Prayer Request from Nigeria

This weekend started out normally, I was helping with a Community Health Evangelism - Vision Seminar in the village of Foron on Friday and Brent was going about his work in the office as usual. On Saturday we attended a repertory production of Nigerian cultural theater and organized a meeting afterwards with some fellow missionaries about a potential borehole project.– nothing was out of place until 7:15am on Sunday morning when our windows rattled violently and our whole house shook. I had come downstairs to make some coffee and open the front door. All my stuff was ready for my Sunday School lesson and I was preparing for another “normal day”. It was not to be so, because a bomb had just gone off at COCIN - Church of Christ in Nigeria church, situated less than a mile from our house exploded. A man disguised in a military uniform driving a small car was able to get past the security gate and speed through the church parking lot towards the church and detonate his car bomb. The explosion was powerful enough to break the windows and cause pictures to fall off the walls of friends of our who live only a little closer to the church than we do.

6 people are reported to have died and many are in hospital with injuries caused by flying shrapnel etc. This is now the second church bombing in Jos since Christmas.

We of course were able to communicate with others via Skype and cell phones to find out more and put all our plans on hold for the day. Church was cancelled and we barricaded ourselves in at home - just in case of retaliatory violence which often erupts after such incidents and it’s best to be in the safety of one’s own home.
Please pray with us for safety and wisdom to understand the conflict and religious tensions that are boiling up around us. We pray for God’s love to prevail and that His word will conquer evil.

In Jesus name
Eugenie, Brent, Micah and Zander

This Week @ St.John

• Wed 2/29- 9:00am Ladies Lenten Retreat
• 3:30pm Confirmation
• 7:00pm Lenten Service
• Thurs 3/1- 1:30pm LWML Meeting
• Sun 3/4- 8:45am Sunday School & Bible Class
• 10:00am Worship w/ Communion (Mite Box Sunday)

This Week @ St.John

• Wed 2/22- 9:00am Ladies Lenten Retreat
• 3:30pm Confirmation
• 5:30pm Sunday School Serving Supper
• 7:00pm Ash Wednesday Communion Service
• Thurs 2/23- 6:00pm Cub Scouts
• Fri-Sat 2/24-25- CHAOS at Camp Okoboji for 6-8 graders
• Sun 2/26- 8:45am Sunday School & Adult Bible Class (Book of Matthew)
• 10:00am Worship
• 11:00-am-12:30pm LWML Brunch
• 2:00pm LYF Bowling

A Letter From India

Dear pastor Richard Merrill, elders and the congregation,

I greet you all in the name Jesus Christ.

I hope and pray that all of you are doing well. and church is going well. Might be very cold  and some snow?

Here in Calcutta our school will have the final exam in March and new session will have to start from April and we are praying for our own building by April.  So far we have 3300 hundred dollars and we are praying for the rest to buy the property. If we will not be able to purchase the the building, the school will be forced to close down. This $3300 includes the missionary support money which is $ 700 gave to me last year  and the other contribution from the st john congregation and the offering and  gifts from other friends in Christ. Thank you very much for all your prayers and financial help which made that fund. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your help and prayer.

Please continue to pray that God will provide the rest of the fund for the school. If any member of the congregation  or the church would like to make a the contribution or  would like fund for the school please talk to the pastor .. Thank you very much and may God bless you.

We also show Jesus film to non christian people in Calcutta and in the state of west Bengal where less than one percent are Christians and Jesus died for these people too. More people are coming to the Lord; We had  7 new baptism last month .  Faith comes by hearing and hearing from God's word. There are seven co workers are working with me and we have total 17 church fellowships in different places in Calcutta and in villages which is rural areas. Jesus said that He will build His churches and we are co workers with Him. He depends now for His work.  Please continue to pray for the work here. Your prayers and support can make an impact on our spiritual and moral strength and help us to work more effectively. We trust God for the support for the native  missionaries  and cost for showing Jesus film and printing literature, transportation etc. Please continue to pray for us . We can do something for the Lord while we are alive and nothing can be done after that. So we need to use our time and resources for His glory and night is coming that no man can work.

We  had Christmas program in our school and in out church fellowships and we gave gift to the poor believers in our church. All were happy and praised God.

Children in our school performed skit dance and songs in Christmas function in our school

We also conducted bible training program for the local workers so that they can be more effective in their evangelism. Thank you for reading this news letter. Pastor Richard, I sent to your email and to the church email  and it bounced back. Please let me know if your email has changed , I miss Cyndi. Thank you once again for all your prayers and financial support,help  and love for the Lord and  for us.

God  bless you all.

With love and prayer,

Your missionary for the lost in India,
John Thomas

This Week @ St.John

• Sat Feb.14- 8:45am Pastor Merrill at Pastor's Conference, St.John, Battle Creek


• Wed Feb. 15- 3:30pm Confirmation


• 7:00pm Elders Meeting


• Sun Feb. 19- 8:45am Sunday School & Bible Class


• 10:00am Worship Service


• 3:00pm Circuit Forum at St.John

Lenten Worship

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 22. Midweek services  will be held every Wednesday during Lent beginning at 7:00pm. The Ash Wednesday service will be a communion service. Once again, St. John will be participating in a rotation with other congregations in the Mapleton Circuit. Each week one of the neighboring pastors will bring a different message in the series.

The theme of this year's midweek Lenten series is "The Trials of Jesus." The series pictures a courtroom scene where Jesus is on trial facing the charge that He is the Son of God. Each week a different "voice" will be heard as a witness telling what he saw and heard during the events that led to Jesus' crucifixion and death.

The schedule for St. John:

• FEB 22- "The Voice of Herod" _ Pastor Merrill
• FEB 29- "The Voice of Pilate" - Pastor G. Bucholz (vacancy pastor at St. Paul, Ute)
• MAR 07-  To Be Announced
• MAR 14- "The Voice of Satan" - Pastor Richard Salcido (St. Paul, Ida Grove)
• MAR 21- "The Voice of Judas" - Pastor Timothy Frank (Triple Parish/Ricketts)
• MAR 28- "The Voice of Caiaphas" - Pastor Scott Jensen (St. Matthew, Mapleton)

This Week @St.John

• TUE 2/7- 6:30am Men's Bible Study
• WED 2/8- 1:30pm Confirmation (early dismissal from COU)
• THU 2/9- 6:00pm Cub Scouts
• SUN 2/11- 8: 45am Sunday School & Bible Class
• 10:00am Worship
• 11:00am Finance Board
• 6:00pm Family Movie Night

Pick up a copy of the ANNUAL REPORT in the church lobby

Be sure to pick up your YEAR-END FINANCIAL REPORTS for your taxes in the church lobby, by the memorial stand.

Renew your subscription to the LUTHERAN WITNESS by Feb.19th for $21.65

LWML PANCAKE BRUNCH Feb. 26th at 11:00am, come down after worship for pancakes, french toast, eggs, little smokies, fruit cups, applesauce, pastries & beverages. All proceeds will go to the kitchen in the new addition.