Victoria Gazette - Victoria Moments

WEDDING IN HONG KONG.

Our son Ben met his wife Winnie, an English speaking resident of Hong Kong, a Christian, while still in the U.S. Air Force and traveling in Switzerland some seven or so years ago. They did some long distant visiting in each other's countries back and forth over the years, stayed in touch, and Winnie accepted Ben's wedding proposal about a year ago. Winnie is a maternity nurse in Hong Kong. Ben is a civil service engineer overseeing production of satellites for the Air Force in Colorado Springs, where they will be making their home.

The wedding took place on September 29th, 2018, at our Grace Church in Hong Kong. The service was led by the local national pastor (third from left in the back row). The sermon was preached by Missionary R. Siirila (sixth from left), the local leader of the WELS mission outreach to South Asian countries.

Ben's brother Erik and sister Lenora (back row, center) also made it to Hong Kong for the wedding, as did we, Ben's parents (front left), as well as a Colorado friend Dave. The others in the picture are local family and church participants who helped in setting up and conducting the wedding service in one way or another. It was a truly wonderful and blessed occasion.

We expect we may be seeing Ben and Winnie back in this area of Minnesota over the holidays and eventually more permanently if God wills and circumstances permit. Ben has a lifetime membership at Faith Lutheran Church in Victoria, where he was baptized 40 years ago and still holds membership.

Pastor Arnold and Lorna Lemke

Chanhassen, Minnesota

EDITOR’S NOTE: Always good to hear from you, Pastor Lemke, and to recall that you spent 34 years at Faith after helping to establish the congregation at its location on Minnewashta Pkwy back in 1970.

CHANHASSEN HIGH SCHOOL Positive Behaviorial Intervention and Supports (PBIS). Four student leaders from Victoria Elementary School worked with CHS leaders to reward students during lunch for sorting their garbage into three categories -- organics, recycling, and trash.

CAPS FOR KIDS DAY: Students at Victoria Elementary raised over $600 to donate to the Caps for Kids organization. The students were invited to wear a cap and donate dollars. Caps for Kids purchases caps and has them autographed by celebrities to give to children who have cancer.

Jeremy Engebretson

Administrative Dean

Victoria Elementary School

MICAH SPIELDENNER of Victoria played Neal in a University of Northwestern-St. Paul production of The 1940's Radio Hour. The play is a fast moving, jazz infused, swing dance musical featuring standards from the '40's. The musical was directed by Jennifer Hunter, the jazz band onstage was directed by David Kozamchak, and the choreography was by Jolene Konkel. It was performed in October and November in Knight Performance Hall at the University of Northwester in St. Paul, MN.

Melissa Clutter

University of Northwestern

St. Paul, Minnesota

BOY SCOUTS FROM VICTORIA TROOP #337 assisted with the Victoria Lions Pork Chop dinner.

L-r: Assistant Scoutmaster Nick Fasching, John Schwendinger, Jacob Brothers, Andrew Fasching, Codie Haasch, Sam Haider, and Committee Chair Jim Haider. The scouts and scoutsmasters are oft en helping out in Victoria and always with a smile! ~S.O.

BLUE CORN MOON. Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the Blue Corn Moon? The Blue Corn Moon is a Native American name making reference to a particular phase of the moon. The line, "Have you ever heard of the wolf cry to the Blue Corn Moon," is a line from "The Colors of the Wind," a song from the 1995 Disney classic, "Pocahontas." I carved the pumpkin for my granddaughter Melena who lives in Fort Meyers, Florida -- with my daughter Shaina and her husband Ryan Kowalczyk.

Kurt Zuppke

Laketown Township

MORE VICTORIA MOMENTS IN THE PAPER EDITION.