Dear Lutheran Grade School and Sunday School Teachers,
Welcome to Eastern Europe, in a vicarious sort of way. I hope the stories I wrote will help you and your students understand and imagine what it is like to live in Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, and Ukraine. I’ve included a few stories that place the main characters in the U.S. (or headed there), to help your students understand what it is like to immigrate and be an immigrant. One story is about a Ukrainian refugee. If you have suggestions for materials concerning other aspects of life in Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, or Ukraine, or other topics or activities, please send them to me. Some stories will not be posted until mid-October to early November. We are also in the process of changing our website address so we can include materials for Ukrainian and Romanian readers. We’ve had a separate Greek website but it is primarily in Greek and won’t be added to this website. I’ll send out a letter with our new website address right after is “goes live.”
The money raised by district schools and churches will be used for a van which will be for the Lutheran Church in Romania. There are 3 LCMS churches there, and Rev. Dr. Sorin Trifa heads up this large and active mission. There are missions in Moldova, Bulgaria, Italy, and Greece which Rev. Trifa and the missionaries serve. They are also doing church planting in other parts of Romania, and helping the large Ukrainian refugee population in Romania. Right now, they only have one older van. When the Romanian church members started making trips to the border with Ukraine, picking up refugees and delivering supplies to the Ukrainian Lutherans, the need for another vehicle became more urgent than ever.
IF YOU WILL BE DOING THE ACTIVITIES FOR 7TH AND 8th GRADERS , YOU MAY WANT TO START SAVING OLD CALENDARS – STUDENTS WILL USE THEM TO MAKE POSTERS
When I (Helping Hands Chairperson) lived in Bulgaria, I often spoke with Bulgarians about the Lutheran schools we have in the U.S. So many of the parents wanted to have that blessed opportunity for their children. It made me cherish my eight years at Redeemer Lutheran School in Green Bay even more. Working as a medical missionary, I so often had hymns or Bible verses committed to memory that helped me manage the many challenges of life in Africa, Central America, and Eastern Europe.
I can’t imagine how I could have truly helped people in many different places if I didn’t have the Word of Truth in my heart and mind. I have my parents and Lutheran pastors and teachers to thank for that. I know that you, too, work long hours to provide that to your students. I thank God for each of you and pray for you and your students. I’ve asked the Lutheran pastors and others working for Helping Hands in Bulgaria and Ukraine to pray for you as well.
We have started assembling and distributing food packages to the families in Bulgaria and Ukraine. Each box this month will include a children’s Bible in their language. If you email me, I will send pictures from these countries. For the sake of their privacy, I don’t want to post these on the web. My favorite picture is with a Ukrainian Lutheran pastor teaching his students in Sunday school.
Hopefully, the materials included on the website are useful and easy for you to use. If not, please let us know. Everything needed is on this Hearts for Jesus tab. The chart lists the materials available and is organized into three groups: materials for grades 1,2 and 3, then grades 4, 5 and 6, finally 7th and 8th grades. There are stories, puzzles, and activities for each of 4 weeks, for all three groups. Most activity sheets have several activities from which to choose. Activities for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders are separate documents in case you want to print one document but not the others. All the Chapel Talks are on one sheet.
We look forward to seeing how God works through this connection between Eastern Europe and your classes!
Helping Hands Easter European Ministries