“I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers” (Ephesians 1:15).

“Ordinary Saints” (Lutheran Woman Today, November 2009, pp. 6–9) is a missionary story.  ELCA missionary Christa von Zychlin, its author, shares how ELCA missionaries Barbara and John LeMond care for Barbara’s mother, Oriet, as they serve in Hong Kong.

It’s a story for All Saint’s Day, one that celebrates the priesthood of all believers and our ordinary, extraordinary vocations.

It’s a Thanksgiving story.  Despite difficult circumstances—or perhaps especially because of difficult circumstances—the LeMonds are thankful for past and present blessings and gifts of grace.

It’s a “mothers” story, particularly affirming and encouraging for children who love and care for a dependent parent.

Read “Ordinary Saints” in the November 2009 issue of Lutheran Woman Today magazine.  To download and print the article visit www.elca.org/handinhand (look for the link toward the bottom of the right-hand column).