Pakistan - JAN 2026

One week in Faisalabad probably wasn't enough, but it was the time the Lord gave us, and it was enough to come away with an appreciation of God's faithfulness in extending His kingdom through the preaching and teaching of His saving word! Pastor Daub has been working with Pastor Gill for about five years. You'll be able to read the back story of this fledgling congregation in an upcoming issue of The Lutheran Spokesman. In brief, it started with an online contact that didn't work out, but that led to Pastor Gil contacting Pastor Daub, asking to continue studies with him and his extended family. Through weekly online video chats, Pastor Daub led them through Luther's Small Catechism. The group formed a congregation and began weekly worship services a couple of years ago. A visit in late 2024 was planned, but the Lord had other plans, and so we postponed until last week. 

Since Pastor Daub has been meeting with this group almost weekly via online video chat, he was familiar with many names and faces. It was a privilege to witness and join in the joy of all these Christians meeting face-to-face for the first time. It was almost like a family reunion, meeting distant cousins for the first time. 

We spent the first evening eating some delicious Pakistan foods prepared by Pastor Gil's wife and other family members. She is an amazing cook!!! Tim can tell you all about it since he spent some time in the kitchen with her, picking up some cooking tips. 

Much of our time was spent making house visits to the members of the congregation. Many of the members live within a couple of kilometers of the Gil home, so it was easy just to walk from home to home. What we found in each home was Christian brothers and sisters who were hungry for the Word of God and humbly dedicated to their Savior, in a predominantly Muslim nation. 

The schedule didn't quite work out as we had anticipated due to some uncertainty with immigration officials and the police, who seemed to be tracking our every move and our coming and going from our hotel. This kept us from the nightly public Bible studies we had planned. But Pastor Daub led a couple of Bible studies and preached at the Sunday morning worship service. Much of the remaining time was spent in discussions with Pastor Gil and another Christian pastor whom the Lord introduced us to. 

All in all, the trip was successful as we were able to confirm with our eyes and ears what Pastor Daub has already witnessed through 4+ years of online correspondence and teaching. A recommendation to President Wilke to begin the formal colloquy process has already been sent and received. That means President Wilke will appoint a CLC representative to begin months of correspondence with Pastor Gil, involving a series of questions and answers on doctrinal matters, culminating in another face-to-face visit with Pastor Daub, me, and the CLC representative about a year from now to determine whether doctrinal unity exists. 

Here are a few pictures and a video of Pastor Daub teaching with Pastor Gil translating. Enjoy and praise the Lord for His goodness and guidance during this trip and in the coming months of the colloquy process!

First evening meal with the Gil family

Enjoying the cool weather with a stroll through a local park

Evening Bible Study

Pot-Luck...Pakastani Style with Chicken Korma and Naan

Evening Bible Study

Pastor Daub and the Gil Family

Pastor Gil and Family

Sent to Pakistan and the Philippines...Bangladesh Postponed - JAN/FEB 2026

Later this morning, I will head to the airport for a month-long trip to Southeast Asia. I'll be accompanied by Pastor Tim Daub for the first week in Pakistan, and Board of Missions Chairman, Joel Krafft, will join me for the last week in the Philippines. 

Pastor Daub and I will meet up in Dubai. After a 12-hour layover, we will fly to Faisalabad, Pakistan. We will spend about a week meeting with a local Pastor, leading Bible studies in the evening, and attending worship on Sunday morning. After Pastor Daub returns to the U.S., I will spend another week in Faisalabad, meeting with the pastor and other potential contacts, and leading Bible studies in the evenings. 

Pastor Daub has been corresponding with this local pastor and conducting online video Bible studies with two different groups in Faisalabad for about four years. The group has formed a Lutheran congregation. They meet weekly for Sunday worship and continue to attend online Bible studies with Pastor Daub. This will be the first face-to-face meeting with CLC representatives. This visit is the third step in the protocol our CLC Board of Missions follows to establish fellowship with foreign church bodies and ministries. The first two steps include 1-3 years of correspondence. If all goes well with this third step, Pastor Daub and I will recommend to the CLC president that the official colloquy process begin. If President Wilke accepts our recommendation, he will appoint a CLC representative (typically a member of the CLC Board of Doctrine) to conduct the colloquy. The colloquy will be conducted via email and online video chats over the next year. If all goes well, a second face-to-face meeting will be scheduled to complete the final step of the colloquy process. If this goes well and a true unity of doctrine and faith is revealed, a recommendation for a declaration will be forwarded to President Wilke for action. It's a very thorough process to follow our Lord's will to spread the Gospel throughout the world in a God-pleasing way, as we seek fellowship grounded in the truth of His saving word! This is the process that the Board of Missions and our CLC missionaries have been following for the past several years. Through this process, the CLC has established fellowship with several ministries in countries such as Bangladesh, the Philippines, Nepal, Myanmar, DR Congo, Uganda, Liberia, and others. Praise the Lord for the privilege of partnering with faithful preachers and teachers of God's saving word to assist with the spread of the Gospel!

Until just a few weeks ago, I was scheduled to fly from Pakistan to Bangladesh to spend a couple of weeks with Pastor Monotosh and the Bangladesh Lutheran Church Mission (BLCM) conducting Gospel outreach, conducting a week-long Pastor Training seminar with fourteen pastors, evangelists, and church leaders, and we were also going to dedicate the new BLCM church headquarters and Bible Institute building. But things have changed, and now this visit is postponed, Lord willing, until later in the year. 

Bangladesh has been experiencing significant political unrest over the past couple of years. Protests in Dhaka turned violent in December, resulting in the death of a popular opposition leader. With national elections scheduled for February 12, the whole country is tense. The government has imposed travel restrictions between districts and curfews, and many expect martial law to be implemented in some places. I was scheduled to be there the two weeks prior to election day. With all the government travel restrictions in place, it would be impossible for me to travel freely for evangelism, and those scheduled to attend the pastor training conference will not be able to travel either. Because of all of this, Pastor Monotosh asked me to postpone my visit until later in the year. 

I was able to change my airfare so I can spend an extra week in Pakistan and then arrive in the Philippines a few days early. Fortunately, the cost of this new itinerary, even with cancellation fees, was about $250 less. Thank you, Lord!

If all goes as planned, I will depart Faisalabad, Pakistan, on  February 6th. After a two-day layover in Dubai, I'll arrive in Manila a few days ahead of Joel Krafft. Since Pastor Palangyos and the Lutheran Autonomous Mission of the Philippines (LAMP) are located about 8 hours north of Manila, I will just hang out in Manila until Joel arrives, so I can meet him at the airport, and we can travel together by bus from Manila to Baguio. 

Joel and I will spend a week with Pastor Palangyos visiting the two LAMP congregations in the Cordillera Mountains. We will also visit Kapangan. This is the village where Pastor Palangyos' parents live and where his recently deceased sister donated a building to the LAMP. With a small MDF grant, this building has been cleaned up, and chairs, desks, and other furnishings have been purchased with plans to begin pastor and church leader training. Currently, this is also the location of a LAMP preaching station. An outreach seminar will be conducted while Joel and I are visiting, with the hope and prayer of bringing the truth of God's saving word to many in this village. 

Please keep these trips and the meetings we have in your prayers, asking for the Lord's blessings on everything we need for travel, the work, and our return home to our families. And thank the Lord for His faithfulness in His promised effectiveness of the preaching and teaching of His saving word to accomplish His will!  

Sent to Pakistan - OCT 2024

This trip to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has been a long time in the making. Pastor Tim Daub came into contact with a group of believers and began sharing God's word with them via online video meetings a few years ago. During the past 3+ years, he has conducted weekly online classes with the group, taking them through Luther's Small Catechism and other more in-depth studies of God's word. Several months ago, the group decided to form a congregation and begin meeting for worship every Sunday. They choose to call themselves the CLC Pakistan. They are led by Pastor G. (full name withheld for security reasons). A second group of believers also began meeting with Pastor Daub for online classes. The congregation currently has around forty members, and the second group numbers around ten. These are the folks we are going to meet.

It is a remarkable blessing that the Lord allows our little synod to be involved in spreading the Gospel in Pakistan since Islam is enshrined in the constitution as the official religion of Pakistan and is practiced by over 96% of the population. While their constitution provides the right for all citizens to profess, practice, and propagate their own religion, the constitution also states that all laws are to conform to the injunctions of Islam as laid down in the Quran. The Pakistan Constitution also limits political rights to non-Muslims and states that only Muslims are allowed to become President, Prime Minister, or to serve as Federal Judges. Christianity in Pakistan makes up about 1.37% of the population. Hinduism is the second largest religion in Pakistan but only represents about 2.14% of the population. While there is freedom of religion in Pakistan, Christians and other minority religions still face many challenges and persecution. The organization Open Doors lists Pakistan near the top of their annual watch list of the fifty nations where Christians face the most extreme persecution.  Pakistan has the fourth largest Hindu population in the world after India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Obviously, there is much work to be done in this part of the world! Praise the Lord for the privilege of being laborers in His harvest!

About two years ago, the CLC Board of Missions authorized funding for an initial face-to-face visit. That visit has been postponed for several reasons, including recent elections. We are thankful that the Lord has finally cleared the way and provided this opportunity to make the visit.

Pastor Daub and I are scheduled to depart on Tuesday, October 15th. I'll fly out of St. Louis, and Pastor Daub will fly out of Minneapolis/St. Paul. We'll meet up in Newark, NJ. From there, we will fly together to Faisalabad via Dubai. The flights and layovers total around 35 hrs of travel. We'll arrive in the early morning hours on Thursday the 17th. Our time in Faisalabad will be spent discussing the Scriptures with Pastor G. and conducting Bible Studies in the evenings with the members of the congregation. They are excited to learn more about the Mission activities of the CLC around the world. We'll also have the opportunity to be with the congregation as they gather for worship on Sunday. 

Thank and Praise the Lord for the technology that has made this opportunity possible. Ask Him for His blessings on the meetings, discussions, and study that will take place over the next several days as we share the truths of His saving word with these precious blood-bought souls. Ask Him to bless our travels, keep us safe, and grant us the love, patience, joy, wisdom, humility, and all that is necessary to accomplish the word work He sends us to do in Pakistan. And ask for His blessings and protection of our families while we are away.