It's early Friday morning (about 8:00 pm Thursday night at home) and I'm sitting here in the Istanbul airport waiting for my 6:30 AM flight to Chicago. I'm tired, please excuse the typos...I'll fix them later. If all goes according to schedule, I'll be home by 3:45 on Friday afternoon!
It was a quick but important and encouraging visit to Bangladesh. The main purpose of the visit was to help dedicate the new Bangladesh Lutheran Church Mission (BLCM) building in Gopalganj. This new building will serve as the BLCM Headquarters, Lutheran Theological Seminary of Bangladesh classroom, offices, library, and dormitory, Worship Hall for Emmanuel Lutheran Church, and a residence for Pastor Monotosh and his family. The dedication service was an all day affair with visitors in attendance from BLCM from all over Bangladesh. Pastor Monotosh had officially invited 328 people but when all was said and done, over 500 attended with most watching the service on video in a separate room set up for overflow attendance! The dedication service lasted about 3 hours followed by a meal for all the attendees. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! It was a joy and a privilege to be able to attend and to bring the Good News and encouragement from God's saving word for this occasion. |
| Pastor Monotosh and the Cornerstone |
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| The Cornerstone commemorating the Ground Breaking and Building Dedication |
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| Attendees eating the meal in shifts to accommodate everyone who came. |
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| My view of the dedication service as things were about to begin |
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| Newly Dedicated BLCM Building in Gopalganj, Bangladesh |
I also had the opportunity to teach a 4 day Pastor/Church Leader seminar. Everyone was excited to use the new classroom and dormitory for the first time. This is going to be a real blessing going forward. I had the privilege of teaching a requested workshop for "Teaching Luther's Small Catechism for Confirmation Students and New Believers." Everyone seemed very engaged and eager as we studied and discussed many aspects of teaching God's word. I think it was well received. Everyone seemed eager to start using Luther's Small Catechism in the congregations where they serve. Pastor Monotosh translated Luther's Catechism several years ago, and with an MDF grant, has printed 500 copies for distribution and use in BLCM congregations. I look forward to hearing reports on how the training and Catechism are being put to use in BLCM ministry and outreach in the coming months.
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| My view during the pastor/church leader seminar |
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| Eating lunch in the new dormitory dining room |
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| BLCM Pastors, Church Leaders, and Sunday School Teachers |
My last couple of days in Bangladesh were spent visiting two BLCM congregations and members. We conducted one mid-week worship service at St. John's Lutheran church and we visited the newly constructed St. Barnabas Lutheran Church building and ate lunch with the BLCM family who donated the land for the building. This is always one my favorite things to do. I love the opportunity to visit the congregations to bring them the comfort and encouragement of God's saving word and to be encouraged myself by the faith, dedication, and commitment of my brothers and sisters in Christ as they strive and struggle to serve the Lord who loves us all so dearly!  |
| Worship at St. John Lutheran Church (BLCM) |
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| Deacon Sudhan (pastor in training) and his Family |
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| St. John Lutheran Church (BLCM) |
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| Newly constructed St. Barnabas Lutheran Church (BLCM) |
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| Pastor Monotosh Banarjee, his wife Elizabeth, and their son Wilson. |
Lord willing, I will return in mid-January when classes officially begin at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Bangladesh. Pastor Monotosh has been busy translating our CLC Online Theological Studies courses into Bengali. He has received applications from fourteen men who want to attend the four-year course of instruction. Some of these men who have been studying with Pastor Monotosh and me over the past several years will be ordained as BLCM pastor after they successfully complete the course. The others will receive certificates and will become BLCM evangelists and congregational deacons certified to assist with outreach and ministry. The Board of Missions and Kinship Committee will be considering a proposal to provide Kinship financial assistance for these students in the coming months. If approved, there will be a need for an additional fourteen sponsors. What a blessing and privilege for us to share in this important and eternal-life-giving work.
When our Savior looked out over the multitudes He was moved with compassion at the sight of so many souls who were weary and and scattered like sheep with no shepherd. So He encouraged the disciples (and us) to pray for more workers. In a country that is so overwhelmingly dominated by Islam (90-95%) and Hinduism, we are blessed to see and be a part of our Savior's answer to such prayers!
"But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” - Matthew 9:36–38
Thank you Lord for the privilege of being one of Your redeemed sheep and for being a part of the great harvest that You alone made possible through Your perfect life, sacrificial death, resurrection, and Your grace that called us out of the darkness of unbelief and into the marvelous light of Your love and redemption!
