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 Missionary – Pastor 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
Opportunities – please 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
