Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the
Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you...
2 Thessalonians 3:1 (NKJV)
1.
Nigeria – The Martin Luther Bible Institute currently has three
students in attendance. They are praying for and expecting at least two more
students to begin classes at the beginning of the next semester. Give thanks to
the Lord for those who are willing to commit themselves to study and prepare
for the public ministry. Pray for the faculty as they teach classes five days a
week and serve congregations with the Word and Sacrament each weekend.
2.
Nigeria – After the Nigerian Children’s Home in Akwa Ibom State was
closed several months ago, the leadership of the NCLC has appointed a committee
to develop a new set of guidelines and policies for the care of orphaned
children with the hope and prayer of opening a new orphanage in the
not-to-distant future. Pray that the Lord will bless this committee with wisdom
and compassion as they seek a God-pleasing way to offer love and care to those
in need.
3.
The Democratic
Republic of the Congo – The Lord has blessed the efforts
of Pastors Yumba, who has been training seven men for the public ministry in
temporary classroom facilities. These seven students have attended classes five
days a week from April-October for the past four years. They are currently
serving their final five-month practicum in their home congregations. They are
all scheduled to be ordained in March of 2020. These men have been supported
through Project Kinship while they have been preparing to be faithful preachers
and teachers of God’s saving word. Pray that the Lord will bless the practical experience
they are currently receiving between now and March. Pray also that the Lord
will continue to bless the efforts of the CCLC to prepare more men for the
public ministry in the DRC.
4.
The Democratic
Republic of Congo – Missionary Ohlmann and Missionary
Evensen have been in the DRC for the past couple of weeks. They are accompanied
by Pastor Kossi from Togo. They had an opportunity to conduct a seminar at the building
site of the Holy Trinity Lutheran Bible Institute. This building project has
been in the works for the past few years and was partially funded through
offerings to the CLC Mission Development Fund. Three rooms are completed to
stage where they can be used as a classroom, sleeping room, and a kitchen. Toilet
facilities have also been completed. There is still much work to be done. Eventually,
there will be dormitory rooms for up to sixteen resident students along with a
dedicated kitchen and dining area. There are also plans for farming projects that
will allow the students to work for their education as the income from the farm
will provide some of the necessary finances for the school. This is an ambitious project that will
hopefully serve the Kingdom of God in the DRC for many years to come. Offer
prayers of thanksgiving to the Lord for His blessings and provision for this
project. Pray also that the Lord will continue to bless the CCLC with all that
is necessary to continue to train faithful preachers and teachers.
5.
The Democratic
Republic of Congo – Pastor Jacques Pondi Lumiangu first contacted the
CLC through Pastor Tim Daub after seeing one of his sermons on Facebook. Pastor
Lumiangu has been in correspondence with the CLC for the past three years and
has diligently and successfully completed several Online Theological Studies
courses. Missionaries Evensen and Ohlmann spent four days visiting with Pastor
Lumiangu and the elders of Eglise Confessional Lutherienne Sainte Famille Au
Congo (Holy Family Confessional Lutheran Church of Congo) in Kinshasa. Please
offer prayers of thanksgiving to our Savior for this successful visit and pray
that the Lord will continue to bless the on-going Theological Studies correspondence.
6.
Nepal – Pray that the Lord will grant patience and guidance
as our brothers and sisters of the Himalayan Church of the Lutheran Confession
of Nepal wait upon the Lord to provide the resources necessary to purchase a
suitable and affordable piece of land to build or an existing building. They
need a building that will serve as a worship facility, seminary classroom,
library, dormitory, office, and faculty residence for the HCLCN Himalayan Bible
Institute. The CLC Board of Missions is considering ways in which the CLC can
assist with this effort through offerings to the Mission Development Fund. Pray
that the Lord will provide the resources and wisdom necessary for this project.
7.
Nepal – Pastor Raju and his father, Pastor J.B., have been
traveling to the various districts of Nepal over the past few weeks offering
seminars to area pastors and believers with the goal of proclaiming the truth
of God’s saving word. Several independent pastors have been in attendance and
have expressed interest in studying God’s word with the HCLCN to be better
prepared to serve in the public ministry. These are mostly men who have had
little or no formal pastoral training. Pray that the Lord will use this effort to
open more doors of opportunity to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus in this predominately
Hindu and Buddhist nation.
8.
Nepal – There are ten men who are nearing graduation from the Himalayan
Bible Institute. They are scheduled to graduate and be ordained in April of
2020. Pray that the Lord will bless their last few months of formal training
and give thanks to the Lord that these men have dedicated themselves to preaching
and teaching the truth of His saving word.
9.
India – Classes with fifty-one students at the
CLCI Seminary and twenty-five students at the Martin Luther Bible Institute of
the BELC, along with BELC monthly pastoral training classes continue to be conducted
among the 1,000+ pastors, students, and evangelists with whom we are in
fellowship in India. Pray that the Lord will keep all of them and those they
serve strong and safe as persecution continues to increase.
10.
Asia – The Joint Asia Pastoral Conference (JAPC) – is a
conference for CLC affiliated pastors throughout Asia. It is sponsored by the
CLC Board of Missions and funded through the CLC Mission Development Fund. This
conference is held every other year in India. The CLCI will host the conference
in early February of 2020. Missionary Ohlmann and Pastor David Reim are planning
to attend. As the Lord wills, pastors from India, Nepal, and Myanmar will be in
attendance. Pray that the Lord will bless this effort to encourage and build up
the leaders of these church bodies through the essays and Bible studies that will
be delivered. Pray also that He will bless and provide for all that is necessary
tor such a conference to take place.
11.
Bangladesh – As Pastor Monotosh continues Online Theological Studies
with our missionary, plans are also being made for an official colloquy in
early 2020. President Eichstadt has appointed Pastor David Reim of the CLC
Board of Doctrine to represent the CLC in this colloquy. Missionary Ohlmann
will accompany Pastor Reim on this visit in mid-January. Pray that the Lord
will bless this important next step toward establishing a God-pleasing
fellowship based upon a unity of faith and doctrine.
12.
Togo – Missionary Evensen is busy teaching the six pastoral students
of the Mt. Horeb Bible Institute of the MELC. He also continues to train four ordained
MELC pastors as they continue to grow in their understanding of God’s saving
word. Pray that the Lord will bless Missionary Evensen’s developing abilities
to communicate and teach in French as he assists Pastor Kossi in preparing men
to be faithful preachers and teachers.
13.
Togo – With a resident missionary now in place, Pastor Kossi
is excited as they begin planning and conducting five evangelism campaigns
throughout Togo over the next year. A CLC-MDF grant was recently approved to
provide funding for this effort to preach the truth of God’s saving word in
Togo, Ghana, and Benin. Pray for the Lord’s blessing on this effort.
14. Liberia - Pastor John Hein, who
serves as the visiting missionary to Liberia has been in Liberia for the past few
weeks. He has been meeting with pastors and leaders who wish to establish a
confessional Lutheran church body in Liberia. Thank the Lord for a productive
visit as Pastor Hein and Pastor Joseph worked together to spread the truth of
God’s saving word in Monrovia and Bopolu. Pray for all those they worked with
these past few weeks that their labors will bring forth much fruit for God’s
kingdom.
15.
Tanzania – The four pastors who teach at the Wartburg Lutheran
Theological Seminary are busy preparing for the third semester of classes that
will begin in late January. The students are helping with the ministry at their
home congregations for the next few months until classes begin again. Pray that
the Lord will continue to bless this effort with all the resources necessary to
train these men to be faithful preachers and teachers of God’s saving word.
16.
Missionary Evensen in Togo – Missionary Peter Evensen has recently received a “Stay
Card” which will allow him to stay in Togo for longer periods of time and will
also allow him to more easily travel throughout West Africa. This is a big deal
and the Lord was clearly behind the scenes making this happen. He was granted a
visa to visit the D. R. Congo with Missionary Ohlmann. Missionary Evensen also
stays busy with translating and conducting Online Theological Studies in French
with several contacts in French-speaking African nations. You can read his blog
at http://evensen.lutheranmissions.org/
17.
Visiting
Foreign Missionary – Missionary Ohlmann will soon be
returning from a five-week trip to visit our sister church bodies in the West
African countries of Togo, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He
will be stateside until mid-January as he continues Online Theological Correspondence
classes, makes travel plans, prepares lessons, and schedules visits to
Tanzania, Zambia, the DRC, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Bangladesh in the first few
months of 2020. Please pray for safe and uneventful travel, successful meetings
with our brothers, and zeal to proclaim the truths of God’s saving word. Pray
also for his wife Beth and their family while he is away. You can read his blog
and see pictures of some of the things mentioned above at www.romans10v14-17.org
18.
CLC
Online Theological Studies –
continue to pray for individuals in the following countries around the world who
are studying God’s word through email correspondence courses as they continue
to train to be faithful preachers and teachers of God’s saving word:
1. Burundi, East Africa
2. Senegal, West Africa
3. D. R. Congo, Central Africa
4. Liberia, West Africa
5. Bangladesh, South East Asia
6. Zimbabwe, Africa
7. Myanmar, South East Asia
8. Kenya, East Africa
9. Uganda, East Africa
10. Congo-Brazzaville, Central Africa
