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Iowa Lutherans again Visit Palanga Project
18/09/2010
A group of 24 parishioners from St. John’s Lutheran Church Hubbard, Iowa, spent a busy week in Palanga early in September. They came to supplement the strong financial support which the Iowa East District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod has given to the building of the church and diaconal center in Palanga by their own manual labor.
For two members of the group this was their third work trip to Lithuania. To several others it was their second visit to Palanga and to several more, mostly teenage young men and women, this was their first trip to Lithuania. Several of the young people were heard to say that they were not really anxious to return home, because they found Lithuania and Palanga to be so pleasant.
The workers cleaned up stones and debris around the church construction site, spread several centimeters of top soil, and planted small bushes to beautify the church’s exterior. The inside workers primed and painted all of the walls in the church nave with special primer for extreme weather conditions and two coats of white paint.
Pastor Darius Petkunas thanked the workers on behalf of the Lithuanian Lutheran church, Bishop Mindaugas Sabutis and the consistory and the members of the Palanga congregation at a special reception which followed the divine service on September 12th. Tired but happy the workers started back for the US on Saturday, September 18.
It is remarkable that parishioners of this countryside congregation in Iowa and their Pastor Rev. Dr. Matthew Rueger would be willing to spend well over a 1000 dollars for plain tickets and accommodations in Palanga and spend their vacation time working in Palanga instead of resting or sightseeing in their own country or elsewhere. Even with the jet-lag which comes with the 8 hour time difference the workers were up early every morning and put in many of intensive work and the Palanga church.
Dr. Petkunas hopes that perhaps next spring, when plastering has been completed in other parts of the building, workers from other Iowa East congregations might be able to come to do similar work.
Reverent Dr. Gary Arp, who recently retired as president of the Iowa East district, has chosen to spend his retirement by visiting congregations and encouraging further contributions to complete work on the Palanga church. It is the hope of the Palanga parishioners that by autumn of next year their new church and diaconical center can be consecrated and put to its use to the glory of God and the good of all.
Rev. Dr. Charles Evanson.
