Dear Mrs. Jan Dankwardt,
I have been informed by Rev. Sheafer that the South Wisconsin District LWML has graciously contributed towards my seminary education. I am very appreciative of your support. I wish to extend my thanks to you and to all the ladies of the South Wisconsin LWML. I pray that you may all have a blessed Advent season and a joyous celebration of our Savior’s birth.
I apologize for the late response - I need to watch my email more closely. I wanted to thank you for the generous gift given by the LWML for my seminary education and pastoral formation. It is a great blessing to be at seminary and your financial grant is greatly appreciated by myself and my family. I am currently here without my family, so I am paying additonal room and board in addition to the mortage on the house we are trying to sell - the money received from you is a blessing. Thank you.
In Christ,
Blair Kasfeldt
Greetings in the Name of our Lord,
I am writing in gratitude to the generous out-pouring of faith from you all. You have taken me up as a receiver of aid from the S. Wisconsin district of the LWML and for that I am grateful. I thank our heavenly Father that your faith is so great as to be concerned about the formation of Pastors in His Church. Pastors are a wonderful gift from the Father to His church. They bring light and life to our lives by speaking and feeding us the Gospel. We here at the Seminary continue to pray that the proclamation of the Gospel and the partaking of the Lord’s Supper continue in the South Wisconsin District. No greater gift can we receive than forgiveness from the God-man, Jesus. I am encouraged by your offering and will continue to work hard. It is a trying time for us all as the economy takes a downward turn. It is even difficult for us at Seminary as costs and tuition goes up and aid from outside and inside the synod drop down. However, every little prayer and offering from the Faithful is a pleasant balm to sooth the soul and encourage us.
As for me, this year at Seminary has been quite a ride so far. Too many things to read and too little time! However, things have settled down and I am enjoying my classes. This quarter they are: Pastoral Theology, Catechetics, Confessions (where we study the Book of Concord), and a class on the letters from Paul. I have to say that even though I have many books to go through, I enjoy finding Jesus in it all. All we talk about is Christ and His work accomplished for us on the cross, which is what we Lutherans are known for and love to talk about. I look forward to honing my skill as a teacher to be able to show the people that Jesus came for them and brings good things. He knows what he is talking about and challenges me to understand the same.
I would like to thank all of the women there, especially Mrs. Jan Dankwardt for her help. We all continue to pray for the Faithful in the LWML and ask our heavenly Father that He would guard your hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus, until His coming.
Thank you again and have a Blessed Advent and a Holy Christmas!
Seminarian Benjamin D. Hertel
--------------------------