The role as both a teacher and a spiritual guide

What does the work of a teacher who has studied theology look like? Is it just teaching—or something more?

In their latest newsletter, the Gbeanquois family shares reflections on Christiana’s role as a teacher at an elementary school in Illinois, located in a troubled community.

“As someone who studied theology, Christiana sees herself not just as a teacher but also as a person who should shine the light of Christ in these children and her coworkers,” says Dixon, her husband.

He shares that Christiana is enjoying teaching so far and is excited that the school year is almost over. She can hardly believe she has come this far as a first-time teacher in the U.S. She also notes that teaching in this country “is quite different and more engaging as compared to Nigeria or Tanzania.”

As shared in a previous newsletter, the work has been a big challenge. Around 75% of the parents of her students are involved in drug use or some form of criminal activity.

Despite the difficulties, Christiana deeply appreciates her students. For Easter, for example, she plans to celebrate with her class by giving Easter gifts and preparing some traditional African treats.

And when the school year comes to a close, she’s planning a class party to celebrate her students’ achievements: making it to the top 1,000 in the state of Illinois for elementary schools, and being ranked number one in reading, with all seven students from her class recognized!

She also wants to include the parents in this celebration—to invite them and thank them for entrusting their children to her care.

If you would like to contribute to Christiana Easter and the end-of-year class party, please make a donation here.

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Tino family relaunches ministry programs in Guatemala

Missionary Benjamin Tino brings exciting updates from Guatemala in the latest Tino Family newsletter: the return of a youth group in Puerto Barrios and the revival of a church-owned property that’s now home to a Sunday School in a vulnerable neighborhood.

The youth group, which now has 25 members, had been inactive for years. When the opportunity to revive it came up, Ben and his wife Scarlett were quick to step in.

He expresses how they like working with youth, and it seems that the participants like to gather every Friday evening, as well.

The group gathers every Friday evening, and there’s already talk of organizing a special youth outing, funded by bake sales at the local church.

Cleaned up and kicked off!

Meanwhile, in the El Estrecho neighborhood—an area marked by poverty and broken families—Scarlett, along with church member Estela, rolled up their sleeves and gave new life to a long-unused church property.

“They then started up Sunday school classes the first weekend in February, taking turns leading them and showing the kids God’s love,” Ben explains.

This space now serves as a safe and welcoming environment for children who otherwise wouldn’t have access to education or positive community spaces.

If you feel moved by what God is doing through the Tino family, support their work here.

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Important achievements in the Guyana Mission

Víctor and Belén Rivas share exciting updates from their ministry in Guyana, highlighting progress in music ministry, home visits, and even evangelism at funerals.

Growing through music

The Rivas report steady progress in their music lessons. At Nazarene Church, children are preparing for an upcoming performance, playing “God is So Good” on the recorder.

Meanwhile, the girls at New Testament Church are learning their first songs and beginning to play together as a group.

Strengthening the community

At Guyanese Outreach, weekly devotionals with the staff continue to be a source of encouragement, bringing the team closer together. Home visits with members of Saint Philips and Emmanuel churches take place twice a week, and the impact is growing—more people are joining every week.

Evangelism at funerals remains an important part of their ministry. Interestingly, they note that many people in Guyana, regardless of their religion, prefer Hindu weddings but Christian funerals —a unique cultural insight.

Guyanese Lutheran hymnal app

Another exciting development is the progress of the Guyanese Lutheran Hymnal app.

“With the help of Taeshiko Fraser, we have already written 143 of the 486 hymns, and we hope to complete the project by the end of April,” Víctor shares.

Once finished, the app will be available on the Google Play Store, making these hymns accessible to more people.

“We are deeply grateful for all your support—this wouldn’t be possible without you! Once this project is complete, I also plan to start working on the hymnals used in Guatemala,” Víctor adds.

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A window on the New Testament: a new course for deaconess training in Venezuela

The deaconess training program in Venezuela continues to grow with the introduction of a new course: “Luke-Acts: A Window on the New Testament.”

This course delves into two central books of the Bible that articulate the narrative of Christ’s redemptive work and the origins of the Christian Church. “The study of these two books will help to understand the main doctrines of the New Testament,” explains missionary David Ernst in his latest newsletter.

Luz María, a missionary and the wife of David Ernst, continues to mentor the Venezuelan women enrolled in this program, which is developed by Concordia El Reformador Seminary in the Dominican Republic and locally presented by the Juan de Frías Theological Institute.

In addition to deepening their understanding of biblical doctrines, “Luke-Acts: A Window on the New Testament” also offers participants the opportunity to practice essential principles of biblical interpretation.

Currently, around 50 women are participating in this course, eager to deepen their faith and understanding of God’s Word.

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“Grandma” Shary in Cambodia: An inspiring journey of faith and purpose

At 59 years of age, George and Shary Frahm went to Indonesia. George, an engineer, was offered a job teaching at a university while both George and Shary served as dorm parents. There, they felt the Lord calling them to be missionaries in Asia.

When Indonesia did not renew their work visas, the Frahms accepted a call by LCMS World Mission as missionaries in Cambodia, serving as consultants for a construction project. Focused on their ministry in Cambodia, they were unaware of the tensions boiling beneath the surface between the LCMS and the project leaders. After 20 months on the job, the LCMS decided to no longer support the project and terminated the Frahm’s missionary call.

Heartbroken, George and Shary returned to the USA, determined to find another way to serve as missionaries in Cambodia. They knocked on every door, chasing down leads to return to the country and the people that they loved. Nothing worked. They felt defeated. They began to question their call – was the Lord really calling them to serve as missionaries?

They didn’t know it, but in their darkest hour, God was working. GLO director Jim Tino was invited to speak at a church in Palatine, Illinois, where the Frahms were living with family. By divine appointment, they attended the same church that Sunday and learned about the ministry of Global Lutheran Outreach. Could this be the answer they were looking for? 

The Frahms invited Jim to meet with them the next day. They learned that GLO removes the roadblocks so that missionaries can follow God’s call on their lives, wherever it may lead. Finally, an organization that would allow them to be who God wanted them to be! Six months later, they were back in Cambodia serving as missionaries!

Returning to Cambodia

After 7 years, God called George home to heaven. Without her lifelong partner, Shary wondered what God had in store for her. She could not imagine returning to Cambodia without George, but neither could she stop thinking about the country and the people that she loved. When pastor Ravy from Cambodia called her and asked her to return, she knew her answer. Three years ago, at age 73 and with full confidence in the Lord’s provision and care for her, Shary returned to Cambodia as a GLO missionary! 

Today, Shary serves alongside pastor Ravy in Siem Reap, Cambodia six months out of the year, and spends the rest of the year living in the USA with her children and grandchildren. She is helping to plant Taros Village Hope Lutheran Church by serving people in their needs and teaching English, and she loves it! Everyone calls her “mama” or “grandma”. Recently, a volunteer team from Poland visited Siem Reap and was so impressed by the service of such a “senior” missionary that they made videos of her! 

Thank you for helping Shary follow her call. Your faithful support makes it possible for Global Lutheran Outreach to help people like Shary pursue their calling as missionaries, walking alongside them, and providing the essential tools, training, and support missionaries need to step into their calling with confidence.

Original story by James Tino’s newsletter

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The Pittmans need your help to continue their mission in Kenya

To continue their mission in Kenya, Heather and Nathan Pittman need to increase their monthly donation income by approximately $2,000. The reason? Inflation has skyrocketed since they first arrived in the country.

“We had raised what we needed to be out in Kenya for a whole year, but those numbers were based off of numbers that we got 2 years ago. Since that time, the practical inflation (as opposed to the official numbers that are published) has been 25% per year. Before we even arrived in the country, the prices had increased from what we had raised. We need to find more people who would like to partner with us as financial supporters so that we can sustain a longer stay in Kenya,” they shared in their latest newsletter.

Because of this, they had no choice but to return to the U.S. to raise additional financial support.

The missionaries have done the math: to extend their stay beyond one year, they need to find either 20 more partners willing to contribute $100 per month, 40 partners giving $50 per month, or 80 partners donating $25 per month.

“We hope that we are able to find those partners quickly enough to return to the mission field in the middle of April. The two things that might delay that return date are if we don’t raise the funds in time or there is a complication with Heather’s pregnancy, and her doctor tells us that we really should stay here for the delivery,” they explained.

Will you be one of their supporters? Every contribution makes a difference. Learn how you can help: https://globallutheranoutreach.com/support-pittman.html

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Growing together: Afterschool program and Bible study thrive in Venezuela

Since “Mi Pequeña Lucecita” (“My Little Light”) preschool in La Caramuca, Venezuela, was shut down, efforts have intensified to expand both the afterschool tutoring program and the Sunday afternoon youth Bible study, writes Pastor David Ernst in his latest newsletter.

“We have met with some success and there is, in fact, some overlap between the two groups, with some of our new afterschool students attending the Bible study,” the missionary shares.

Pastor David’s wife, Luz María, has enlisted her granddaughter, Anyi Garrido, along with Yusmelvis Salas, a young woman from the neighborhood, to assist with the afterschool classes.

The Sunday youth group continues to learn how to “sing” in sign language, a meaningful skill in a country where an estimated 1.2 million people are deaf, including around 15,000 with congenital deafness. In 2004, more than 3,000 deaf children were enrolled in the national public school system.

Sunday afternoons are dedicated entirely to prayer and Bible study.

The afterschool program provides remedial instruction in language skills, mathematics, and other subjects, while also incorporating daily Bible reading and prayer. “Many of our students have basic learning disabilities as well as having to deal with a shortage of teachers and the legacy of two years of closed schools due to the COVID-19 crisis,” Pastor David explains.

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A 41-year-old newsletter: the Heineys’ journey of consistency

Do you know any personal publication with 41 years of history?

Here at GLO, we can’t think of anything that compares.

Next month, Tim and Beth Heiney’s newsletter will celebrate an incredible milestone: 41 years since its first issue, written in February 1984.

“And aside from a few blanks here and there, it’s been about every month!” they wrote in their latest edition.

This isn’t just any newsletter. They’ve filled two large binders with their faithful updates, plus a smaller one for a children’s edition. It’s a beautiful archive that reflects the countless miraculous ways God has worked through their ministry over the years.

What makes their newsletter unique? It’s like a handmade treasure, featuring colorful, hand-drawn illustrations surrounding the text. Even though it’s now sent digitally to subscribers, it retains its personal, heartfelt touch.

Month after month, Tim and Beth pour their hearts into sharing inspiring stories from their ministry in Guinea, creating a testament to God’s faithfulness and their commitment.

“One of the best things about having that history,” they write, “is looking back and reminding ourselves of all the wonderful and miraculous ways God has worked over the years. He has been amazingly faithful and good to us.”

And retirement? It’s a question they hear often. Their response says it all: “Whenever God decides to retire us!”

Subscribe to the Heineys’ newsletter here.

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A big blessing: Benjamin and Scarlett Tino’s new family vehicle

Exciting news for Benjamin and Scarlett Tino!

After a year of saving and praying, the Tino family has finally purchased their family car—just in time for two significant milestones: a visit from Ben’s parents in Guatemala, who helped with the purchase, and the family’s move to a new home.

“We are ever so grateful for everyone who donated towards the vehicle, I have all your names written down of your support towards this goal of ours,” Ben shared in their latest missionaries newsletter.

The car, which cost $8,444, was entirely funded through donations.

According to Benjamin, the vehicle is in excellent condition. It “couldn’t have come at a better time as the old Tracker needs a good mechanical eye to look at it,” he added.

“This vehicle has been a big blessing to us and we could not thank each of you enough for your support and encouragement in this,” Ben said.

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