A couple years ago, a group of student Literature Evangelists were canvasing the Coulee Region area in Wisconsin. As the students surveyed the community of French Island, they noticed there was a high demand for healthy nutrition cooking classes. After some time passed, Larry Lasure, the head elder of our church in La Crosse, saw that the time was right to use this opportunity to witness to the community by launching our first free cooking school.
After Larry shared this idea with me, we weren’t sure what to do as we were both clueless on what it would take to launch a cooking school. I was left pondering the idea and a couple days later headed to our annual camp meeting at Camp Wakonda. During camp meeting, I was asked by Pastor Evelio Marinda to help set up the audio/visual for one of the seminar speakers, as the pastor scheduled to help with that seminar wasn’t available. To my surprise, Yin Schaff, our Health Ministry Coordinator, was presenting. We were having audio and visual problems, so I stayed to help with her seminar to make sure that she didn’t run into any more technical problems. As I listened, I was not only encouraged but convicted to support Larry in launching our cooking classes.
I began working with sister Yin Schaff and Chaplain Mateo Ramirez, from the Green Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church. Their help and support was greatly appreciated as we planned for our cooking school. Our local church was also very supportive and we were encouraged to see everyone’s willingness to go out into the community and hand out flyers advertising our cooking school. When the day came to begin, we were blessed with a successful start. People from the community came and we, as inexperienced presenters, did our best and allowed God to do the rest.
Along the way we ran into many obstacles and, at times, had more questions than answers. There were times when we needed help finding cooking presenters and, instead of trying to think of solutions, I would pray and ask God for help and guidance. I remember receiving a text message from Yin Schaff one day. She was asking how the cooking school was going and expressing her willingness to come and help with a cooking demonstration. What an answer to prayer!
Soon we began receiving help and support from members in our district churches as well. One member, Linda Lavendoski, would text me from time to time with the news that she had found willing presenters. We want to give special thanks to Twyla Hallock and Jennifer Fanta from the Hylandale Seventh-day Adventist Church, who might not have known they were also an answer to our prayers.
The cooking school was held in our township community center and, after our fourth cooking school session, the person in charge of paying the rental fee told us we didn’t have to pay anymore! We discovered this was because the township is very supportive of community services programs and, when they learned we were offering a service to help the community, they allowed us to use the center free of charge! This was unexpected and we knew that God was blessing our work.
As we finished the 8th session in our bi-weekly cooking school, we were asked by attendees if we were planning to continue. We are excited to share that the La Crosse church will launch their second cooking school session in the spring of 2023.
To all our presenters and staff: Larry Lasure, Pastor Roger Morton, Terry Gartner, Linda Levendoski, Cassandra Walters, Vangie Robinson, Joe and Debbie Kelemen, Twyla Hallock and Jennifer Fanta, I want to say a big “Thank You!” I was encouraged by their positivity and willingness to always go the extra mile for our class sessions. I also want to thank Chaplain Mateo Ramirez and Yin Schaff who always reached out letting me know they were praying for our cooking school.
I want to encourage you, as you continue to do God’s work in your own area, to remember that, “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 2 Kings 6:16. At times you might not be able to see what God is doing behind the scenes, but our duty is to continue to stay faithful. God will always provide and guide you in time of great need.
Pedro Luis, pastor for the La Crosse Seventh Day Adventist Church