Saddle up the burro for Bethlehem!

At last we began the preparation for our Lord’s birth and the mystery of the Incarnation! On Sunday, November 27, we lit the first candle on our Advent wreath. The Gospel reading appointed for the first Sunday of Advent according to the historic lectionary is Matthew 21:1-9. This is Matthew’s version of Jesus’ last entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Why jump ahead in the narrative? The Palm Sunday story is a fulfillment of the prophecy that the King would come in humility, on a mission of peace and reconciliation (Zechariah 9:9). But the King was born into this world in humility and with the announcement of “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14).

A thorn in the flesh

Between the first and second Sundays of Advent, I was hospitaled for a heart attack. I thank God for Luz Maria and her family, doctors and nurses in Barinas and fellow pastors of the Lutheran Church of Venezuela. The episode evidently resulted from psychological stress, high blood pressure and poor circulation.

Eduardo Garrido.
I was unconscious for most of my night in the hospital, but Luz Maria tells me that while I was in emergency, Sra. Blanca Aponte, the widow who live next door to the mission was brought in, also having suffered a heart attack. As I left the hospital, Eduardo Garrido was brought in for an appendicitis operation. Eduardo was baptized in our mission, but has yet to take first communion.
Please pray for all who suffer infirmities here with minimal resources.

And now a word from our sponsor

Thanks be to God, the costs of my medical treatment are covered by the excellent group health insurance plan provided by Global Lutheran Outreach (GLO). In many parts of the world, there has been an increased emphasis on the theological education of national church workers to carry on in the event that missionaries sent from the United States have to leave.

If you want to read all the details, Click here to read the latest newsletter from the Ernst

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Is it November 1st?

It is November 1st!
These past couple of months have been busy ones for us! Since our last newsletter we have had non-stop activities here in Guatemala, as well as an emergency trip that had me (Ben) fly to the US. So we have plenty of updates to share with you about our work and life, and I hope you enjoy them.

August
As stated in the previous newsletter, our church in Zacapa was celebrating their 75th anniversary this year. For the last Sunday in August, I got all my students together to play that Sunday as part of the service. They did an excellent job!

September
September is always a festive month in Guatemala because it is the month the country celebrates its independence. The end of the month brought a road trip to us musicians as we were invited to play for the anniversary service of the Lutheran church in Puerto Barrios (Scarletts home church).

October
The 1st of October is Children’s Day in Guatemala! So of course, church activities for the kids were planned for that weekend, as well as the weekend prior. Scarlett, being in charge of the Sunday school activities, planned the celebrations for two villages, La Trementina and El Maguey, and also the activity in the central church we serve in. Piñatas, balloons, candy, games and a pool were all part of the fun organized by Scarlett and many youth and members of the churches.

October 2nd brought sad news to my family as my grandfather, Edwin Mattson, was called to his heavenly home. It was a sad and difficult week, but we rejoice in knowing that Grampie is now in heaven and one day we will see him again.

On October 20th we celebrated Scarlett’s birthday!

Here in Zacapa the church celebrates the Reformation on the 31st, so yesterday evening we held our service accompanied by flutes and trumpets and followed by a snack and fellowship. Way to go Luther, 505 years!

You really need to read all this newsletter, so click here!

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It’s been a busy summer

Even during the summer, our Lord keeps working, and we to. Here we leave you the news in the field of some missionaries:

Joe and Viya (serving in Cambodia) are celebrating 5 years of ministry, click here to watch there video and here to read all the details in their newsletter

David and Luz María (serving in La Caramuca, Venezuela) have just finished their school year, after two years of absence due to the pandemic. They also had some trips and other graduations, so click here to read their newsletter.

Ben and Scarlett (serving in Zacapa, Guatemala) had to step out of the country, but the ministry and the music did not stop, click here to read their newsletter

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28 Degrees

From Global Lutheran Outreach missionaries Jim and Liisa Tino (Serving in Santiago, Chile)

28 degrees is the forecast for tonight’s overnight low temperature. It’s definitely winter here in Chile – winter in July. Not only that, but one of the coldest winters in recent memory, and certainly the coldest we have had during our eight years as missionaries in this country!
Even in summer, there are a lot of “winters” going on in our lives. Some pass through the seasons of life as expected – the Spring of new birth, the Summer of youth, the Fall of maturity, and the Winter of old age.

“I saw a picture on Facebook… where are you guys?”
We’ve been getting that question a lot lately, so this newsletter will be mostly about “Tino Family News”. Of course, ministry is still going on as well, so there’s a lot to share!

As you probably recall, we have been trying to wrap up our ministry in Chile for at least six months now! There are a few major factors in this decision. First, we feel the need to be closer to family so we can lend a hand with some pressing family concerns. Also, Jim’s role as director of Global Lutheran Outreach continues to require more time and travel. Finally, we feel that the church here in Santiago has matured enough to enable a successful transition to new leadership. So, our plan was to leave Chile during the first half of the year. But as the saying goes, “We plan; God laughs”. (I think that’s a saying! If not, it is now.)

In April, Liisa traveled to be with daughter Gabi and husband Daniel in Phoenix for the birth of their third child, a daughter! Kaylee Marie Sipp was born on April 14.

In May, Liisa travelled to Michigan to spend six weeks with Jim’s parents and to lend a hand.

While Liisa was in Michigan, Jim’s duties took him to several places. First, he represented the Lutheran Church of Chile at a Symposium in the Dominican Republic. The Symposium was convened to introduce the new Himnario Luterano (Spanish Lutheran Hymnal), which has been over a decade in the making.  Also in the Dominican Republic, we celebrated the graduation from seminary of several new students, one of whom is from Chile. The new graduate – Rafael and his wife Jamielynn – will be serving their vicarage in Chile as soon as they can secure the proper visas.

Next, Jim’s duties took him to Guyana to accompany new GLO missionary Victor Rivas on his “initial field visit”. Victor, wife Belen, and daughter Sophia are from Guatemala and are currently raising support for their ministry, with the goal of deploying to Guyana in early 2023.

When the gathering was over, Jim returned to Chile in mid-June to continue the ministry while Liisa traveled to New Hampshire to spend some time with her parents, family, and friends.

Next week, Jim and Liisa will both be traveling to Florida for the annual GLO board meeting (and some grandparent time!). After the meeting, they are scheduled to attend the annual Hispanic Ministry Conference in Orlando where they will continue to promote the work of Global Lutheran Outreach. At the conclusion of the conference, they will return to Santiago in time to lead worship again on August 7th.

Click here to read the latest newsletter from the Tino!

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Rainy days and Sundays

From Global Lutheran Outreach missionaries David and Luz Maria Ernst (serving in La Curamuca, Venezuela ):

As I grew up in a Midwestern U.S. farming community, I learned to expect a special prayer for spring rain on Rogate Sunday, the fifth Sunday after Easter. This seemed just common sense, since April to May was the time for tillage and planting of spring crops. Many years later I learned this was a vestige of a tradition dating back to 470 A.D.

True meaning of the rainbow.

The farmer’s prayer typically is for just enough rain at just the right time to assure a bountiful harvest. In Venezuela the Rogate Sunday petition often is to hold off a little on the rain. We live on the western plains, where there difference between the dry and rainy seasons is especially sharp. During the rainy season, the prairie turns into a network of wetlands and the cowboys who work the region’s large ranches often wear rubber-soled boots.

April and May of this year have proved true to form for us, with many days of torrential rain and strong winds. More frequent, prolonged power outages probably are a result of this and we are grateful for our solar panels and a pedal-powered emergency backup system, courtesy of K-Tor.

Celebrating Mother’s Day and Luz Maria’s birthday.
Friday, May 27, was the day after the actual Ascension Day (40 days after Easter, but we celebrated the Ascension on Sunday, May 29). That is when we began, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, a series of consultations with pregnant women of the community, offering them moral support and advice. An opening devotion is my responsiblity, and I began with prayer on meditation on classic pro-natalist texts. That is to say, texts which explain that children are a blessing from God, life begins at conception and all human life is precious to God at all states of development.

Project Miracle of Life.
Our lives belong to God by the order of creation. As He directly formed Adam from the dust of the earth and breathed life into him, He gives the gift of life to all people using human parents as His instruments. That is why the first of all commandments in Scripture is “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it, have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:27). Marriage was instituted by God before the fall of Adam and Eve into sin, and procreation was to result from God’s blessing.
Every new life also belongs to God by the order of redemption, because Christ died for the sins of all human beings.

Click here to read the latest newsletter from the Ernst! 

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May news from Ben and Scarlett

From Global Lutheran Outreach missionaries Ben and Scarlett Tino (Serving in Zacapa, Guatemala)

The last two months have been exciting ones for the both of us in Zacapa. The group consisted of 2 flutes, 2 trumpets, piano, guitar, cajon, and 2 singers. This was a much larger group then what would normally be seen on any given Sunday. With 9 advanced students we now have a rotation of 3-4 musicians playing each Sunday.

Scarlett has been busy leading the Sunday School programs in our church in Zacapa and in two nearby villages where we have mission churches. Scarlett has brought back to life the kids program in the village of La Trementina after more than 2 years of inactivity. For Easter she coordinated and Easter egg hunt for the kids, something which they had never done. I got to hide the eggs! Scarlett has also been an encouragement for the youth group in motivating them and creating an enjoyable atmosphere when they all get together. And her beautiful voice has also been a blessing for me as she joins us musicians in leading the congregation in worship.

During my work week from Tuesday through Sunday, I teach about 20 private lessons. Some lessons are in groups of 2 or 3, but most are one-on-one classes. Now that many of my students are advancing as far as reading basic chords and developing a good ear, I have began teaching almost all my students to read music. One of my newest students, is Antonio. Antonio is nephew to the Lutheran Pastor in the nearby city of Gualán (45 min drive). Musically talented does not only mean having a good ear or being naturally gifted, but having the proper discipline to practice on your own, something that I express to ALL my students. I thank Pastor Luis for seeing that in his nephew and bringing him to lessons. Click here to watch him play!

Click here to read the latest newsletter from Ben and Scarlett Tino

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Focus

From Global Lutheran Outreach missionaries James and Liisa Tino (Serving in Santiago, Chile)

Dear GLO Newsletters,

First, our apologies for the lengthy delay since our last newsletter (we seem to be doing that a lot lately!). I could go on and on about what caused this delay, but that would be a contradiction to the theme of this newsletter, which is FOCUS. With so many distractions in our world today – political, economic, “culture wars”, covid, and more – I find that it is harder and harder to stay focused on what’s really important.

Every family needs a home, and the family of faith is no different. For over a year now, we have been worshiping under a temporary tin roof in the back yard of the ministry/immigrant house. Our humble “chapel” has been under an ongoing demolition order from the local government. The lives of immigrants are unstable enough – they do not need to be living in fear of eviction. The continued harassment by the government is also taking its toll on me as the pastor/missionary and on the congregation. We need a home.
By 2020, the ministry was robust enough to pay its own rent, so Liisa and I moved to our own place (smaller). Since January 2020, the church and related ministries have been able to pay the nearly $2,000/month USD in rent. Hey, that’s a mortgage payment!

A New Pastor

I’m a missionary-pastor, and the job of a missionary-pastor is to do a lot of “firsts” – that is, things that you (hopefully) only have to do once. For example: start from ground zero; train your first leaders; start a Sunday school; write a constitution; register the church; build a building; and so on. Once the congregation is on its feet, it’s time to call a pastor to continue shepherding the flock and reaching out to others with the Gospel.
It’s time.
So far, we have extended calls to three pastors.  This is not a “money” issue, it is a “guidance” issue. Will you pray that God’s Holy Spirit would guide and direct us to the man He has chosen to be the pastor at Divine Providence Lutheran Church in Santiago?

To learn more about James and Liisa Tino, click here to read their latest newsletter! 

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The beauty of the butterfly

From Global Lutheran Outreach missionaries David and Luz Maria Ernst (serving in La Curamuca, Venezuela ):

Butterflies are not mentioned in the Bible, although moths in Scripture represent the frailty of humans and of human existence (Job 4:19; 13:28; Isaiah 50:9; 51:8) and the temporary quality of earthly possessions (Matthew 6:19-20; Luke 12:33; James 5:2). Butterflies and moths undergo a similar transformation from larva to adult by way of a dormant stage (the pupa or chrysalis), but perhaps the beauty of a butterfly compared to a caterpillar led Christian artists to see it as a symbol of the resurrection.

Luz Maria’s birthday cake. Celebrating Cinco de Mayo (not that one)
Luz Maria celebrated her birthday, May 5, with another trip to Caracas. With her sister deaconesses, Elsy Machado and Ginnatriz Mendoza, she helped Pastor Sergio Maita with one last seminar for deaconesses in training from May 4 to 6. Sergio is the pastor of “Pan de Vida” (Bread of Life) Lutheran Church in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, and an instructor at Concordia El Reformador Seminary.

Deaconess seminar in Caracas.
The 39 Venezuelan women will graduate from the seminary’s deaconess program next month along with 24 from Guatemala, 23 from Mexico, 12 from the Dominican Republic and seven from Panama.

Click here to read the latest newsletter from the Ernst!

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The Khmer Khronicle

From Global Lutheran Outreach missionary Sharolyn Frahm (Serving in Cambodia)

In a world filled with so many frequent changes, the very best thing in all of this is that ‘the church’ remains stable and constant. Yes, things around us are definitely different, but the church has not changed. God is constant. God has each moment of this detailed in His plan for each of us.

As I write this, we have rounded out the month of April. For those of us in the northern hemisphere it has been a rough start on spring this year, for some folks there is still snow in the air (to the west.) For me here, my herbs made it thru the winter under plastic covers and are gorgeous, but I have to keep covering them up on those frigid spits so they stay that way and can be used.

It seems that the world is trying to also change once again. Things are coming out of their tumultuous stages, with new anchors and mindsets coming forth during these past two years. And yet…

As Pastor Samuel and I were able to have a very long conversation the other day, I can now give you an update as to the on the ground activity of the church community at this time. From my perspective, I can see so many blessings that have abounded out of all of these past months, how Pastor Samuel has used these times to grow ministry in creative ways that I could not have imagined. In spite of the closures and the leanness of things overall, ministry has blossomed.

Update coming from Cambodia

You know those lovely things we drive on and in our spring feel like they have shortcuts to another world with the holes. It isn’t any different in Cambodia for those roads that aren’t paved. They get holes too. And the cemented ones don’t last long either. It is always a constant battle to be reasonably smooth. Supposedly Siem Reap Province has been allocated a ton of extra funds for road repair. Except the road to Snor isn’t on that list. It never has been actually. So to the rescue are the local muscle building guys who power thru to make that road less hazardous. But it takes a community of hard work to dig away some of that teeth rattling rolling down the road that occurs in areas where it’s not wanted.

I asked Samuel why he continues to do what he does, day after day, and yet some days he could be so sad and could cry out in his complicated dire situation…. as a man of God, a husband, and a father. This is something long overdue in my relationship with him to ask what his heart knows.

Samuel brought out the story of Nehemiah and reminded me that ministry for him is what happened in this book and the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem. The powerful messages of Nehemiah is how much you can accomplish when you align yourself with the will and plan of God.

If you would like to read the details of this newsletter, click here

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A Restful Break

From Global Lutheran Outreach missionarie Joshua Wareham (Serving in Jos, Nigeria)

Educating Global Disciples of Christ
It has been a busy couple months. I have been writing and completing scholarship applications for seminary, while teaching and grading. The Lord blessed me with the strength and will to make it to spring break for some needed rest. We are learning about poetry and reading the books Iqbal and Tuck Everlasting. Tuck Everlasting is a great book because a major theme is immortality. Through the reading I constantly ask the students if they would want to live forever. I have yet to get a, “yes”. It is always, “I would rather go to heaven” or “That’s impossible because Jesus is returning to take us to heaven.” – I always say, “Good answer.”

I also did some tourist things while in Ghana. It was a much needed break!

April Fool’s day

My eighth grade class pranked me… The best best part was the principal was in on it! The bell rang for class and I was waiting…and…waiting. I was wondering where everyone was. I walk out of my classroom and find the principal. She tells me that the students have been pranking teachers all day and that I should go check the library for them because that is where the high schoolers hang out. They should be there as well…so I did; and when I returned, this is how they were in my class.
So I decided to teach that way. It was awesome and a great way to end the week with a good laugh!

Click here to read the latest newsletter from Josh!

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