for your faithful service to AoR in this manner. Your prayers are very important to us.

Prayer Requests for July 23

2009-07-23T13:48:00.000-07:00

Hello to all. Thank you for checking on the blog today.

I've been spending much of today dealing with the trials of technology. Our website seems to be "on it's own" generating spam. I've been receiving up to 134 spam messages a day for the past several weeks and this week discovered the cause. Spammers are very clever. I've been working with our server company to rectify the problem, and pray we will get to the solution soon. With all the wonders and advantages we have because of modern technology, we must sometimes also deal with the negative side of it. I've been praying for patience. Oh Lord, give me patience, now.

Ted is in Minnesota and getting set up to begin the teen conference on Responding to Sexual Temptation in a High-Tech Society. He was looking forward to the conference with the youth, and also to a bit of time at Lutheran Island Camp. It's a beautiful setting. We pray for God's blessings on the conference. Ted will travel home on Monday, and be in the office a few days after that. His schedule for meetings and calls is filling up for the week. He is quite a busy fellow, and we pray for his stamina and for wisdom in his many endeavors.

Bruce is in the office today and in contact with many people this week. He does the scheduling for our conferences, consultations, interventions and other events. He assigns team members to events and writes up contracts. He also coaches many people in dealing with conflict in their lives. He advises church leadership members in church conflicts, and consults with district and synodical officials. We pray for his stamina and wisdom in all his endeavors as well. He and Kathy are looking forward to next week when they will have some very important people in the house. Their grandson will be there (as well as his parents of course) and they are eager to enjoy the time with them. Little Zander is almost a year old and walking now so he will keep them running I'm sure. On August 7th, Bruce will be traveling to a seminar and consultation in a nearby district. We pray for God's blessings on it and for wisdom for Bruce as he serves in this capacity. We will also have a Board of Directors conference call on August 10, and we pray for God's direction for our board members. Bruce also asks for God's will in making some decisions for the future. He asks for God to open doors wide that He wants us to walk through, and to slam them shut tightly if He does not want us to proceed in any given direction. We pray for clarity in these matters.

Ed reports a wonderful installation for his son, Daniel in White Bear Lake, MN over the weekend. He is back in the office in Indiana and working with many groups and individuals. We pray for God's wisdom and direction for Ed as he works with them. As in our office in Montana, the staff in Indiana cover many situations and we pray for their stamina and wisdom as they serve in Christ's name.

I pray that your summer is going well and that there has been some time for relaxation and appreciation for God's creation over the summer. Thank you for the meaningful service you provide for AoR in lifting these prayers to our Lord. May He bless you always.

Prayer Requests for July 16

2009-07-16T15:01:00.000-07:00

Hello to everyone. What a glorious day in Montana! The sun is shining and it’s good ole summertime.

Everyone is in Billings this week and of course the phone is active with calls from people who are needing help with conflicts. Our schedule is filling and others are considering their options. Ted is on his way to Minnesota this weekend. He will attend the installation of Ed’s son in White Bear Lake, MN on Sunday. We pray for blessing for Daniel and his family, as well as the congregation in White Bear Lake. Monday and Tuesday Ted will be meeting with several people to renew contacts and open dialog with a couple of organizations in that area. We pray for God’s direction and blessing as these relationships grow. He and Sonja will then take a few days of relaxation in Wisconsin Dells, WI. Ted will lead a youth conference at Lutheran Island Camp July 24-26 on Responding to Sexual Temptation in a High Tech Society with some great teenagers. He’s looking forward to giving this presentation to a young group and see how they respond to this delicate topic. We pray for God to bless their study and time together. Ted will return to the office on July 29th and spend some days preparing for a church intervention in South Dakota in early August. We pray for God to prepare their hearts as they contemplate reconciliation and as the leadership guides them through the process. We pray also for Ted and the team as they seek to serve them.

Bruce continues to deal with numerous cases and coaching opportunities. Both he and Ted have been meeting with different people from Peacemaker Ministries as they prepare for their Annual Conference coming up in September. It is a great joy to work with PMM; we share a wonderful relationship in the Lord with them. We continue to share ideas back and forth and find new ways to meet our individual missions. We pray for God to bless them richly. Bruce is also exploring some options for AoR as we grow. Phone systems and inventory management seem sort of mundane when compared to people issues, but in an effort to be good stewards of our resources, Bruce continues to keep current with our business affairs. We pray for God to open appropriate doors for us as we consider our needs.

Ed and his family are of course traveling to White Bear Lake this weekend to celebrate with them. We pray for traveling mercies and blessings on their gathering. He will also visit with a congregation who has made an inquiry with us. We pray for them as they consider their options.

Thank you all for your support of this ministry. God is truly blessing us and we feel quite strongly that God has indeed brought AoR into being at this time for His purposes. We pray for His strong direction as we continue to serve His people. May God bless you as you serve in His name.

Prayer Requests for July 9

2009-07-09T09:53:00.000-07:00

Hello to all who visit. We thank you for your interest and prayer support. We welcome some new prayer warriors today. Members of the Synodical reconcilers who were trained in January have joined us. Welcome to you and a special thanks for joining us.

We are nearing the close of another week. Every week seems to fly by. Ted is presently out of state and assisting a congregation as they consider whether or not to participate in an intervention. They are one of several right now who are considering what to do about conflicts within the congregation. We pray for these congregations in their need of assistance, that they would seek His aid and follow Him in using this time to bring Him glory. We pray that the Lord will open doors for their healing, in whatever way He determines. We also pray for Ted as he travels and for wisdom as he works with this congregation. He will return on the weekend, and be in Billings until next Friday when he travels to Minnesota for numerous contacts. Over the weekend of the 24-26, he will be at Lutheran Island Camp in Henning, MN for a teen seminar on Responding to Sexual Temptation in a High Tech Society. He is looking forward to this seminar since it is with young people. It gives another opportunity to see how this study is received by this age group. We pray for the teens who will participate, that the Lord will prepare their hearts to be open to His direction.

As always, Ted has many "irons in the fire" and we pray that God will direct his decision-making and plans for the future. Ted has been in meetings with our friends in Canada. In the not to distant future Ambassadors of Reconciliation -Canada will be a reality. We praise God for this development, and ask for His direction and blessing.

Bruce is back from Michigan and glad to be able to hang his hat at home for a time. He is tending to many details on the business end of AoR. He has been researching options for growth and how to best proceed in a wise way. We give thanks for an improved financial situation and for being able to maintain stability through what we anticipated to be a difficult season. He is very please with how the convention season went. Our representatives at the different conventions were able to get our message to many and also increased their own confidence in telling others about what we do and how we can serve the kingdom. We thank God for their boldness in reaching out to their districts in our stead. Thank you again to you who agreed to serve in this way.

Bruce is also working with numerous churches who are in conflict. People call in with heartbreaking stories about how present and past conflicts affect them and their congregations. We are thankful for God's faithful loving and healing hand for these congregations. They are often skeptical of how God can change things, but God has shown He is willing and able. He calls us to trust and follow. May God grant them the wisdom and faith to do what He invites us to do.

Ed also continues to have numerous difficult cases. He is reporting a couple where the congregations take some steps forward, and then a few back as well. We pray for Ed to be able to guide them through the recommendations already given them. We had a fun time this week connecting to the CrossLife office on Skype. Learning new technology at times can be intimidating, but it's a good opportunity to stretch a bit. I especially enjoyed putting face to voice with my counterpart in Indiana, LuAnn. We continue to pray for Ed, and LuAnn as they use their gifts to serve people in the mid section of the nation.

Just today I unloaded the last boxes from district conventions. It is good to have that project completed. There is always another one in the works, and I praise God for the opportunities He brings to us. There is much catching up being done at present. Paperwork on past events and cases finished, files on completed events put into storage, and general reporting and record keeping caught up. It's not flashy or eventful, but all very necessary. Thank you Lord for the time to do it.

Our fall schedule is filling up. September will be busy with Church Reconciler training in Minnesota and the Peacemaker Ministries Annual Conference in Dallas. There are possible cases coming together for August, September, or October. Three seminars are scheduled for October. In November there is a Church Reconciler training event in the Southeastern District. I know that there will be "surprises" that also develop, so we are thankful for work to do and the opportunity to serve God's people.

We also thank the Lord for you, our faithful prayer supporters. May God bless you in all ways.

Prayer Requests for June 25

2009-06-25T14:10:00.000-07:00

Hello to you all. It's a hot summer day here in Billings. I checked just after lunch, and it's was 97 degrees F. I'm thankful for air conditioning today.

Both Bruce and Ted are in the office today. As so often happens, they return and suddenly the phones start ringing. Since Bruce returned from Australia, he has attended 2 district conventions and traveled to another state for a visit with a congregation who

recently completed an intervention. He leaves again on Saturday for our last district convention exhibit. He's been on the phone talking to numerous groups and individuals about possible events in the future. Needless to say he's quite tired and now enduring a sinus infection. We pray he will soon be well, that his travel is blessed, and that he regains his rest. Bruce also hopes to be able to get back to his book, which has been on hold for awhile. We pray God will bless his efforts.

Ted is fielding many calls and scheduling future engagements. He will soon be traveling to Illinois for a visit with a congregation that is considering an intervention. He will also be traveling to Minnesota later in the month for a seminar with teenagers on Responding to Sexual Temptation. He is trying to get caught up on many things and many messages that

arrived while he was gone. He hopes to be able to complete some projects that need to be tended to. We pray God will bless him as he labors at many things. Ted's also been researching arrangements with other organizations and the possibilities of having our resources available through them. We pray for God's direction. In the last prayer communication, I said that Ted was going to Michigan for the district convention. I was mistaken. Bruce is the one going, so Ted is able to stay home and be in the office. It is good to have them both in Billings (for the most part). Decisions get made quickly and people get answers to inquiries. We pray for God's direction and wisdom for Ted and Bruce.

Ed is currently at the Indiana district convention. He has just returned from some time off. This Sunday he will preach at his son's ordination in Seymour. He is praying to be able to

speak clearly without getting too emotional. We praise God with the Keinath family at this wonderful celebration. We also pray for God to bless Daniel's ministry.

I am praising God this week for having sent the last box needing to be sent for the conventions. It was a big project with much careful scheduling and juggling of supplies and product. There are five or six sets of boxes still out, so I'm not completely done, but the pressure is off. I'm also very happy to add a request for praises to ascend to our gracious God for the improved financial situation AoR is experiencing. With the increase in our own products, and our busy schedule, we are very grateful. We will probably always struggle like most non-profit organizations, but right now things are pretty good.

We also praise God for a new development at Peacemaker Ministries. They announced today the addition of Dwight Schettler to the position of Director of Training. He is from Fort Collins, CO and will be moving with his wife and two children to Billings in July. Dwight is a trained reconciler, going through AoR's Church Reconciler Training in 2007, and has been very involved in his congregation's reconciliation ministry. Dwight, we praise God with you, and for you. May He bless their move and Dwight in this new position.

I invite you to add comments, and register as a follower on this blog. It helps me to see who is actually receiving these prayer requests. Thank you for your continued support for AoR.

Prayer Requests for June 11

2009-06-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

Hello to everyone. I hope you are beginning to get in the habit of checking this blog as a way to access the prayer concerns of AoR. I will continue to send notices via email for a time, but will continue to use this tool to submit the prayer messages. I hope it is easily accessible to everyone.

Well, you'll never guess who stopped in at the office this morning. It was so good to see Bruce's smiling face come through the door. Of course, the rest of him was there too, but the smile was pretty big. He and Kathy thoroughly enjoyed touring the Sydney area for nine days. They really loved the area and would go back in a heartbeat. In fact would even consider an exchange kind of situation. They loved the cosmopolitan feel of the city and thought the area was quite beautiful. The thing they loved the most, was the attitude of Australians. Well, Australia is three for three because Ted has also been bowled over by the beauty of Australia and of the people there. We lift grateful hearts to God for the blessings He has bestowed on all of the presenters as they have shared their skills with our brothers and sisters in Australia. I was reading from the blog on the Australian trip and Ted writes "As I reflect on the entire experience in Australia, I do not remember working with any other church body from any continent that has been so overwhelmingly positive and appreciative of reconciliation ministry. It is clear to all of us as presenters (Bruce, Kathy, Francis, and Ted) that God's timing was right for this extensive teaching experience in Australia. The LCA College of Presidents have modeled their support and leadership by all participating fully in the training, from Synodical President Mike Semmler to all the District Presidents. In addition, all the ordained staff of the seminary also attended the training. What a blessing to have such a modeling!" As you can tell, he has been quite moved by this tour. We pray for the Australian church as they continue to make plans and then implement them. Ted continues, " I cannot begin to imagine what fruit this reconciliation training will bear throughout Australia and New Zealand. Never before in my experience has any church body participated in such an extensive training that included nearly all the active pastors, a number of laity and lay workers, plus educators and other ministry leaders. Lifestyles of reconciliation are being cultivated before our very eyes, as we have already heard about reconciliations that have taken place.

Because God promises that his Word will bear fruit (we may not see it or recognize it), I believe that hundreds -- actually thousands -- of relationships will be reconciled as the leaders of LCA teach and coach their people in biblical peacemaking. Marriages, families, church leaders, co-workers, school administrators and teachers and students and parents, aged care workers and residents, and more. What an awesome God we have!" Thank you, dear Lord, that you use your humble people to bring about Your will and direction.

In the last few days, the phone has really picked up. We have had four different churches and schools inquiring about having AoR come. Some of it is for conflicted groups, but also some inquiries are about training events. So suddenly, the summer schedule is beginning to fill up. The district conventions continue to take place and we are being represented in nine more before the end of the month. For me that means coordinating the delivery of boxes of resources to the representative and making sure the supplies arrive in time and the rep understands how to use them. So far, I haven't missed one, but there's plenty of time for me to mess up. Unfortunately, I'm all too able and practiced at that. I pray that my efforts bring good results and that AoR is better known after the conventions are concluded. It is a very good opportunity to advertise who we are and how we serve the church.

Bruce has returned and has plunged right in. He and Kathy landed in Billings last night, and he is already tending to business in the office. Tomorrow he leaves to return for the third visit to a congregation where an intervention took place earlier in the year. On Monday he will attend the Montana District convention, and on Tuesday afternoon will pack up and leave for the Northwest District convention. He is in contact with several congregations who are exploring options in conflict in their midst. We pray that God will be with him and keep him safe in travel, give him strength of body, and wisdom of mind as he serves.

Ted will be in Australia for a few more days. He is meeting with the College of presidents of the Australian church to debrief and make plans for their future. We pray for their wisdom and clear understanding of God's direction. Ted will return to Montana early next week and after a few days rest will be catching up in the office before traveling to Michigan for the district convention. We pray for God to keep him safe in his travels as well.

Ed continues to work with numerous families and churches with some significant problems. We pray for God to bless him with wisdom and strength. Ed has a love for farming, and every now and again gets the opportunity to "suck diesel fumes" while driving a tractor in a field. He loves it and gets much stress relief from it. He had the opportunity this week to do just that, and was so thankful. We praise God with him. Ed has plans to take some time off for a family reunion before attending the Indiana district convention on the 25th. After that they will celebrate as Daniel, Ed and Janeen's son will be ordained into the pastoral ministry on the 28th. We praise God with them at this momentous celebration.

Well, that wraps up another week for me. Friday is a day off for me. My husband (a pastor) takes Fridays off, so I do too. I am very thankful for

flexibility I have to do that. I'm also very thankful for the opportunity to work for AoR. My thanks to our very gracious God for His many blessing. Another blessing I praise Him for is all of you and your faithful service in prayer for AoR. You are truly appreciated.

Until next week, may God bless each one of you.

Prayer requests for June 4

2009-06-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

Another week almost gone. I am forever wondering how a week can go so fast. God is gracious in that He gives me the blessing of plenty to do to fill my time. During times when Ted and Bruce are away, I usually have a chance to get some of the "To Do" list done. When they are away, the phones quiet down significantly. I'm not sure how people know that they won't be able to talk to them, but it happens every time. So I've been tidying up the website, filing items that have been piling up, cleaning up the stock room, and generally finishing projects that were needing attention. When the phone does ring, it's nice to hear another human voice. It's a good thing I'm catching up, because when Ted and Bruce do get back, it will get hectic again.

If you have been following the blog from Australia, you know that the Church Reconciler Training (5-day event) is finished and Bruce and Kathy are taking some time off in Australia. They will sightsee and relax until coming back on June 11. I spoke with their son, Mark, yesterday and he says they are enjoying all of the different animals, birds, trees, etc. We pray that Bruce and Kathy will be rested before having to make the long trip home. When they get back, it will take a few days to get over the jet lag from changing so many time zones. We pray for God's protection and blessings for them as they return.

I spoke with Ted on Monday when he Skyped the office. The marvels of the new technologies are very amazing. Being able to see him through the cameras on our computers is so helpful. I can show him things as well as see his expressions while talking. You really can pick up the excitement.

He is absolutely pumped about the Australian Church and expects God to greatly bless their efforts. He says the leadership is fully behind everything AoR has been teaching, and is drawing up plans for the future which implement what they are learning. We pray for the Australian church, that they will be wise and deliberate in cultivating lifestyles of reconciliation. We also pray that God will bless Ted with strength as he has been suffering with a cold. Ted and Francis are in the midst of a three-day event with the Queensland district. We pray for them as they learn. Ted will speak to the Queensland District Synod this weekend and we pray that God will bless his presentation. We also ask for God's direction for the Synod as they gather in convention. Ted, Francis and Angela (Francis' wife has joined him in Australia) then travel to Rockhampton for the last training event with the Victoria and Tasmanian districts' leadership. He and Francis will then fly to Sydney for a meeting with the College of Presidents (District presidents and Synodical officers) to debrief the AoR training events. We pray that God will bless their time together. Then on June 14th, Ted, Francis and Angela all begin their journey home, for which we also ask for God's blessing. I also thank God for the blessings of technologies that make our labors more productive.

Ted has also been commenting on the beautiful churches they have seen. I have uploaded a

picture of a particularly beautiful altar from one. If you click on it you will see it enlarged and how truly unusual it is. Throughout the world, God's people strive to bring Him glory in every way.

We continue to pray for conflicted congregations. Many have been in contact with us about how to bring about reconciliation. We pray that God will guide them and bless their efforts to deal with confession and absolution issues. We also pray for those who give guidance to conflicted groups and individuals. May their efforts bring God glory and peace to those in conflict.

And my dear brothers and sisters, I pray also for you. May you all be strengthened and empowered to do His will. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus. 1 Cor.1:4.

Prayer Requests for May 28

2009-05-28T08:10:00.000-07:00

What a flurry of activity!! I returned to the office on Tuesday of this week after a two week holiday to Kelowna, British Columbia for the wedding of our third son. What a beautiful place. The orchard trees were blooming and the vineyards were green. Summer has arrived there. The weather was beautiful and the wedding took place outside. My husband officiated at the service; it was very special.

Now reality has set in and we are back at work. I returned to an empty office since Ted and Bruce are both in Australia. I hope you have been keeping up with the training events on the Australia blog from our website. On our home page, over on the right you will see an Australian flag. Click on it to see all that is going on Down Under with AoR. We pray that God will continue to bless the training of so many pastors and lay people in Australia. We also pray that God will continue to bless Ted, Bruce, Kathy, and Francis with good health, good rest and endurance for all the time there. They have just begun the 5-day training of synodical reconcilers from each district in the Lutheran Church of Australia. The team has been experiencing God's amazing grace and care through His people in Australia. We praise God for them all, and thank them for everything. Much work and planning went into this trip.

The convention circuit continues! AoR has been represented at numerous conventions so far this year, and I got two more book tables sent off so far this week. Another will go today, and two more next week. As others are returned, they will be restocked and sent out again. This is by far the most represented we have been at district conventions. It is our hope to bring our name and the work we do to more of the congregations and leaders throughout our synod in order to better serve them. May God bless that effort.

Ed continues to work with many congregations and individuals. He was just brought in on another difficult case. A congregation has become aware of the alleged sexual misconduct of their pastor. The whole congregation is experiencing this broken trust, and Ed is working with the leadership to bring God's care and healing to them. May God be with them all.

I pray that you are all well, and that God continues to bless you. Thank you again for your continued faithful service in His name. Please feel free to add comments and other news to this blog. We want it to be a communication tool for all. Add stories of reconciliation that you have experienced to give encouragement to those going through conflict. May God be glorified in all we do!

Prayer Requests for April 30

2009-04-30T14:43:00.000-07:00

It is a quiet day here in the office of AoR. Ted is attending the Minnesota North District convention, and on his way home. Bruce left early this morning for the Wyoming District convention and will be home on the weekend. When they are traveling, the phone is quieter, there are fewer things that must be done to prepare for them, and I seem to get to tend a few of the lower priority things. Today there have been numerous small orders to send. We are getting numerous small orders for the Bible study Responding to Sexual Temptation in a High Tech Society. Perhaps the Letter to Pastors from Dr. Kieschnick's office which spoke of this resource has piqued the interest of professionals in the Synod. We are thankful that the interest has been shown and that we are able to provide this service to our beloved Synod.

Ted has one more week in the office before taking off for Australia. He leaves on May 9 and arrives on May 11. Actually, it is a bit long, but not two days worth of airtime. He crosses the date line and loses a day. Coming back it looks like it takes only one hour, again because of the date line crossing. Time is tricky stuff. We pray that Ted, Bruce, Kathy and Francis will all have safe travel, and stout constitutions to endure the long hours. Francis also leaves on May 9. They lead their first training even on May 13 in Adelaide. Francis Taman, one of our board members, is from Calgary, Alberta and a lawyer by profession. You can keep in touch with them through his blog, by clicking on the Australian flag on our home page at www.hisaor.org. We pray that God will bless them throughout the time in Australia. Bruce and Kathy Zagel will leave on May 24 to help Ted and Francis with the Church Reconciler Training. They will return home on June 10th and Ted and Francis return on June 14. In that time they will lead training events that will impact the whole Lutheran church in Australia. We pray that they will in deed be cultivating lifestyles of reconciliation for all of the Australian church. What an opportunity God has supplied!

We also keep our beloved Synod in prayer. Over the next eight weeks, many districts will be meeting in convention and there are serious issues being decided. We pray for the upcoming conventions and the delegates as they make decisions. May God be glorified and His will accomplished. Numerous districts have already had their conventions, and we pray for them as well as they carry out the decisions made.

We are very pleased to have a new product in hand and available for purchase. Cultivating Lifestyles of Reconciliation has arrived and we pray that God will bless it's use to His glory and the benefit of all who use it. There will be more on that next week. Ted plans to say a few words to publicize it.

Thank you to all of you for the faithful prayer support provided by so many. May God be with you.

Brand New Tool

2009-04-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

Well, Lord, here we are using a brand new tool of communication. Up until now, we have been emailing our weekly (well it's supposed to be weekly) prayer requests to our many friends. It is taking more and more time because of spam problems when mailing to so many addresses. We thought this method might be better, so I welcome you this week to the new and improved version of our prayer requests.

One of the big praise items is for the Keinath family. For those of who don't know, Ed Keinath is the director of our CrossLife Ministries in Indiana. He is a professional counselor and has been with AoR since it's formation in 2006 (if you're interested see http://www.hisaor.org/web-content/AboutUs.html). We praise God with them for the wonderful news that their sons have received a call and assignment for ministry in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. One son, Daniel has been called into the ministry to serve at South Shore Trinity Lutheran Church in White Bear Lake, MN. Joshua has been assigned as a vicar to Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fredricksburg, VA. We pray that God will use these young men mightily for His glory and that they will learn much and grow in grace each day.

We thank God this week for the productive Board of Directors meeting we had over the weekend. All of our directors arrived safely and met for the whole day on Saturday. Much good news was shared and the directors gave direction for the next quarter. We praise God for each of them and for all of the opportunities He has opened up for AoR. Our Board member from Canada, Francis Taman, who is also going on the Australian trip has started a blog for those who are interested. You can find it at http://francistaman.blogspot.com/.

This week there is much preparing going on in our office. Ted and Bruce continue to plan for their trips to Australia, as well as tending to the many other duties that they normally have. We pray that God will keep them healthy and able to serve in their many roles. I am busy getting boxes of resources ready for the 16 district conventions where we will have resource tables. Just keeping straight what is going where has been a challenge, not to mention making sure enough books, brochures, etc. have been ordered and produced. We are eagerly awaiting our newest resource, Cultivating Livestyles of Reconciliation. This is the combined information from Guiding People Through Conflict and Reconciliation Ministries Manual. We expect it to be here by May 1st. We pray God will use this tool mightily. We also pray that God will bless the representatives who will "man" our book tables at the district conventions. We hope many people will learn of our organization and that God will bring His message of biblical peacemaking to those who need it.

Dear friends, you have many experiences seeing God work through you and others as you guide people in reconciliation. I invite you to share those stories here so that others will be uplifted and encouraged in their walk of faith. God bless you and thank you for your faithful service of lifting the needs of AoR to the throne of grace. Keep checking back, I will post weekly and I look forward to seeing your stories and comments.