Twenty years ago, my uncle Wayne had his 80th birthday. We enjoyed dinner and many entertaining stories about his life. I wanted to get him something fun, so I gave him 80 quarters and wrote in his card, “Due to inflation it is no longer a penny for your thoughts, now it costs a quarter!”

As LWML celebrates its 80th year, how have you chosen to participate? Our ladies involved the congregation by collecting baby clothes, diapers, and wipes for a Pregnancy Center.  Our zone collected extra mite offerings at the spring rally.  At the district convention, over 80 banners graced the walls, surrounding us with God’s Word. 

So, what will LWML do on a national scale? They have already done it and continue to do so with your mite offerings!  Saturday morning, at the Lexington convention, there was a parade of 82 flags. They represented 82 countries around the world that have been able to spread God’s Word because they received LWML mite offerings. God is awesome!

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice (Philippians 4:4).

Lisa Kamrath, President
LWML Minnesota South District

And we being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit (2 Cor.3:18).

Women at the LWML Indiana District convention were reminded that we are “Transformed Together — Together We Serve.” There is true joy experienced at events like these. We witness women and men act, collect mite offerings, share resources, and impact missions around the world. The Holy Spirit brings the increase. At Convention, women stepped up to the “What’s your 80” challenge by tying 146 blankets, assembling over 800 hygiene kits, and preparing 300 laundry kits for various organizations in the Fort Wayne area. 

It is a joy to be involved! I know the women and men God has placed in my life have encouraged me and given me confidence to succeed with the Lord on my side. Three generations of women in my family have encouraged me to serve in LCMS and LWML. WE ARE these mentors, encouragers, Christian friends, and helpers. Reach out and be Transformed to Serve Together!

Sarah Rippy
LWML Indiana District President

LWML districts across the nation are celebrating their biennial conventions. What a great time to be an LWML’er!

Last month sisters and brothers in Christ gathered for the LWML Wyoming District 26thBiennial Convention. Participants saw what our mite offerings have been accomplishing, grew in the Word, and became renewed and strengthened in faith to share the love of Christ with each other.

It was a blessing to be able to have an in-person convention. We persevere through the tough times and work towards our goal of “serving the Lord with gladness”.

During convention, our district celebrated “What’s your 80?” by assembling 80 hygiene kits to be sent to Orphan Grain Train. Six zones were to bring enough supplies to make 15 kits each. When totaled after the servant event – we had more than doubled that amount.

The satisfaction of giving and serving won’t stop there – it will be interesting to see how “What’s your 80?” will develop throughout this year. We will learn more at the national LWML convention next summer. Are you planning your trip to Milwaukee? It will be an experience you will never forget!!!

Barb Schaer
LWML Wyoming District Past President

Our zone’s spring event focused on celebrating 80 years of LWML. The zone president and host group president dug into our archives. Some of the found details seemed humorous, such as, refreshments were “limited to only two things such as coffee and coffee cake or rolls.” A far cry from what we do now! Although we chuckled at that, we took time to reflect and determined that they may not have wanted to create a time or financial hardship for the member whose turn it was to provide the refreshments.

As we look on our past and look forward to our future LWML journeys, are there things we could do in our groups to be more welcoming and respectful of a woman’s time and situation? I encourage you to make those changes. Let’s give some thanks and recognition to our LWML historians. It is great that we have those who give their time and talent to preserve our history. It is important and wonderful to reflect, looking back at the pictures and notes from our 80 years of being Lutheran Women in Mission! LWML provides historians guidance, and a wealth of information can be found here: www.lwml.org/archivist-historians Let’s learn from history so we can continue to serve the Lord for another 80 years.

Jane Morris
LWML Iowa West Past District President

The Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) is celebrating our 80th anniversary this year. 

Thinking about the group who met in Chicago in 1942, I am so impressed with the foresight they showed in organizing the LWML. We were in a war. Our men and women were involved in an overseas conflict while folks at home were rationing and worrying about their loved ones.

Yet during this time God led this group of men and women to organize an auxiliary of the LCMS to promote work with missions at home and abroad. 80 years have passed and we remain committed to this vision. We continue to serve the Lord with gladness! (Psalm 100:2) whenever and however we can.

Let’s all join in the celebration by choosing a project of “80”. Sewing eighty pillowcase dresses, giving 80 pairs of socks, making 80 quilts, or sharing 80 days of special prayers, etc.

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9).

Kathleen Brandt
LWML Minnesota North District President
2020–2024

LWML Iowa East District (IED) women have a pre-convention tradition of competitively collecting mite offerings to kick off a new biennium’s mission goal for mission grants. LWML zones compete against each other. The zone reporting the highest amount collected prior to the opening of convention has their name added to the LWML IED traveling plaque. Throughout the biennium, the winning zone passes the plaque from group to group.

The LWML IED theme for this year is “$80 for 80 Years.” Each local group, congregation, and/or individual is encouraged to raise $80. The ideas to promote this pre-convention campaign for receiving mite offerings are endless. Bakeless Bake Sales, Pies for Pi Day, and Special Collection Sundays highlighting a specific mission grant recipient are just a few.

An additional, unintentional benefit to planning, carrying out, and sharing these activities is the stories of times past from long-time members. It’s good to record these memories for future generations of Lutheran Women in Mission as they Serve the Lord with gladness! (Psalm 100:2).

Margaret Kistler
LWML Iowa East District President

The year 2022 marks the 80th Anniversary of the LWML. Much has changed in our world and within the LWML in

those 80 years but the heart of LWML remains the same — to serve God by serving others.

The LWML Rocky Mountain District decided to recognize the anniversary with a practical "What's Your 80?" project. Our goal is to make at least 80 fleece blankets to be distributed to families in need in El Paso, Texas and in Mexico through Ysleta Lutheran Mission. Women across the Rocky Mountain District have gathered in their groups and zones to cut fleece and prepare the blankets to be tied. We will have pre-convention servant events for the first time prior to our June convention in Albuquerque where the quilts will be tied. Each quilt will be assembled with love and prayer. For 80 years, the women of the LWML have gathered to work with their hands and create gifts of love for others. We are thankful to continue this tradition. 

What’s Your 80? Go to lwml.org for more ideas.

Debbie Yocky
LWML Rocky Mountain District President