Vonda Erbele

Hi Cyber Friends:
Sorry for not being more faithful in keeping up this blog…I know that some of you check it for information. I primarily use e-mail. (jdale@westconf.net)
I have had a busy summer and fall. This summer I spoke at various churches and a church camp a total of 16 times from June 1st to Oct. 4th.

In Aug. John and Heather moved to Streeter and lived with me for 7 wks. as they remodeled an older home. John works out of his office so he can do that as well here (and cheaper) in Streeter than Minneapolis. They love it here and the kids are doing well in school.

I traveled the whole Month of November. I had a conference in Wyoming and then a conference and meetings in Indiana. Then I spent 11 days in Missoula with the Luhmann’s. I am back home now. Dec. 16th I leave for Charlotte, N.C. to spend Christmas with Kendra and her family. Then back to Minneapolis to spend New Years with the Olson’s. I also have denominational meetings in Minneapolis the second week of Jan.
The end of Jan. I have meetings in Portland Or.

I am amazed at all the open doors the Lord has given me in my semi-retirement ministry role…getting to be more full time. I am working with pastors, churches and conferences serving as a consultant. I still have a good measure of health and am free to travel. ( I am battling diabetes)

Korinda now has her 7th child…quite a house full. Korissa’s three and half year old boy broke his femur and is in a body cast for 6 wks. Poor little guy.

I miss all the Christmas festivities we used to have in our home and church. I miss my traveling companion and life is quite lonely.

I pray that all of you will have a Blessed Christmas season. Let us all endeavor to keep “Christ” in Christmas.

Sincerely yours…sustained by His Grace!

J. Dale Erbele

I pray that all of you will have a Blessed Christmas season. Let us all endeavor to keep Christ in Christmas!

Hi Cyber Friends:
It has been awhile since I enter information on this blog. I am still living in Streeter, N. Dak. It has been a brutal winter…6 to 8 in. of snow again yesterday April 15th! Can’t convince me of climate warming! Al Gore needs to live in N. Dak. for a year.
I was traveling for most of March. Billings Mt. for our conference Board mtgs. Then on to Atlanta Georgia to speak at the S.E. Conf. Back to Billings and on to Missoula to visit the Luhmann’s (6 kids and the 7th on the way come June)…Back to Billings for a Pastor’s and Wive’s Retreat. This was a good but also very painful time. Vonda was such a vital part of always planning this special event for our pastors and wives. It was good to connect with all my pastorial friends.
The husbands were asked to introduce themselves and their wives. When it came my turn I said, “because of the destination of my wife she is not able to be here with me today”. Many pastors wives came up to me and said that Vonda’s spirit lives on in them…PTL.
In April I am speaking in three different churches in N. Dak.
As most of you know I have been hired by the Denomination to work part time as Director of Harvest Ministries…dealing with diagnosing the health of the church and also working with church planting.
May will take me to conferences speaking in Pennsylvnia, Minneapolis and special meetings at Beartooth Christian Mt. Ranch…80 mi s.w. of Billings, Mt.
In June I will be at a conference in Lansing, Michigan and then back to N. Dak. to speak at the Prairie Bible Camp. Come June 18th I will be ready for a break. This doesn’t look like part-time…well it comes in bunches. I have committed myself to try this ministry for one year. I am doing a lot of what I had done during my superintendency.
The down side is that when I get back to the Hotel or back home there is noone to really share and process life’s journey. So life continues to be rather empty and lonely. I am thankful for family and many good friends but none can ever take the place of Vonda…so I keep pressing forward in the lot of life I now have.

It would be good to hear from all of you. e-mail: Jdale@westconf.net

Blessings to all of you!
J. Dale Erbele

Dear Cyber friends near and far:
Let this be my Christmas greeting to you! Luke 2:10 (the angelic message of hope for us today)… “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people”. 1) It is personal - “I bring to you”. 2) It is positive - “good news of great joy”. 3) It is universal - “for all the people”. Trust you will all have a blessed Christmas. And don’t be afraid to say “Merry Christmas” in the public square!

This is a melancholy time of the year for me because the Advent/Christmas season was such a festive time of celebration for our Church family and personal family. It brings back so many fond memories…and it all ended so soon. I only put up two decorations because I will be traveling and visiting family…so I will enjoy their decorations.

I leave Dec. 22 for Minneapolis spending time with John/Heather and family and also Darren/Korissa Olson and boys. New Years I hope to spend in Charlotte, N.C. with Kent/Kendra Husband and girls. I plan on driving…have items to deliver to them in Minneapolis and Charlotte.

In January I will begin working part-time with the denomination as Director of Harvest Ministries. Working primarily with Conference Superintendents and Conference Boards consulting in the areas of Church Planting, Church Redevelopment and Chuch ReStarts. This will take me all over the country. I have committed myself to this new task for one year. I can choose to live wherever I desire because it does involve a lot of traveling. So for now I will stay in Streeter, N. Dak. and fly out of Bismarck. Living alone I can live a vegabond life style.

T

Dear Cyber Friends:

It seems I have been hear and there and everywhere. The end of Sept. I was back in Mt. at a pastors prayer summit and spent some time in Billings. The first week in Oct. I was back in Minneapolis at our Denominational Board mtgs. Spent time with Korissa and Darren Olson and grandsons. Little Everett with his galactosemic (genetic digestive disorder) is on a strict diet but doing fine and is an active 2 yr. old. Also spent some time with John and Heather and the grandchildren. They are doing fine. I was able to take in some sports activities of Corban and Cameron.

In Minneaplis I was elected to a part-time job in the area of Church Health and Redevelpment for the denomination. I will be working with Conference Supt’s and conference boards. This will involve a lot of travel, but I can work from my present location and will not have to move.

Tomorrow I leave for our annual mtg. of the Western Conference in Bozeman, Mt. Since I am only 200 miles from Missoula I plan on spending Thanksgiving with the Luhmann tribe. They have six children and the seventh on the way.

I plan on spending Christmas in Minneapolis and New Year’s in Charlotte, N.C. I also need to spend some time at our Denominational Office in Minneapolis.

I have also hosted some hunter from Minnesota friends of John and Heather. The past two weeks my cousin Teri Erbele from Ketchican Alaska (Missionary with the United Methodist Ch.) was in and out visiting churches.

Adjusting to my new lifestyle many days still seems so unreal. Always good to be with my fellow pastors and family. Lonliness is a hard thing to adjust to.

Until next time…Blessings to all of you!

J. Dale Erbele

Hi Cyber Friends:
For those of you checking this blog I bet you thought I dropped off the face of the earth! I have had a summer of some travel and family being here. The weekend of June 26 -27 Streeter had an all High School Reunion. It was good connecting with old friends some I had not seen in 40 yrs. I was the keynote speaker at the community wide worship service. It all went very well with an alumni choir, etc.

June 29th thru July 5 I was in Minneapolis. Our denomination had their national quadrennial conference in Minneapolis. Kent, Kendra and the girls flew in from Charlotte and we had some good family time with Korissa, Darenn & boys and also with John, Heather & family. It was a good time of restoring and renewing family relationships.

From Minneapolis the Husband’s and I took a three day trip to DeSmet, S. Dak. (home of Little House on the Prairie) and the Black Hills. We had a good time and then back to Streeter to spend time with extended family. Kent had to fly back earlier and Kendra and the girls were able to spend a little more time with me. I took them back to Minneapolis to catch a plane to Charlotte on July 19. I then spent another week with Korissa. She was heavily involved in the National Galactosemic Conference
(the genetic disorder of Everett). Darren was at a large art show in Bellvue, Wash. so I assisted her wherever I could and was able to get in on the conference. I learn a lot about Galactosemia

On July 26 we traveled back to Streeter and Korissa continue to Minot to meet Darren (Darren is from Minot). Later that week they came to Streeter. Darren had to leave for another art show in the twin cities. But Korissa stayed awhile longer and was the guest musician at an Interdenominal Women’s Retreat in Lehr, N. Dak. She returned to Mn. on Aug. 9th.

On Aug. 17 I had cancer surgery on my nose…currently have 14 stitches.

I do some pulpit supply and sub-teacher for my home church adult Sunday School Class. I still miss Billings…the alive church scene and the ministry I was involved with over the years. The adjustment to my single life is difficult.

I would welcome hearing from you or better yet come and visit. I have extra bedrooms.
Trust you are all doing well and my prayers are with you…I covet yours

Sustained by His Grace,
J. Dale

Greetings everyone!
It has been awhile since I have updated the blog.
I am still living in Streeter and traveling some.

May 13 thru 21 I was on an Alaskan Cruise. There were 48 of us in our group mostly from Mt. However, the Norweigen Star (cruise ship) carried 2,700 passangers plus 800 crew members. Quite an experience I would recommemnd it for everyone. The scenery is indescribable truely the last frontier. I was able to spend about 5 hrs. with my cousin Teri and Evelyn Erbele pastors in Ketichan. We docked at four differenct locations. (Vonda would have enjoyed it and I sure missed her…still trying to make the best of each situation without her).

On the way back home I had a two day regional overseers meeting in Billings. There are 6 of us helping our Supterintendent oversee matters in our conference. (I oversee the Dakota area and also serve as Chairman of our Church Planting Board.)

When I arrived home John and Korinda Luhmann and tribe visited for two and half days on their way to Langdon to attend John’s youngest sister’s graduating from High School.

I have several speaking engagements this summer…churches, all High School reunion, plus helping at a camp. June 29 thru July 2nd I will be in Minneapolis for our quadrennial Evangelical National Conference. Kendra Husband and girls will be vacationing at that time in Minneapolis and Kent will join them later. It will be nice to be together with Korissa & Darren Olson and also John and Heather Erbele and all the grandchildren…all living in Minneapolis. (Sorry the Luhmann’s will not be there)

The Husbands and I will take a few days in July to travel to the Black Hills and then to Streeter and back to Minneapolis.

Any time you are in my area…please stop by I like to have people around.

Blessings to all of your who read this!

J. Dale Erbele

Greetings Everyone:
It has been a hard long winter in N. Dak. Fortunately I was able to escape from some of the snow and cold visiting my children.

March 24th marked the second anniversary of Vonda’s death. There are days it still doesn’t seem real. It has been a rathr melancholy week.

March 7 - 9 I traveled to Billings Mt. for Conference Board meeting and after the mtgs. decided to travel on to Missoula to visit the Luhmann family and even got to spend one day skiing. (Iwas the oldest man on the slopes)

The end of April and 1st wk. in May I will be back in Langdon assisting in the church. May 13 -24 I will join my good pastor friend Allen Solheim and a group on senior on an Alaskan cruise.

When I am in town I teach a class on “Islam in the 21st Century” at the United Methodist Church.

It is lonely here in Streeter so if you every come this way do stop by and visit. I can even accommodate overnight guests.

Blessings to you all!

J. Dale Erbele

P.S. My extended family seems to be doing fine.

Greetings Cyber friends:

It has been awhile since I updated the blog. Here it goes. I left Dec. 26h (after a three day blizzard) to visit my children and take a class.
I traveled to Minneapolis to visit Darren, Korissa, Emerson (now 4) and Everrett (20 mo.) He is the special needs child with his strict diet but doing well. John and Heather are struggling in their marriage…do pray for healing and reconciliation. Heather want out of the marriage. Everyone is hurting…lift them up in prayer! John has a job working for the “Strength Team” as their marketing and booking agent. Thankful for the job that he can do out of the home.

I traveled on to Charlotte, N.C. to be with Kent, Kendra and their three girls. They are busy but doing fine. Home schooling…Kent computer programer…Kendra also a pianist in another church…their church has 4 services so she can choose to be involved in her home church and help out else where. From there I traveled to Columbia, S.C. to attend a week long class on “Islam in the 21st Century” at Columbia International University. (I want to prepare myself and instruct others about the challenging and frightening days ahead)

On the way home I stopped in Columbus, Ohio to visit Vonda’s younger brother (Darnell and his wife Chris). Back to Minneapolis to spend some more time with my children and grand children and then homeward bound.

The last two weeks in Feb. I will be at our Church in Langdon N. Dak. Back home again for one week and then on to Billings for Conference Board meetings. The last week in April and first week in May I will be back in Langdon. May 13 to May 24 I will be going on an Alaskan cruise with one of our pastors Alan Solheim (most of the people are from our conference).

I have a lot of snow here in Streeter. It is easy to get “cabin fever” and it can be lonely and depressing. Thankful for family and friends.

Blessings to all!
J. Dale Erbele

Dear Family and Friends:

Merry Christmas to each and everyone of you. This is rather a melancholy Christmas for me. Vonda was such a Victorian Christmas Decorating Queen making this season so special for family and friends. In all our celebrations over the years we tired to honor the event of Christ entering this world as our King of Kings and Lord of Lords! I have such rich memories of all the family, church and community celebrations…how quickly those days ended!! Enjoy them while you can!

I am settled in Streeter but nowhere really feels like home yet. The community has received me well and I have had numerous occasions to be together with extended family. Thanks you all!
I was a part of the Community Choir. We gave a Christmas musical presentation to the prisoners at the Jamestown prison and last evening (Dec. 23) to the community. All total with children and youth…53 people were invovled. For a small community this was quite an accomplishment. This community does a lot of things together - PTL.
I also taught an adult Sunday School class for three weeks during the advent season.

This morning (Dec. 24th) I was planning on leaving for Minneapolis to spend some time with two of my Children and their families. (Korissa & Darren and John & Heather). However, due to the extreme weather conditions (snow and blizzard) I am staying put for another 2 or 3 days. (Some things never change in N. Dak.) After New Year’s I plan on driving to North Carolina to spend time with Kent and Kendra. On Jan 11 - 15 I will be take a class at Columbia International University on “Islam in the 21st Century”. (Hopefully God will open some doors so I can share this information with others). I hope to be home the end of January.

I am still trying to adjust and figure out my new identity and nitche in life. The following reading sums up the reality of life.
“One or the other must leave
One or the other must stay
One or the other must grieve
That is forever the way.
That is the vow that was sworn
Faithful ’till death do us part’
Braving what had to be borne,
Hiding the ache in the heart.
One, howsoever adored,
First must be summoned away.
That is the will of the Lord
One or the other must stay.

So goes the journey of life. Thankful for each day of life. Miss my children and grandchildren and old friends…but thankful for my new friends.

Thanks for thinking of me and my family and some of the struggles they are going through. Be blessed in 2010

Sustained by His Grace,

J. Dale Erbele

Hi cyber friends:

I left Nov. 8th for our Annual Conference session in Glendive Mt. and then on to Billings. Several matters to attend to in Billings…one being I am a long distant land lord. It is good to have someone in the house. I have a lease to own agreement. They are waiting for their house to sell in Seattle…so I guess we all have to be patient. I then visited our new church in Helena Mt. (I am still chairman of the Board of Church Planting). From there on to Missoula to spend time with the Luhmann tribe for Thanksgiving and beginning of advent…incredibily busy house hold (to busy). They have also taken in a neigborhood couple whose house burned the beginning of Nov. On the way back I stopped and met people in Billings, Fallon, Glendive and Beach. My sister, niece & family provided an evening meal before I returned home last evening (Dec. 5th).

I havd been invited to sing in a Community Choir in Streeter. Doing a Cantata to be performed in the Jamestown Prison on Dec. 20 and for the community on Dec. 23. On the 24th I will travel to Minneapolis to spend some time with Darren and Korissa and John and Heather. Then on to Charlotte, N. C. for the new year. From Jan. 11 - 15 I will be enrolled in Columbia International University (Columbia S.C.) in the Islamic Study Department taking a week of classes on Islam and all the implications it has for the Church and America at large.

This is a hard time of the year for me. Over the years this was such a high festive time for friends and family. Vonda was the Victorian Chritmas Decorating Queen every room in the house had her Christmas touch. The open house was always a favorite for everyone. I have no ambition to put up any decorations since no one will be home from the family and I will be gone most of the time. (I will enjoy the decorations of other families). Sure get melancholy at this time of the year and miss all the great Christmas celebrations we had as a Church Family and our own Family.

I do want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!! Because of Christmas we do have hope!
Trust the New Year will be good to you. I am still trying to adjust and find my nitche in life…

Thanks for extending grace to me and keeping me in your thoughts and prayers. If you come my way do stop by and visit…you are even welcome to spend the night. I have extra bedrooms.

Blessing to all of you and trust you too are being sustained by His Grace!

J. Dale Erbele