1. West Africa Visitation –
I will be leaving for West Africa on Monday, October 22nd.
Please pray for safe and uneventful travels. Your prayers are also requested
for Beth and my family while I'm away for the next several weeks.
2. Togo, West Africa –
While in Togo, I will be working with Pastor Kossi Blewu and the other
pastors and students of the Mission Evangelique de Confession du Togo (MELC).
I am scheduled to spend fourteen days teaching pastoral training seminars and visiting
congregations. I will also compile reports for the Kinship committee
concerning the orphans, Bible students, and the Children In Need projects.
3. Nigeria, West Africa –
Following the visit to Togo, I will travel to Nigeria to host
the West Africa CLC Pastoral Conference in Badagry, Nigeria. Following the
conference, I'll travel with Martin Essien and the pastors of the NCLC to the Efa area in Akwa Ibom State where the NCLC
Bible Institute, Children’s Home, Headquarters, and most of the congregations
are located. While in the Efa area I will conduct meetings with the various
boards of the NCLC, visit congregations and pastors, and compile reports for
the Kinship committee concerning the orphans and seminary students being
sponsored. I am also scheduled to meet with the newly formed NCLC Children’s Home Board
to consider future needs for the home and the children they care for.
4. West Africa CLC Pastoral Conference – It has been several years since the CLC affiliated
church bodies of West Africa have been able to gather for a conference. Through
offerings to the CLC-Mission Development Fund (MDF) a conference is being
funded for November 5-9 at Badagry, Nigeria. Forty pastors, students, and
evangelists from Nigeria, Togo, Benin,
Ghana, and Liberia will encourage each other in the Word and the Gospel
ministry under the theme: “The One Thing Needed.” They will consider essays and
encouragement on the inerrancy of Scripture and the sufficiency of God’s word
in preaching, counseling, evangelism, and church order. Essays will be
delivered by Pastors Kossi Blewu (Togo), Joseph Kiwalazu (Liberia), Bassey
Udofa (Nigeria), Edwin Ukoh (Nigeria), Essien Michael (Nigeria), and me (USA). Please pray for the Lord’s blessings on this conference
that all of these men will grow in their understanding of God’s saving word and
that they will be encouraged in the blessed privilege of proclaiming the truths
of God’s saving word! Pray also for safe travels as many of these men will be
traveling from far distances in less than desirable conditions.
5. Tanzania –
the CLC Board of Missions recently approved MDF grants for books and dormitory
construction and repairs along with funding for transportation to allow the CLC-Tanzania
to continue to make preparations for classes to begin in January at the newly
established Wartburg Lutheran Seminary in Arusha, Tanzania. There are currently
twelve men from four districts who are planning to study God’s word as they prepare
for the ministry. I plan to visit Tanzania in January. Pray for both students and teachers that the Lord will bless
this effort and that He will provide all that is necessary for this important
work to go forward.
6. Myanmar – Pastor Kham continues to suffer from an
unknown illness that is causing clumps of hair to fall out. Pray that the doctors
will find a cause and a cure and that this is not a symptom of a much more serious
health problem.
7. Nepal – Pastoral
training classes have recently begun with ten men in the Dang district. This
district is located in a rather dangerous area west of Kathmandu. The dangers
involve travel on roads that are very susceptible to landslides. Many
individuals have been killed on these roads in the past few years since the
earthquake. Pastor Raju and his father plan to make the 30+ hour bus ride to Dang
for one week of training each month. Pray for safe travels and for the Lord’s
blessings on the classes so that these men will become faithful preachers and
teachers of the truths of God’s saving word.
8. Mexico – Two men who were
studying for the ministry recently died rather unexpectedly. One suffered a
massive heart-attack at the age of thirty-nine. The other student was
mistakenly killed by the drug cartel. The CLC Board of Missions and others in
the CLC have sent monetary help for funeral costs and to assist the widow and children
of one of the men. The other man was not married. Pray for their families and
for those they were serving with the Gospel. Pray also for Pastor Olvera that
he will not be discouraged in his work of proclaiming the Gospel and training
men for the ministry.
9. Zambia –
Pastor Ibrahim has recently moved from Lusaka to Livingstone. The main pastor
in the Livingstone area died rather suddenly over a year ago and the
congregation is in need of more training and pastoral care. He will also be able
to spend more time working to prepare men in the area to serve as faithful
preachers and teachers of God’s saving Word in area preaching stations. The
congregations in the Livingstone area are working together to purchase land and
to build and structure that could be used for a church, Bible Institute, and
apartment for Pastor Ibrahim.
10. Missionary
to India – Progress is being made on applying
for a new visa for our missionary to return to India. Pray that the Lord will
bless this process so that he can return to India as soon as possible to
continue to the work of training and encouraging the men who are working as and
training to be faithful preachers and teachers of God’s saving word.
11. D.R. Congo – It has been more than a few years since our missionaries
have been able to visit D.R. Congo. Recently, my visa
application was denied. With an MDF Bible Institute building project underway
and two new contacts it is important that a visit take place soon. Pray that
the Lord will clear whatever obstacles are currently preventing a visit.
12. CLC Online Theological Studies – continue to pray for the following individuals who
are studying God’s word through email correspondence courses as they train to
be faithful preachers and teachers of God’s saving word:
1. Pastor Idahosa Eghosa (Senegal, Africa)
2. Pastor Jacques Pondi Lumiangu (D.R. Congo, Africa)
3. Pastor
Evariste Kendi Ilunga (D.R. Congo, Africa)
4. Pastor Monotosh Banjaree (Bangladesh, SE Asia)
5. Pastor Liberty Atawa (Zimbabwe, Africa)
6. Samuel Benson Edwards (Myanmar, Asia)
7. Ivan Edwards (Myanmar, Asia)
8. Evangelist Eliewaha Mshana (Tanzania, Africa)
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