Volume II

February 11, 2012

Issue 2

Chapter & verse

News, Announcements and Updates for Friendship House Teacher

Friendship House Continues Updating

Thanks to the hard work of many volunteers, the second floor classroom has been repainted. It took three coats and yet another is needed for the sliding closet doors. Some detail work remains but the great majority of the work is done. A new 8-foot-long whiteboard, made possible by a generous donor, has been hung in that room (thanks, Don!). Two new extra-long lighter weight melamine tables were acquired for that room and are in use throughout the week. These join the table already in use in that room donated by the Kamms. The large TV that was rolled in and out of that classroom has gone on the fritz and Rich is seeking the gratis help of a friend who used to repair TVs for a living. Don continues to update the electrical outlets throughout the building. He also arranged for a new lavatory to be installed in the bathroom just off the Garden classroom. In addition, he hung a paper towel dispenser near the kitchen sink and re-discovered the handsome glass shelves that he put back up in the kitchen. Adding to his tour de force of home improvements, Don also hung the projection screen in the dining room classroom so that it can be used for class PowerPoint presentations. Further, he repaired the immense fireplace gas log so that it now warms many a class on these cold winter days. The Board of Directors authorized the south facing roof of Friendship House to be replaced this spring due to wear and age. Many donors have come forward to help restock the supplies we use to keep students, volunteers and visitors comfortable, including coffee, tea, hot chocolate, condiments, paper towel, napkins, plates, plastic silverware and much, much more. We particularly thank the home group of Don and Carol Christensen of St. Luke Lutheran Church for donating such a major portion of these new supplies. We also thank Turkish International students Erman and Pinar for donating a large measure of these provisions and especially for cleaning and organizing the basement storage room to the tip-top condition it is in today. If you havent been down there yet, check it out. A new supply of house slippers was recently put in to replace the nearly depleted ranks of those used by students and visitors. Our almost-vanished supply of parking permits was replenished, thanks to 1

the kindness of East Lansing City Hall. Please make sure your students read the sign next to the permits about the importance of putting the permits back after use. Several teachers, visitors and students have remarked on the improved position of the Bible shelves in the living room. We have noticed an uptick in the number of Bibles, of many different translations, that are being shared as gifts with our students seeking to know more about Gods word.

Board Undergoes Transition

Your Friendship House Board of Directors has recently experienced some major changes. Long-time Board President, Bill Benson, moved to Iowa with his wife Beth after retiring as Deacon at St. Luke Lutheran Church. The Board elected Dave Knecht, also a member of St. Luke and our venerable Board Treasurer for many years, as its new President. In turn, the Board additionally elected Ron Soule of St. Matthew Lutheran Church to its membership and named him its new Treasurer. Ron is a recently retired bank president and brings great financial acumen and a long record of Christian service to our leadership. Finally, as reported several weeks ago, long-time Board member David Bailey, who hailed from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, was called to his heavenly home after a lengthy illness. We miss him and hope to honor his memory and love for International students in our daily work and service. Dave Knecht You will often see Board members helping out at Friendship House in a variety of ways, including Don Christensen, who represents teachers on the Board; Dave Knecht who monitors classes (and has led a presentation at Ask the Experts); and Kaye Kahl who teaches on Fridays. Please give them a hello and thanks for all of their support. David Bailey

In Depth Bible Training for International students

The In-Depth Bible Seminar registration and information is being held May 17 -22, 2012 at the Christian retreat center called Sojourn near St. Louis, Missouri. As in past years, the Board has budgeted funds for three of our Friendship House International students to attend this event, which is put on by International Student Ministry, Inc. Kaye Kahl Don Christensen

If teachers would like to nominate an International student(s) for this seminar, please send me an email, call me or come to the office to see me with the name of the student(s) and your reasons why 2

they should be selected. The deadline for letting me know your nominations is Friday March 2. Thanks!

Sign Up!

Please sign up your email on the Friendship House MSU website at www.friendshiphousemsu.org. Also, check out our new Friendship House MSU Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Friendship-House-MSU/112819728824007. Thanks!

Verse for the Week

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)

May God richly bless your day!

Think Spring, Eh?