Easter 2009 in St Paul’s, Vladivostok : Consecration of our Church Bells and of our new Altar.The times get harder, but “behold, we live” ( 2 Cor 6,9), and time and again we are reached by signs to show us, that there lie blessings on our church. At Easter, the feast of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we could celebrate two great events.
1. The consecration of our three bells.- As we reported already June 28. 07. on our website, they were cast in the firm Bachert, Karlsruhe Germany. Then we showed August 8.08. , how they were unloaded und lifted up into the church steeple. And now they were hung up in the days before the Passion week. For to do this, the representative of the firm Festo, H. Krehl, came from Germany with a bell-specialist . The bells are a present of the readers of the “Stuttgarter Zeitung”, where the German journalist Elke Windisch,- she had also come,-had written about St Paul’s, Vladivostok, at Christmas 2006. Now they were consecrated in the Easter Divine Service, and then they sounded for the first time.
The powerful sound of these three bells made the deepest impression to all people,- to those in the church as to those on the streets. Never before such a sound was heard in Vladivostok!!
St Paul’s is the oldest church in our city and is situated in its center , and when from now on the mighty sound of these bells regularly will be heard in the middle of Vladivostok, then this really may appear as a sign of ENTERING A NEW PERIOD OF LIFE , BEYOND THE OLD SOVIET AND THE NEARLY WORSE RUSSIAN CAPITALISTIC WORLD. SOUNDS OF ETERNITY IN A COUNTRY, WHICH HAS SUFFERED SO MUCH AND BEGAN TO SUFFER AGAIN.
On the biggest bell are written the words of psalm 46 :”God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear ! “
2. The consecration of our new altar.- This is a present of Joan Krodel, widow of the late professor Gerhard Krodel, Gettysburg, USA. G. Krodel stands at the beginning of pastor Brockmann’s work in the Far East. He brought us nearly all our friends and partners in the states and is so not only the sponsor of our seminar in Novosaratovka, but also the great friend and promoter of the resurrection of the Lutheran Church at the other end of Russia, the Far East. The new altar is built in his memory.
Manfred Brockmann, pastor at St Paul’s Lutheran Church, Vladivostok, and dean of the Russian Far East.
Ruth Guild has made and sold Christmas ornaments, designed and hawked t-shirts, packaged and peddled tea and cake mixes and our latest adventure in mission funding was our garage sale!
We cleaned our attics, promised each other we would not just trade stuff and held a very successful sale. 
When I observe the women of my guild, I am reminded that mighty courageous souls are many times packaged in ways you’d never imagine. Thanks to all!
Easter 2009 in St Paul’s, Vladivostok : Consecration of our Church Bells and of our new Altar.
The powerful sound of these three bells made the deepest impression to all people,- to those in the church as to those on the streets. Never before such a sound was heard in Vladivostok!!
On the biggest bell are written the words of psalm 46 :”God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear ! “
I met with the Mission Board on Saturday, March 14th. They provided a grand luncheon and lively conversation. They are interested and engaged. It was a great joy to share the afternoon with them telling them of our brothers and sisters in the Russian Lutheran Church. On Sunday, I was given the opportunity to show a power point presentation and speak to both services. In addition, I spoke to the Adult Sunday School.
I was extended such great hospitality and felt so much at home with these wonderful people who share a passion and commitment to God’s work in the world.
I was welcomed at Trinity Lutheran and made presentations at both services and during the Adult Sunday School Hour. Everyone was warm and interested. Pastor Gary Teske is a leader of the Central States Synod Companion Synod Team and has been an advocate for Pau Pau NewGuneau and the Russian Far East for many years.
