Author: Amy Gilgenbach

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.

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!

Pastor Tony

Easter resurrection

What About Easter

Easter has arrived and with it the end of the Lenten season. For this month, I would like to write about what Holy Week meant to me since my childhood, and how it has been changing through my life’s journey.

Holy Week for me in my childhood had only two important days. As you are reading this, I’m sure you are guessing that Easter Sunday is one of those two days, but let me tell you — no. The two days that were very important to me as a young Catholic boy in El Salvador were Palm Sunday and Good Friday. On Palm Sunday, attendance exceeded the capacity of the building. The capacity of the church was twice that of Ascension, but the worshippers that were last to arrive had to sit among the stones that were in the garden outside the church. On Good Friday, the streets filled with hundreds of parishioners accompanying the holy burial. For my family and most people that we knew, those were the only days we attended church throughout the year. Yes, yes, I know what you are thinking and you are wondering what about Easter? I can’t tell you what an Easter service was like in those days because no one I knew attended church on Easter.

When I started going to the Lutheran church in my country, the celebration of Holy Week was a little different. The celebration of Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday had the same level of energy as any Sunday of the year. There was nothing special about these days. I have not experienced Holy Week in El Salvador since 2017 and on that trip, our delegation returned home the day before Easter, so I don’t know if things have changed since moving to the U.S. ten years ago.

In my new life in the United States, the celebration of Holy Week is one of the things that impresses me in the Lutheran Church. Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday are all treated as high Holy Days, but the big difference occurs on Easter Sunday. On my first Easter Sunday, my wife told me, “This Sunday you should dress a little nicer than normal.” I was confused and asked her why. Her response was “Edwin, it is Easter.” My response, “So??” Finally, I listened to her and dressed a little nicer than most Sundays. To be honest, I thought that she was exaggerating. Imagine my surprise when I arrived at the church, everyone was dressed in formal clothes for the celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank goodness my in-laws had saved seats for us, because the congregation was nearly to the Hearth Room. I never expected a crowd on Easter Sunday. I was equally surprised after church ended, the conversations taking place in the narthex were about whose house people were going to be visiting for the day for their Easter dinner. I was so confused. I couldn’t understand why people were making such a big deal about this day. I didn’t understand why we were going to a dinner at my in-law’s house, but I enjoyed the party, even if I didn’t understand what ham was either.

Over the years, I began to see Holy Week in a new way. If we only gather for Good Friday to remember the suffering, but not on Easter to remember the resurrection, our Holy Week and our faith journey are incomplete.

This is true throughout the year, all of us will experience moments of anguish and pain, but in the end we have to remember that there is always new life. Our Lord, through his sufferings, death and resurrection has released you, me and all humanity. Joy is always coming. Easter Sunday is the most important holiday for Christians and should be celebrated in church, and with family and friends. Happy Easter!

Edwin Aparicio, Pastoral Intern

Easter Holy Week

GriefShare

If you are or someone you know is struggling with the complex and painful experience of grief after the death of a spouse, child, family member or friend, then we invite you to consider finding help and encouragement through Ascension’s grief support ministry, GriefShare.

GriefShare is a network of 12,000+ churches worldwide, equipped to offer grief support groups. Ascension’s grief recovery ministry offers GriefShare in a series of weekly support meetings designed to offer compassionate conversation along with helpful tools and resources to help you process your grief and rebuild your life after losing a loved one.

The current session of GriefShare is a 10-week program led by Pastor Tony and takes place on Tuesday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. from March 27 – May 30. Through the use of video teaching and small group conversation, we seek to provide a safe and supportive space to provide care and encouragement that can be crucial to a person in grief.

Participants are encouraged to attend all 10 sessions however you are also welcome to begin our GriefShare group at any point. Each session is “self-contained,” so you do not have to attend in sequence, and you will be able to pick up any session you missed in our 10-week cycle.

Please contact the church office to sign up or sign up online. Questions? Please contact Pastor Tony, 262-547-8518 or tony@ascensionelca.org.

grief Grief Support GriefShare

But Sunday…

Holy Week has come.

Thursday will bring us to the upper room and the gathering of friends around the table with Jesus. Feet will be washed. Jesus will command us to love one another. Bread and wine will be offered.

In all the things we do as Christians, this holy week of worship, preparation, remembrance, ritual, grieving, and celebration brings us closest to the footsteps of our Savior. The week is filled with drama. The last week of the life of Jesus brings the promise of freedom; the promise of welcome; the promise of love; and the promise of life.

Palm Sunday shares the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem to shouts of “hosanna,” which means “save us” and palm branches waving in celebration of the arrival of the king. Even riding on a humble donkey, Jesus still gathers the hungry, the hopeless, and the hurting to a parade of hope that he would deliver God’s people from their oppression.

Friday we will follow Jesus to the cross. We will hear cries of “crucify” and words of forgiveness from our Savior. Even on the cross Jesus will welcome one of the criminals crucified beside him a place in the Kingdom of God. Darkness will cover the earth. An earthquake will shake the world. Our Savior will be placed in a freshly carved tomb. For a time, it will feel as if the light of the world has gone out forever.

But Sunday.

Sunday comes and the sun rises and the women who venture to the tomb under cover of darkness find the stone rolled away. Angels will question the women, “why are you crying?” And when the disciples run to tell the others, Mary will linger in the garden only to be questioned by one she believes to be the gardener — until he calls her by name, “Mary.”

When Mary hears her name, the tears that fall in grief become tears that weep in joy. In the light of resurrection joy, Mary names her Savior “Rabonni” (teacher). I expect that when we meet Jesus at the gates of heaven, we will know exactly how Mary felt when she realized that the one speaking to her was her risen Lord and Savior.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

People of God – Happy Easter!

See you in church.

Pastor Chris

Holy Week 2023