Lutheran Braille Workers
Helping People Touch, and be Touched,
by the Promises of Jesus
Illuminations
PO Box 5000 Yucaipa, CA 92399 • 800-925-6092 • www.LBWinc.org
Spring 2016
Earth’s Gladdest Day, Easter Sunday!
It never failed. At 5 a.m. every
Easter Sunday John’s dad would
come into John’s bedroom. He
would blow his trumpet and wish
his son a happy Easter.
Rev. Dennis Stueve
President, LBW
from the dead. On Easter Sunday he proved his words
can be trusted. Jesus had said, “I am the resurrection and
the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he
dies” (John 11:25).
On Easter Sunday Jesus rose from the dead to prove
that all who believe in him will go to heaven. Jesus’
resurrection from the dead and these proofs are what
make Easter a big deal. LOVE WORKS! God’s love is
at work in us and through us!
He then encouraged his son
to get ready for the 6:00 a.m.
sunrise service at church. John
always pulled the covers over his
head in disbelief. He remembers
wondering...
People who are blind or visually impaired are some of
the most marginalized people in society in general. Many
have the mistaken idea that their disability is, at best,
their fault, and at worst, God’s judgement upon them.
Through your generous support of Lutheran Braille
Workers, people are touching and being touched by the
promise of Jesus that brings them the forgiveness that
brings joy and life forever! --Rev. Dennis W. Stueve
“What’s the big deal about Easter?”
What is it about Easter that makes people actually get
out of bed for a sunrise church service? Is it the Easter
bunny? The Easter basket? The Easter egg hunt?
A poet once wrote: Earth’s saddest day (Good Friday)
and Earth’s gladdest day (Easter Sunday) were only one
day apart.
What’s Inside
Help LBW Reach ............................2
The Audio Bible Study....................2
A NEW look is comming...............3
National Volunteer Week ..............3
On Good Friday Jesus died on the cross to pay for the
sins of the world. He endured God’s curse in our place.
That was Earth’s saddest day.
On Easter Sunday Jesus proved that he is the Son of God
by rising from the dead. Jesus had said he would rise
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Spring 2016
Help LBW Reach Those Who Need The Word of God
This year (2016) we anticipate that the cost for the
materials to produce the Braille and Specialized Large
Print Bibles and devotional materials will be $278,800.
While we anticipate Work Centers to give about $39,000
that still leaves $239,000 to be funded. You can help by
sharing the need with others. Tell your story about the
ministry of LBW. Ask others to give generously so this
year all who are asking for Braille or Specialized Large
Print materials will receive them!
You are highly valued!
be able to provide Braille and Large Print Bibles and
devotional material to just a very small fraction of those
who currently receive our materials. As a consequence
fewer people would be touched by the Savior’s love and
forgiveness. (Remember, that for many, LBW is their
only contact with the saving Gospel given through God’s
Word.) Because of your hard work and generous financial
support of LBW there will be those in heaven who will
say, “I’m here because of your sharing the Savior with
me through LBW!” -- Rev Dennis Stueve
Without you, LBW would
“Hello, I don’t really know what to
say. How do words explain how
overwhelming it is for me to be able to
read God’s Word. How do you say thank
you to someone that gives that to you. So
here it is, Thank You from the bottom of
my heart. God bless and keep you. I’ll
see you when the Lord returns. You will
know me, I’m the guy with the BIG smile.
Your Brother in Christ, Dan”
The Audio Bible Study
The Audio Bible Study
Helping Blind People See Jesus
Lutheran Braille Workers’ mission is to passionately
share the message of salvation through faith in Jesus
Christ to blind and visually impaired individuals
throughout the world. LBW has for many years supplied
individuals with God’s Word – The NIV Bible in Braille
and Large Print. Now, we have a two year Audio Bible
Study, “Helping Blind People See Jesus” available to
anyone who is visually impaired. This Bible Study was
made possible through the LWML District Grants. If
you know of someone, who would like to have a set,
please contact, Charlotte, at LBW (800-925-6092) and
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she will add them to the list.
Our mission is to reach out and invite the visually
impaired into God’s Word and His Church by diligently
making the material resources needed to draw nearer to
Jesus. Through this Bible Study, people can now listen,
learn and inwardly digest God’s Word. LBW offers
unparalleled opportunity to serve visually impaired
people around the world. This Bible Study is yet another
way we can draw people nearer to Jesus and to His
promise of life to the fullest. -- Jan Fisher
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Spring 2016
A NEW look is coming to Lutheran Braille Workers!
In the next few months LBW will be introducing a new and
up-dated logo. But that’s not all! For nearly six months,
thanks to a grant from a generous foundation, LBW has
embarked on a journey to define and redefine our mission
and purpose to create a cohesive identity that not only is
helping us identify what LBW is known for but will also
incorporate additional ministry opportunities. We have
been reexamining “why” LBW does what it does so that
we can be more focused, efficient, and effective.
terms that God’s LOVE is at WORK in the Savior who
brought us into a relationship with Him. It also suggests
that the reason people volunteer and support LBW
financially is because God’s LOVE is reflected in how
they live and WORK. All that we do is motivated by the
love of a gracious God.
While our look may be different, we are still passionately
motivated to help people who are blind or visually
impaired touch, and be touched by the promises of Jesus!
“LOVE WORKS!”
We discovered that the “why” for LBW is that LOVE
WORKS! I like that phrase. It suggests in no uncertain
Volunteers joyfully doing quality control on the
Large Print Gospel of Mark
Volunteers producing the Braille
Gospel of Mark & Luke
National Volunteer Week
April 10-16, 2016
Lutheran Braille Workers is the largest volunteer
organization of its kind in the world. Our volunteers
help make it possible for thousands of blind and visually
impaired readers to receive our Braille and Specialized
Large Print Bibles and other Christian publications each
year, free of charge.
are some 3,100 volunteers in over 100 Braille and Large
Print Work Centers. It was Swiss theologian, Hans Urs
von Balthasar, that once said, “What you are is God’s
gift to you, what you become is your gift to God.”
Thank you for demonstrating your support of our
volunteers through your prayers and financial support.
God’s blessings to you during this Lenten Season and
throughout the year. -– RoyFisher
LBW was founded over 72 years ago, by a single
“volunteer” Mrs. Helene Loewe Koehler. Today there
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Spring 2016
B
Promise Makers
Mary Helen Kelly
Roberta Werth
Marjorie Delafosse
Melvin Stueve
Milton & Peggy Turnipseed
Ida Mall
Richard & Nancy Challis
Ane Ertzner
Norman Loeber
Tax ID: 95-6048152
Lutheran Braille Workers would like to thank Thrivent
Financial for the Thrivent Choice® program, which we
receive grant funds through monthly. In 2015 we received
$40,487.00 from this program which will help us to
continue producing Bibles in Large Print & Braille, to be
given free of charge to anyone who is in need.
Board of Directors
Mrs. Carol M. Zemke - Chair
Mr. Ken Loeber - Vice Chair
Mrs. Julia Neimes - Secretary
Mrs. Ruth Martin - Treasurer
Mrs. Deborah Rutt - Board of Director
Rev. Dr. Daniel Mattson - Board of Director/Chaplain
If you have directed your Choice Dollars® to LBW and
would like to recommend that funds go to a particular
Work Center, please call or email Deanna Bowles at
(800) 925-6092 or [email protected]
Please prayerfully consider Lutheran Braille Workers in your Estate Planning.
“Dear Rev. Dennis Stueve,
Enclosed find my Beneficiary Information from Thrivent
Financial for Lutherans.
Since Helene’s days, we started seven work centers - (one
in Canada) and attended numerous conventions. We have
delighted in God’s work through LBW.
My husband and I planned to leave a sum to LBW and
now our wishes are completed.
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Sincerely and continued devotion, J.H.”
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Spring 2016