Faith Lutheran Church - Wylie, TX

08/07/2026

eehhh… not my best work for the 1st try
nextime tape the stencil down ???
Greg

07/25/2026

07/25/2026

Where is Rebecca…
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ELISSA Crew's Log: 12 noon, Friday, July 24th, 2026
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CAUGHT NAPPING

“Think not, is my eleventh commandment, and sleep when you can is my twelfth.” - Moby Dick

I have taken (or attempted to take) naps in myriad locations around the ELISSA. In violation of his eleventh commandment, I have put extensive thought towards assessing and rating these locations. Please note that the actual selection and rating of a nap location is dependent on many factors, including, but not limited to, weather conditions and level of exhaustion.

Main Hatch - 6/10 | Good protection from the wind, shaded in the morning and late afternoon. However, the cambered and uneven surface can cause discomfort. A popular nap location among crew, so must be claimed quickly.

Quarterdeck, wedged between the binnacle and aft companionway - 1/10 | A location of desperation, chosen for the scrap of shade and successful only due to post-docking tiredness.

On deck, by scuppers - 4/10 | Boring, flat, in everyone’s way, but marginally effective.

Leaning against the fore bitts - Starboard: 1/10, Port: 0.5/10 | Profoundly uncomfortable and in the way. Port side ranks lower due to its proximity to the head vent. Imagine trying to sleep next to the output of a restroom exhaust fan, a space used by 30 people.

Bunk - 3/10 | Stuffy and disorienting to wake up in the dim red light of the mid-hold. The rest gained from the nap is hardly worth the climb up the three-high bunks. The mattress is the only redeeming feature.

Top of galley house - 7/10 | Folded and stowed awnings make a luxuriously comfortable surface. No protection from the sun. Not encouraged in rough sea states.

Curled around the base of the fore mast - 7.5/10 | Ideal on hot days when the fore sail is set. Out of the way except when staysails are being doused. Must time naps to avoid deck-washing.

Appendix 1: Forbidden Nap Locations

Aboard ELISSA, we go aloft only for essential tasks. Napping, according to the powers-that-be, is not an essential task (!?!), so the following locations will forever remain beyond the scope of this research, to my great disappointment.

Ratlines of the headrig - 8?/10 | The ratlines form a bow net beneath the jibboom. One could drape oneself across them, much as big cats sprawl over tree branches.

Platform on the main mast - 6?/10 | A flat surface with just enough room between the shrouds and the square sail gear to curl up.

Jibboom, on top of a doused (but not furled) headsail - 9?/10 | Flakes of sail resting on the jibboom would be perfect for nestling into, and the motion of the ship would rock one to sleep in minutes.

Sweet Dreams,
Rebekah Roundey

Photos courtesy .

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POSITIONING
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ELISSA at 12 noon (EDT)
Total Distance Traveled: 3668nm
Position: 32deg 05.0' N x 81deg 05.7' W
Course: n/a (moored)
Speed-Over-Ground: n/a (moored)
Weather: Sunny & Hot; light & variable breeze.

07/13/2026

Another Rebecca sighting…

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ELISSA Captain's Log: 12 noon, Wednesday, July 8th, 2026
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SHIPMATES

ELISSA is getting nowhere without her crew, and it’s through their dedication and diligence that our voyage has gone so well.

Our ship’s complement includes some professional crew serving as officers, but the majority of the people aboard are volunteers who have already logged hundreds (in some cases, thousands) of hours working on ELISSA in Galveston and are now contributing their time as crew for the 2026 voyage.

One of the questions we are asked most is "How many people are in the crew?" Well, it can vary a little. From Galveston to the East Coast, we had 33 souls on board, another common maritime phrase, and once here, we have added some, but now we have lost a few as well. We have 39 aboard for the current trip from NYC to Boston.

In both the professional and volunteer crew cases, it can be difficult to schedule this much time away from our homes, our regular jobs, our “normal” lives. So the roster of folks working on board is rotating a bit as some people can only do some of the trip. Crew has been scheduled to rotate on and off the ship, and New York was our first major crew change. We have welcomed aboard fourteen new crew, and we’re excited for the fresh energy they’ll bring, but it’s also with heavy hearts that we said goodbye to seven shipmates who were with us on the passage from Galveston and were SUCH an important part of the first 2200 miles of ELISSA’s 2026 Voyage.

So please join me in giving hearty thanks and a VERY fond farewell to our departing crew members: Connor McGowan, Nate Seward, Dan Mandelstein, Andrew Griesel, Kat Wenzel, Dmitry Selivanov, and Sandra Anderson.

And thanks also to Grant Garner, Phil Cantu, and Heidi Spratt, who joined ELISSA to help during our (very) busy week in NYC.

In the photo here: “Barque ELISSA 2026 Voyage Crew 2.0”

Regards,
Captain Andrew Ellers

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POSITIONING
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ELISSA at 12 noon (EDT)
Total Distance Traveled: 2466nm
Position: 40deg 49.3' N x 71deg 55.9' W
Course: 040deg (M)
Speed-Over-Ground: 6.1 kts.
Weather: Sunny; 10-15kt wind from N; seas 2-3’.

06/27/2026

Someone is having too much fun on a workday…

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/local/galveston/2026/06/24/555418/galveston-elissa-tall-ship-america-250-new-york/

The 1877 Elissa set sail from the Port of Galveston on June 8. It's traveling to New York City for the Fourth of July as part of Sail250, a global gathering of tall ships and military ships to celebrate the United States' 250th anniversary.

06/27/2026

https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&cx=06f09e3a65e204388&q=https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/local/galveston/2026/06/24/555418/galveston-elissa-tall-ship-america-250-new-york/%3Famp%3D1&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwjf_ty1j6aVAxU4liYFHR3lErEQFnoECAQQAg&usg=AOvVaw0HlbwBowgQWmsdDooLiw9L&fexp=121695402,121575041,121575040

The 1877 Elissa set sail from the Port of Galveston on June 8. It's traveling to New York City for the Fourth of July as part of Sail250, a global gathering of tall ships and military ships to celebrate the United States' 250th anniversary.

06/20/2026

The Elissa has landed at her stop at Sailwinds Park here in Cambridge today.

Embarking on a journey for the Sail250 celebrations, the Elissa is one of the oldest vessels participating in the national flotilla celebrating America's 250th anniversary.

Come check her out at Sailwinds Park, Cambridge Md and take a tour from 12-5pm!

06/17/2026

God be with you, Rebecca and crew!

06/17/2026

GO REBECCA and ELISSA !!!

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ELISSA Captain's Log: 12 noon, Tuesday, June 16th, 2026
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A WIDE SPECTRUM OF CONDITIONS….

Yesterday afternoon, after sailing out of Fort Pierce, the breezes became light & variable. Even with 15 sails set, we had added the spanker; if not for the favorable currents of the Gulf Stream, our speed would have virtually fallen to zero. By 3 pm, ELISSA was consistently moving at less than 2kt SOG (see below for more on this).

We were on the verge of ‘throwing in the towel’ and starting the engine to keep moving, but we decided to show some patience and give it an extra 45 minutes. It was great that we did, because the wind slowly and steadily started to fill in, building in force and stabilizing its direction. By 4 pm, we had more than doubled our speed to 4.5kts. More wind = more speed. By 5 pm, the wind was now a steady 10-12kts, bringing ELISSA’s speed to 9.3kts, and then still more. By the time dinner was called at 6 pm, the wind was a steady 15kts, and we were really starting to gallop along at over 10, almost 11 knots.

But, there can be ‘too much of a good thing.' We had already planned to take in both our Royals, which we never have set at night. But, between National Weather Service warnings, watching squalls on the radar, and simply watching the gathering storm clouds, we had to shorten sail further. The photo posted here is of the oncoming dark skies and the almost-glowing Gulf Stream waters. Rain isn’t going to bother ELISSA, nor her crew, but with those squalls often come gusty, shifting, erratic, and even extreme winds. If and when something like that hits, we can instantly “take our foot off the gas."

So we prepared for the worst and began the reverse of what we did earlier in the day. As we sailed out of Fort Pierce, we added sail after sail after sail up to fourteen and then fifteen sails in those light winds, and now we had to reduce the amount of sail we were carrying. Off came the Royals and the Topgallants; the Maintop Staysail and the Jibs. And if you think that hauling all those lines to douse all those sails is a work-out -- remember that every sail we take in must be furled, so the crew had to scamper aloft (in some cases over 100’ up; and in all cases aboard a moving ship) to secure the sails. As the squalls got closer, the wind kept changing direction, veering 20 degrees, then 40, and more, and more, until we were sailing WAY off course as we handled sail and ran before the wind.

With the shifting winds and shortened sail plan, the steering was becoming more difficult, so we struck the Mizzen Staysail and Foresail to ease the “weather helm." With the ship sailing in trim, at 9 pm we were able to come about, “wearing-ship” back onto a northly course.

In the end, we did get rained on a bit, but we never did see any of the worst of the weather that came through our area. Probably the highest winds we experienced were about 25 knots. So in the end, you might think we didn’t really need to shorten sail. NOPE, not true.

When you’re at sea, especially on a traditionally rigged ship where sail handling is more complicated, it is imperative that we always prepare for the worst to keep ELISSA and her precious cargo, the crew, safe.

With the dawn of this morning, there are steady breezes, and no more threats of squalls (until this evening anyway), so we reset the Foresail, the Topgallants, the Jibs, and we press onwards with glorious sailing.

Regards,
Captain Andrew Ellers

--ALSO--

A note about our speed: We are always reporting our “speed over ground” (SOG) because that is what we use to navigate, and that will help you envision how quickly we are heading towards our destination. It differs from how fast we are moving through the water when currents are present. Over the past few days, we have DEFINITELY been in the presence of currents, the mighty Gulf Stream, and since it is heading in the same direction as ELISSA, it is VERY beneficial.

Right now we are sailing through the water at about 7.5 knots, but the water itself is moving in the same direction as us at about 2.5 knots, so those two factors combine to create our nearly 10 knots “speed over ground”. It’s kinda like we’re moving forward atop a huge, watery conveyor belt that is helping us along. It’s a lovely gift of +30 extra miles each day!

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POSITIONING
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ELISSA at 12 noon (EDT)
Distance Traveled: 1225nm
Position: 29deg 53' N x 79deg 29' W
Course: 020 M
Speed-Over-Ground: 9.6 kts.
Weather: Partly sunny; 12-15kt wind from the SW; seas 2-3’ from SW.

05/14/2023

Rogate
14 May, Anno Domini 2017 St. John 16:23-30
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Alleluia! Christ is risen! Beloved of God,
The words of Jesus before us today continue His teaching to the apostles in the upper room the night of the Lord’s Supper, the night when Jesus’ crucifixion was only hours away. These last hours of catechesis deserve the special attention that we give them during Easter because they are spoken to the Church as we exist now, suffering under the constant hatred of the devil and the world that crucified our Savior. The Church is battered about. We are daily under assault. Our flesh threatens to betray us at every turn. When you know you’re about to die you don’t mince words. There isn’t any time for beating around the bush. You say what needs to be said. That’s exactly what Jesus did. He spoke to the apostles and to the Church exactly what we need in these gray and latter days as we wait for our Savior’s return.
For four chapters, Jesus has been teaching the disciples after having instituted the Lord’s Supper and washed their feet. This is now the fourth time in these final hours that Jesus has specifically made promises regarding prayer, asking the Father. Here they are together:
From 14:13-14 - “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
From 15:7 - “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

From 15:16 - “You did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”
And today, from several different verses of 16: “In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in m name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full...In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.”
There are a couple very clear threads running through all these words. First, Jesus repeatedly commands us, the Church, to pray. Several times Jesus simply says “Ask”. That’s all prayer really is. It’s asking. It’s placing your needs before God and asking that He provide help. The command to pray is simply an incredible invitation to stand confidently before the God of heaven and earth and ask for His divine help, not just for yourself but for everyone, as St. Paul urges the Church to do in his letter to Timothy.
And what are we supposed to ask for? “Whatever”. Four different times Jesus says “whatever you ask.” There is essentially no limitation on prayer. You have need? Then ask your Father. In your prayers you should be praying for the government at all levels here and throughout the world. You should be praying for your brothers and sisters in Christ scattered throughout the world. You should be praying for the pure preaching of the Gospel that the kingdom of God may come and remain in your midst and spread throughout our community and the world. You should be praying for your family, your daily bread, and a blessed death in faith. And this is exactly what we do in the Prayer of the Church during the Divine Service.
The only limitation is this (and this is the third theme in Jesus’ words) - that it be asked in Jesus name. Now, clearly, just tacking on “in Jesus’ name” at the end of the prayer isn’t what Jesus is talking about. His name isn’t magical. It’s not the secret password to unlock heaven. To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray according to who He is, what He has taught, and what He has done and promises to do. If you pray for revenge on someone because they sinned against you, if you pray that God provide you a way to

be unfaithful to your spouse, you can be 100% certain that God will not hear that prayer or grant it. Sin is never in keeping with the name of Jesus. But daily bread, forgiveness, mercy, the Holy Spirit - all these things are and we would have none of them if they weren’t given to us by our Father.
The fourth theme is the constant promise that we will receive whatever we ask in Jesus’ name. YOU WILL RECEIVE all those things up to and including the Holy Spirit who gives every blessing of Christ. Where is there any room left for doubt with these words of Jesus? Why is there any hesitation on our part to cry out to our Father in our needs? He wants and commands us to and then promises to give what we ask in accord with Christ! Reason simply can’t make any sense of this. Who are we to ask God for even a morsel of bread, let alone forgiveness and salvation? We haven’t loved God. We haven’t obeyed. We haven’t feared, loved, and trusted in Him with our whole heart. We haven’t done anything that should make God want to even listen to us, let alone answer us with anything but a thundering “NO!” Our voices should sound to God like nails on a chalkboard.
This is why Jesus’ words today are so absolutely crucial and can’t be given too much of our attention. There is one reason, and one reason only that you should boldly and confidently ask God for anything. Every request should have as its source and its foundation the day in which Jesus spoke in the plainest possible about the Father saying “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” That day, the day when all your sins met their bitter end as God turned His face away from His Son and abandoned Him to death, is the day that God turned His face toward you and opened His ears to hear your cries. If you think you can only pray after proving your value and worth to God, you will never be heard. That prayer will fall straight into the abyss of hell because it is prayer that is not covered in the Blood of God’s atoning Lamb. Jesus’ death is the plainest and purest preaching of the Father’s love for you. It IS His love for you. There, in no uncertain terms do you see His desire to spare you from eternal death, His desire to put your sins away from you, and have you call upon Him as His dearly beloved child.
You have needs and so do your neighbors. There isn’t a person in this room who doesn’t. They aren’t all the same, though we do have many

needs in common. You have been spared from judgement and death by the Body and Blood given to you in Holy Communion from the altar of Jesus’ cross. Dear children of God, pray. Your Father takes the greatest pleasure in hearing your voice and in meeting your needs. He is so serious about it that He made it the second commandment: “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord, your God...pray, praise, and give thanks.” Don’t let your sin, sin that Christ has already paid for, silence you. Boldly make your requests known to God the Father because the Father Himself loves you. You don’t need someone more merciful than Jesus. That person doesn’t exist. All the mercy and all the reason you need to pray has been given to you in the waters of Baptism where you were covered and cleansed by Christ’s Blood.
Pray. Pray for heavenly things and for earthly things. Pray with your family. Pray for your family. Pray for the glory of God’s Holy name. Pray for your neighbors. Pray for the Church. Pray for your pastors. Pray. Your Father loves you.
In the Name of +Jesus. Amen.
Pastor Ulmer
(We stand.) The peace of God which passes all understanding keeps your hearts and your minds through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.