Builders team from Roseville Lutheran Church at CCE

An American team from Roseville Lutheran and three other churches in the state of Minnesota spent the end of March and first week of April at CCE. The 15-member team was a great example of faith in practice through their passion and willing service at CCE.

The Builders Group of Roseville Lutheran Church (RLC) began coming to the Bible School in Martin in the Spring of 2003, providing much-needed physical labor and spiritual uplifting. (note: Bible School was renamed Center for Christian Education in 2010).

Since that first group in 2003, more than 80 individuals with willing hands and hearts have been called to be a part of the Builders Group team and adventure in Martin. Many team members have made return trips to Martin, reconnecting with Slovak friends, and making even more friendships with each mission excursion.

Each group has been led by K.J. Olson-Bach, who has spoken in Roseville Lutheran Church many times about the group’s experiences in Martin. This was the 12th year of ministry for the Builders Group, who believes in building new things and motivating people to believe that change is possible. Religious teaching had been all but eliminated in this former communist country; now it is a mission field, open for the Word of God to be freely spoken.

Some of the projects the Builders Group have worked on over the past 11 years are: installing parquet floors, refurbishing a 3-bedroom apartment, building interior cement-block walls, painting (lots of painting!), sanding and varnishing of window trims, ceramic tiling, wall plastering, and even a pictorial representation of the Seven Days of Creation!

The Builders Group from Roseville accomplished a lot during their 10-day visit this year, as well. They painted walls in the Bible School offices, repaired several interior doors, painted outer windows on the main LES building, varnished the soffit of the dormitory buildings, painted the flashing on the roof of the cafeteria building and one of the classroom buildings. They also cleaned five classrooms, once the windows had been replaced, and painted several fences around the CCE campus.

To our friends from Roseville–We saw you not only moving tons of furniture, cleaning 170 windows, and painting meters and meters of surfaces, but we also saw your huge passion and dedication! Thank you for all your tremendous effort and love!

Thank you for being servants who help so freely and ask for nothing in return. Truly, you are Christ’s Hands and Feet.

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RENOVATING ROOMS . . . RENOVATING LIVES!

Builders Group Team members in 2014

• Bob & KJ Bach
• Tana Isaacson & Jim Roth
• Dave & Vicky Lorenz
• Don & Marge Severson
• Rich & Julie Wendland
• St Mark’s Church, Circle Pines
• Pastor Steve Sampson
• David Wigdahl
• Hosanna Lutheran, Forest Lake
• Kathy Damon
• Mary Gookins
• St. Andrew’s Lutheran, Mahtomedi
• Linda Thueson

See also web page of Roseville Lutheran Church