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- I enjoyed a great visit with Roy and Esther Peterson, one of our long faithful leaders of Bethel LBC in Antler, ND. What special tender hearts for our mission and for God’s people! Roy treated me to a tour of his basement collection of irons. I am certain there is none other like it anywhere! It seeps out of Roy, his deep regard for history, and those who have pioneered before.
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- Roy also showed me the delegate badge of his father from the 1951 CLB convention. I don’t think I’ll forget Roy’s words: “I figured if it was important to him, it should be to me.”
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- Part of Roy’s collection passed down to him: a shell fragment that in 1941 China took the life of one of the early CLB martyrs for the faith, the young daughter of missionary A. Nyhus. God, help us remember the price You paid, and the price paid for the Gospel and it’s mission to be passed down to us.
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- The rural cemetery of Bethel LBC is overseen by the steeple from the original church building.
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- Pastor Craig Schmidt is like a tonic of positivity. He and his bride Mary’s love for the Church, love for the Gospel, is contagious.
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- Here, Pastor Craig is pointing out with a good chuckle one of his early attempts at the archery range, a Bethel ministry based out of the church basement that connects with many men, women, and youth of the community during the winter months. GREAT vision, contextual awareness, and use of space!
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- Craig gives some gleeful story about catching the top of his drawn bow in the trusses above his head just before he released. I suspect local lore may have a different version of the story… 🙂
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- Great turn out on a midweek evening for a chili feed, and an hour with me interacting with Bethel folk about the great opportunities and prayerful challenges in our shared CLB mission. I found the people of Bethel so inviting, interested and warm! Thanks for your great hospitality!!
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- The farmboy in me just LOVED it when one of the members pulled up for the eve dinner meeting straight out from the field in his massive New Holland tractor and disc!! #TheyDontGrowEmLikeThisEverywhere #WednesdayGoToMeetin ! 🙂 (PS: that’s Craig & Mary’s parsonage in the background across the highway from the church building.)
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- This is sweet sister Mary! She was showing me how Bee’s beeswax candle gift fit her yellow wedding china perfectly 🙂 Thank you, Pastor Craig and Mary, for your hospitality!
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- True.