The past two days were spent on two 6-hour round trips each day. Yesterday we drove to Guntipalli, where a new school was built in this village of about 5,000 people. There is no other school in the village, and children had to take motorcycle taxis to another village (about 6 miles away) to attend school. The new school was funded with donations from ELS members and friends, and is scheduled to open for the new school year, which begins in June.
St. Paul’s Lutheran School was dedicated to the glory of God during a service at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, next to the school. Rev. Steve Petersen preached for the dedication, with seven national pastors also participating in the service.
Today we drove to Ilapuram for the dedication of a new parsonage, stopping along the way at two churches to greet and encourage the brothers and sisters in Christ. One of the congregations is in a tribal village.
A short service was held in Christ Lutheran Church, with the congregation then processing to the new parsonage behind the church building. Rev. Brad Kerkow delivered the homily during the service and dedicated the new home for the pastor and his family.
Tomorrow we leave for home, so this is the final entry. After returning home, we’ll post a photo album on Facebook, with many new photos. I hope you have enjoyed reading these updates as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them. Thanks for reading!
-Rev. Paul Fries
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