Family is a gift from God

Pastor Osmel Soliz, a missionary in Bolivia, shares in his most recent newsletter about the fundamental role of family in the development of children.

On the occasion of the International Day of Families celebration, Pastor Osmel gave a talk at the Unidad Educativa Libertad de Colon Sud directed at parents and their children.

“The talk addressed how family plays an important role in the child’s development, seeing that the more people influence and care for the child, the better. We also talked about the types of fathers: the Sergeant Dad or the Reglita Mom, the Light or permissive Dad, the political or democratic Dad, and the Spoiled Dad (who is not present but seeks to fill the gaps with gifts),” he explained.

Pastor Osmel also shared a reflection based on Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (NKJV).

He emphasized that the word “train” means “to dedicate time.” “Just as a small plant needs a lot of care and protection when it is sprouting and growing, children need more time and care when they are young. And the instruction of home and school is necessary, but God wants us to instruct them in the faith in Christ, so that they may be saved and have eternal life in His name,” he affirmed.

Read more in his newsletter.

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A new church building in Cambodia stands as a community center

Shary Frahm shares the completion of the Hope Lutheran Evangelical Church in Cambodia, now established as a global community center for the Taros Village region.

“Our plan is to offer education to young and old, assist through health initiatives, technical training, and financial teaching, with encouragement, love, and spiritual development. While each of these categories are stand-alone topics to bring into the community one by one, the opportunity to bring life-changing opportunities is potentially immense, as we can also show them the love of our Father,” Shary shares in her latest newsletter.

The history of this church dates back to 2019 when Pastor Ravvy returned to his native Siem Reap to care for his elderly parents and purchased a plot of land. 

In January 2024, “a generous donation gave Hope School the gift of walls, doors, and windows for an enclosed school/church. While the chickens, frogs, cats, birds, and every other insect had previously had free rein to meander through the porch area, these changes brought forth a better layout and weather protection,” Shary explains.

She continues, saying that in mid-February, a surprise visit by a national Korean church brought the news that Pastor Ravvy had been chosen for a church building. Work began in March and was completed at the beginning of June. “This amazing gift has further made a solid footprint into eternity with an unexpected brick building. God’s house.”

Discover more of this story here: https://globallutheranoutreach.com/blog/frahm/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/06/KK-June-2024.pdf

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GLO: New partner for the Mission in Tarija, Bolivia

Missionary pastor Osmel Soliz tells us that he and his wife Yolanda recently met with Pastor James Tino, director of our organization, to receive training as missionaries in Tarija, a city in southern Bolivia.

“GLO’s work consists of developing the capacity of the national church to support the mission with its own resources, and at the same time, GLO will match their offerings. So, the more we give to the mission, the more support we will receive from GLO,” explains Pastor Osmel.

He also announces that starting in June, he will coordinate with the administration of the Iglesia Cristiana Evangélica Luterana de Bolivia (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bolivia, ICEL) and its congregations to visit the local churches in each department “to inform them about our work, the progress of the mission, and to seek spiritual and financial support from the entire body of Christ in ICEL.”

Read more in the first issue of the Soliz Incata family newsletter.

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Church in Chile hosts workshop on strengthening marital bonds

Under the premise “the couple’s relationship, the central axis of family relationships,” Pastor and missionary Adrián Ventura, from the “Divina Providencia” Church in Santiago de Chile, conducted the first workshop on the 7 stages of married life.

This first workshop, attended by several couples from the congregation, was titled “The Romantic Stage,” which dealt with that phase that has all the characteristics of a honeymoon.

The missionary emphasized that every family needs to remember the forgiveness and reconciliation that God offers to everyone through Christ in His love.

It was a time to share and reflect on the importance of cohabitation and stability in married life.

Read more news about the Ventura family here.

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Young mission member leads first aid supplies distribution in Venezuela

In anticipation of their high school graduation in July, Eduar Garrido and his classmates have completed a project to distribute first aid supplies to educational institutions in the surrounding area of the Epiphany Lutheran Mission La Caramuca, in Venezuela.

On May 23, they visited their preschool for this purpose.

David and Luz Maria Ernst say that Eduar is a communicant member of that mission congregation and a past recipient of scholarships from LeadaChild, one of their sponsoring organizations.

The other students are Cindy Escalona, Yandry Gómez, Tatiana Niño, Franyelis Martínez, Reinaldo Ramírez and Luisana Yañez.

Read more news in the newsletter.

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The Pittmans: Officially in Kijabe!

In a new issue of their newsletter, Heather and Nathan Pittman, along with their son Jay, share their experiences after arriving in Kenya and starting their new life at the Rift Valley Academy (RVA) campus in Kijabe.

“We arrived in the country on April 25th… We were met at the airport by Rich Finch (our host dad for RVA) and a great driver named Philip… We had been warned about some potential difficulties of getting all of our bags through the airport. Some people are hassled quite a bit by border control agents. Thankfully, they only checked a couple of our bags and we were on our way. We thank God for the quick trek through the airport, as we were all exhausted after spending almost 24 hours straight traveling,” they recount.

It’s interesting to read about how they were welcomed on campus: “RVA has a great system of pairing new, incoming families with a family who has lived at RVA for a while already.”

We invite you to read much more in their newsletter, which describes many details of the surrounding nature in their new home.

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Trials and testings

The missionary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Kenya, Rev. Amos Otula, together with his wife Evelyn, and their 4 daughters, have suffered many trials since accepting their missionary commission ─one affliction after another.

Why, O Lord? 

From not one – but two – eye surgeries, to their daughter in ICU almost dying, to surgery for Evelyn, to colon cancer for Amos with surgery and multiple (ongoing) rounds of chemotherapy, with further complications, to a dislocated knee, and several other health issues among the children.  These have been complicated by large medical bills that are way beyond their means and the little health insurance Eveylyn gets as a teacher. It has taken a toll on the family and the ability for the children to be consistent in school for payment of school fees.  On top of that, the family has been separated on opposite sides of the country due to Evelyn’s job placement. 

With one trial after another, as many persist in prayer for them, we know that this is not because God is sleeping or unconcerned about his children. No! Rather, we are directed to His Word:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).

Knowing Satan opposes God’s working to bring the Gospel to all people, one can see how this suffering could be intended to discourage and tempt them to abandon the call to Gospel ministry. How Satan would love to thwart the move of Lutherans in Kenya in sending their own missionaries to other countries! But what Satan means for evil, God turns for good — allowing the “testing of your faith” to develop perseverance, so that “you may be mature and complete”! 

Though tested, even questioning God through tears, Amos has not abandoned his faith and confidence that God is still unfailingly faithful. Amos has not ‘thrown in the towel’, but continues to trust himself and his family to God and his commitment to proclaiming the Gospel as the lost. But he and Evelyn and their daughters need our prayers.  And if anyone is willing and feels so led, the family needs help as they continue to struggle with paying medical and other bills, including another expensive surgery needed to correct a urinary problem resulting from the cancer surgery and treatments.  

If you would like to assist with their medical needs, please contact us: dale.talsma@globallutheranoutreach.com

Want to read more stories from Dale and Cheryl Talsma? Click here.

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Baptized five students into God’s family

Just like in 2022, this year we celebrated another beautiful ceremony where five students were baptized into God’s family on February 22nd.

It was a blessing to have Pastor Ralph Patrick (or “Uncle Ralph” as we call him) from America conduct the baptism alongside my Dad (Nora).

Witnessing our students’ growth in faith fills our hearts with immense joy.

Although we missed Joe and Viya, we felt their presence with us. We followed the same process as before, with Nora guiding our students on the significance of baptism.

The ceremony was emotional for everyone, and each student received a cross necklace as a reminder of God’s love.

We wrapped up with a small celebration, including ice cream and soda. What a memorable day!

In addition to the baptism, we organized a day trip to a natural resort, approximately 82 km from our center. The day was filled with fun and laughter as we enjoyed the refreshing waters and explored historical sites. We returned to our center for sandwiches, cherishing the memories created together.

Thank you to Jesus, our friends, family, and sponsors for making these experiences possible. Your support means the world to us.

Read more about other stories from Cambodia’s Ray of Hope in the latest issue of their newsletter.

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A tribute to Venezuelan women

Despite unreliable high-speed internet access, periodic power outages, and difficulties finding transportation to in-person classes, 35 women from Venezuela completed their deaconess formation program between 2017 and 2024. Currently, 23 Venezuelan women are enrolled, both numbers higher than those of any other participating country.

This accomplishment was reported by Concordia El Reformador Seminary in the Dominican Republic.

Theodore Krey, regional director for the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod mission in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighted this achievement.

Luz María Ernst, from Epiphany Lutheran Mission in La Caramuca, continues to mentor these women.

Read more details about this story here.

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Relocating … as God leads

Dale and Cheryl Talsma are thrilled to share some important news: they will soon be leaving Nigeria and relocating to the US.

Cheryl has had a fulfilling 8 years teaching 4th grade and serving as the elementary school principal at Hillcrest School in Jos. Although they planned to stay another year, family circumstances have led them to make this decision.

Want to know more? Read their latest newsletter here.

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