A couple of years ago, I secretly made him a May basket, proceeded to sneak out of the motorhome, knocked on the outside door and Larry answered. I proudly handed him the basket and shouted as I began to ran away, "Come and catch me!" Off we went running at full speed through a Super Walmart parking lot. Out of breath Larry finally cornered me as I entered the outdoor garden center. People looked at us with curiosity probably thinking I had shoplifted something and a manager was chasing me. Then Larry grabbed me, pulled me into his arms, and kissed me. We were giggling hysterically and everyone looking on chuckled at, I am sure, a comical sight.

We've been crisscrossing from Pennsylvania to Michigan to Indiana and back to Michigan these last few weeks. Last Sunday we were in Jonesville, MI, at the Hillsdale Assembly of God pastored by Dennis and Joyce Haarer. We have had the pleasure of ministering in their church before, and they, too, are a sweet and tender couple.

A touching moment in the service was when we asked Ray and Carol Curran to give a testimony of what happened in their lives when we ministered there in 2004. Ray shared the following,

"We were religious people doing the religious thing but never had a relationship with Christ. We were never happy. Then one day, our friends, Bill and Donna Miller, invited us to come to church to hear Larry and Gloria Lundstrom. They said we would enjoy the singing and the preaching. We agreed to accompany our friends. We listened to their music and their time of ministry and loved it. Then, Larry preached about a relationship with Christ…not religion. When he gave the altar call, the Holy Spirit moved on our hearts and we stepped forward to the altar and prayed the sinner's prayer. Wow…what a change! We now have a personal relationship with Christ. Our lives have never been the same. Since we came to Christ, several of our children and their families have gotten saved. We are so thankful our friends, the Millers, invited us to church or this would have never happened."

This time when we ministered at Hillsdale Assembly of God, Ray and Carol invited a couple of their friends and they were saved. It is testimonies like these that give us the strength and perseverance to keep pushing on the road. The bible says in John 12:32 "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." If we are faithful to go and to lift Him up, the Holy Spirit does the rest…He draws them unto Himself.

Have a great week and I wish a very special Mother's Day to all of you mothers who give your heart and soul to fulfill this extraordinary calling on your life.

 

 

 

P.S. Special thanks to Walt and Joan Clutter for allowing us to park our motorhome by their beautiful pond providing us a peaceful refuge while in Clarion, PA. They also spoiled us with home-cooked meals and sweet fellowship. Many, many thanks!

April showers…well, I can tell you this…we have had showers, showers and more showers here in Pennsylvania. The spring flowers are making their debut, but they are begging for sunshine. As a matter of fact, so am I. Here it is almost May and it was down to 38 degrees a couple of nights ago. Is this what they call global warming (chuckle)? They are predicting the temperatures will reach 70-80 degrees this weekend; maybe we will go from winter to summer in three days.

I last wrote to you from Grantsville, Maryland, where we had a service with Pastor John and Leona Munley. Talk about an energy-packed ministry couple with an earth-shaking testimony! We had a wonderful service and a sweet altar call. I refer to it as "sweet" because when God moves people to repentance, there is a sweet aroma of God's presence that is so special.

"On Wednesday evening, April 8^th, Maranatha Assembly of God, of Grantsville, MD, had the privilege of hosting Larry and Gloria Lundstrom. The Lundstrom's were not new to Maranatha as they had ministered here many years previous. Much to this pastor's surprise, people from about eight surrounding churches and varying denominations filed in prior to the service for about 30 minutes and the sanctuary began to fill. Old friends, as they consider themselves, sat and were waiting with great expectation to hear the Lundstrom's music and to witness the power of God. By the time the fellowship, the worship and the Word was complete, the anointing fell and the altar began to fill with several new converts and many who rededicated their lives. What a great night in the presence of the Lord! Larry and Gloria will always be received with great expectation at Maranatha Assembly of God!"

On Easter Sunday, we ministered at Cornerstone Assembly of God in Boynton, Pennsylvania, pastored by Rev. and Mrs. Thomas Twigg. They are another wonderful ministry couple with a passion for the Lost, plus a sense of humor like unto to my husband, Larry. Scary! HA! While eating Easter dinner at the Alpine Restaurant, I looked at the two of them and said, "You two are too much alike; I don't know if it is good to have you both together for any length of time." Seriously, it was great and they very much enjoyed exchanging jokes. Now, Larry has some new ones! HA!

From Boynton, PA, we drove to Romney, WV, on April 15^th for a Wednesday evening service. We were delighted to have two churches come together to host a joint service. There was also a precious altar call at this service, but unfortunately I left the memory card out of the camera so we were unable to take any pictures and share them with you.

While we were in the Grantsville, MD, area, we had the opportunity to visit with several friends that we have known since the 70's. Once of those was Hilda Maust who just lost here husband, Ivan, a few months ago. He pastored Maple Glen Mennonite Church for several years and then began to do some hospice work. Hilda and Ivan were instrumental, along with our friends, Raymond and Martha Yoder, to bring us back into the Grantsville area for services this time. If you have been staying current with the "On the Road" updates and have seen the pictures of the many various altar calls, you know that God blessed their efforts. Martha Yoder sent us down the road with homemade bread, strawberry jam, cinnamon rolls and three homemade soups. What a special treat!

On Thursday, April 16^th, we packed up the motorhome and drove to central Pennsylvania, specifically the Clarion area. Again, we have been blessed to have friends like Walt and Joan Clutter who have literally made an RV space with water, electricity hook-ups located behind their house that we are able to use. It is located adjacent to a beautiful pond, stunning flowers, and swimming geese…aha…peace, quiet and beauty…just what the doctor ordered. I feel like we are staying in a scenic park. We will be staying here for about another week…how blessed we are!

"There were several things I really appreciated about your ministry. First, the interaction between the two of you while you ministered revealed a very visible love for one another. Secondly, your authenticity; because you were real, people felt like they knew you. Lastly, I felt it was so important that you shared your real-life experiences as it gave hope to our people."

Sitting here at my work table in the motorhome, I can look out the window and see the pond. The rain is softly falling. I can see spring flowers bursting forth. The grass is so green and the flowers are proudly displaying their brilliant colors of yellows, purples, blues and whites. As I observe this tranquil scene, I am reminded of Lamentations 3 where it states, "His mercies are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness." As sure as spring follows a long winter season, God is always faithful in His mercies and blessings although we may go through long, cold seasons of discouragement, pain or loss. In the midst of a gray day, He allows the Son to break through…just as it literally did a few minutes ago to brighten my day. Great is thy faithfulness! I pray that whatever is taking place in your life at this time, you will sense His love and faithfulness!

Greetings from the beautiful state of Maryland! I love Easter for two main reasons :

1. Christ rose triumphantly over death and the grave!

2. It was in the Easter season that both Larry and I gave our hearts to Christ.

The past two weeks have been filled with Easter resurrection testimonies. Stories of men and women, teens and children passing from spiritual death unto life. It has been so exciting and encouraging.

We were privileged to be back with our pastor friends, Bill and Lynna Roberts at Christ Chapel in Woodbridge, VA, which is located about 30 miles from the nation's capital. Bill and Lynna have such an overwhelming love for people. We first ministered at Christ Chapel in the early 80s. Since then, they have continued to grow, multiply and add numerous support groups into this multi-cultural community. Among their growth is a school, daycare, master's commission, college course (which is an extension of Valley Forge Christian College), etc. Lives are being transformed in great numbers.

We held two AM services and I spoke to the Women on Sunday night who were so hungry for God. After the first service and altar call, pastor Robert said, "We've had Larry and Gloria come to Christ Chapel every 2-3 years since the early 80s. Every time they come to sing and preach, we have been blessed. It doesn't matter if Larry preaches 10 minutes or an hour; the altars are always filled with precious people coming to Christ." He continued, "The altar calls confirm the calling and the anointing of the evangelist, which is God's gift to the church."

From Woodbridge, we scurried on to the historical and beautiful Harpers Ferry, WV. On Wednesday night, April 1^st, we ministered at Bolivar Pentecostal Church with Rev. Bev J Turner. He's such a tender-hearted pastor with a vision to reach the lost. Again, many made decisions for Christ.  Charlotte Demory counseled with Roger and Debby Thomas, who made a first time commitment to Christ. The joy of the Lord literally beamed from their faces.

"Larry and Gloria are one of the Lord's special gifts to the church. We are many times weighted down with the burdens of life. In their effervescence, they come along and remind you that joy is a fundamental right of the Christian life. Their ministry exudes victory which is crucial in these times of intense spiritual warfare. The result is many come to Jesus for the first time, and the whole church is challenged to boldly step out, and share the miracle of their own experiences in Christ. Everyone is blessed!"

Rev. Bev Turner

From Harpers Ferry, we drove to Salisbury, PA where we held a service last Sunday morning, April 5^th at the Oak Dale Church. It's nestled in the beautiful hills of Pennsylvania and pastured by Rev. Joe and Naomi Byler, another precious couple. We have been blessed to meet so many sweet and loving pastors and wives through the years. Again, when the altar call was given, people flowed from the pews to the altar to commit their lives to Christ. Larry and I just stand in awe watching what God does and we are so humbled to think that we can have a part in reaching the Lost and hurting. It's so exciting to see each one come to Christ.

"Larry and Gloria, thank you for ministering to us at Oak Dale with your gift of evangelism. We have been planting and watering and God has used you to help gather in the harvest. You are loved and appreciated, and we look forward to you coming again to minister to us."

Pastor Joe Byler

Gloria

All aboard! We are all packed up in the motor home en route to Washington D.C. area. We were anxious to hit the road again. We will have services next Sunday in Woodbridge, VA which is only a hop-skip- and a jump…25 miles from the nation's capital.

We've had a wonderful 2 months in Florida. God opened up so many doors of personal ministry to so many who needed encouragement. With the crisis America is going through, everyone needs encouragement…including us.

We just couldn't leave Florida without visiting Plant City, FL, the home of miles and miles of strawberry fields. They have markets all along the road. As we drove along, Larry saw a big sign that read, "Fresh Strawberry Shortcake, Strawberry Sundaes, and Strawberry Malts". The line to go in was no less than 100 people at any given time. Larry was anxious to get in line. If I'd asked him to wait in line that long to buy potatoes or squash, he would've quickly said, "Forget that, it's not worth the wait." But…fresh strawberry shortcake well…he did it. I couldn't believe it! I couldn't resist taking a picture of him when he came through the line with his treat! He saw me and showed me the shortcake, which I insisted we share (much to his disappointment). There were trays of goodies all around us. Larry took the first bite, grinned until his dimples showed and gave me the "OK" sign that it was the right decision to wait with 100 others to get it.

Oh yes…I wanted to update you on the Discovery Shuttle Launch from March 15^th. The earlier launch had to be cancelled due to a hydrogen valve leak. Late that Sunday afternoon (the 15^th) we drove from Orlando to Titisville, about 15 miles away. We sailed right in there, despite knowing there would be a HUGE crowd…DUH! This was the 50^th Anniversary of Cape Canaveral's launch. We were blessed to be able to drive right up to the beach area of the Atlantic Ocean in Titisville where we could view the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, which was about 8 miles across the water. When we got there the space shuttle Discovery was scheduled to launch in about 1 hour. Thousands lined up on the beach for miles and miles. There were motorcycles, bikes, campers, motor homes, and thousands of cars - and no, that's not an exaggeration.

You could feel the excitement in the air. It was exhilarating! At 7:45 PM, just as the sun was setting, Discovery rose from a seaside pad. The launch was flawless. Here's Larry's perspective in his own words, of this unforgettable event:

"What an awesome sight to behold as we watched first a small fire, like a blowtorch lifting into the sky. It just seemed to come so close as we were on the other side of the river watching intensely and breathlessly as our American heroes were being lifted out of this atmosphere heading for outer space. It raised so high and then we could see two large tanks break away from the shuttle and plunge to the ocean below. Then it appeared to turn straight upward and as it did we could hear he thrusters burning 5000 Pounds of Solid fuel per second. We could hear it and we could feel it. Then as we watched the trail of smoke like a snake going up into the sky with different Hughes of color hitting the smoke gave an array of colors as we watched the rocket shuttle disappear out of our sight.

I couldn't help but think of another event even more powerful than this one. The Word records that Jesus spoke to the 500 that were with him and instructed them to Go into all the world with the message. He had just proven that He was alive and did exactly what He said He would do when He said, "I have the power to lay down my life and I have the power to take it again". As He was commissioning this group to go…….into all the world and tell them the good news - that's great news - when suddenly another spectacular event happens: Jesus begins to ascend right before their eyes, up, up, up He goes and all around they stood there gazing as He disappeared out of their sight. Everyone must have been numb and speechless, just staring and trying to get a grasp of what they had just witnessed with their own eyes. The Lord had to sort of nudge them with an angel who said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven," (Acts 1:11).

Have a wonderful week - talk to you soon! God's blessings on you!

On Sunday morning we ministered at Son Harvest Church in Crosby, TX where he pastors. Not surprisingly, we were greeted by an exceptionally loving and kind congregation. I think they blessed us as much as we were trying to be a blessing to them. When Larry gave the invitation for those to come to Christ or to renew their relationships with Christ, they literally flowed to the altar with tears of repentance flowing down their faces.

"The ministry of Larry and Gloria brought joy, laughter, song, and the true love of Christ into our church. The results were many re-dedications and brand new salvations. What a great time we had. Larry and Gloria also made my wife and I, (the Pastor) feel as if we had known them forever. What a great couple. They will bring life to anyone they come in contact with. This ministry is a must to have in your church."

After church and lunch, Pastor Richard drove us back into Houston where we had the privilege of attending the Elim Church Conference. It's a time of restoration and renewal for Pastors, Missionaries, Evangelists and Ministers. We sat and drank from the well and were immersed in 30 plus hours of ministry in the next 3 days. The teaching and preaching was exceptionally anointed. Larry and I sat like sponges, soaking up encouragement and truths. We were definitely challenged by each session. We also made new friends from several countries and all over the U.S. It was like a bit of Heaven.  It was also fun getting to visit with Dave Walls who is a teacher and Associate Director of Shiloh Ministries in Liberty, TX.

Before leaving Houston, we had the pleasure of spending a couple hours with our friend, John Sommer. John was a keyboardist with us on the road years ago. He was a delight then - and still is. John works with his father, Carl Sommer, who is a devoted author, educator and President of Advance Publishing. Carl has written over a hundred books, many for children and teens, and they have been translated into many languages. His series of children's books have always been a favorite of our grandchildren. John is also a great musician, a partner with his father in Advance Publishing, and has a recording studio amongst his many endeavors.

Last Thursday we flew out of Houston, TX, back to Orlando and on to Winter Haven, FL. The flight coming back was open seating. I sat between 2 business men. The one by the window was a born again Christian, and we had a wonderful time talking about the Lord and discussing scriptures. On the isle side was the other business man who is employed by NASA as a flight director in Houston's NASA command center. What an interesting conversation we had! He, along with 49 others were en route to Cape Canaveral to do the last minute preparation and check-up to make sure that the shuttle is ready for launch (which would be tonight, 3-11-09). The shuttle was supposed to be launched a month ago, but was delayed due to some problems. This man turned to me and asked, "Have you ever gone to Cape Canaveral to watch the lift-off?" Of course, I responded, "No I haven't." I could hardly finish my answer when he turned to me with excitement, eyes all lit up, and said, "Oh, you've just got to go see it - it's the experience of a lifetime. This is NASA's 50^th year anniversary…you don't want to miss it! It's set to launch this coming Wednesday night." He proceeded to direct me to where we should drive to, informing me that there is a place about 5 miles away, which he assured me the sight will be bigger than life. With a chuckle I quickly replied, "The question is will I be able to feel the big thrust at take-off?" To which he responded, "Well I've never been there for it, I'm always in the command center at the screen, direction from Houston…but I'm sure you'll feel it!"

I'm illiterate when it comes to all that NASA stuff, but I thought to myself, "Praise God, I have Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, my protector, provider, friend, and healer at the command center in Heaven looking down and wanting to direct our lives." I'm encouraged to know that Jesus Christ will be coming soon, and I don't feel it's too far off. He's encouraging us to hold fast until He comes. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 declares, "¹⁶For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸Therefore encourage each other with these words."

Wow, what a great lift-off that will be as we go home to Heaven! No Cape Canaveral launch will ever be able to compete with the breathtaking thrill and joy of the Lord coming to take us home. Yes, I'm getting excited just thinking about it!

First Time Rider

A lady decides to try horseback riding, even though she has had no lessons or prior experience.

She mounts the horse unassisted and the horse immediately springs into motion.  It gallops along at a steady and rhythmic pace, but the lady begins to slip from the saddle.  In terror, she grabs for the horse's mane, but cannot seem to get a firm grip.  She tries to throw her arms around the horse's neck, but she slides down the side of the horse anyway.  The horse gallops along, seemingly ignorant of its slipping rider.  Finally, giving up her frail grip, the lady attempts to leap away from the horse and throw herself to safety.  Unfortunately, her foot becomes entangled in the stirrup, and she is now at the mercy of the horse's pounding hooves as her head is struck against the ground over and over.

As her head is battered against the ground, she is mere moments away from unconsciousness when to her great fortune, Bobby, the Walmart greeter, sees her and unplugs the horse.

We have just passed Thanksgiving and the Christmas season is now in full swing. The month of December will whiz by with all of its Christmas festivities.

Speaking of events and festivities, Larry and I made a trip to Minneapolis to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. We, along with our daughter, LaDawn and grandchildren, Dante' and Myanna, were invited to Larry's brother and wife, Lowell and Connie's home. There is nothing like family gatherings. Larry was able to be with his two brothers, Leon and Lowell, and their families.  Talk about food, fun and fellowship....we experienced it all! It was great fun!

On Saturday, we were privileged to attend Celebration's (Lowell's church in Lakeville, MN) Country Christmas production.  Our granddaughter, Myanna, is involved in the show.  About 9,000 people are expected to attend this special Christmas event. About 15 of the Lundstrom family are involved. Myanna loves being with all of her cousins. 

During our time in the Cities, we also celebrated Dante's 16^th birthday which is on December 4^th.     Dante' and Grandpa Larry got all dressed up in warm clothes to go snow tubing on Buck Hill. They arrived and then were disappointed as they learned the hill was closed for the day. They thought about snow skiing but decided against it. Both the boys were disappointed, but they decided to go bowling instead. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise....Larry....on a tube...on a steep hill....hmmmm...I don't know about that! I really didn't want him to end up in a body cast anyway. HA!  Dante' is working at Culver's currently.  With a twinkle in his eye, he told me the other day, "Grandma, I want you to know that I paid 87 cents out of my paycheck for your Medicare!"  I chuckled and said, "That's good…I know you will always take care of me!"

We topped off Dante's birthday with Mexican food and ice skating in St Paul. They had a blast. This was such a fun weekend...being on the road most of the year, we miss many of the holiday gatherings and events the grandchildren are involved in. So, this was really a special time for all of us!

We are now back at home, working out of our Sisseton office, looking at a full plate of office work again. But, oh, how refreshed we feel after that wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. December is usually the busiest office and mail month so we hunker down and try to keep up (or play catch-up) with the influx of mail.

On December 21^st, our family will be coming home from Nashville and Minneapolis for 4-5 days. We look forward to this special time all year long. We love the laughter, story telling (especially between the siblings)....my, oh my, what hilarity! I prepare a few of their favorite meals, play a lot of games and just enjoy spending time together...as a family.

With the busyness of the Christmas season, we can easily get caught up in the "to-do" lists...at least I do. We can easily get overwhelmed by it all! I am in the midst of preaching to myself....I am realizing I am not 30 anymore, I'm not 40, I'm not 50, or even 60. I can't do it all...I can't make it all...I can't attend every event....I simply need to be still for some moments to know and feel His presence and peace for which is the reason for this season.

Having said all that, I will give "On the Road" a break until the first of January as we will not be "On the Road". The 1^st of January, we will update you with photos of our family, celebrations, etc.

It is our prayer that you will bask in the presence of Jesus and that you will experience the joy, peace and comfort for which the Christ child was born. Enjoy your family, express your love for them, forgive any offenses and move forward in the love of Christ. Have a blessed and peaceful Christmas!