Titus Trips Report

Three Project Titus trips are already complete, one is occurring as we speak, and three more are set to go soon.  The trip to Savannah Georgia was the first to occur.  Led by Professor Bode, six MLS students participated in a soccer/vbs in the deep south.  Professor Bode reports that the students did a good job and had a great time.  The Lord blessed them with safety and good health as well.  Participants include:  Maria Prange, Wesley Towne, Nate Plocher, Chelsea Yerks, Paul Mattes and Meredith Shaffer.  MLS has gone to Savannah several times now.  The host pastor is Rev. James Borgwardt.

The trip to China has also come and gone.  Professor Kock and daughter Gretchen Schmiege were the chaperones for this trip which included the following seniors-to-be:  Kelsey Rosenberg, Kay Tetzlaff, Adam Schaffer and Hans Thomford.  It was a great trip that involved some sight-seeing, lots of travel (including a fifteen hour train ride in a rather compact, non-luxury seating area), and several Bible studies with WELS teachers and Chinese people.  The Lord also kept us safe and healthy (for the most part, one of us had a little tummy trouble on the train).  There is a photo of the China trip included.

The trip to Milwaukee is now also in the books.  Nine MLS students assisted with VBS at Risen Savior congregation on the north side of Milwaukee.  The work also included canvassing in the neighborhoods.  The coordinator of the whole affair was Brian Schmidt, a member of the congregation who is also a Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary student.  He will begin his vicar year this August.  In addition to Brian, there were numerous other leaders at this very active congregation (more than just vbs was occurring during this time).  The MLS students were also treated to a Brewers' game and an outing to Great America, along with a few other outings in the area.  The nine students are:  Donato Longoria, Samantha Loeffler, Amy Findlay, Austin King, Erich Neumann, Chris Gibbons, Megan Schoch, Faith Schroeder, and McKenzie Rothfuss. 

Meanwhile, the Colombia trip is ongoing these days.  Six students along with three chaperones are helping at a school there with which members of our WELS mission have connections.  This is the same school from which Irene Anzola came, who spent a year at MLS last year.  The students are Noah Willitz, Garrett Schoch, Anna Lindloff, Caitlin Henderson (all of whom graduated last May), Morgan Jacob and Katie Kobs (who will be seniors next year).  The chaperones are (former tutor) Pastor Dan Schmidt and his wife Andrea, and Mrs. Kay Retberg, all of whom have experience in visiting or living in Latin America before!  We wish them God's blessings as they serve the mission and gain further experience of seeing the gosepl in action in Colombia!

Pray that the Lord bless the remaining trips!  They include:  Cary, NC; Ft. Worth, TX; and Korea English camp/vbs, each of which get underway very soon.