The Russian Ministry at Holy Cross

Holy Cross has had a Russian Ministry for about 14 years, though few are aware of it today – what it is, why it was created, what its goals are.

For many of us, Russia remains a country shrouded in mystery and political intrigue, a country where spies operate, people disappear, and even your hotel room is searched while you’re at breakfast. Russia is synonymous with the Cold War. Today’s headlines regarding the unrest in the Ukraine and Crimea only serve to underscore the perception that Russian leadership is not to be trusted.

Building that houses St. Mark's

Yet in these past 14 years, Holy Cross has sent two delegations to Magadan, in the Russian far east, and in return two delegations have visited here. We have lent our support to St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Magadan, and more recently, changed our focus to support a Lutheran pastor serving as a missionary in Russia.

Perhaps it would be helpful to look back at when the Russian Ministry was first formed. Pastor Michael Peck had a connection with  Manfred Brockmann, provost (dean) of the ELCA Russian Far East synod, and invited him to speak at Holy Cross after learning he was in the area. Pastor Brockmann had a list of congregations that needed support, one of which was St. Mark’s in Magadan. “There was something about St. Mark’s that appealed to Holy Cross,” Pastor Mike said. “I think that part of what appealed to us is that it was a community really cut off.” 

Magadan’s history is somewhat dark and cruel. It’s a port city on the Sea of Okhotsk, and once served as a major transport center for prisoners sent to work in Stalin’s prison labor camps. Even today, memories of the GULAG times, an acronym for Main Administration of Corrective Labor Camps and Labor Settlements, permeate the area. Archival Soviet data estimates that 1.6 million people died during the period from 1929 to 1953.

Pastor Mike and Alla at St. Mark's in Magadan

At the time Pastor Brockmann spoke at Holy Cross, there was a resurgence of religion in Russia, coming after years of oppression. Alla Vysokova, the pastoral leader of St. Mark’s, wrote in a letter to Holy Cross dated February, 2002: “Our community is only one year old and it is still small.” She went on to say, “Every Sunday we have God service and Bibll lesson. On the God service we many sing.”

Her letter marked an ongoing correspondence that continued while she was the leader at St. Mark’s. Correspondence was one of the goals, according to Linda Leffler, who came to the Russian Ministry by way of the Prayer Ministry. Linda had traveled to China and met people who couldn’t worship without fear of persecution, and so could identify with people in Russia living with the same fear. “They were afraid to have a written roster of members,” Linda said of St. Mark’s, “for fear of harassment.” Linda said that the Prayer Ministry sent a prayer book to Pastor Alla, with prayers they could pray together weekly.

Norm Smith also got involved through the Prayer Ministry, and shared his impressions during his visit to Magadan in 2001. "We found no one on the street in Magadan smiled, the kids did not talk or laugh or even look us in the eye as we walked down the street," Norm said. "We found that a lot of the attendees to the church did not become members because they were afraid that the Russian government was still spying on them and that would be held against them if they knew."

Kathie Walter’s interest in the Russian Ministry came from the synod level. She and her husband, Alan, traveled to Vladivostok, at the invitation of  Pastor Brockmann, to teach basic Bible knowledge and Lutheran doctrine as part of the companion synod effort. Kathie remarked that during the Communist regime, many churches were destroyed, and some were used as military hospitals.

Congregation of St. Mark's in Magadan

During its partnership with St. Mark’s, Holy Cross purchased a second-story flat where the congregation could worship. Kathie said it was a series of rooms that included a kitchen, bedroom and worship space. The congregation also purchased a computer to aid communication. Last fall, Holy Cross furnished a door and locks, so that part of the flat could be turned into living quarters for the new permanent pastor, Juris Simakins, who is scheduled to arrive in July or August this year.

One can only get to Magadan by plane or boat. Pastor Mike said when he traveled there in 2005, the flight path from Anchorage, Alaska to Magadan was dangerous, and planes only flew in and out of Magadan once a week, on a Friday. He said during his week in Magadan, he presided over a baptism, and visited an orphanage. “Most of the children were in the orphanage because their parents are alcoholics and can’t take care of them,” Pastor Mike said. The rampant alcoholism in Magadan is the result of a variety of factors, including poverty, lack of jobs, and the common role vodka plays in culture. But even in such a culture, Pastor Mike said, he wasn’t surprised to see a church arise. “It’s a group of people with a common bond, who come together to support each other,” he said. Norm found the same on his earlier visit. "I cannot stress enough how gracious the congregation was and how excited they were to work with us as we both moved forward," he said.  

Pastor Bradn Buerkle preaching in Tomsk

Holy Cross continued its relationship with St. Mark’s even after Alla left, though she provided the sole means of communication. Others who were involved through the years are Tricia Hinton, Kristina Arteaga, Norm and Carol Barney, and Julie Brainard. Eventually, the Russian Ministry knew it would need to change its focus, and has since formed a missionary sponsorship covenant to support ELCA pastor and missionary Bradn Buerkle.

Pastor Buerkle writes a blog as he can, and recently addressed the situation in Russia and Ukraine. You can read it at russiancorrespondent.blogspot.com. He and his wife recently welcomed the birth of their third child, and all are well and home in St. Petersburg.

The goals of the Russian Ministry are to invite the congregation to learn about the Russian history and culture, to keep Pastor Buerkle and his family in prayer as they spread the Gospel in Russia, and to offer financial support as necessary. Freedom of worship remains a real challenge in Russia, considering that President Putin named the Russian Orthodox Church as the de facto official religion. Congregations still run the risk of being visited by agents of the F.S.B., a successor of the K.G.B., and labeled a “sect” and shut down.

Next time you’re at Holy Cross, check out the Russian Ministry display inside the front doors. You’ll see a traditional Russian samovar, Christmas card, collection of rocks, photos, and other artifacts of our relationship with St. Mark’s in Magadan.

Val Dolan - an eye for used treasures

One can find all sorts of treasures at garage sales. Val Dolan can attest to that, as she finds a variety of vintage and unusual items she can resell.

Val operates a booth that is open the first Friday and Saturday of each month in the West Bottoms business district. Her space, called Bottoms Up, sells a variety of collectibles. She also has a space in the Lone Elm Antique Mall in Olathe, which is open daily.

Val Dolan at Bottoms Up

“I call myself eclectic,” Val said. “I sell vintage clothes, some jewelry, lots of men’s items, pictures, lamps.” Some of her items are classified as antiques, meaning they’re more than 100 years old, but mostly the items are considered collectibles. “The whole antique business has changed, and I had to change with it,” she said.

Val was an avid garage sale shopper when her two daughters were young. “I used to go to garage sales every Saturday,” she said. “I’d buy clothes for the girls and stuff for the house.”

When the family moved to Virginia, Val’s interest branched out. “My mother had some crystal and asked me if I wanted it,” she said, “but I didn’t. It was too fragile for me.” So Val’s mom advertised the crystal, which caught the notice of a company called Replacements. Soon, her mom was regularly buying items that she resold to Replacements, and Val picked up on that. “I started going to auctions and garage sales, finding pieces that I could sell to Replacements,” she said. “I’ve been told I have a good eye. I could see something, and I just knew.”

Val also starting placing goods in a consignment shop. When the shop’s owner got sick, she asked Val if she would like to work there. “I said yes,” Val said. “I learned from her. For example, I learned what a good piece of glass was.”

When Val’s family moved to the Kansas City area, she started selling in monthly shows. But she said that was a lot of work, packing up everything to take, setting it out, then packing it back up. So several years ago she opened her space with her daughter Kelly in the West Bottoms, and found her niche.

Val said the business has changed primarily in the reasons people buy and what they buy. Val used to sell lots of china, glassware and decorations that people wanted to take home and display. “Now, you get young people who are buying something they can use,” she said. “So now it’s how are you going to recycle it, how can you use it to do something else. So a bucket now becomes a magazine holder. You get a mason jar and fill it with something.”

One of the more unusual items Val found was a diver’s helmet ice bucket from the 1950s. But that didn’t touch the monkey coat, which Val spotted at an estate sale. She said as she walked by a rack of coats, she noticed one coat was made with really long hair. “I thought oh my gosh, that’s an ugly coat,” she said. She walked on, but the strangeness of the coat drew her back, and she decided to buy it, noting it wasn’t an endangered species or anything like that. She displayed the coat for a while, until finally a lady came in her shop and bought it for $400.

Val doesn’t do this to get rich. “My philosophy is that I know what I paid for it,” she said, “and as long as I make what I want, I’m happy.” Nor does she hang on to what she buys. “I’m not attached to things,” Val said. “If I buy something really cool, I’ll put it on the shelf for a while to enjoy it, but then I sell it. But artwork, I go crazy for that. And I like some types of pottery.”

Val’s business has led her into opportunities to share her knowledge. When Blessings Abound thrift store in Overland Park was in the conception stage, Val was invited to come to a meeting. “I helped with the location, setting it up, pricing and marketing,” she said. She now donates her time two days a week at the thrift shop, and is the go-to person when a vintage-type donation needs to be assessed and priced. Val also helps find donations for the Metro Lutheran Ministry Spring Fling fundraiser, as well as gathering and delivering gifts for the MLM Christmas Store.

One of the greatest enjoyments of her business is the social aspect. “I like it because I like to work with people,” Val said. “And I like watching all those people walk by as they’re shopping.”

Val advises anyone interested in getting into the business of buying and selling used merchandise to start small. “It’s a lot of work,” she said, “and it takes a lot of time.” On the plus side, it gives her a great excuse to skip the housework.

Dawn Kernen - coping with depression

An estimated one in 10 adults in the United States reports some sort of depression, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and statistics show that depression is increasing at an alarming rate. Depression can be in part genetic, biological, situational, hormonal, or environmental, and is more prevalent in women than men.

Dawn Kernen

Dawn Kernen can put a face to some of those statistics, detailing a family and personal history with the complex disease. “In high school,” she said, “I started noticing I had a hard time in winter. I was more withdrawn, had less energy.” Dawn eventually realized she suffered from SAD, seasonal affective disorder. But her experiences actually started long before that.

“My dad suffered through depression,” Dawn said, though as a child she didn’t understand what that meant. “I only knew he wasn’t very social. He liked to stay home. But there’s really nothing wrong with that.” Dawn’s brother also has depression.

When Dawn was 24, she was in a difficult job situation, overcome with feelings of guilt because in her position in banking she felt she was negatively contributing to people who were already in debt. “I hated my job,” she said. “I was crying. I told Phil (her husband) I can’t go to work. I was so miserable in my job.” 

During that time, she also started having back trouble, so she went to a physical therapist. The therapist took her through a series of movements, including raising her arms. Dawn matter-of-factly told the therapist she can’t lift her arms like that because it makes her dizzy. As the therapist continued to ask her questions, Dawn said, “Would it interest you to know I had brain damage as a child?” Upon hearing that, the therapist made an appointment for Dawn to see a neurologist.

The brain damage Dawn suffered had been caused by a common cold that became toxic in her system. “I had to learn how to walk again, how to talk. A young child in my hometown had the same issue at the time and he died.” Taking into account her medical history, and her emotional issues, the neurologist diagnosed Dawn with anxiety and depression and started her on anti-depressants. “I was on the meds for a year or two, and I just didn’t’ want to be on them,” Dawn said. “I thought it was a weakness. And my SAD was getting worse and worse every year.”

For Dawn, the stigma associated with being labeled with depression was more traumatic than life without medication, so she quit taking the pills. Life continued, and soon she was a mother of three, including four-month-old twins, working full-time, and nursing both babies. She and Phil decided to attend a game night at Holy Cross, a much needed chance to get out and enjoy themselves. That evening, Dawn said, friends at the event took over the care of her children, giving her some free time to relax. “Then someone asked me how I was doing, and I just lost it,” Dawn said. “I was completely exhausted.”

Not long after that, Dawn found herself in another difficult job situation, but this one was because she had an unkind supervisor. “My boss was basically telling me I was worthless,” Dawn said. “She accused me of lying, stealing. None of it was true.” She would berate Dawn over the speaker phone, so that colleagues could hear what was happening. That sort of abuse is demoralizing and dehumanizing. Dawn tried to put up with it because the job was close to home, she got off at 3 p.m., and could be there for her kids after school. She finally went back on medication, hoping that would help her feel better. “But the harassment didn’t stop. It was exhausting. I was crying every day.”

As part of her coping strategy with depression, she and her husband take a trip to somewhere warm and sunny each January. Dawn sent out two resumes before they left that year, and returned home to find a phone message asking her to come in for an interview. She received the job offer the day after she and Phil had discussed a deadline of quitting her current job, and she happily works for that company today.

She has learned a lot about depression along the way. “Depression is no different than diabetes,” Dawn said, noting that both are diseases that require treatment to get through each day. “I finally came to terms with who I am.”

Dawn takes medication regularly, seeks counseling whenever she feels it’s necessary, bought what she calls a ‘happy light’ to help mitigate her SAD, plans fun things to do, doesn’t overschedule her time, talks to friends who keep her in check, and exercises.

Kernen Family

She has advice for others who are struggling with depression. “I encourage people, it’s okay to ask for help,” she said. “You’re not alone. You don’t have to put up with bad situations.” Dawn said it’s important for people to feel empowered, to find what works best for them, whether it means finding a different counselor, changing jobs, or educating family and friends about depression. “I’ve heard depression described in very negative terms, derogatory remarks,” she said. “There’s fear and a complete lack of understanding.” She hopes that by sharing her story, people will become more knowledgeable and accepting about depression, and mental illness in general.

Jerry & Jeanine Kelso - a love story

When I contacted Jeanine Kelso to ask if she and her husband Jerry would share their story, she immediately said yes, but added that their story might not have a happy ending. Maybe, at least not in the traditional sense, but nevertheless, theirs is a powerful love story just the same.

The year 2008 was one of endings and beginnings for them. Jeanine’s husband of 28 years died in March; Jerry’s wife of 54 years died in May. After some months, both decided to reach out for companionship. In what a friend of mine calls “God-incidences,” both Jerry and Jeanine posted their profiles on the dating site, eharmony.com. Jerry’s profile included a photo of him sitting on a boat, wearing a swimsuit, arms spread out in a relaxed pose, not worrying about the wrinkles, sags, and what have you.

Jeanine’s take on that photo? “I thought to myself, now there’s a man that’s comfortable in his skin,” she said. Jerry contacted eHarmony to arrange a phone conversation between him and Jeanine. “I told him that family, friends and faith were important to me, and that I was looking for companionship,” Jeanine said.

The couple agreed to meet for dinner and conversation at an Italian restaurant in North Kansas City. “October 10,” Jerry said, not having to think twice about the date of that dinner. “I said, ‘I haven’t been on a date in 54 years. What do you do on a date?’”

Apparently, it came back to him. “We met at Cascone’s, and closed the place down,” Jeanine said. “We were the last ones to leave.”

They continued to see each other and had numerous phone conversations. Jeanine said she skipped her annual Florida winter vacation that year because she figured that while she was gone someone else could come along and snap Jerry right up, and she wasn't willing to take that chance. Eight months after meeting, they got married. “At our age,” Jeanine said, “why wait?”

They made their home in Johnson County, Kansas, and Jeanine left behind Catholicism to become Lutheran. “We thought it was important to go to the same church,” she said, noting that becoming Lutheran was a lot less involved for her than becoming Catholic would have been for Jerry. Jerry asked a business friend, Jim Heley, where he went to church. “Jim said he went to Holy Cross Lutheran, and to come check it out,” Jerry said. They knew right away it was the best fit for them.

They jumped right in, helping as greeters, ushers, visiting people in nursing homes, mailing out postcards for Sunday School kids, participating in fellowship groups. Jerry, an actor with the Senior Barn Players, even brought the troupe to Holy Cross once for a performance.

All was well until August, 2012, when Jerry was dancing at a granddaughter’s wedding and moved wrong, injuring his back. He went to a chiropractor, but the pain continued. After months of not getting better, Jeanine finally convinced him to go to a doctor and get some tests done. One doctor thought that Jerry had a compression fracture, and began to treat it with a bone cement. Then, on October 7, 2013, the results of Jerry’s MRI and CAT scan came back, and that’s when he first heard the words, Renal Cancer. Jerry not only had cancer in his kidney, but in his spine too.

With that diagnosis came phrases like Stage IV, no cure, no remission, two-year life expectancy. And that’s when Jerry and Jeanine’s love story took a turn – a turn that has made them both stronger, a turn that has deepened their love for each other.

Their days are measured in terms of pain medication, chemotherapy, radiation. They visit the oncologist every two weeks, and are praying that the next bone scan on March 2 brings some good news. They have to be mindful of germs, and how even a paper cut can bring the risk of infection. Jerry, who used to carry four bags of groceries at once, now must watch his wife do all the lifting because he can’t afford the risk of a broken bone. But those are the negatives, and worrying about the what-ifs of tomorrow only results in stealing the life from today.

Jeanine & Jerry Kelso

Consider the men from Holy Cross who sit with Jerry once a week so Jeanine can continue on her bowling league, the meals that Holy Cross folk deliver to them regularly, the Holy Cross caring team who bring them communion and pray with them, the Holy Cross youth who made Jerry a green and gold afghan, Holy Cross mission partner Marlene Markowicz who shared a prayer with Jeanine that she now prays at least three times each day. Witness the devotion Jeanine displays by making sure Jerry eats healthy, by taking short naps with him, by getting him a special back cushion and a heated blanket, by talking with the doctor and pharmacist about assistance to help pay the monthly $6,500 cost of chemo drugs, by ministering to him with a constant compassion. Then see Jerry himself – rarely complaining about the intense pain, cracking jokes, entertaining visitors, smiling and upbeat. He even writes thank you notes for the meals provided the very day they are eaten. If these two people feel sorry for themselves amidst this illness, you would never know it.

“We can’t worry,” Jeanine said. “It’s not going to solve anything. It’s not healthy. We have our faith and our love and we live life to the fullest. One day at a time. Faith allows things to happen. It is the power that comes from fearless heart. And when a fearless heart believes, then miracles can happen.”

And that, my friends, is a love story.

Susan Sage - a Designing Woman

A desire to make curtains led Susan Sage to find her passion. Now she is an interior designer, business owner and consultant.

Susan knew how to sew, and had a degree in clothing design and construction. When she and her husband,

Susan Sage changing out a church banner

Terry, bought a house, she thought she would use that skill to make curtains, called window treatments. But making curtains is different from designing clothes, so she enrolled in a class offered at Johnson County Community College. “The class wasn’t what I thought it was,” Susan said. “I was learning how to measure and design, and I really enjoyed it. I started taking design classes (pre-requisites) so I could get to window treatment.”

In working toward the interior design degree, Susan was required to take two internships. The first was a job with a now-defunct decorating company, selling wallpaper, blinds and window treatments. Her second internship was with Rensen House of Lights. Here, she saw some of the same clients from the decorating company, many of whom asked her if she still made house calls for measuring and designing.

“It just started snowballing into designing basements, remodeling kitchens, master bedrooms, bathrooms,” Susan said. “When it looked like it wasn’t going to slow down, I applied for a business license.”

 With her interior design degree and business license in hand, Susan was off and running. Finding her passion when she was in her late 40s has given her renewed energy and drive. Life became quite different from what it had been, considering one year she went through five different jobs just trying to find something that fit. Susan started her own business, Casual Elegance Interiors on April 15, 1998. Whence that name? “I don’t really know,” Susan said. “I guess I’m a casual kind of gal who likes elegant touches.”

Word of mouth has driven business, Susan said. She does anything from a window treatment to selecting furniture to complete remodeling. “Last year, I converted a dining room into a library,” Susan said, referring to a private home in Leawood. “It was well over a $100,000 job. We built a whole new wooden staircase. We used 28 rolls of wallpaper in the entry. We used Jerusalem stone for the entry floor. It’s from Jerusalem and is incredibly beautiful tile.”

That project just won a NARI REMY award. NARI stands for National Association of the Remodeling Industry, and basically any remodeler who wants to be certified in the field aspires to be a member. “We won gold. First place for interior specialty,” Susan said. She has applied to become a NARI member, which requires a NARI sponsor, credit report, background check and a ‘yes’ vote by the board of directors, a process that can take 45 to 60 days. This award will surely help.

Kitchen Remodel

Susan is wrapping up a $140,000 job on a private home in Prairie Village. It included remodeling the first floor kitchen, living room and dining room, and three bathrooms. “I try not to act as project manager,” Susan said. “That’s not what I want to do. But I do consult throughout the project with the homeowners.”

Besides consulting and designing, Susan has a booth in the Mission Road Antique Mall, where she repaints and refurnishes furniture to sell, and does retail work for Picture Perfect Interiors in Overland Park. She also donates her talent as she can.

Susan has offered her design skills to help Blessings Abound thrift store arrange its furniture for sale, decorating tables and such. For about six or seven years, she has been the head of liturgical arts at Holy Cross. That translates into changing the banners in the sanctuary to correspond with the liturgical calendar, something that might seem challenging since Susan stands 4’10” and the banners are 9’ each, and also decorating for Christmas, Easter and other special events, and watering and caring for the seasonal poinsettias and lilies. Her busiest week is from Palm Sunday through Easter, which requires changes on Sunday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Since her work schedule has continued to increase, as well as time she spends to care for her mother, Susan is stepping down this year. She is confident that people will step forward to fulfill her role, one she said has been great fun for her.

Susan’s creativity is in part genetic. “My grandmother was an incredible dressmaker,” she said. “My father was an incredible craftsman.” Susan is glad she followed in their footsteps. “I love what I do,” she said. “I found my passion, though I wish I had discovered it sooner.”

Norm Smith - caring for and about others

In what is known as Caring Ministries, there is always someone to whom people are drawn – the person with the soothing voice, comforting presence, the one who just seems to radiate God’s peace. At Holy Cross, one such person is Norm Smith.

On many Sundays, you can spot Norm serving as a coffee host, helping as a communion minister, stepping in as an usher, offering to pray with someone in need during communion. During the week, he’s facilitating Bible studies for the men’s breakfast gathering, preparing worship services for residents at assisted living facilities, leading the prayer ministry in weekly prayers, and making countless calls on people in need of a little compassion. He also gives a lot of time to Blessings Abound thrift store, Metro Lutheran Ministry, and ELCA synod work, is a Parish Ministry Associate, and past president of Lutheran Men in Mission.

Norm’s life could have been different. He could have followed in his father’s footsteps, forgoing Sunday worship to work in the family welding shop. “My dad did his best to encourage me to work on Sundays instead of going to church,” Norm said, adding that his father was raised Baptist, but became one of those people who wouldn’t step foot into a church because the roof would fall in. Norm also could have taken up drinking, and become an alcoholic like his father. He could have become abusive to others like he witnessed his father abusing his mom. But he chose a different path.

When Norm was about 10 or 11, he met a Lutheran pastor. “The Lutheran parsonage was two houses down,” Norm said, “and I watched him outside, fixing it up. Then one day he said, ‘Would you like to come to my church?’” Norm thought that was a good idea, and brought up the subject during a family meal. “My dad erupted,” Norm said, a not unexpected reaction from a man who was comfortable with anger. “But the Holy Spirit works in marvelous ways. Later, my dad said if you go, the whole family is going.”

Even at such a young age, Norm found himself relating to the pastor’s sermons, and his Lutheran heart started growing. That relationship with Pastor Schlossen left Norm with a desire to make a difference in the lives of others and to mentor. Too, Norm’s mom was a devout Christian, attending the Methodist church, and a very positive influence. Norm's twin brother, Norbert, also grew up to be a church-goer, though his job as a truck driver prevented him from regular involvement in ministry. As an adult, Norm attended Cursillo, a three-day weekend sponsored by the Catholic church that teaches lay people how to become effective Christian leaders. Norm attended the event with fellow church members, and they subsequently formed a small group. It was this experience that led Norm into the world of men’s ministry.

Kathie & Norm Smith

Norm’s work in the field of technology and business planning brought about quite a few relocations around the country as he was transferred to different offices. With each move, he found a new church home, and new friends within. He focused on starting men’s ministries, and became more involved in prayer ministry. During this time, Norm met his wife, Kathie, a Methodist at the time. A dissatisfied Methodist, though she was unaware of it, Kathie said, but now a satisfied Lutheran. They recently celebrated their 30^th anniversary.

In later years, Norm’s mother was diagnosed with cancer, and Norm tried to see her as much as he could, though that wasn’t often. “What has always gotten to me,” Norm said, “is that she had been a member of a church a long time, but they didn’t send anyone out.” Because of this, Norm added another ministry to his list, that of caring ministries. “I don’t think anybody should die alone,” he said.

Norm and Kathie came to Holy Cross in 1995. The congregation was still relatively new, having held its first worship service in 1988. Witness/Evangelism was the umbrella under which Norm’s interests lay, he said, so he jumped in pretty quickly to help grow a men’s ministry, then later to help grow a prayer ministry. “I don’t think you can have a vibrant church without a prayer ministry,” he said. To that end, he is keen to light the fire under congregants, helping them understand the importance of prayer and actively participate in praying on a regular basis. The prayer ministry, which meets every Thursday from 7-8 p.m., was strong when Holy Cross offered the Alpha program, Norm said, simply because Alpha grows people in faith and leadership. Now, three people meet regularly each week to pray for the church, the world and all those in need. Norm would love to see that number increase to five, 10, 20 or more. “I would also like to see more lay ministry participation,” he said, “more people excited about faith.”

Norm has had other interests outside of ministry. “I used to hike and backpack all the time,” he said, “but I’m too old for that now.” His only disappointment with the miles he put in was that he never saw a bear. And he looked. Even in the heavy bear-populated areas, that came with “beware of bear” warnings, he never saw a bear.

Through his involvement with caring ministries, Norm has spent countless hours with people who wanted home communion, someone to pray with them or for them, someone to listen to their stories, someone to be God’s presence in their lives. “I see miracles all the time,” Norm said. He told a story of a man who hospital staff had predicted would be dead within a day. After Norm prayed with him, the man’s health improved, he went home a couple of days later, and lived another seven or eight years. “Sometimes the miracle is that people die,” Norm said, “because they’re in such pain. But they die knowing they were feeling God’s peace and presence.”

That peace is something you pick up right away when you meet Norm. One woman whose health keeps her homebound first met Norm when he brought communion to her and her husband. “He was so nice,” she said, “so comforting to be around.” Yep, that’s Norm.

Marshall Leffler - one small step completely rearranged his life

Marshall Leffler took one small step on a fateful day that changed the course of his life. He cited the proverb, “Pride goes before a fall,” and noted that in his case, it quite literally became true. But that is too harsh a judgment for what happened to him.

Marshall is one of those people with a larger-than-life personality. A born storyteller, healthy and robust, gregarious. Career-wise, finding the right fit in established companies proved a little difficult so he became a self-employed insurance agent. He married Linda, his childhood pen pal – their mothers were friends and thought it would be nice if the two kids corresponded – 35 years ago, and they raised two daughters.

Fast forward to November 27, 2009. Marshall was continuing the yearly tradition of decorating the house with Christmas lights. It was the day after Thanksgiving, a balmy 70 degrees. “Linda offered to watch for me, but I said no,” Marshall said, “so she went inside to take a nap.” Though even had she been watching, the outcome likely would have been no different. Marshall climbed up the six-foot step ladder and onto the roof.

He strung the lights as always, across the front and up the sides of the gables, about a three-hour job. “Then I stepped back to admire my work,” Marshall said. That step turned into a skid from one part of the roof to the next, then another eight-foot drop to the ground. “I probably would have been okay if I had landed on my feet,” Marshall said, “but I landed on my butt.” He briefly lost consciousness, and when he realized he was on the ground, he attempted to move. “I started to get up, but I couldn’t move my legs,” he said.

He had fallen right outside the master bedroom window, so he thought he would call for Linda to help him. “I tried to take a breath, but I couldn’t,” Marshall said. With effort, he managed to take a series of about 12 quick puffs to build up enough capacity to yell for Linda. He was able to say her name before he lost consciousness again. Thankfully she heard him, came outside to see what he wanted, then called 911.

At the hospital, the news Marshall received wasn’t good. “My T12 vertebrae had exploded,” he said. “I had five shattered ribs, and the pieces of ribs had punctured both lungs.” Marshall credits the doctor, Doc Holiday he said his name was, with fusing several of the larger pieces so he would have that vertebrae again someday. He remained at the hospital for several weeks, heavily sedated, in part to keep him from pulling out any tubes or cause even more physical damage. He also dreamed. “In my dreams I could walk,” Marshall said, “and I could take care of people.” Because he was experiencing atrial fibrillation, irregular heartbeats, his heart was electronically started and stopped twice to alter its electrical system. Once that was under control, Marshall began to regain more consciousness.

On December 27 of that year, he was moved to another hospital that had a rehab program. The formerly fit man now had to deal with atrophied muscles, and limited to no movement in his arms, legs and hips. After 30 days there, he was released, and began a new program at the Rehabilitation Institute of Kansas City. “I was used to being quite strong and doing whatever I wanted,” Marshall said. “I went from lifting 240 pounds to one and three pounds.” He participated in a regimen of occupational, physical and speech therapy, starting three times a week and tapering to twice a week.

This is when he learned how a congregation can step forward to lend its support. “Norm Smith (a Holy Cross mission partner) organized a brigade of people,” Marshall said. “There were 12 or 15 from Holy Cross, they call themselves the Do-Nothings, who gave me rides.” Marshall said he also had some help from friends in the civic organizations he had been involved in, namely the Shawnee Kiwanis and the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce. “And then there’s Linda, let me tell you about Linda,” Marshall said, referring to his wife and her support when he was first injured. “Linda was there every day. The heartache she went through. She was terrified I was going to die.”

Since that fateful November day, Marshall has come a long way. He continues to use a wheelchair, but can pull himself to a standing position. His arms are strong again. His upper thighs are muscular. His target date is March, 2018 to have rebuilt his calves and ankles, and be able to flex his foot. That’s just how long it will take his damaged neural pathways to heal, one centimeter per month.

Too, he doesn’t need rides to get to the gym like he used to because now he can drive with hand controls. Here’s the routine: Wheelchair to the back of the van, pull himself up, fold up the lightweight chair that weighs 26 pounds, grab the walker from the back of the van, use it to get to the driver’s seat, hoist himself into the van, toss in the walker, and hit the road. Actually, a huge task that most of us take for granted.

But here’s the thing. Marshall has found a way to be positive. “I did a lot of praying,” he said. “God, why did you leave me here? You came so close to bringing me home.” Marshall received his answer. “He (God) wants me to encourage disabled people,” Marshall said. “I have met so many worse off than I. I rededicated myself. I still wish I hadn’t fallen off the roof, but I’ve had so many wonderful things happen, and have been able to help so many other people.” Therein lies an illustration of one’s man faith and trust.