Here it is August already! July was a hot and busy month. South Dakota had an average temp of 88 degrees for the month (unusual for us) with temperatures up to 116 degrees. It hasn't been this hot and dry in various areas of South Dakota since 1936. Thank God for air conditioning!
Larry and I were reminiscing about those long, hot days of summer when we were kids and didn't have air conditioning. The hot nights were unbearable! If you opened the windows, it was like a hot blast and the mosquitos would squeeze through the screens and have lunch...on us! Then, when the sun came up, the flies buzzed around your face or would take a walk on your nose or mouth to alert you that it was time to get up. Or...maybe the message was, "Please go brush your teeth!" HA! What am I complaining about? We all survived and it made us tough and more appreciative of all the comforts we have today.
We had a busy "catch-up" week in our home office after Larry arrived home from Latvia. His body clock is finally getting back to normal. When we drove back to Sisseton last week, Myanna giggled, "Grandpa, now you can give me rides on the scooter...right?" Her dancing brown eyes melted him and he readily acknowledged, "Yes!" In a snap, she had her helmet on and was perched on the scooter. Off they went for a short ride.
While Larry was gone, Myanna had the job of watering my few scraggly flowers. I only plant just enough so there is something trying to grow besides weeds. At the end of June when we arrived home from our spring tour, I visited the local greenhouse. The owner asked, "Gloria, what can I help you with?" I told her, "I want flowers that are pretty, hardy, colorful, and they don't need to be watered much since I'm am often gone." She chuckled, "I would suggest silk flowers or cactus." The itsy-bitsy domestic side of me was still determined to take on the challenge of nurturing some petunias. The funny thing about it all is this-when we watered them every night, they would wilt, but when I had to leave for a week and returned, they looked much better without my pampering! What a low blow! What does that tell you about my green thumb?
Myanna also took on the responsibility of watering her great grandmother's flowers, tomato plants, cucumber plants, and squash plants. For the past eight weeks, she had the opportunity to watch Grandma's tomato plants blossom, grow and finally ripen. Last Saturday, her great grandma Brooks (who is 90 ½) called Myanna and told her that there was one ripe tomato. She told her she could come and pick it. Oh how proud she was when she picked that little odd-shaped tomato! Myanna has been with us for the past two months. We just took her back to her mother and brother last Saturday. We sure enjoyed having her with us. Hopefully, we will get the grandkids for another week or so in mid-August.
On Saturday, Larry and I drove to Elk River, Minnesota, to the Twin Lakes Christian Center. We have known the pastor, Percy Kallevig, since he was a young lad, 4-5 years old. We have had the privilege of watching him and his identical twin brother grow up. Percy married a wonderful girl, Debbie, and entered into full time ministry. What a great couple! They started a new work about three years ago and it continues to grow. They are blessed with many young families. Pastor Percy is so charged and electric! Oh how Larry and I love to see that zeal for Christ.
Pastor Percy shared this with us:
Thank you, Larry and Gloria, for coming to Elk River, MN. Your ministry brought 4 first-time decisions for Christ. One of those was a public grade school principal who had visited us once before. Because of excellent counselor training received from you, we will call on these new Christians and watch them grow.
How thrilling to see people of influence, like the principal, make Christ Lord of their lives. We need that impact in our schools. Those leaders need our prayers for all of the decisions they have to make in guiding and teaching our children and grandchildren.
There is much talk today about the direction our youth are going. I agree-and I am concerned! But...first of all...let's not throw all of the youth in one bundle. We are seeing teenagers who are turned on for God and are making a huge difference in reaching others for Christ. Thank God for the great move of God upon countless thousands of young people. However, there are masses of youth that are lost without Christ. Often, we are quick to blame the youth for their irresponsible actions and wrong decisions, but here is another thought-could it be that, we, as adults, could be part of the problem? As I was sifting through my goodie box of articles, I came across a clipping that my mother gave me years ago that would appear as if it was written today.
Let me share it with you:
The label "delinquency" fits older folks, too
They read in the papers,
they hear on the air,
of killing and stealing
and crime everywhere.
They sigh and they say
as they notice the trend,
this young generation,
where will it end?
But can't they be sure
that it's our fault alone?
Too much money for us to spend,
too much idle time,
too many movies of passion and crime.
Too many books not fit to read,
too many children encouraged to roam,
by too many parents who won't stay home.
Youth don't make the movies,
we don't write the books,
that paint of enticing pictures
of gangsters and crooks.
We don't make the liquor,
we don't run the bars,
we don't make the laws
and we don't make the cars.
We don't make the drugs
that idle our brain.
It's all done by older folks,
greedy for gain.
And how many cases
you find that it's true,
the label "delinquency:
fits older folks, too.
I was convicted. Have I been a part of the problem or am I a part of the solution? God help us, as parents and grandparents, to wake up and be responsible so we can do our part to help lead this generation in the right direction! They are not beyond God's reach. 2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promises, but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." We claim that promise! Let's all pray and fight for this generation!
God bless you and have a great week!
Gloria
P.S. If you are enjoying this website and it has been a blessing to you, we would appreciate hearing from you letting us know that you enjoy it. It would mean so much to us. Also, if you would like to help support this avenue of ministry, you can donate online or send a gift to Larry Lundstrom Ministries, PO Box 300, Sisseton SD 57262.
Larry's Photo Pick of the Week
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Too many parents tie up their dogs and let their children run loose.
CHUCKLE OF THE WEEK
St. Peter is very busy in heaven, so he leaves a sign by the pearly gates: "For service, ring bell." He's barelygone when the bell rings. He rushes back to the gates, but no one's there.
St. Peter goes back to work, but the bell rings again. He rushes back to the gates, and again no one's there. Growing annoyed, he returns to work.
"Ding!" The bell rings a third time. St. Peter goes back to the gates, but still no one's there. "OK, that's it," he mutters. "What's going on?" He hides a short distance away, and a moment later, a little old man walks up and rings the bell.
St. Peter jumps out and yells, "Are you the guy who keeps ringing the bell?"
"Yes," the old man says.
"Well, why?" asks St. Peter.
The old man answers, "They keep resuscitating me."
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Fruit Cocktail Ice Pops
1 can (29 oz) fruit cocktail in extra light syrup, undrained
12 popsicle molds or 12 paper cups (3 oz) and popsicle sticks
Fill molds or cups with about ½ cup fruit cocktail; top with holders or insert sticks into cups. Freeze.
Praise the Lord....Larry's back! He arrived in Minneapolis at 4:10 PM last Friday. Our daughter, LaDawn, the grandkids and I welcomed him home with lots of hugs! He looked a bit weary from the long trip from Latvia, Russia. As soon as he cracked a few crazy jokes, I knew he was back safe...and sound??? (HA!) 
Larry didn't have much time to recuperate as that evening we celebrated Myanna's 8th birthday with a party. She had a swimming party with a few cousins and friends. Myanna also had, what we call "her twin", Tyra, there. Myanna has been through daycare and the first two grades of school with her. You have to look at them twice to see which one is which. By 9:30 PM, which was 5:30 AM Russian time, Larry was almost incoherent so we went back to LaDawn's. He literally walked in and within two minutes was in bed fast asleep. He slept 8 hours and was up and running on Saturday. 
stopped at Eau Claire, WI, to see our son , Donovan, who we hadn't seen since Christmas. He was working a few hours there. We had the joy to be able to be with him and to also attend an outdoor concert that he was running sound for. We cherished each moment with him. I miss him so much! I told him on the phone today, "I just wanted to shoot you with a tranquilizer gun, stuff you in our luggage, and bring you home so we could just enjoy you and spend time with you!" But....as you, parents, know, when they leave home, they live their own lives and we must just savor those few moments we have together. Donovan lives in Nashville, TN, and is traveling a lot so we don't see him as often as we would like. That's life!
From Eau Claire, WI, we drove to Shell Lake, WI, and set up our sound system at Shell Lake Full Gospel. We have ministered at this church several times through the years. Pastor Virgil Amundson and his wife, Linda, are so precious and have tender hearts for the Lord. Their church has a great burden for the youth and thus a great program for them. After the Sunday morning service, 30 of their young people journeyed off to Colorado Springs, CO, for a Leadership Conference. These young people are really turned on for God! Oh how I love to see that!
"Larry and Gloria blessed our Sunday service with their music and message that touched both our younger and older generation. It was wonderful to see several young people receive Christ at the altar as well as several re-dedications. 
face was just radiant and she bubbled, "Gloria, in the year 2000, you and Larry ministered here at this church and we came to see you. We were so blessed by your ministry. I will never forget when Larry gave the altar call, he waited a few minutes for those who wanted to receive Christ to respond. He then announced, 'I'm going to wait one more minute and this altar call will be over.' I knew God was speaking to my heart. When he came to the last thirty seconds, I stood up and my mother stood up with me. I will never forget that day and the feeling of Jesus lifting me to my feet. It was an amazing day and all these years later, the commitment is still there and staying strong. Thank you! I just wanted to come this morning and thank you for your part in leading us to Christ." 
to attend the service in Buffalo (July 2nd), with your wonderful singing, Gloria's testimony, words of encouragement and Larry's preaching. The true salvation message through song and word reaches people for the Lord. Praise God for those who came to Christ this morning. It was in the early 70's when my late husband, Pete, was involved in bringing the Lundstrom's to Pipestone, MN. I still see the results of changed lives during that crusade, including two of our daughters, their friends and many others who came to Jesus over 30 years ago. Thank you for allowing God to continue to use you to win souls for Him. You are faithful to God's calling as He remains faithful to us."
ar. It seems like he is just getting into the swing of things, great happenings are taking place, and wonderful results are being seen, but it is almost time to wind down and head home. We have been e-mailing back and forth as well as instant messaging. The internet has been a great way to stay in touch across the sea. Even Myanna was able to participate; she e-mailed her grandpa the last couple of days. She is almost better than me on the computer. That's embarrassing when your eight year old granddaughter can run the computer better than Grandma! HA!
Last Friday, a missionary took Larry out to a remote area. He said the church was literally boards on stumps. Before long, Latvians began to straggle in and Larry ministered. The missionary said that 13 years ago when all of the preachers and missionaries flooded into the country, the churches flourished and grew from 40 to 400 to 1,000. Then, gradually, the revivals cooled off and many of the churches fell back down to less than 100 people. The missionary, Pastor Marel, added that the pastors have become discoura
ged and a spirit of apathy has set back in. When Larry gave the altar call that day, only two of the few who came were saved but both made commitments to Jesus for the very first time! Larry said the pastor was dancing with glee and said, "I have been waiting for this move of God. This is a breakthrough!"
On Sunday, July 17th, Larry ministered in three services. Pastor Dan Pedraza and his wife, Demaris, were thrilled at the response of the people. Dan commented that usually when they have a guest speaker, they have a hard time keeping people's attention. This was not the case with brother Larry! He said the people 
sat spell bound as he spoke. At that point in the e-mail, I said, "Were you telling a joke and they responded to your wacky jokes?" Larry responded, "I was actually amazed at how many jokes actually flew!" I really laughed at that! Larry added that the people are so oppressed in some areas that they are desperately looking for joy and enjoyed seeing someone happy making them laugh. I told him, "You go...man...you're on a roll!" Of course, jokes and joy are right up Larry's alley. Making people happy and leading them to Christ is his calling. Pastor Dan was especially thrilled to see a couple that made first decisions for Christ. He was also excited to see a lady that had been searching out Eastern religions come forward and accept Christ for the first time.
get saved even before Larry gave the altar call. In that particular service, Larry spoke through two interpreters. He said it was a challenge to keep his sermon thoughts and momentum while all the interpreting was taking place. In this service, Alina came to Larry and shared how thankful she was for the simplicity in which Larry shared the Gospel. There are many new believers who needed to hear a simple Gospel message once again.
Finally, the third service was held in a soccer park. It was awesome as I understand it! Many responded to the altar call. After the service was over, a lady ran up to Pastor Dan and said, "Pastor, there were so many people that did not go up to the front, but they were crying and prayed the sinner's prayer out loud with Brother Larry!" So, if the missions trip ended now, heaven is filled with joy over the many who have come to Christ.
of her, but she is such a big help answering phones and running back and forth with papers and supplies between Larry's desk downstairs and my office upstairs. She has saved me thousands of steps which helps me not to tax my gimp leg. One of our special traditions together is every night before devotions, we play the game of UNO. Last night I was very tired so I told her that we would just play one game. Well, we are getting to competitive that the one game took one hour and forty minutes. To top it off-she beat me! It definitely made her day to say the least!
Hello! I'm back in Sisseton after being gone for 
ten days. Larry flew out of Minneapolis on July 4th, arrived in Latvia on July 5th, but without his traveling companion, Evangelist Paul Murray, whose flight was delayed. Larry flew the first leg to Stockholm, Sweden, alone. Paul arrived several hours later. They were greeted and graciously hosted by the Per Kronlid 
family. They were treated to a delicious Swedish spaghetti dinner. The housing arrangements were made by Sandy, the daughter of our partner friend, Blake Hubert, from Wisconsin. We deeply appreciate their help and hospitality. 
yet so when he should be sleeping, he couldn't, and when he was supposed to be up and running, he desperately wanted to sleep! While in Sweden, Larry and Paul had the opportunity to share Christ with many on the streets. 
They arrived in Riga, Latvia, on Sunday morning. They rushed around trying to make arrangements to get to the church where they were to minister late Sunday afternoon. The church requested music so Larry scrambled and plugged in his small music machine to a 220 outlet through his adapter and... POOF! He said he saw smoke rising off the charging transformer. He quickly got it under control and proceeded into the service. This was his first opportunity to speak through an interpreter and he said it went well. He was able to share his passion for the lost, and they made it through the first service okay. 
and I finished the final packing for his missions trip to Latvia. LaDawn, I and the kids drove Larry to the airport at 8:30 AM. We set his suitcases on the curb, and when it was time to say goodbye to Larry, I got a bit emotional! It was hard to see my best friend getting ready to leave without me. We are always together-"joined at the hip" as my mother would say! HA! Well, it was tough watching my other hip....hop into the airport terminal to embark on the first leg of his missions journey. As he disappeared out of sight, I must have whimpered as LaDawn said, "Mom, he's only been gone 30 seconds and you already miss him." 
with his friend and fellow evangelist, Paul Murray, who Larry is joining for this trip. They were to meet in Newark and then fly together to Stockholm, Sweden, for the first leg of the journey. While waiting in the Newark airport last night for Paul to arrive, he received a message from Paul that he couldn't get out of Cleveland, OH, due to bad weather. Paul's flight was delayed to Newark so he instructed Larry to go on to Sweden without him and he would meet him at the Stockholm airport a few hours later. Sounds easy, doesn't it? At this writing, I am still waiting to see if they have connected. 
took me over to one of their friend's homes who hosted a neighborhood 4th of July party. They had a pool so Dante' and Myanna swam and played nonstop for four hours straight. What did I do? I sat under an umbrella and totally relaxed. Wow...was I ever ready for that after the past week of preparation for Larry's missions trip along with tackling piles of mail and taking care of the urgent matters that needed to get done before he left. I was thrilled for a holiday! The weather was perfect with temperatures in the high 70's and lots of sunshine. Also enjoyed were delicious snacks, food off the grill and desserts. It was a joy getting to meet many of LaDawn's friends she has known for many years. The climax of the day was watching the kids shoot their fireworks and also enjoying the local display.
Last week, en route to our service in Buffalo, MN, we held our annual US LLM board meeting in St. Cloud, MN. We held our Canadian board meeting in Estevan, Canada, in May. We are so blessed to have wonderful men and women of God serve on our board who are great advisors to Larry and I and the ministry. We are also blessed and at peace knowing that they seek God over the decisions of this ministry which affects thousands of lives monthly.
We had an exciting weekend of ministry in Sioux Falls, SD, at Calvary Assembly of God with Pastor Dave and Janine Tims. Dave is passion-driven to reach the lost! It literally physically pours out of him. We had a precious altar call. I only regret that I wasn't able to get personal testimonies and photos from all of those who responded to the invitation. I can, however, tell you about one young man who came forward. I guessed him to be in his late 20's. I greeted him as he entered the church. He was tall, handsome, and stately dressed. I reached out to shake his hand and he said, "I'm so glad I could come this morning and finally meet you in person. My mother attended several of your services through the years and encouraged me to attend one if you were ever in the area....so here I am. I just wish my mother was here but she has since passed away." I offered 
my condolences for the passing of his mother who I could tell he greatly admired. He sat at full attention during the service and when Larry gave the altar call, he readily responded. He stood and then made his way to the altar to receive Christ for the first time. How thrilling! At that moment, I wondered if God allowed his mother to look down from heaven to see the answer to her prayers that her son would come to Christ. That sure gave me more mileage to keep going. In the same altar call, a very poised grandmother and her beautiful teenage granddaughter walked down hand in hand to receive Christ for the first time together. It was another joyful reunion. 
It was also a delight to have our friends who were formerly from Sisseton, Don & Vicky Hagen, attend our rally. They shared the following about the rally:
on the roof, along with our friend, Lynn Naber, to fix it. Yes...you guessed it....I freaked out a little bit as I saw him climbing up the ladder. Of course, I had a flashback of our last ladder incident and I told him, "First of all, I don't want you to go up there." He looked at me and asked, "Do you want your ceiling to fall in?" "No," I responded. I then proceeded to caution him to be really careful and I assured him that I was not going to hold the ladder...as my common sense told me, "Once is enough!" I am not about to take a chance of a 240 pound hunk falling on my again! Thank God Lynn was here to help him. I told Larry, "I'm not chicken...I'm just smart! I have one good leg to stand on and I plan on keeping it!" Anyhow, they did get it patched up!
Our granddaughter, Myanna, loves being with us. She makes friends quickly at the services and is so good to help Grandpa and I in whatever we need done. Last week I found a box of my children's newborn clothes that Larry brought out of the attic. You should have seen her eyes light up. "Grandma, they are just the right size for my doll," she exclaimed. I laundered them and I must admit I was surprised they didn't fall apart as some of them are 38 years old. Okay, yes, I'm a packrat! When the kids were little, they asked me to keep some of their toys and clothes for them, but for 38 years???? Bad thinking! Oh well, Myanna is putting them to good use and is enjoying them.
s." 
The service was precious and the altar call touched our hearts. Among those that responded to the invitation was a young man in his early 20's that made a 
first time commitment of his life to Christ. His mother, with her arms wrapped around her son, wept tears of joy. She had been praying for him a long time! What an unforgettable sight!
Last week, she was so excited to be able to attend a Kids Crusade held in our home church led by Children's Evangelists, Dan and Merilee Ottoson, from Pelican Rapids, MN. Myanna was mesmerized by their puppet ministry, songs and stories. The Ottoson's do a great job in touching the hearts of children and young teens. Many received Christ into their heart through their ministry. That's the age to reach them....when they are young!
a dinner of worms by their mother. Larry and I left for two days due to services and when we came back, the nest was empty! The momma bird had already kicked them out teaching them how to fend for themselves. It is so cute as they are now flying low and hunting for their own food. I'm amazed how God created the instinct within animals to care for their own…and how quickly they learn. They say that humans are the most helpless creatures on earth. Maybe we, parents, could pick up a few tips from these birds and other animals! Ha! Back to the birds…we have a black cat roaming the neighborhood looking for fresh birds in the nest. The mother robin knows that unless she gets them flying, they will be eaten by the cat. 
As soon as they walked in the house, they were waiting for an invitation to have a root beer float with Grandpa. They know Grandpa Larry always has ice cream on hand! We spent all day Friday having fun with them. It
just went by too quickly. LaDawn helped me remove photos off our 40th anniversary photo boards. It is a good thing she did or else they would still be on there for our 75th anniversary if the Lord should tarry! Ha! On Saturday morning, LaDawn and Dante' drove back to Minneapolis. As we hugged and kissed goodbye, Myanna whimpered, "Dante', I'll miss you," And he responded, "Me, too!" It's always fun having
up at Christian Life Assembly. Myanna was a big help setting up. We were then invited out to Brad and Diane Gr
iepp's farm for a home cooked meal and visit. Wow…Myanna ate like there was no tomorrow! Diane took her out to see the horses, chickens, and newborn kittens. She loved that! She came back in the house cuddling Brad and Diane's dog. Her eyes were dancing with glee. 
Sunday morning we had a precious service with our pastor friends, Cliff and Mary Sheldon. They, along with their youth pastor, Jeremiah and his darling wife, 
ave such bubbly winning personalities. We had a fun time of ministry and once again, several rededicated their lives to Christ along with 
beautiful Minnewaska Assembly of God church. We were greeted by another 
"Gloria, thank you for sharing the story of your injury to your foot. How encouraging to hear once again of God's care of each of us. It really was a miracle and it gave me reassurance of God's going before me too." 
to see them grow up, marry a good Christian, and serve the Lord. Dawn shared with us, "The rally in Glenwood was awesome! So many people went forward, including family members. It was such a great day! I still cry tears of joy when I think about it."
Just then I was convicted and challenged and I prayed, "God please help me to hate sin as much as I hate these weeds." Our lives are like a garden. Sin starts small and gets rooted in our lives, growing up almost unnoticed, then the roots grow deeper and deeper. Soon one sin leads to two, then three... if we don't take care of them they will take over our lives! It takes work-24 hours a day to keep the weeds of sin-- hatred, jealousy, unforgiveness, complacency, coldness, etc., out of our spiritual lives. We cannot do it on our own-we have to ask God to help us. My daily prayer is David's that he wrote in Psalms 51:10, "Create in me a clean heart, O God." and the one in Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer." It's my prayer Lord, let me hate sin and love you more everyday. 
Greetings from Sisseton, SD! This photo pretty much describes how I look at the end of this many month tour. I kidded Larry that he worked me to the bone....literally! HA! 
and Donna Mitchell from Glendive, MT, attend. They also brought their 96 year old mother, Beulah Basta, out to see us. She is such a sweetheart. She sat down in the front of the church and beamed through the entire service. At the ripe age of 62 that I am, I wondered if I would have driven an hour to see someone at her age. She really touched our hearts! We have had the privilege to have known her for over 30 years.
Pastor Warren and Bev Maxted were thrilled at the altar response in Wibaux. They shared the following with us: "It was such a blessing to have you come to our small community and minister to our people. The presence of the Holy Spirit 
was so wonderful as we saw people give their hearts and lives to Jesus for the first time. Others were so encouraged by your music and message. Only eternity will reveal all that was accomplished by your ministry to us. Thank you for coming and may God's strength and blessing be upon you and your ministry in the days ahead."
What a gem! After the service, I was greeting people in the foyer, and I noticed a couple standing by the doors smiling from ear to ear. I walked over to them and Ivy and her husband, Marvin Duke, bubbled, "You and Larry were here 22 years ago at the Elks Club and ministered. My husband and I both gave our hearts to Christ for the first time at that rally. Our whole lives changed. We have six children so we needed this big step in our lives. It was so fun seeing you once again tonight. We enjoying hearing you sing and minister after all these years."
reflect God's passion for the Lost. We praised God for the two people who made first time commitments to Christ plus the others who confirmed their faith in Him. Your ministry of song and humor, challenge and encouragement was a great blessing. We are trusting that the message that was spoken will continue to bear fruit in the lives of people as they develop a renewed passion for the Lost. Blessings on you as you continue to travel and win souls for the Kingdom."
While in Estevan, we also had a Larry Lundstrom Ministries Canadian board meeting. God has blessed us with a great board who share the burden and mission, along with Larry and I, to reach the Lost. We are very privileged and honored to have Ed Komarnacki, his wife, Sally, Ken Sholter and his wife, Deb, and Ken Raine as a part of this ministry and its outreach into Canada. 
Nathan and Mary Johnson at Minot First Assembly. We had great crowds and God was faithful to draw the Lost to Himself. The ages of those that responded were teens to a lady who was 85 years old who made a first time commitment to Christ. What a great Memorial Day weekend memory! 
Pastor Nathan and Mary had this to say about our ministry in Minot.... "Thank you so much for coming to Minot. Wow! We certainly had a great time. Thank you for being faithful to your call throughout the years. We appreciate your heart for the Lord and your love for souls. It was wonderful to see people of all ages respond to the altar calls you gave while you were here. It is obvious that changed hearts and lives are what drives your ministry. Your love for people is refreshing to see. Thank you for the time and interest you gave to our children as well. You have blessed our family and our entire church family. Keep winning them for Jesus!"