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Colorado West Regional Division Back to 2007 page Fall 2006
Five of our many Colorado West board members with our trailer. From left to right: Anita Boette, Lou Boette, chairman, Norma Nehrig, Jim Curtis and Dorothy Curtis.
Sister Mary Walter Swann and a cardiology nurse from St. Joe's hospital with Lou Boette loading items donated to OGT.
The Wednesday afternoon packing crew from Bethlehem Lutheran in Lakewood, Colo., where the Colorado West warehouse is located. Left to right are Myrna, Ruby, Benny, Joann and Lola.
Jim Curtis and Dick Eichacker fixing another batch of onions at a Colorado West fish feed in Boulder, Colo. June 2006 update Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men. - Ephesians 6:7 This passage serves as a good reminder when we begin to boast and take the credit for what the Lord really does through us. The Colorado West Division of Orphan Grain Train has such dedicated and faithful servants that as the days come and go the joy and pleasure of doing this mission does open more doors of opportunity. Praise the Lord! Many thanks to the Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML) for providing a grant of $3,000 for Colorado West Regional Division! We enjoyed having John Peter Kirubagaran from India (Orphan Grain Train's India page can be found here) at the Lutheran Laymen's League (LLL) Convention on June 2, 2006. Dick Tuers met him at Denver International Airport and Norma Nehrig provided an overnight stay. Both of them were amazed at the stories he had to tell. The Adult Sunday School Class at Peace Lutheran listened intently while John Peter spoke of his mission work with the UEMI (United Evangelical Mission of India), a relief partner of Orphan Grain Train. For more information about UEMI, visit www.uemi.org. Word got around that organs were needed in the Gulf Coast for churches that are being rebuilt or restored. We now have five organs and five pianos, one altar, a baptismal font and pulpit. We have one more organ to pick up before they will be shipped south.
Moving pianos. A special dinner was held at Bethlehem Lutheran on June 8th for Rev. Brandon Simoneaux and his wife Tricia. Rev. Simoneaux is the pastor of Christ our Savior Lutheran Church in Harvey, Louisiana. The Rocky Mountain District was very instrumental in helping renovate, repair, and return this congregation to operational status following Hurricane Katrina. Rev. George Hesse of Mt. Hope in Boulder, Colo. represented the Rocky Mountain District at the Rededication Service for the Harvey Church on April 30th. Last but not least, the K-Wall Paint store in Thornton, Colo. has been donating gallons of paint that are returned for one reason or another. The total so far is 113 gallons and these will be used in the Gulf Coast area. Check the Colorado West events page to see what special events and fund raisers are scheduled for the coming months. Spring 2006 Report This is the first official report of the Colorado West Division. It was very exciting to be able to ship from our small warehouse boxes of clothing, linens, medical supplies, hygiene kits, other hygiene items, approximately 12 sets of encyclopedias, educational books, shoestrings, and of course many quilts. A delivery had been made to the Ysleta Mission in El Paso, Texas, and Transportation Director Clayton Andrews was able to route the empty semi truck through Lakewood on January 16, 2006. Also on this shipment were 10,000 new envelopes and other school supplies to be sent to John Peter in India. Global Care Packages-- Uganda--assembled by Mount Olive Ladies Guild of Loveland, Colo., were shipped out of our Lakewood Collection Center. We continue to collect gently used and new clothing. We have three packing crews and this involves three churches. We also pack linens from two hotels that donate on a regular basis. Another fortunate contact was made with Sister Mary Walter Swann at St. Joe’s Exempla Hospital. The cardiology lab is donating excess surgical supplies that are being discarded but are perfectly okay. Our quilting group is growing and the donated fabric just keeps coming. A new fund-raising project now on the table is making creative pot holders. We shall promote these at fish feeds, garage sales and presentation at churches. At the present time we are working on a hurricane-related project of collecting new sheets, towels, wash cloths, new underwear, new quilts, and new blankets. We will ask many churches to get involved. The Lord knows that these are vital items that are needed when families locate to there permanent homes. We were made aware of an electric organ and some school desks that will no longer be needed. One of our local Lutheran high schools is closing at the end of this school year. Transportation of these items will be worked out with Clayton Andrews. We have two very exciting happenings to report. First of all John Peter Kirubagaran will be a guest speaker at Peace Lutheran in Arvada, Colo., on June 4th. He will arrive just in time to let him witness a “fish feed” at the Fort Collins, Colo., Ramada Inn for the Lutheran Laymen’s League District Convention of the Rocky Mountain District, June 2, 2006. WELCOME ABOARD! Pat and Bill Heinicke of Trinity Lutheran, Cortez, Colorado. This couple has expressed interest in become part of the Colorado West Division Orphan Grain Train. They will have an Orphan Grain Train Sunday on April 30th. May the Lord be with them. They have donated many quilts and will continue to do so. It is a possibility that they can combine efforts for pick-ups and storage with First Lutheran in Salida, Colorado. This division will keep on spreading the Orphan Grain Train Story via e-mails and speaking engagements with power-point capabilities. We have Fish Feeds scheduled and some are pending. One garage sale two weekends ago netted $1,900.00. Thank you Lord. Weather permitting we will have another one on April 28th and 29th. We have not been idle nor have we been bored. “The Train has never come to a halt.” The Lord willing we will continue to serve Him. Our first Fish Feed as Colorado West Division was held on October 9, 2005, at Bethlehem Lutheran-- Lakewood, Colo. A Lenten free-will offering Wednesday evening meal was held on March 8th. Thanks to Thrivent and the help of our whole crew we actually realized a profit!! A fair amount of funds have been realized from collecting used ink cartridges and cell phones for recycling. Another project that is now in progress is the promotion of “film canisters”. The Sunday School children and Vacation Bible School attendees are asked to fill one of these and of course the funds are for shipping. Lou Boette will be the representative for Peace Lutheran Church in Arvada, Colorado, to the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Rocky Mountain District Conference. A table to promote Orphan Grain Train Colorado West Division will be set up by various members of this board. Date is June 15th through the 17th at the Doubletree Hotel in Denver. Thank you Lord for giving us the opportunity to serve You in this way. Let Your light so shine through us in a God pleasing way. We are all ordinary people and You have given us extraordinary work to do. Colorado West Regional Division Chartered Colorado West was chartered in December 2005. Since it was formed out of the existing Rocky Mountain Division, our work has really not changed much except we just keep growing! God somehow has taken us under his wing and that is a great feeling. We continue to collect National Geographic Magazines, encyclopedias, and medical supplies from several sources, "linens and things" from the Historic Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, children's clothing, new or near new underwear, and the old standby--quilts. What joy and satisfaction the women have found in sewing quilts for so many needy people. Clothing is donated on a regular basis as are school supplies, and hygiene items. Most of our donations go directly to Norfolk and local missions. We sort and pack in an unused dental office that was passed on to us from Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Lakewood, Co. We plan to service some more missions in Mexico and continue to give to Road Runner for Christ that delivers there donations to the Ysleta Lutheran Mission in El Paso, Texas as well as the Hopi Indians in Arizona. The "Wisconsin Style Fish Dinners" are becoming famous. God has blessed us with many donated items that are quite appealing to the general public, but are not suitable for sending overseas or local missions. These items have been sold with permission from the donors at garage sales. Now, under the leadership of Lou and Anita Boette, our committee members number approximately 35 people and we have many congregations involved. What a humbling feeling, that ever since we became part of the Orphan Grain Train in 1994 we realize that God does use ordinary people to do extraordinary things. As part of the very beginning of Orphan Grain Train in the Rocky Mountain area it has been quite a journey. Keep us in your prayers and we do know that in His time and when He is ready God answers prayers. We are ready to serve any new challenges that He sends our way. Officers: Lou Boette--Chairman Ruth Young--Recording Secretary Bonnie Musick--Treasurer The rest of the members do speaking engagements, fish dinners, garage sales, sorting, packing, quilting, public relations or what ever is needed. Please note: The Colorado West Division includes New Mexico and the state of Colorado west of U. S. Highways 85 and 285, and the Denver Metro within the 470 loop. The eastern half of Colorado is included in the Rocky Mountain Division. Back to 2007 page |
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