Month: May 2019

AboutPatti, bloghome, Lutheran Women in Mission, LWML Convention

A Time to Honor

This past weekend hopefully, we all took time to remember those brave men and women who died while defending our freedoms in the United States to keep us the “land of the free and home of the brave.” Memorial Day seems to be more often a weekend of sales on refrigerators and washing machines but many still do pause and think, “could I have done that?” and remember our military fallen.

Anyone who signs up for the military should be honored because when you sign that contract you are saying you will go to the length of giving your life to defend freedoms valued by Americans.

This weekend we were in Dallas to celebrate the wedding of my nephew Andrew Ross and his beautiful bride, Michelle. This brought together a large number of Rosses from all over the United States because we value family. As one brother said, we honor Mom and Dad Ross by continuing to love and care for each other. They raised 10 children. Together they could run a small town—a priest, a personnel recruiter, a psychologist, a physician, a teacher, a school counselor, a home healthcare CEP, a mayor of Chickasha, a deacon, an insurance salesman and a dear trisomy 21 brother now in heaven. A definite Type A family but loving and generous in encouragement and recognition of each other’s God-given gifts.

Sunday night we dined together, 22 of us, and we remembered those in the family who had served in the military—WWII, Vietnam, and Desert Storm. Out of the 22 we had seven veterans. One uncle died in WWII. Then we remembered the spouses and parents who were also aligned with the military.

The minister at the wedding talked about commitment in marriage. He talked about defending your spouse, he talked about living an example of love to your family. It all seemed to be reflected in the relatives there. This is the second generation to start marrying. The third generation, my grandchildren, were observing closely the cousins and aunts and uncles as they celebrated. In a way, everyone was honoring Mom and Dad Ross. Honoring the God-blessed gift of a Christian family.

I just felt like we took time to honor the commitment of our military personnel who gave their lives for our freedoms and we also honored the commitment of Mom and Dad Ross who gave of themselves for the love and welfare of their family, community, and church. That our family so warmly embraces marriage and family is a testament to them.

Have a great week!

Patti

By the way, we are looking for our LWML military women! Be sure if you are attending the Mobile convention to come to the table and sign up and receive a special recognition ribbon for your service—veterans, reserve or active duty.

bloghome, Lutheran Reflection, Lutheran Women in Mission

It’s That Wonderful Time of the Year!

It’s that wonderful time of the year that we gather with relatives and friends to view and celebrate accomplishments. So far I have been to one band concert, one dance recital, one piano recital, received graduation invitations from four people and have a wedding in Dallas next weekend.

I know many of you have double or quadruple that number of events. What a blessing! In our technical world it still means a lot to go in person and support people. It may be a little inconvenient for you to make the effort but you need to be there. You never know how that might be remembered in the future or appreciated in the present. It’s also a great time to remind those with whom you are celebrating that God has blessed them with special gifts and will give them opportunities to use those gifts in service to His people. They are special! You are special!

It’s also a wonderful time of our LWML year as we get ready to have our LWML convention in Mobile, Alabama. The Host Committee is made up of intrepid volunteers from the three hosting districts, LWML Gulf States, LWML Louisiana-Mississippi and LWML Florida-Georgia. It takes about 500 volunteers to put on the convention doing pre-convention, convention, and post-convention work on everything from airport greeters to banquet seating ushers. We met via Zoom meeting this past Saturday for a Host Committee leaders’ last meeting before convention for 3.5 hours.

These hard-working, dedicated LWML volunteers will want you to come and view and celebrate their accomplishments at the Mobile Convention June 20-23. Your presence will mean a lot to them and will encourage them in their LWML mission work long after convention is over. They are special! You are special as a delegate, a YWR, a Heart to Heart Sister, a first-timer, an exhibitor, a mission speaker, or a general registrant.

I had an Erma Bombeck quote on my frig while raising my kids. “Being a mother means you have to show up”. Could we also say, “Being an LWML woman in mission means you have to show up”?

Enjoy all your celebrations and come celebrate the works of the Lord in Mobile as we meet “In Praise to the LORD!”

Love, Patti

bloghome, Lutheran Women in Mission

Celebrating a Sister!

This Friday at Concordia Seminary’s Commencement ceremonies we want to acknowledge a wonderful award being given to Melissa Salomón, Chairman of our Heart to Heart Sisters Committee. Melissa will be honored with Doctor of Law at the Concordia Seminary, St. Louis on May 17.  We congratulate and send our love to Melissa as she receives this award!

I’ve known Melissa through LWML for several years. She exemplifies the servant leader. You can see by her biography how God has gifted her and how she has used these gifts in His service over the years. Congratulations, Melissa! Your LWML sisters are proud of you and so happy for you!

You can congratulate Melissa at convention in Mobile! Here is the biography from Concordia Seminary.

Doctor of Laws

https://www.csl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/melissa-solomon-feat-255x359.jpg

Melissa Salomón, Chairman of our Heart to Heart Sisters Committee

For many years, Dr. Melissa Salomón has been a leader in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s (LCMS) Hispanic community and beyond. She has been a featured speaker and workshop leader in several Hispanic Lutheran conferences and conventions as well as in various Lutheran Women Missionary League (LWML) conventions and events. Even though Salomón could have had a career in law, she instead has devoted herself in service to various ecclesial tasks such as national/international mission administration, intercultural ministries and education, community life organizing and the spiritual care of women (especially, from underrepresented groups and marginalized communities).
 
Salomón has been involved in the LWML since the 1980s. Currently, she is chairwoman of the Heart to Heart Sisters Committee, an intentional effort to welcome and encourage women from various ethno cultural groups in the U.S. to participate in the LWML community and mission. In 2001, Salomón was asked to serve on a national committee which led to the LWML’s intentional focus on intercultural engagement in an increasingly diverse nation and church. Salomón had a foundational role in developing this plan to identify ethnic women leaders within the LCMS. Through their involvement with the LWML, these ethnic women have been able to lend their ministry and leadership skills to LWML local, district and national committees.

Salomón brings to her service to the church a special love for and commitment to the promotion of cross-cultural ministries on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. She has had the privilege of serving her Lord in border ministry since 1986. In 1998 she was part of a team that opened the first Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) office in Mexico located in Tijuana. In 2012 that office was moved to Mexico City, but Salomón has since continued to work in border ministries. She has been an active participant in Frontera ministries, an LCMS think tank dealing with ministry initiatives in the borderlands. Her work with Concordia Church and School in Chula Vista, Calif., allows her an opportunity to engage in mission and mercy projects along the border and beyond in other countries such as Guatemala.

Salomón also has contributed to Concordia Seminary’s Center for Hispanic Studies (CHS) in two special ways. She offered a response to a lecturer for one of the CHS Annual Lectures in Hispanic/Latino Theology and Missions on the theme of mission in the borderlands. She also contributed a theological reflection on Hispanic women’s ministries for a special CHS partnership issue of Missio Apostolica (now Lutheran Mission Matters). She has been a featured writer and a translator of materials for the LWML and other agencies of the church. For her contributions to women’s and border ministries, Salomónwas featured on the cover and as the main feature in the Winter 2007 issue of Lutheran Women’s Quarterly.

Salomón earned a bachelor of art in political science and Spanish literature from Occidental College, Pasadena Calif., in 1978 and a juris doctorate from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, Calif., in 1985. In addition to her volunteer service to the church, Salomón serves as Chief Service Officer/Community Life Coordinator at Concordia Church and School in Chula Vista, Calif.

She is the proud mother of Andrés Alejandro and Elizabeth Rhode, both recently married. She enjoys calligraphy and blogging.

bloghome, Lutheran Women in Mission, LWML Convention

A Little History Quiz

At the two Vicar, Deaconess Intern, and Fourth Year seminary events that LWML hosted I told them that the LWML groups at the congregations they were going to were waiting for them. Waiting to welcome them and their families, waiting to learn from them, waiting to include them in LWML happenings, waiting to partner with them, and waiting to love and support them. Those of you getting one of these fresh-out-of-seminary church workers, don’t let me down! Be there for them!

I love history. I come by it genetically from my father who was a history professor at Oklahoma State University after getting his PhD. From University of Nebraska (I throw that in for Linda Reiser and Virginia Von Seggern). Here are some interesting notes about national LWML conventions. By the way, come to Mobile and experience and also, help make history!

Before convention bags
  1. There have been two LWML conventions held in Canada. When and where were they held?
  2. What convention attraction made its first appearance at the Charlotte, NC, 1997 convention?
  3. When was the first Biennial Convention?
  4. Mobile is one of four cities who have hosted more than one convention. (Mobile 1973). What other cities have hosted more than one convention?
  5. What convention had the highest attendance? What year?
  6. Have we ever had to cancel a convention?
  7. Is your delegate’s vote important?
  8. What part of convention is always rated the highest on evaluation forms?

Answers below:

There were several “firsts” at Mobile in 1973.

  • The first time a Native American addressed the convention.
  • Five district brought the first 8 youth representatives to convention.
  • Women led the convention Bible study for the first time: Pauline Groerich, Minte Brohm and Carrie Wright, who by the way, was the first black woman to address an LWML convention.
  • A Mission Goal of $500,000 was adopted.
1973 Mobile Convention Manual

I had lunch with our Archivist-Historian, Caroline Honeycutt, last week and she has a great “then and now” exhibit you will want to visit in the Jubilee Junction Exhibit Hall in Mobile! Come and join with your brothers and sisters, “In Praise to the LORD!”

Love, Patti

Answers:

  1. 1959 – 8th Biennial – Toronto, Ontario, Canada “Labor With More Love” and 1993 — 25th Biennial – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada “One in Spirit-One in Purpose.
  2. Humorous Interrupter – At the “Hold up the Light” convention, Linda Reiser portrayed “Sparky”.
  3. 1943 – 1st Biennial – Ft. Wayne, Indiana “Serve the Lord with Gladness”. (1942 Chicago was organizing convention).
  4. Portland, Oregon (1953, 2009); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1961, 2013); Cleveland, Ohio (1949, 1991).
  5. Ames, Iowa, 1985. Registration: 8,023.
  6. Yes. 1945 was not held due to wartime conditions. 1955, New Orleans, Louisiana, was canceled when LWML heard that our black delegates would not be allowed to stay in the convention hotel. A “delegates only” convention was convened in Denver in 1956. The schedule was resumed with Minneapolis in 1957.
  7. Yes! I was elected VP of Christian Life in Portland by only 9 votes and in Albuquerque, officer voting saw differences of 4 and 7 votes in two of the offices.
  8. Thursday evening Opening Worship.

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