Author: Amy Gilgenbach

What’s Next?

Graduation is now a memory. As you know, on Sunday, May 14, my family and I had a wonderful weekend. My wife even took a day off of work for the first time to extend our stay in Dubuque. On Friday, we visited the aquarium before heading to the seminary. My daughters, Marta and Luisa, were very surprised when they saw Wartburg for the first time. Luisa said this, “Did Daddy go to Harry Potter’s school?” Having toured the building a bit, Luisa wanted to visit the seminary playground. Marta and I joined the cricket game for faculty, students and their families. Marta loved cricket and she’s ready to bring it to Ascension.

Edwin graduating from seminary,
May 2023

Saturday was a day of much practice and celebration. My daughters were part of the baccalaureate procession, so even they had to attend practice. That evening we all attended the banquet where families and friends participated and witnessed the wonderful stories of this brilliant Christian community called Wartburg Theological Seminary.

After four years of waiting — Sunday — graduation day arrived, but the day did not start the way I wanted it to start. I realized that morning that in my excitement I had never written the prayers of the people to send to Pastor Jay, who was subbing for me at Ascension. I stayed in the hotel room, but in my excitement, it took me longer to write the prayers than usual. Finally, my parents-in-law offered to drive to campus with our daughters to save us seats. They got there just in time to get the last seats in the last row! Finally, the prayers were finished, I emailed them to Pastor Tony. My wife and I arrived at seminary and we were able to walk in one minute before the procession started.

In the afternoon, we had the graduation ceremony. During the ceremony, I was flooded with memories. Remembering my past as a child in my country El Salvador, memories of my time working with the Iglesia Luterana Salvadareña, thought of the ever-present support of the Ascension community, and reflections of all the things my family had to bear due to my absence and my stress. At last the diploma was placed in my hands. The first thing I did was check my name. It was misspelled in the program, so I was worried, but they got it right where it matters — my diploma was written correctly.

In the month of May, I received an invitation from the Director for Latin America and the Caribbean Service of the ELCA to participate in a workshop in Mexico from June 5 to June 9. The workshop consists of Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Processes for companions in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. This will be my first learning experience in this type of event.

The continuous life of learning and discernment continues. A cycle has ended. Now, I’m waiting for what the Holy Spirit says about the next journey he has prepared for me, my wife and my daughters. Psalm 32.8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”

Edwin Aparicio, Spanish-language minister

Life’s Journeys

As we begin stepping into the summer months I find myself reflecting on how much I love the rhythm of summer. In some wonderful ways, the pace is a bit slower, or so I’ve been told, but life being what it is my summer schedule is filling up fast – so I’m not quite sure how much slower this summer promises to be.

For many people, summer typically brings with it the opportunity to take a vacation, and for a good number of people this means traveling. Maybe it’s visiting family or friends in another state. Or maybe it’s going to visit a national park or a theme park. Perhaps it’s going up north to a summer cottage.

Regardless of where we go, who we go to see or what we go to do, traveling offers us new opportunities for fun and reconnection with family, friends, creation, and even our likes and our passions. Surprisingly, it can also give us a pretty good idea of what we can expect in this life as the children of God.

In biblical times traveling was a challenge and often required endurance. It certainly came with its own set of difficulties that arose along the way – where will we stop to eat? Can’t you hold it just a little bit longer…and didn’t you just go the last time we stopped? What’s that smell? Are we there yet? What’s taking so long? Any of this sound familiar?

No matter how seasoned a traveler you are, from time to time we all encounter some challenges when traveling. And although we love when everything goes smoothly, deep down we know there’s always a possibility that things might not go as planned. But despite the bumps, we make adjustments, we change our timeline, and we keep going because we’re committed to reaching our destination.

In a similar way, I think many of us are guilty of expecting that our lives will always go smoothly. However, if we think of life in this world in the way we understand travel, then we’ll be reminded that the bumps along the way are a normal part of the journey.

When my family takes a road trip or flies somewhere for vacation, we definitely enjoy seeing what’s around or below us as we pass by – like stopping at different restaurants and experiencing exciting places and things along our journey, but ultimately our hearts are not set on what we’ll pass along the way – our hearts are set on our destination and on the people we’ll see and the time we’ll get to spend with them.

I think sometimes difficult journeys can be beneficial to us because they can cause us to take a step back, gain a new perspective, and reconsider how we travel in the future, but ultimately, we will keep on traveling.

The days of traveling through life can at times be amazing and challenging at others. There are bumps in the road – delays, frustrations, cancellations and the possibility of so much more along the way. But, when we set our eyes on the wonderful destinations that lie ahead promising to offer us joy, excitement, peace, comfort, happiness, and more, we are able to maneuver through the difficulties and setbacks with determination because we know what lies ahead.

So too it is with our journey through life. We will certainly encounter wonderful days along with the difficult ones, but if we keep our eyes fixed on our ultimate destination – on what God has promised us – eternal life with God and a life more wonderful that we could ever comprehend, then we will also find renewed courage, strength, determination, and joy for whatever lies ahead.

My friends, I encourage you to keep your eyes and your hearts focused on the destination that God has promised and gifted to each of us. I pray that God blesses your summer and any travels that come with it. And wherever you go, I hope that you allow the experience of those journeys to offer you a new perspective as you continue on the journey of life. May you know the depth of God’s love, peace, and joy in all the days to come!

Pastor Tony

Tanzania and El Salvador Trips

Tanzania and El Salvador two folded flags together

The Tanzania/El Salvador Dinner & Auction was a success! Thank you to the many volunteers and donors who contributed to the fun-filled evening!

As we get closer to the delegation visits (both from El Savador and to Tanzania), there are a couple of things we could use.

A twin bed (including mattress) that is not overly difficult to move that could be used as a bed for one of our Salvadoran guests for just over a week. It will be in a smoke-free/ pet-free house. (Edwin and Sarah’s house)
Donations for Welcome Kits for the El Salvador delegates.

Activities to Welcome El Salvador Delegates

We’d love to have you join us as you are able!

Welcome Brunch: You’re invited to a potluck brunch at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 20, to welcome the El Salvador delegation to Ascension!
Potluck Picnic: June 24, 5 p.m. at Ascension. Let’s share our Wisconsin hospitality!
Worship at Ascension, Sunday, June 25 8:30 & 10am

Meet the Delegates from El Salvador

We are looking forward to hosting a group from our sister parishes in El Salvador at the end of June. We hope you are able to join us in some of the activities while they are here. Watch for more details as we get closer!

San Jorge Church / Iglesia Milagro de Dios (God’s Miracle Church)

Mayra Criselda Campos de Quintanilla: Mayra is the secretary of the church council for San Jorge Church. She works as a kindergarten teacher.
Claudia María Flores Menjívar: This is Claudia’s second visit to Ascension. She is the facilitator of San Jorge’s church council. Claudia is a school principal.

Usulután Church / Mi Buen Pastor (Good Shepherd Church)

Julio Cesar Chávez Aguilar: Pastor Julio is the pastor at Usulután Church, Llano El Coyol, and Puerta Parada Churches. Pastor Julio is the brother of Pastora Blanca from San Jorge church.
Pastor Rafael Menjivar on behalf of Bishop Gomez, who is too ill to travel.
Victoriano Amilcar Torres Ramirez: Amilcar is the president of the Usulután church council. He buys old homes and cars, repairs them and then resells them.

Meet the Delegates to Tanzania

Pastor Tony Acompanado: I have served here since 2014 first as the Director of Faith Formation and then, after completing seminary, I was ordained and called to serve here as one of the pastors. I preach and teach and love to stay involved with our youth. I especially enjoy using my gifts in pastoral care to help people find peace and joy in God while experiencing difficult times. I’ve traveled internationally for mission trips many times but this will be my first time going to Tanzania.
Jackie Bosanac: I am a lifelong member of Ascension. I was involved with the baby ministry, knitting afghans for baptisms but took a hiatus from it when my husband got sick. I want to start up again knitting soon. I work two days a week for my sister at her daycare in Mukwonago. I have two adult children whom blessed me with five grandchildren.
Dianne Frowein: Dianne has been a member of Ascension Lutheran Church for almost 20 years. She is married to Rick Frowein. Dianne and Rick have three grown children and two grandchildren. She has been a substitute teacher in the Waukesha School District for 20 years. Dianne moved to Waukesha, Wisconsin, 40 years ago from the Chicago area where she worked for the Bank of America. She is a member of the Waukesha Service Club where she has been a buyer in the Gift Shop at Waukesha Memorial Hospital for 11 years. She enjoys reading, golfing, boating and sewing.
Rick Frowein: Rick retired six years ago from GE Healthcare after working there for over 38 years. He has been married to his wife Dianne for 41 years. Rick enjoys traveling, home improvement projects, and outdoor activities (boating, golfing, and skiing). He has been a long time Board member of the local YMCA and currently serves as its Foundation Board president. He is also a Vice President on the Mt. Meru Coffee Project Board responsible for its weekly operations.
The Ward Family: Bob Ward was baptized and confirmed at Ascension. Additionally, Bob and Kim were married in 2003 and went on a honeymoon with complete strangers to Honduras on their first mission trip with Ascension. Bob has been an electrician for 28 years and currently works at Preferred Electric. He’s been known to volunteer his time with projects around church. He has three beautiful children, two of whom are going on this trip. In his limited free time, Bob enjoys working on home improvement projects, traveling, hiking, and cheering on the Packers, Bucks, Brewers, and his kids’ sports teams.
Kim Bingen-Ward has been a member at Ascension since approximately 2003. She fell in love with the contemporary service and enjoys listening to the Praise Band. The trip to Honduras was life-changing, and she still thinks of one of the girls that she instantly bonded with. Kim has been working with children with autism for nearly 28 years. In 2010, Kim opened up Autism Treatment for Children, a small clinic that provides behavioral therapy, with her close friend and business partner. In Kim’s also limited free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, cuddling with her cats Midge and Gilmore, and supporting her three children in all of their extracurricular activities.
Zack Ward was baptized and confirmed at Ascension. He is currently finishing his sophomore year at Mukwonago High School and fingers crossed will maintain his 4.0 GPA. Zack works part-time at Metro Market in Mukwonago and has played high school and club volleyball and high school tennis. Zack loves playing video games with his brother who undoubtedly is his best friend.
Alina Ward was baptized and will be confirmed in October at Ascension. Alina is finishing up her eighth-grade year at Parkview Middle School in Mukwonago. Currently, Alina is studying for her finals in Algebra and Spanish in which she will receive high school credit as a middle schooler. Alina is involved in dance and volleyball. Her aspirations are to be a doctor or veterinarian. In Alina’s free time, she likes to hang out with her friends and her guinea pigs, Smore and Pepper.
Jeremy Poling: Jeremy is a drummer in the Praise Band at the late service. He is also a former council president. Jeremy traveled to El Salvador with Ascension on our most recent trip.
Sarah Wehmeier Aparicio: Sarah is a life-long Ascension member and coordinates our sister parish relationships in El Salvador and Tanzania. Sarah is a music teacher, currently at Summit View Arts Magnet School. In addition, Sarah is a part-time administrator in the church office and is the music leader for Spanish worship. When not at work, Sarah and her husband Edwin can be found supporting their daughters Marta and Luisa in one of their many activities.

El Salvador Mission Outreach serve Tanzania 2023

Jump Into June

The gray days of May are out of the way. Hopefully! There were long stretches of days of gray in May that reminded me of weeks and months of gray days in Tacoma, WA while I was an undergrad at Pacific Lutheran University. I learned to appreciate the gray days while I waited for the few precious days when the sun would shine brightly across the campus. Gray days made it easier to study and write papers and be in class. On the days when the sun brought warmth to the campus, everyone moved outside to revel in the warmth of the sun’s rays.

Today, on the campus of Ascension, the sun is shining. It is beautiful. The leaves move just enough to tell us a breeze is blowing. The Memorial Gardens, flowerbeds, and butterfly garden are alive with blossoms and fresh, tender green leaves. As I type, I contemplate moving my laptop outside. I am grateful for countless hands with dirt under their fingernails that have tended our garden beds and renewed this house of God in spectacular ways as a sign of hope within the community of Waukesha. We give thanks to God for the countless hours that many of you have offered to bless this house of worship with grounds that give glory to God.

Although our regular ministry programming slows down in the summer months, it is always a good time to enjoy the gift of God’s creation. Our 10:45 a.m. service moves to 10 a.m. and is outside in the Memorial Gardens behind the church on the 1st and 3rd Sundays. The Praise Band provides the music and we still do all the things – music, prayer, children’s time, reading, sermon, and communion. It is BYOC (bring your own chair) and we will enjoy BBQ on the 1st Sunday of each month offered by AMEN (men’s ministry). You are invited to bring a side dish or dessert to share.

Friday, June 2, is the beginning of the Synod Assembly for the Greater Milwaukee Synod at the Italian Community Center in Milwaukee. Pastor Tony, Edwin, and I are hosting worship for the Synod once again this year. If you have free time from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. we would love to have your help setting-up the ballroom and preparing the worship space. We would also happily host you at lunch in the Third Ward … something to think about. You can send me an email if you are interested, pc@ascensionelca.org.

JOLT leaves for Adventure Camp in the Wisconsin Dells area on Sunday, June 11, around 2 p.m. for three days of adventure and “challenge by choice.” Your prayers are appreciated. June 11, we are also hosting the Rev. Roy Nelson from Hope Center to share with us the new plans for the remodel and move of the old Chase Bank location downtown into the new Hope Center. Plans are already in progress. Roy is excited too. He will present during worship and then in-between services to share the many layers of ministry addressing homelessness, hunger, and other challenges facing a number of men, women, and families in Waukesha.

We will also meet at 11:30 a.m. on June 11, for a congregational meeting to vote to call Edwin Aparicio as our third pastor here at Ascension. You must be present to vote. Assuming the vote is a yes, and Edwin says yes, there is a Service of Ordination tentatively scheduled for Sunday, June 25, at 3:30 p.m. with a dinner reception to follow. We will be hosting a delegation of friends from our partner churches in El Salvador during the week of the 19th of June all the way through the ordination. And before you know it, June 29 will arrive and 12 of our members will travel to Tanzania to renew our partnership with our sister churches – Samaria, Neema, and Galilaya in addition to our two elementary schools, one secondary school, rehab center, special needs school, and coffee project. We return on July 10. Watch the Facebook page updates and pictures, pictures, pictures.

And on a personal note, you have been so incredibly gracious and caring in receiving the news of my upcoming surgery. Thank you for your kind words and for your prayers before, during, and after. Ileen and I are grateful for your concern.

See you in church.

Pastor Chris

Adventure Camp JOLT Pastor Chris Tanzania 2023

Walk With Ascension

Baptismal Blankets ~ Did You Know?

Sharon Dykstra knits the beautiful handmade, baptismal blankets that Ascension gives at baptisms. The families and the people baptized appreciate the tangible reminder of God’s love.

Thank you, Sharon, for your hard work and care in making the blankets!

Pastoral Assistance

If you or a family member is hospitalized and would like a visit from one of our pastors or pastoral assistants, please call the church office at 262-547-8518.

Young At Heart (55+)

If you are interested in fun outings and events, consider the Young at Heart Ministry for people 55 and older. They meet on the third Wednesday of each month to gather for a potluck and play cards and games.

Bunco

Join the Young at Heart and others on the 4th Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m. for a few rounds of bunco (a dice game) and a lot of laughter!

Baptismal blankets Pastoral Assistants Walk Walk With Ascension Young at Heart

¡Gracias!

Thank you so much!

At last, the end of the journey in the seminary has come! It seems like a just year ago that my family and I made the decision to embark on this journey of preparation and discernment to join the work that God is already doing in our communities and around the world. As I began my final semester in January, many memories came to mind. Memories of my first steps learning about the presence of God in the communities in the midst of a civil war. Memories of when I was part of a Christian community for the first time in the Llano el Coyo Lutheran Church. Memories of when I received the opportunity to preach for the first time in El Salvador. Memories of when I received the call of God for the first time but I, like many others, rejected his call. Memories when I moved to Waukesha and started a life different than I ever imagined for my future.

As an ESL student I had to face many challenges, but along the way I realized that I was not alone. Just as Jesus revealed himself and joined the conversation that the disciples were having on their way to Emmaus, Jesus revealed himself to me and joined in this journey from the first semester through all of you.

I could not have walked this path alone. First of all, I want to thank God for providing me with two wonderful supervisors in Pastor Chris and Pastor Tony who were always there to support me during moments of frustration and hopelessness, supporting me emotionally and spiritually. They were with me in both the joyful and difficult times. Sincere thanks to all those who were part of the internship committee, for having dedicated part of their time and participating in my training process during the 18 months of my internship. Susan Otto, thank you for your patience, your time and for helping me immensely in the pronunciations in English. I need to also thank Pastor Betty Baires, my mentor, and Jay McDivitt for leading Spanish language worship whenever I was preaching in English at 10:45.

To all of you as a congregation: thank you for all your thoughts, prayers, and financial help. A big thank you for your patience and grace when you had to listen to me preach in English, when perhaps my accent made it hard to understand what I was saying. The biggest thank you is for accepting God’s call to open the doors of our church to the Latino ministry. I am proud to be part of a Christian community that not only opened the doors to a new ministry, but also recognizes the sacred diversity that exists in others. Thank you for accepting, participating, and promoting each of the traditions that the Latino ministry has brought to this Sacred Place.

And finally, last but not least, my family. My parents-in-law with their willingness to support in multiple ways these past four years. My family from El Salvador who has been supporting me with their prayers, thoughts, and participation in the ministry. And my amazing wife and daughters who have been very, very patient and supportive of me in every way. My daughters are at an age where they do not remember life before seminary. They only know me as the daddy yelling at them to be quiet because I’m in class on Zoom and too busy with class to come to their activities. They are about to see a new side of their father.

A new episode is about to begin in our life as a family, we do not know the future but we do have the confidence that Jesus will continue to reveal himself and walk with us, just as he did with his disciples on their way to Emmaus.

“First of all I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is spread throughout the whole world.” (Romans 1.8)

Edwin Aparicio, Pastoral Intern

Easter Reflections

We are sitting in Starbucks. Come on! We know that is not a surprise! (Have you met Pastor Chris?)

We are still reflecting on the beauty of worship that carried us through Holy Week and brought us into the joy of Easter Day. If you get a chance, please take the time to thank the church staff. They are incredibly gifted individuals.

Our musicians – Vicki, Ben, and Sarah. They are gifts of God to shape the highs and lows in our worship life.
Our administrators – Amy and Tamie. They are the ones who attend to all the details of the order of worship, double-checking and triple checking what we have planned.
Our gifted ensembles – handbells, praise team, choir, and numerous instrumentalists and soloists. They provide the backdrop to so many moments of emotion in the story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Ascension continues to be a community of faith that draws all of us, and others we have yet to meet, to the very foot of God’s throne. It is humbling to watch so many talents collaborate to bring glory to our God. And then when we add the voices of all of you who gather to worship – how wonderful the sounds of praise to our God.

We are also humbled for the 14 month journey that completed the remodel of the kitchen – the last piece of phase 2 of our remodel. It is glorious. We are moved in thanks to some very dedicated women who rearranged drawers and shelves more than once to figure out what will work best in the kitchen. We are indebted to Michael Jahner, Cynthia Carlson, Dennis Nowak, Dick Boward, Ron Marien, and Arlene Davis for bringing all the pieces together and navigating the city permitting process. In the days ahead, we will focus on replacing the sanctuary roof and the sliding glass door in the hearth room. However, both are in okay shape and for the next few months we will concentrate more on ministry than remodeling – though, we are convinced they go hand-in-hand in the house of God.

We are not surprised at all that we would celebrate Easter at the same time we are celebrating the resurrection of our kitchen. The mission and ministry of the community of Ascension centers on the death and resurrection of Jesus and so often the kitchen is the hub of activity in the ministry that reflects the moments of sorrow and joy in our lives. We are preparing to celebrate the gift of our new kitchen with the Mission Fundraising Auction and Dinner on Saturday, May 20^th beginning at 5:00pm. Come and share in fellowship, beer and wine, good food, and hear about the upcoming delegation visit from El Salvador and the upcoming delegation from Ascension who are preparing to travel to Usa River, Tanzania to reconnect with our sisters and brothers at our sister parishes of Samaria, Neema, and Galilaya along with our two elementary schools, new special needs school, and our new secondary school. So much for which we can give thanks to God.

It is a glorious thing – to share in the ministry of Ascension. We are counting down the days until Edwin graduates from seminary. The story of God’s love continues to unfold among us, in us, and through us. Thank you for joining us on the journey at Ascension. We are humbled to share the road with you.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

See you in church.

Pastor Chris & Pastor Tony

celebration Easter resurrection

Now What?

Our Lenten journey will soon be coming to an end. On Palm Sunday, we will rejoice in Jesus’ triumphant and bittersweet entry into Jerusalem. We will gather in the upper room on Maundy Thursday to celebrate the last supper with Jesus and his disciples. We will travel to the foot of the cross on Good Friday to hear Jesus utter a lonely cry of abandonment. And on Easter Sunday, we will walk alongside a group of women to the place where they laid the lifeless body of Jesus only find the tomb empty just as he promised.

That’s all well and good, but a provocative question still remains for many – so what? I still have to go back to work and school on Monday. Bills are still due. The surgery is still scheduled. I still need my therapy appointment. Life doesn’t seem to have magically gotten any easier as a result of my participation in the events of Holy Week. So, then why does the resurrection matter and what does it mean for me now?

The resurrection of Jesus matters because it shows us what we might have trouble seeing in the chaotic and divisive world around us – that God loves us beyond measure. That through the gracious gift of Jesus, God defeated sin and death, opening the gate to eternal life, for us.

Some of you will be spending a lot of time in church over the next week – Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. You will hear the good news of the death and resurrection of Jesus and what it means for you today, tomorrow, and forever. And now that the culminating event of the Resurrection is complete – What are you supposed to do now?

It’s a question that comes upon each of us throughout our lives because there’s no shortage of things that come at us on a daily basis – What do we do now that we got the test results? What do we do now that I’ve lost my job? What do I do now that I’ve graduated? What do I do now that the relationship is over? What do I do now that the divorce is final? What do I do now that my loved one has died? What do you do next in the midst of the ups and downs of life that are sure to come?

My friends, Jesus has been set loose in the world to bring light out of darkness, forgiveness out of sin, and life out of death. He is the One who can bring joy out of sorrow, faith out of doubt, hope out of despair, and love out of fear. And he invites us to join him and proclaim God’s power to all who are lost and without hope.

So, what do we do now? We respond to God’s grace, love and mercy by going forth from Easter Sunday and the celebration of the empty tomb as witnesses, freed to live and love and serve as God’s forgiven children in Christ Jesus. And as we go forth empowered by God’s Spirit, living and active within us, may we live in the joy of the resurrection so that everyone, everywhere will see just how great God is! Happy Easter! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!