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.
Medical Emergency in Myanmar – Pastor Thang, who serves as the president of the
CLC-Myanmar, has suffered extensive internal injuries after he was struck by a
truck on March 14th. He was working to construct church benches in a
rural area when the accident happened. He was carried by foot more than five
miles and then traveled several hours by vehicle before reaching a hospital over
the border in India. This was the nearest hospital with the necessary x-ray equipment
and doctors to determine the extent of his injuries and provide the surgery and
follow-up treatment needed. At the time of this writing, he has received several
units of blood and has been prepped for surgery. Please pray for successful surgery
and recovery. Pray also that the Lord will provide for all his and his family’s
needs.
2.
New Missionary to Togo and West Africa – After the Indian government canceled our missionary’s visa,
the CLC Board of Missions decided to re-assign Missionary Evensen to the West
Africa harvest fields. Specifically, he will take up residence in Lomé, the
capital city of Togo. He will be working with Pastor Kossi Blewu and the Mission
Evangelique Lutherienne Church of Togo (MELC). Since Missionary Evensen is conversant
in the French language, this will be a great blessing in working with the seven
men who are currently studying to be evangelists and ordained pastors at the MELC
Mt. Horeb Lutheran Bible Institute. He will also have several opportunities to
preach and teach at the French speaking congregations and preaching stations of
the MELC in Togo and Benin. His new call will also involve him in working with
other French speaking pastors, churches, and contacts in D.R. Congo, Benin, Republic
of Congo, and Senegal. Living in Lomé’ will also put him in close enough proximity
to visit and help out in other countries in West Africa. Thank the Lord for the
language gifts that He has given to our missionary and please pray for all that
is necessary for such a transition.
3.
Visiting Missionary – Missionary Ohlmann recently returned home from eight weeks of
travel as he spent time visiting and working with our sister church bodies in
Tanzania, Zambia, Myanmar, and Nepal. He was joined by Mission Board Chairman
Joel Krafft for the last two weeks as they visited Nepal and contacts in Bangladesh.
He will be in the U.S. until he travels to Togo in early May following Board of
Missions meetings in Eau Claire. While in Togo he will work with Missionary
Evensen to introduce him to Pastor Kossi and the congregations of the MELC and
to help him get settled in. Give thanks to the Lord for miles and miles and
hours and hours of safe and uneventful travel by air, land, and sea. Also,
thank Him for the love and support of his wife and family.
4.
India –
Continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ of the CLC-India and
the BELC as they carry on with the great privilege of making disciples of all nations
as they baptize and teach all that God has commanded in His Word. They are facing
many challenges now with the loss of a resident missionary along with the increased
scrutiny and persecution of Christians and Christianity. Pray that the Lord
will keep them strong in the faith and filled with confidence in His love and
the privilege of suffering for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom.
5.
The
National Lutheran Church of Myanmar – has had the privilege
of offering partial financial support for three small home orphan hostels and
student scholarships for more than two-hundred children in need for the past
several years. This support was made possible through grants received from a
humanitarian organization based in the U.S. This organization is no longer
offering grants, so these children and their families are facing much uncertainty
as they were depending on this assistance for the coming school year. Please
pray that the Lord, in His mercy, love, and care will provide for these children
in need.
6.
CLC-TZ
Outreach in Burundi – With the assistance of a Mission Development Fund Grant from the
CLC Board of Missions, a representative from the CLC-Tanzania recently
completed a three-week visitation to the newly established Mwanza District in
the North-Western part of Tanzania. They also visited a few contacts in the
country of Burundi that shares a border with Tanzania. Pastor Mshana Godson,
vice president of the CLC-TZ, reports that the two weeks of meetings with these
eight pastors in Burundi went very well. These are independent pastors who have
either withdrawn from false teaching fellowships or have never been formally affiliated
with a church body. Following the two weeks of daily seminars the men wrote and
all signed a statement declaring their agreement with the teachings of the
CLC-TZ. This statement will serve as a God-pleasing starting point as they
continue to build upon this God-pleasing foundation of mutual agreement on Biblical
doctrine. Pray that the Lord continues to bless and provide for this
opportunity to train and develop pastors who are faithful and dedicated to
proclaiming the saving truths of God’s saving word.
7.
Wartburg Lutheran Theological Seminary of Tanzania – The newly established seminary was dedicated to the
Lord and the first semester classes began with six students on February 25th! They had hoped and planned for
eight students but only six were able to begin. Praise the Lord for this
opportunity to train more men to be faithful preachers and teachers of the
Gospel. Pray that the Lord will continue to provide all that is needed and that
He will grant wisdom, patience, knowledge, and commitment to all who are
involved in this effort further God’s kingdom among the people of Tanzania.
8.
Bangladesh –
Missionary Ohlmann and Board of Missions Chairman Joel Krafft recently visited
Pastor Monotosh Banarjee along with congregations and leaders of the Bangladesh
Lutheran Church Mission (BLCM). Missionary Ohlmann has been in correspondence
with the BLCM for more than three years. Together they have successfully completed
three Online Theological Studies courses covering the Lutheran doctrine, the
CLC Statement of Faith and Purpose, and Bible Interpretation. This visit was
the first face to face meeting. Please give thanks to the Lord for His
blessings on visit as everything went very well. Plans are to continue
correspondence and to schedule another visit in early 2020 to conduct a final colloquy
review. Pray that the Lord will continue to bless this effort to proclaim His
saving truths in this predominately Muslim nation where Christianity represents
less than 1% of the population.
9.
Nepal
– Our brothers and sisters in Christ are considering many
opportunities to further the Gospel in this predominately Hindu and Buddhist
nation. They would like to schedule more outreach trips to several districts throughout
Nepal. They also continue to train twenty-one men to serve as pastors with an
expected graduation/ordination date of early 2020. They are in need of a larger,
more permanent facility for the Bible Institute classrooms, dormitory, offices,
library, and residence. The cost of land and construction in the Kathmandu
valley is very high. They are exploring different ideas and opportunities for
such a building project. The HCLCN has also completed translation work on the
Luther’s Large Catechism and need funding to send it to the printers. There are
several other books and teaching materials that they are working to translate
and print for use in Evangelism efforts and for use in the Bible Institute. Pray
that the Lord will bless these efforts and provide the necessary funding for
their proposed building project, outreach efforts, and translation/printing
projects.
10.
Zambia –
The nation of Zambia is in the southern hemisphere and so they are deep into
their summer months. They are experiencing extremely hot temperatures and a
lack of rain. Please pray that the Lord will provide much needed moisture for
the nation and especially for the many families we are privileged to call brothers
and sisters in Christ.
11.
Zambia –
Say a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord for the opportunity that He has given
to the CLC-Zambia to purchase a building for about one-third of the going cost.
They have been looking for a building to purchase for the past few years but there
was nothing available within a price-range that they could afford with a
CLC-Mission Development Fund grant. Their patience paid off and the Lord has
provided! With a grant from the CLC MDF they were able to make a down-payment
on the property before it was sold to another buyer. They are looking for to
taking possession of the building soon when they will move in and begin
renovations.
12.
Zambia –
Plans are being developed for pastoral training seminars that will meet quarterly
for one week in the newly acquired Mission Building in Livingstone. Pray that
the Lord will bless this effort to provide necessary on-going training for the Gospel
ministry and that He will provide the necessary resources to carry out this
work in an efficient and God-pleasing way.
13.
Liberia –
Pastor Joseph Kwiwalazu will be traveling to Bopolu with a few individuals from
the congregation he serves in Monrovia. While in Bopolu they he will spend a few
days conducting classes and discussions with individuals from the area who have
shown interest in the work of the CLC. Pray that the Lord will provide all that
is necessary for this work to go forward and that He will bless this effort.
14.
Kenya/Uganda –
Pastor Michael Gurath, who serves as our part-time visiting missionary to Kenya
and Uganda, is making plans to visit to the two schools that are being
supported through Project Kinship along with several pastors, teachers, and contacts.
Pray for Pastor Gurath, his wife and family, and for those he goes to work
with, train, and encourage.
15.
Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) –Through an MDF grant from the CLC,
construction continues on three buildings that will serve as classrooms/chapel,
dormitory, and a library/office for Trinity Lutheran Seminary. There is also
plenty of room on the property for farming where the students will be
responsible to grow their own food as a portion of their school fees. They will
also be able sell some of the food they grow for their own financial support. Pray
that the Lord will bless these men and those who are teaching them in their
last year of classroom instruction and during their year-long internship. They
are all scheduled to graduate and be ordained in October of 2020.
16.
Nigeria –
Our brothers and sisters in Christ of the Nigeria-CLC are facing a variety of
challenges as they work together to proclaim the Gospel, care for the sheep of
the flocks the serve, provide both spiritual and bodily care for orphaned
children, and train men for the Gospel ministry at the NCLC Martin Luther Bible
Institute. Please pray that the Lord will provide the pastors and leaders of
the NCLC with wisdom, compassion, patience, commitment to the Lord and His
word, love for one another, and all that is needed to carry out this important
work.
17.
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. Senegal, West Africa
2. D. R. Congo, Central Africa
3. Togo, West
Africa
4. Liberia, West
Africa
5. Bangladesh, South East Asia
6. Zimbabwe, Africa
7. Myanmar, South East Asia
8. Tanzania, East Africa
9. Kenya, East
Africa
10. Uganda, East Africa
11.
Congo-Brazzaville,
Central Africa
