Saturday, February 18, 2023

Sent to West Africa...

 

I'm gearing up for my first visit to Togo since before the pandemic. I'm leaving Sunday (2/19) morning, so I'll be able to arrive in time to travel with Missionary Evensen to the seminary to spend a couple of days teaching and observing classes. I'm excited to spend some time with my good friends and colleagues Missionary Peter Evensen and Pastor Kossi Blewu. I am also looking forward to seeing firsthand how the land and building have progressed. The last time I was there was when Peter first took up residence in Togo. At that time nothing had yet been built. Missionary Evensen has sent several pictures, but it will be great to see things with my own eyes. 

The following week, pastors from Togo, Liberia, Ghana, Benin, and Nigeria will gather in Lomé, Togo for the three-day West Africa CLC Pastoral Conference that is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Feb. 28th. This conference was initially scheduled for 2020 but was postponed due to the pandemic. We are expecting twenty pastors and seminary students to attend. Missionary Evensen, Pastor Blewu, and I will be hosting this semi-annual conference. Six essays will be delivered by some of the pastors in attendance from each nation in attendance. An evening worship service with the Lord's Supper will be a highlight as we gather to be encouraged by a sermon from one of the Nigerian pastors. 

Your prayers are requested and much appreciated, asking the Lord to bless all those traveling to Lomé on February 27th with safe and uneventful travel. Thank the Lord for this opportunity for these pastors to gather, study, encourage, and grow together in the saving truths of God's saving word. Ask the Lord to bless the preaching, teaching, and hearing of His word that His name will be honored. And please pray for my wife Beth and family while I am gone.

Thursday, February 16, 2023

February 2023 - CLC World Missions Prayer List

West Africa – Pastors from Togo, Liberia, Ghana, Benin, and Nigeria will gather in Lomé, Togo, for the three-day West Africa CLC Pastoral Conference the last week of February. This conference was initially scheduled for 2020 but was postponed due to the pandemic. There will be twenty pastors and seminary students in attendance. Missionary Evensen and Missionary Ohlmann will be hosting the conference. Six essays will be delivered by pastors from each nation. An evening worship service with Holy Communion will highlight the conference. Ask the Lord to bless all those traveling to Lomé on February 27th with safe and uneventful travels. Thank the Lord for this opportunity for these pastors to gather, study, encourage, and grow together in the Word of God. Pray that God will bless the preaching, teaching, and hearing of His word that His name may be honored.

Bangladesh –Pastor Monotosh and a congregational elder were recently involved in a motorcycle accident as they were doing evangelism work. They were both taken to the hospital, where their wounds were bandaged and stitched up. Thankfully X-rays and scans revealed no broken bones or internal injuries. Praise the Lord that their lives were preserved, and they were spared from serious injury. Pastor Monotosh also reports that they are continuing negotiations on a piece of land upon which they hope to build a multipurpose building that would be used as a church headquarters, worship facility, and Bible School for training pastors and church leaders. The Board of Missions has approved a grant from the Mission Development Fund to assist the BLCM in purchasing land. Once the land is purchased, and the building is constructed, this will be a great blessing for the BLCM. Over the past few years, they have had to move several times because of persecution. Missionary Ohlmann is planning a visit to Bangladesh in early May. Ask the Lord to continue to bless both the preaching and hearing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by the BLCM. Pray for the Lord’s wisdom and provision as the BLCM finalizes plans for purchasing land and constructing a building.

Tanzania – Classes at the Wittenberg Lutheran Theological Seminary in Arusha have begun again, with five students from Tanzania and two from the Kenya-CLC enrolled in the three-year seminary course. Three additional students have begun the one-year pre-seminary/evangelism course. The faculty and students are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Missionary Naumann. Ask for the Lord’s blessings on these students and those called to teach and train them.

New CLC MissionaryPastor Bruce Naumann has been led to accept the divine call to serve as a resident Missionary to Tanzania. His primary responsibility will be assisting the TZ-CLC as they continue to develop the Wittenberg Lutheran Theological Seminary. He will be teaching several classes and helping to develop seminary curriculum that will be used for years to come to train faithful pastors and leaders. Missionary Naumann will be commissioned in mid-March and is planning to travel to Tanzania and take up residence in the last week of March. This will give him a couple of weeks to settle in before second-semester classes begin shortly after the Easter break. Following a one-month leave in the U.S. this summer, he will be joined by his wife Paula when he returns to Tanzania in August for the beginning of the third semester. Thank the Lord for providing a faithful servant to take up this important work of training more workers for the harvest fields of East Africa and his faithful and willing wife! Ask for the Lord’s blessings and wisdom as Missionary Naumann and Paula make final preparations to take up this new calling.

The Philippines – Pastor Jordan Palangyos has completed the first introductory Online Theological Study course based on the CLC Statement of Faith and Purpose and continues to correspond regularly with Missionary Ohlmann. Pastor Rob Sauers (Bd of Missions) and Missionary Ohlmann are scheduled to travel to Manilla in late April for an initial face-to-face visit with Pastor Palagyos and those he serves. Pray that the Lord would continue to bless this correspondence and that it will lead to a God-pleasing unity of faith and teaching. Ask the Lord to provide opportunities and all that is necessary for Pastor Jordan to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ!

Kenya –The CLC Bd of Missions (BoM) recently began sending the MDF Grant funds to assist with much-needed classroom repairs and construction at both schools. Construction has begun and is moving along quickly. Give thanks to the Lord for the privilege of assisting our brothers and sisters in Christ in training so many young souls through the two schools supported through Kinship. Pray for the Lord’s continued blessings upon the teachers, students, and staffs of St. David’s Kinship School and Emmaus Millimani School as they grow in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Myanmar – Our brothers and sisters in Christ in Myanmar, especially in Chin State, continue to struggle under the harsh rule of the military Junta, which has brought much pain, suffering, economic hardship, and uncertainty. The members of the CLC-Myanmar are struggling to provide basic needs for their families. Recent reports indicate that more than two million people have been displaced since the military coup in February of 2021. Pray for justice and peace for all the people of Myanmar. Pray especially for our brothers and sisters in Christ that the Lord will grant them strength, courage, and boldness during these difficult times and that He will provide for their needs.

Visiting Missionary Upcoming Travels – Missionary Ohlmann will travel to Africa on February 19th to attend and host the West Africa CLC Pastoral Conference in Lomé, Togo. In late March, he will return to Tanzania to be on hand to help introduce and install Missionary Bruce Naumann and to help him get accustomed to and settled in. In April and May, Missionary Ohlmann is scheduled to spend time in the Philippines and Bangladesh. He’ll be back in the States for a couple of months to attend Board of Missions meetings and the CLC Pastoral conference before the Mission Helper Trip to Nepal in July. Pray for the Lord’s blessings on the preparation for these trips and that the Lord will provide safe and uneventful travel. Ask for the Lord to be with, protect, and provide for Missionary Ohlmann’s family while he is away. Thank the Lord for His faithfulness in blessing the truths of His saving Word taught throughout the world!

Ongoing Opportunitiesplease continue to pray for all of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world, who, by God’s grace, are dedicated to proclaiming the truths of God’s saving word for the salvation of souls as they trust the promise of our Savior that His Word will not return to Him void but will accomplish that for which He sent it.

That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. Psalm 67:2