Growth and opportunity for God’s mission in Honduras

by Leonardo Neitzel

My mission trip to Nicaragua this time included a visit to Honduras with the president of the Iglesia Luterana Sinodo de Nicaragua (ILSN) Pastor Luis Turcios. In Tegucigalpa we met with Pastor Edmundo Auger, a Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod pastor serving in the Cayman Islands and with Tulio Cesar Mejia, who lives in Tegucigalpa, the capital city. We wanted to explore and discuss the possibility of mission work with LCC’s missionary, Pastor Douglas Aguillar, who is established and serving in the northern part of the country, Olanchito.

Tulio Cesar Mejia; LCMS missionary Pastor Edmundo Auger; LCC missionary Pastor Douglas Aguillar; and Rev. Dr. Leonardo Neitzel discuss plans for expanding the mission work in Honduras.

Tulio, a young church leader, took Lutheran Church–Canada-sponsored seminary classes in the Iglesia Luterana Sínodo de Nicaragua (ILSN), worked as lay evangelist volunteer in Panama, and is currently conducting Bible classes with children in Tegucigalpa. Pastor Auger has mentored Tulio and is very encouraged with the work he’s doing.

At our meeting we agreed that Tulio should continue his seminary training at the ILSN as part of the new class starting in October 2011. He will work with Pastor Douglas and both men will report to the ILSN and LCC on their missionary programs. Rev. Auger will visit Tulio during the year, study foundational theological doctrine and related areas with him, mentoring and supporting his work with Pastor Douglas. Rev. Auger, in his kindness, offered to assist in special gatherings and mission outreach events in both places, encouraging our church workers in their family life as well as in the work of the mission.

Dr. Neitzel participates in the mission outreach in Olanchito, Honduras

President Luis and I travelled to Olanchito where Pastor Douglas gathers children and adults under trees to proclaim the Gospel. We had the opportunity to take part in one of these events which gathered about eighty people. There is a small and faithful group of people who own a piece of land donated by the Lutheran Church in Victoria, B.C. They would like to have their church built as soon as possible. Dr. Paul Loofs and his wife, Elia Enid de Loofs, originally members of the church in Victoria, live in Olanchito and have been of great blessing and very supportive of the work in that area.

The congregation’s challenge is now building a church, but they don’t have finances. They own the property, have a blueprint for a good-sized church building, a cost estimate, and are working on the building permit. They would welcome any financial support or labour work in their endeavour.

As in Nicaragua, it would be possible for LCC to arrange the building project in Olanchito to be carried out in stages until completion. A volunteer team of builders could lay the foundations in the first stage, then the walls, roof, doors and windows until it’s finished.

We pray and trust the Lord will provide these brothers and sisters with help from North American teams to help them build a place for them to continue worshipping the Lord and proclaiming His Gospel to the people in Olanchito.

Rev. Leonardo Neitzel is Lutheran Church–Canada’s executive responsible for overseas missions.

Ethiopian Lutheran church rises stronger after persecution

Dr. Neitzel with EEMYC pastors

by Rev. Leonardo Neitzel

 

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – The second day of the Ethiopian Evangelical Mekane Yesus Church (EEMYC) Theological and Missions Conference saw around 3.000 pastors and other church leaders gathered for education, inspiration and fellowship. It was a day packed with music, preaching and essays focusing on different areas under the major theme of mission.

Some statistics presented about the EEMYC filled our hearts with joy and gratitude for the boldness of our Lutheran brothers and sisters in regards to the expansion of the Lord’s kingdom in Ethiopia and beyond. We learned there are:

• 7.000 congregations (The goal and plan is to reach 10.000 shortly.)
• 3.000 preaching or mission stations
• 5.6 Million members
• 21 synods (which we call districts)
• 34 Bible colleges
• 5 seminaries

Following the fall of Ethiopia’s communist regime in 1991, Lutheranism grew quickly. Here are some of the factors related to that growth:

1. Strong investment in Bible schools and Bible institutes;
2. Production and distribution of Christian literature;
3. National outreach plan for planting churches;
4. Comprehensive and holistic ministry – ministering to the whole person, body soul and mind;
5. Impact of the church’s persecution under the Communist regime. This fact revitalized the house churches, family prayer and Bible studies. In a certain way the Ethiopian Lutherans thank the Italian and communist regimes which banned missionaries from the country. When these missionaries were allowed to come back, the “underground church” was stronger and revitalized. As early Christian writer Tertullian says, “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church.”
6. Laity training and delegation for mission;
7. Rediscovery of the power of the Holy Spirit in providing for the person in all aspects of life – spiritual and physical. People who had received a prayer during a difficult physical illness, a tragedy, or at a death-bed committed themselves completely to the witness of their faith in Jesus Christ. The church has a strong social ministry with a budget of about 3.1 billion birr (their currency) or about US$18.3 million.

 Theirs is this strong slogan and confession: “If the Lord is with us, who can be against us?”

 Rev. Dr. Leonardo Neitzel is Lutheran Church–Canada’s mission executive

Ethiopian Lutherans are bold in their Christian faith

More than 2500 pastors and church leaders are participating in the conference

by Rev. Leonardo Neitzel

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – The first day of the Ethiopian Evangelical Mekane Yesus Church’s (EEMYC) Theological Conference was attended by easily more than 2,500 pastors, including Lutheran delegations from North America, Europe and African countries. This conference is the first of its kind in the EEMYC and is focusing on areas such as the biblical foundations for church, ministry and mission and practical aspects of mission.

The Lutherans in Ethiopia are vibrant in their worship, fellowship and interaction with all people, regardless of country, language and cultural background. The are also committed and bold in their stand on the Holy Scripture and on the Lutheran teaching and confession. We see they are deeply disturbed and challenged by the decisions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) on homosexuality. During the conference they reaffirmed, by repeating several times in the audience, the Solas or Alones of the Lutheran Church’s theology – Christ Alone, Scripture Alone, Grace Alone and Faith Alone.

The Lutheran Church in Ethiopia, from what I have seen, is clear in its confession about God’s call to mission and ministry as well as about God’s goal for the Lutheran Church’s mission in Africa and around the world.

Praise God for such a vision!

Rev.  Dr. Leonardo Neitzel is Lutheran Church–Canada’s mission executive

God’s Spirit evident at Ethiopian conference

by Rev. Marv Ziprick

I was honoured by the Oromo community in Edmonton to accompany their leaders to attend a two- day conference (February 12 and 13) of the Mekane Yesus (Place of Jesus) Church in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The theme of the conference was “ILAAMEE” (Give me your attention)—emphasizing the call of God upon our lives to bear witness to Jesus and share the Gospel.

On Sunday, Rev. Dr. Leonardo Neitzel (representing Lutheran Church–Canada) and I were privileged to worship in Millenium Hall with more than 10,000 of our Oromo brothers and sisters in Christ. The three-and-a-half hour service was vibrant and inspiring. It reflected the Oromo culture in dress, music and dancing.

A highlight of the service was the children's choir.

More than forty young adults led the service in song. Speakers included a personal testimony from a man who was a Muslim and came to faith in Jesus. His message was simple: “Whatever you do for Jesus …it will not be in vain.” The preacher was Rev. Dr. Gemechis Buba who spoke on the power of God’s Word… just as God spoke in the beginning and “it was so”…so, today His Word still has the power to create new life and bring and light.

Nine young adults were commissioned as evangelists

The Mekane Yesus Church in Ethiopia numbers 5.4 million members. It has a long and strong evangelistic thrust. It has sent missionaries to Asia as well as other African countries. During today’s worship nine young adults were commissioned as evangelists with the laying on of hands and prayer. They are being sent to parts of Ethiopia where the Gospel has not been heard.

In this conference the presence and power of God’s Spirit certainly has been evident. I admire their joy-filled spirits and their zeal in sharing the Gospel.

This week Rev. Neitzel and I will attend a theological conference attended by 2000 Oromo pastors as well as representatives from Lutheran Church bodies in Africa, Europe and North America. Please remember the participants in your prayers.

Following the conference I have the honour of attending a wedding at Nekemte (in western Ethiopia). One of our Oromo brothers from Edmonton will be married on Sunday, February 20.

Rev Marv Ziprick is senior pastor of Bethel Lutheran Church, Sherwood Park, Alberta and works with an Oromo congregation in downtown Edmonton.

Ethiopian conference marked by singing and clear Gospel message

by Rev. Leonardo Neitzel

 

Thousands gathered for a two-day outreach conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (February 13, 2011) – The second day of the Ilaamee Mission Conference of the International Oromo Mission and Cultural Convention in Addis Ababa started on Sunday at 9 a.m. with a crowd of close to 10,000. (On Saturday there were about 7.000.) There were several children’s and young adults’ choirs having between 50 to 100 singers and dancers. The Lutheran Church has been known as the church which sings and—praise God— the Ethiopian Lutherans honour this reputation as I witnessed them singing for more than two hours and involving the large crowd.

They show a strong understanding of, and affection for the Word of God and to sharing it through music, singing and repeating key Bible verses through praise songs. One song was adapted from Isaiah 40:28-31: “I love you, my Lord, because you are my strength and my protection.” The children sang “We are children of Light through the plans of God”, based on Jesus—the Light of the world—and his encouragement for us to let our light shine.

After a Gospel call message by Dr. Gemechis Desta Buba, about 20 people came forward to receive a prayer as they were brought to Christ through the Gospel and joined the Christian faith. There were several moments of sharing in the Word of God and prayer. It was a true celebration as an expression of gratitude for the blessings the Lord has providing for the Lutheran church in Ethiopia and in the world and for the opportunities to share the Gospel freely in this country.

The foreign Lutheran delegations greeted the convention on behalf of their synods. The audience cheered in appreciation upon hearing about LCC and Canadian Oromos establishing a partnership in the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Canada and Ethiopia.

The celebration continued for the whole afternoon and the only empty seats in the auditorium those once occupied by the foreign delegates who were bused to the palace of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Mr. Meles Zenawi. The meeting was arranged by the Ethiopian Evangelical Mekane Yesus Church. This was a very special moment as the prime minister showed some video clips and spoke highly about his country and administration. He noted that Ethiopia is in a new era of growth and development economically, educationally, socially, medically, and especially in the area of construction and farming. He also mentioned about the freedom of religion in his country and about the strong presence of Christians and the Lutheran contribution. He emphasized the Biblical foundation of the country as some of the Biblical accounts relate to the people and the country Ethiopia. The president of the EEMY, Rev. Dr. Wakseyoum Idossa and Dr. Buba expressed our gratitude to the Prime Minister for making himself available on a Sunday afternoon to meet the Lutherans.

Dr. Neitzel and an Ethiopian shepherd and his wife.

Ethiopia, a land of 1.14 million square kilometers, with a population of 80 Million, is 83.9% rural and 16.1% urban, with many languages, Amharic and Oromo the two largest. Other language groups are: Cushitic, Semitic, Nilo-Saharan, Tigeryna, Guragyna, Aquwat. Including English, there are about 83 languages spoken in Ethiopia.

The 5.4 million Lutherans set an example as they are faithfully committed to the Word of God, to the Lutheran faith and confession, and to sharing the love of Jesus with their countrymen – and they do it joyfully through words spoken, sung or danced.

As we welcome the Oromo communities into the fellowship of Lutheran Church–Canada, we thank and praise the Lord for the tremendous service Ethiopian Lutherans have undertaken for the sake of the Gospel. Through their focus, readiness and service they do not want to lose sight of the growth and steadfastness of their brothers and sisters in the Lutheran church as they move to other countries. Their Christian faith and testimony is vibrant and they are willing to take charge of any opportunity to share the love of Jesus Christ.

Rev. Dr. Leonardo Neitzel is responsible for Lutheran Church–Canada’s overseas mission program and supervises LCC’s Pastors with Alternate Training program which prepares students for cultural-specific ministry.

Reflections from Thailand and Cambodia

by Robert Bugbee

(Photos by Carol Harms)

Even though I’m back in my office chair in Winnipeg, in my thoughts I’m still very much back “on the road” as I recall a week packed full with visiting our mission partners in Thailand and Cambodia. Internet headaches aborted a report I sent while I was gone, but I want to report to all of you what’s going on there while everything is still fresh in my mind.

The trip was lengthy—made lengthier by a delayed plane from Vancouver to Tokyo that made me miss my connection to Bangkok. I arrived 35 hours after leaving Winnipeg. Dr. Leonard and Carol Harms, gracious hosts throughout my visit, got me quickly to a welcome shower and cup of coffee, because my first informal meeting with staff began four hours after I arrived.

A long first day

President Bugbee discusses outreach with “Boom” Monta Ekwanit, director of the Lutheran Hour Ministries office for Thailand

Bangkok is home to a number of our ministry partners: The “Thailand Concordia Lutheran Church” (TCLC); “Into Light Lutheran Church” (a congregation in Bangkok); “Journey Into Light” (the Thai name for Lutheran Hour Ministries); and “Luther Institute – Southeast Asia” (LISA, the agency that provides seminary training for pastoral candidates in that part of the world). A number of co-workers from these groups spent coffee and conversation time with me the morning I arrived.

In the afternoon of that first day, we were off to the airport again, and another flight to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. We were met there by Rev. Vanarith Chhim, president of the “Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cambodia” (ELCC). Pastor Vanarith, just 29 years old, was converted to Christianity in the 1990s, like most of his pastoral colleagues in the ELCC. He was also attracted by Luther’s Small Catechism and the clarity of our Law/Gospel approach to God’s Word.

Trained by LISA in Phnom Penh, Vanarith became an acknowledged leader of the church in his country despite his young age. Without any pushing or prompting by outsiders, the Cambodian Lutherans decided on their own to constitute their self-governing synod in 2009. The Cambodian government has formally recognized the ELCC a religious organization by, and already the new church body numbers dozens of congregations and/or preaching stations.

Encouragement and harsh reality

President Vanarith Chhim and President Bugbee in front of the building which houses Lutheran Heritage Foundation, LISA, headquarters for Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cambodia (ELCC) and services are held in this building also.

On my second day in the region, I met with the ELCC Board of Directors, and was heartened to hear these young pastors tell the stories of their conversions and their enthusiasm for having found their way to our Lutheran church. Many of them endured abuse and criticism from Buddhist relatives after their conversions. Still, their zeal for Christ, their desire for more resources translated and printed in their Khmer language, and their deep gratitude toward our Canadian church are a huge encouragement.

Of course, it’s hard to visit Cambodia without hearing something of the dreadful genocide which took place in the late 1970s. Though my schedule did not allow me to visit the infamous “killing fields,” I did see a former high school transformed into a torture-factory back in those days. I won’t go into details about the methods of torture employed by the regime, but they are chilling. It was especially upsetting to learn they treated babies and young children with the same harshness as adults.

The presidents beside a fish pond on Pastor Sem Sothea’s property. The fish provide food and income for the pastor and his congregation

My last day in Cambodia was taken up with a trip to the countryside. Near Kampot we had something like a “circuit forum” in which pastors, deaconesses and church members gathered to meet me, since they’d been unable to make the trip into the city. I saw one of the famous fish ponds and how it provides income for a poor pastor and his family, since the congregations don’t have the means to provide salaries for their ministers. (It made me proud of the Sunday school children back at Holy Cross, Kitchener, where I used to be pastor, who gave so much money for these projects. Yes, children, your love did make a difference!)

Church relationships

President Bugbee models the Thai shirt presented to him by President Ted Na Thalang of Thailand Concordia Lutheran Church.

After two days in Phnom Penh, I returned to Bangkok for two days in that enormous city of 11 million residents, Thailand’s capital. The country, home to 67 million people, is noticeably wealthier and more advanced than Cambodia. LISA courses in this city have helped train pastors for TCLC. I’m so grateful for “our” Dr. Len Harms and all the time he has taken in retirement to devote to this work. His wife, Carol, has also embraced Thailand as a second home and offers warm encouragement to the Thai church and its people.

The full-day meeting with TCLC leaders was a wonderful experience. They outlined the history of their church, their hopes for the future, and their desire to join the Cambodians in establishing a special working agreement with LCC. They treasure the fact that, instead of sending North American missionaries to do the work for them, we invest in training native pastors who speak the people’s language and can understand them more deeply than we ever will.

I think I was at eight different airports during this trip. After a flight southward from Bangkok, I spent my final two days in the region around Takuapa and Khok Kloi, where we’ve had partnership with the churches for many years. This region is the tropical part of Thailand that dangles like a “tail” toward Malaysia (check your atlas at home; you’ll see). It’s also the stunning waterfront region where the tsunami hit the beaches six years ago. Yes, the scars are still there: large ships driven inland by the water that cannot be moved back to the sea; refugee-type housing for families who lost their homes. But the rebuilding has happened, too. Now it’s a very swanky tourist region, especially frequented by people from Scandinavia and Germany. Rubber trees, pineapple farms and elephants meeting you as you drive along the highway are par for this course.

…and finally

Friends, I apologize this has become so long. During my initial term of office I have attempted to visit all our major mission fields: Ukraine in 2009 and 2010, Nicaragua in 2010, and now Thailand/Cambodia in 2011.

Everywhere I go it’s a wonderful story of people whose lives have meaning now because of God’s Son, Who died for them and was raised again. Everywhere I go it’s a wonderful story of people who thank you for the approach taken by our Canadian church to equip them for their work so they can reach their neighbours. Everywhere I go it’s mixed with a little frustration that I cannot pack all of you into the suitcase and take you along, because the story of our LCC mission work is a story of money carefully spent, grateful partners in far-off lands, and people who by their courage and devotion teach and give us far more than we can ever give them.

God bless you all for your prayer support and gifts of love for this work! And thanks for taking the time to read these lines, which I send to all of you…

…in the love of Christ,

Robert Bugbee, president

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Early Christianity revisited in modern Ukraine

Dr. Threinen (third from left) and eight seminary students recently received copies of The Book of Concord in Russian.

by Norman Threinen

It never ceases to amaze me how personally relevant theology often is for students attending seminary classes in foreign mission areas! When I began teaching courses on Early Christianity and the Survey of the Bible at the seminary in Odessa, Ukraine, I expected that a study of the Bible would personally touch the student’s lives and professor alike; it always does in many ways. But the most memorable experience for me came as we looked at the growth of the church in the Early Christianity course. Quite naturally, the topic came up of the way people became members of the Christian church in the centuries following the period of the New Testament.

The topic prompted one student to tell his story. His wife came to faith after she accepted an invitation to attend worship from another young mother whom she met in a park. Merely tolerant at first, he came to faith when he saw how his wife changed following her conversion to Christianity and, as he waited for her after church. he observed how happy church people seemed in spite of really difficult times. Similar stories from other students told me this student’s story was not unique. Having come out from under Communism only twenty years ago, people are experiencing conditions much like those of the early Christians. It is simply amazing that despite having the Christian Gospel in this country for more than 1,000 years this should be the case.

Reflecting on the first weeks of classes, I am gratified to note that our student body of eight men are relating to one another well. Some have a better background of knowledge and some enter into the discussions more readily than others, but judging by the diligence with which they attend to their studies, all are serious about becoming pastors in the church. For some it means being apart from their families for periods of six weeks while they attend seminary. For all it will mean facing an uncertain economic future when they are finished seminary training since SELCU congregations have not yet learned to support their pastors.

I continue to appreciate the skill Pastor Oleg Schewtschenko brings to translating my lectures, and for the presence of my dear wife, Muriel.

Dr. Norman J. Threinen is rector of Concordia Seminary, Odessa, Ukraine

Chilly news from Ukrainian seminary

by Norman Threinen
The nights are getting longer, the weather colder, coughs and colds more common, sweaters and warm jackets worn both inside and outside. And the little band of future preachers for the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Ukraine is faced with a grim reality—the promised natural gas hook-up which was to provide heat for the new seminary building for the cold winter ahead will not materialize until spring 2011 at the earliest.

Since we rely on electrical heaters for some warmth we hope the occasional power outages are few and short-lived. And we pray for a mild winter!

Odessa seminary students face cool classes until a natural gas line is connected

In the midst of these difficulties, the eight students, translator and professor remain in good spirits. Our cook, Larisa, is providing a somewhat varied menu for meals. She has become a genuine house-mother, beaming as students come back for seconds of borsch and chiding a student on occasion for not finishing his plate of food.

In the academic area, more gifted students help other students who struggle to understand the problems associated with the current courses: New Testament Introduction and Lutheran Confessions. Tatania, our new interpreter from Lviv, is finding it necessary to expand both her Russian and English vocabulary with the help of textbooks we use and is meeting the challenge admirably.

As the instructor, I’ve have found it interesting to work with four different translations of the Book of Concord in my Lutheran Confessions course: my English Tappert translation; a Ukrainian translation; and two Russian translations, one translated from English and the other translated from the original German and Latin. Each student will receive personal copies of the Russian volumes when they arrive from Finland, but everything seems to take longer in Ukraine than back home.

My personal four-month tour of duty will extend until November 28, hopefully before the snow and the subzero weather come.

Rev. Dr. Norman Threinen is rector of Concordia Seminary in Odessa, Ukraine. He is a professor emeritus of Concordia Lutheran Seminary, Edmonton, Alberta.

Nicaraguan church celebrates Reformation

by Rev. Dr. Ralph Mayan

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They came from congregations as far away as Rivas and Granada, from Matagalpa and Jinotega. More than three hundred people gathered in Martin Luther Chapel to celebrate the 493rd Anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation this past Sunday. They joined in the liturgy of the church; sang hymns of faith including Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress is our God.” They understood why they had come together.

“We have not gathered to celebrate the life of Martin Luther as if he were some kind of Lutheran saint. We celebrate what he discovered through his study of Holy Scripture. We celebrate God’s grace and that central Bible teaching that we are saved by God’s grace through faith on account of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.” 

Fed with the Word of God and nourished with the body and blood of Christ, participants departed strengthened and encouraged for the work Christ has given to His church in Nicaragua. 

This was the first time the Synod has held such a large event. It was a challenge for the Synod Committee.  It had to consider transportation arrangments from the 22 plus congregations, table and chair rentals, and providing a light lunch for everyone following the service. With the support of volunteers, they met the challenge and the church was blessed. 

Members from small congregations were amazed at the number of people who gathered. They had no idea the church was so large! And everyone had the opportunity to meet brothers and sisters in the faith from other congregations and communities in the social hour that followed.

A transition in Costa Rica

 

 

by Rev. Dr. Ralph Mayan

Pastor Edmundo (2nd from left) and Pastor Pedro (1st from right) with a few mission leaders.

This past week I had the opportunity to visit with our two missionaries in Costa Rica and see firsthand the work being done in Casa Cuba, a barrio of San Jose and Cartago, a community about 23 kilometres south east of the capital.

Work began in Cartago about one and half years ago with Missionary Edmundo Retana, our first Costa Rican pastor. His outreach program is a three-pronged approach.
(1) Together with his wife and the assistance of others, they have outreach programs for children and teens in the area. These are held twice a week.
(2) They seek to establish relationships by carrying out special events with invitations being sent to people from the community. These are always well attended especially if they involve their children. 
(3) Pastor Retana then carries out what he describes as “scheduled visitations” in the homes of all the people with whom he has comes in contact that week. He describes them as “scheduled” because they are carried out on specific days and he seeks to schedule the visit with the family so that they are prepared for his coming. “I don’t just visit them once, but weekly so that I can get to know them and their needs and they can get to know me and our Saviour.” He says that having made these visits for over a year now, people recognize him on the street and he now has “unscheduled” stops to visit with others. “God is blessing my visits,” he says. He adds, “The people God sends our way are so open to the Gospel.”

Worship Facility in Cartago

On the day of our visit, one of the special events was taking place. Approximately fifty crowded into our rented facility (thanks to Concordia Lutheran Mission Society who provide the financial support for both this facility and the one in Casa Cuba) to hear about an upcoming MOST Ministry Eye-glass clinic in November. After describing what would take place at the eye-glass clinic, he used the opportunity to speak about humanity’s need for spiritual sight and how that comes in the person of Jesus Christ. The teens handed out tickets for the clinic and Pastor Retana then visited with people collecting names and addresses so that he could have the opporutnity to speak with them personally in their homes.

Since his beginning he has confirmed six adults and conducted one baptism. Worship is held on Saturday with an average attendance of 27 people. The time of worship is followed by programs for children and teens.

Pastor Pedro Quintero, our Nicaraguan missionary in the country, has been serving in various barrios of San Jose. During our visit with him, we visited in Casa Cuba where he began work some 8 months ago. This outreach ministry has focused more on the children in the community and with the assistance of a resident from the community, he has been able to develop a children’s program that reaches out to about 30 children. “These are families that I have been able to now contact and share the Gospel with,” Pastor Pedro says.
Pastor Pedro conducts his services on Sunday morning. They have about 20 people who attend regularly, a few coming from other barrios in which he has done work. On Reformation Sunday, Pastor Edmundo will be visiting and together they will celebrate the Reformation with a confirmation service. Pastor Pedro has also been conducting Bible Studies and confirmation on Thursday evenings.

We are thankful to God that through the work of these two missionaries, three women and two men have been identified and now assist in the outreach of the Costa Rican mission. At least three of these people will be attending a future seminary program in Nicaragua.  As a result the church in Nicaragua has requested that Pastor Pedro return to Nicaragua and has now called him to serve as Pastor of Cristo Rey Luterana in El Realejo and to begin an outreach ministry in Corinto. He and his family will return to Nicaragua in November. Missionary Edmundo with the support of these new identified workers will continue to work in Casa Cuba along with Cartago and with God’s blessing expand that ministry into other areas of the city.

We thank God for the work of these two missionaries and pray God’s continued blessing upon the Gospel proclamation in Costa Rica.