May 16, 2021
Dear LifeBridge Community Church,
Rachel and I have been continuously thankful to receive your financial and prayer support during our time in Seminary. Your help has not only been helpful but has also been so appreciated! Thank you so very much!
We would love to take a minute to update y’all on what is happening in our lives, as our first year of studies is about to end.
For me (Daniel), I am currently in three classes: Luther as Pastoral Theologian, Introduction to Historical Theology, and Pauline Epistles. I am also in formation lab, Greek lab, and Field Work. I think my favorite class right now is Luther as Pastoral Theologian, as it has proven to be practical and fascinating. I loved our unit on prayer. It focused on how God commands us to pray and promises to hear and answer our prayer as well as how we can approach God in boldness and confidence as our dear Father! We have also covered suffering, which is a hard topic, but an important one to deal with. Right now we’re dealing with the Christian life.
Rachel is also currently taking three classes in addition to attending Formation Lab and Greek Lab: Spiritual Care and the Word, Creeds and Confessions, and Pauline Epistles. She is particularly enjoying Spiritual Care and the Word where she gets to learn listening skills and the basics of how to provide spiritual counsel.
I have been loving being a Field Worker at Salem Lutheran Church in Black Jack, MO! I get to do children’s messages, help lead the service on some Sundays, and had the opportunity to lead Bible class once. The past two Sundays (and the 4th in May and 1st and 4th in June) I attended a different church, however, for a cross-cultural module I am required to take here at Seminary. It is a church called Chai V’ Shalom, which is a congregation that focuses on outreach to the Jewish population (as even the pastor converted from Judaism).
Rachel continues to help some with the Sunday School and special music at church while also attending a mid-week women’s Bible class that she enjoys. She also had a cross-cultural module helping with a sewing class for women at Christian Friends of New Americans. She had a great time learning about the women’s culture as well as how to navigate a language barrier.
Lastly, I am working at Chick-fil-A and Rachel continues to work at Christ Memorial Child Care Center.
Thank you again for your continued financial and prayer support! We are excited to hear about the building project for the pregnancy center and all that happens at LifeBridge! We hope and pray all is well with y’all.
In Christ,
Daniel and Rachel Heitshusen
