March 2025 - CLC World Missions Prayer List

...pray for us, that the Word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified... 2 Thessalonians 3:1

Ongoing Needs of God’s Servants—Due to poverty and a lack of opportunities in many developing nations where the CLC is privileged to work, seminary students and most pastors we work with struggle to support their families. This is true of most of the members as well. Because funding for pastoral training, Bibles, Christian literature, and direct Gospel outreach is the priority for the CLC, we trust the Lord to provide for other local needs. Pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who love and serve the Lord, asking our gracious Savior to provide all that is needed for His servants and for the spread of the Good News!

DR Congo (Central Africa) – The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been embroiled in war for many years. In recent months the violence has intensified with rebel militias advancing and capturing the major city of Goma. The level of brutality and suffering is almost unimaginable. The violence has caused massive displacement, with hundreds of thousands of people forced to flee their homes. Many live in makeshift camps with limited access to food, clean water, and healthcare. Because of the violence, sexual assault, child abductions, suffering, and death that has taken place, citizens of the DRC have staged protests, some violent, against the centralized government, the UN, and western governments for not doing enough to end the violence. Many of the violent protests have taken place in the capital city of Kinshasa, where Pastor Lumiangu lives and ministers to the members of the Confessional Lutheran Church of the Family of Saints. Pastor Yumba, who serves the CCLC, reports that while protests have only happened in Lubumbashi, threats and rumors of rebel activities in the southeast part of the country keep everyone on edge. Much of the violence and fighting is taking place around the borders of Burundi and Rwanda, where CLC and CCLC contacts are located. Pray for peace and protection for all those who are suffering.

Myanmar (South Asia) – The civil war in Myanmar continues with no end in sight, causing much suffering for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Thankfully, we have been able to provide minimal humanitarian assistance through Kinship. Pastor Thang, the president of CLCM, recently had emergency surgery to remove infected tissue from his abdomen due to complications from a previous surgery. The emergency medical aid from Kinship made this possible. The surgery was a success, and although he is weak, he is back home and recovering. Please keep our brothers and sisters in your prayers, asking for peace, justice, and relief for all affected by this conflict. Thank the Lord for sparing the life of Pastor Thang and ask for His blessings on his recovery.

Bangladesh (South Asia) – The BLCM building project is expected to begin soon as they need to complete the site work, foundation piles, and ground floor slab before the monsoon season begins in late April. They had hoped to begin sooner, but because Bangladesh is 95% Muslim, construction will be delayed until the end of Ramadan. The Board of Missions has sent the first installment of an MDF grant to help support this project. Plans are to send funds in five installments over the next six months to help complete this project. Additional offerings to the MDF will be needed to complete funding on schedule. This multipurpose building will serve God’s Kingdom as a Bible Institute for training faithful church workers, a place for worship, and housing for teachers and students. Continue to pray for the success of this building project and that the Lord would move the hearts of His people to give generously for this important work so that the project can stay on schedule.

Mexico (Latin America) – Pastor Olvera’s mother-in-law has been suffering from diabetes for some time and was recently hospitalized. Both of her feet now have gangrene and need to be amputated, but she is too weak to undergo surgery. The doctors have indicated that there is nothing more they can do for her. Her condition has become septic, and she is receiving palliative care at home. Pastor Olvera’s wife, Claudia, is by her side to provide care until the Lord calls her to the eternal home He has prepared for her. Please pray that the Lord will relieve her pain and take her to heaven according to His good and gracious plan. Pray also that our Savior will grant courage, peace, and comfort to Claudia and her family as they wait on the Lord.

Nigeria (West Africa) – With an MDF-grant and local offerings, the Nigeria- CLC has begun contstrution on a new multipurpose building for the seminary. The building will include two large classrooms, library/computer room, and an office for faculty. Recent pictures show great progress. With an increase in enrollment and expectations for even larger enrollment next year, this new building will be put to good use. Missionary Ohlmann is scheduled to visit the NCLC in mid-March. Ask the Lord to continue to bless this project and thank Him for providing the funding through the offerings of NCLC members and MDF offerings of CLC members. Thank the Lord for the privilege of working together in this effort to train faithful workers in His Nigerian harvest of souls!

Togo (West Africa) – Missionary Evensen reports that three students are in their final year at Mount Horeb Lutheran Seminary, with graduation tentatively scheduled for November. One of the students has started a preaching station in his home and is actively inviting people to attend. Pastor Kossi Blewu has been conducting a Gospel outreach radio program in a town located about 30 minutes away from the seminary. If the Lord blesses this effort to establish a preaching station, one of the graduates from the seminary will be called to serve there. Please pray for these students as they complete their studies and ask the Lord to bless their efforts in establishing preaching stations and congregations so that the truth of His saving word may be proclaimed for the salvation of Togolese souls.

Tanzania (East Africa)—The Wittenberg Lutheran Theological Seminary is nearing the end of a long and challenging semester. The class schedule includes a break for most of April. Many students will be traveling home to see their families and earn money during this time. Please pray for the safe travels of Missionary Naumann and Paula, Pastor Isangya, and the students. Additionally, pray for our Lord's provision for all those facing financial struggles as they dedicate their lives and resources to spreading the Gospel.

Kenya (East Africa) –Both of the CLC Kinship-supported schools are just a couple of months into their new school year. The Kenya-CLC is currently facing leadership and organizational challenges at St. David’s Kinship School in Etago, as well as within the church body as a whole. Missionaries Naumann and Ohlmann are planning a visit in May to offer assistance and guidance regarding these issues. Pray that the Lord grants the necessary wisdom, love, patience, diligence, and clear direction as we seek His blessings for the upcoming meetings, correspondence, and decisions that the leaders of the KCLC, the CLC Kinship Committee, and the CLC Board of Missions need to make. And pray for the Lord’s blessings on the children as they continue their studies, and ask for His guidance in both the teaching and the learning of His saving word in these schools.

The Philippines (Southeast Asia) – Missionary Ohlmann spent a week in February in the Philippines with Pastor Palangyos and the LAMP organization. Although a minor car accident caused some schedule disruptions, there were no injuries, and public transportation was available. An outreach seminar and a church leadership seminar took place at a LAMP congregation, with members from both congregations attending. They also preached at a LAMP preaching station in Baguio. The highlight of the trip was visiting Pastor Palangyos' home village to discuss plans for establishing a new LAMP congregation and Bible training center. Please pray for the faith of the LAMP members and for success in their outreach efforts so that more people may repent of their sins and rejoice in the forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

India (South Asia) – The difficulties that the CLC was having in sending funds to India have been resolved, at least for now. Thank the Lord for providing the financial resources for us to assist with the important work of training faithful preachers and teachers of His saving word in a part of the world dominated by idolatry. Pray that the Lord will protect, support, and strengthen the faith of His children in India amid increased persecution against Christians.

Nepal (South Asia) – Missionary Ohlmann visited Nepal in December. While in Nepal, he taught the fifteen kinship-supported students enrolled in the Himalayan Lutheran Bible Institute (HLBI). He and Raju also led studies at a regional pastoral conference organized by the HCLCN, with more than fifty pastors, students, and church leaders in attendance. Thank the Lord for blessing the visit and granting safe travels for Missionary Ohlmann to and from the mission field and for those who traveled many kilometers to attend the pastoral training. Thank the Lord for the fifteen men who have dedicated their time and lives to training for the Gospel ministry. Ask for the Lord's continued blessings of the Gospel outreach and ongoing ministry of the HCLC in Nepal.

Missionary Peter Evensen (Togo, West Africa) – Missionary Evensen continues his teaching duties at Mt. Horeb Lutheran Seminary and is also preaching and teaching at the local congregation in Lomé. He is still experiencing swelling and other issues with his left eye and is considering another trip to the doctor for further diagnosis and treatment. Thank the Lord for the work Missionary Evensen is doing, and pray for his improved health and for proper diagnosis and treatment for his eye.

Missionary Bruce Naumann (Tanzania-East Africa) – With the seminary on break for most of April, Missionary Naumann, Paula, and Pastor Isangya are planning to make visits to the Tanga and Zanzibar districts. Hopefully, they will find time and opportunity to enjoy a couple of days on the beautiful beaches of Zanzibar. You can follow Missionary Naumann’s blog at https://clc-tz.blogspot.com/. Praise the Lord for all that Missionary Naumann is accomplishing, thank the Lord for the faithful support and encouragement of his wife Paula, and ask our Savior to grant wisdom, patience, love, and all that is necessary to continue our Savior’s work in East Africa.

Missionary Todd Ohlmann – As of now, Missionary Ohlmann is scheduled to depart on March 18th for a ten-day visit to Nigeria. His first visa application was denied, and he is currently waiting for word of approval from the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC. If his passport and visa are not returned in time, the visit will have to be postponed. In addition to Nigeria, his upcoming schedule includes visits to Mexico and Kenya, attending Board of Missions meetings in Eau Claire, organizing and leading the Mission Helper Trip to Nepal in June, and assisting with the pastoral vacancy at Faith Lutheran Church in the St. Louis area. Please pray that the Lord blesses and provides for all the necessary preparations for these trips to occur. Please continue to pray for his wife, Beth, as she cares for her elderly father, who longs for his heavenly home. You can read reports and see pictures here: missionaryohlmann.blogspot.com

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 sends it.

God's Work in the Philippines - FEB 2025

 A man’s heart plans his way, 

But the Lord directs his steps. 

- Proverbs 16:9

If I've learned anything in life, it's that things don't always go as planned. This is especially true in the mission fields. And this is a good thing! Because, by nature, we humans are an arrogant bunch. We tend to boast, brag, and pat ourselves on the back when things go well. And we are quick to blame someone or something when they don't. And so, in His love and mercy for arrogant sinners like me, the Lord is constantly reminding me that He is on my side, He has great plans for me, that all things do work out for our good, His grace is sufficient, and that when I am weak, I find that it is then that I am strong in the Lord. 

The last several trips and visits I have made have not gone as I planned. And yet, despite the hiccups, delays, and last-minute changes, the Lord has brought blessings, and His work has been accomplished for His glory and His kingdom. 

This morning, as I read through Missionary Bruce Naumann's blog post titled Kazi, Kazi, Kazi, I was reminded of that same Swahili word I learned several years ago from Pastor Yumba in the DR Congo. Kazi means "work." Pastor Yumba used it in a different context in the phrase "Kazi ya Mungu." Which translates to "It's God's work." Pastor Yumba utters this phrase a lot when speaking of Kingdom work. It's a reminder that everything we do is God's work. If something goes well and according to plan... "Kazi ya Mungu"...God gets the glory. If our plan seemingly goes off the rails... "Kazi ya Mungu"...God has a better plan! "Kazi ya Mungu" does away with all boasting and helps to put grumbling away. This Swahili phrase comes to mind often as I am traveling and working for Him around the world, and things oftentimes (most of the time, it seems) don't go as I had planned...reminding me that His ways and thoughts are so much higher (and better) than mine.

Things did not go exactly as planned during this visit to the Philippines. Yet in His faithfulness, the Lord brought His blessings according to His plans as He directed our steps. 

It all started on the day I arrived. Pastor Jordan was involved in a minor traffic accident. This happened as I was riding the bus from Manila to Baguio City (where Jordan and his family live and work). Fortunately, no one was injured. We had been exchanging texts and making our plans before the accident, and everything was on schedule.  But the accident changed everything because the next day's plans had to be canceled so Jordan could spend most of the day getting his car to the repair shop. I got a rest day. Jordan was optimistic that the damage to his vehicle would be limited to the surface, so driving would be safe. That was not the case. There was damage to the frame that needed to be repaired before it could be used again. So, day one of our schedule was canceled, and Jordan scrambled to make alternate transportation plans. The next several days were spent traveling to the places we would visit via public transportation, which isn't the most efficient use of time, but it gets the job done. We traveled on public buses, jeepneys, tricycles, and taxis. It was frustratingly slow and not the most comfortable way of getting from place to place, but we got where we needed to go, and we were able to bring God's word to most of the places Jordan had planned. 

To further complicate things, Jordan tripped and fell while we were walking the narrow footpaths to the first congregation we were to visit and severely sprained his ankle. But he soldiered through with a very swollen and painful ankle and foot for the next several days. He was still limping when we parted ways at the bus station. Hopefully, with me gone, he and his ankle will be able to get some much-needed rest and recovery! Keep him in your prayers!

We visited and stayed overnight at the Lutheran Autonomous Mission in the Philippines (LAMP) congregation in Delles in the Cordillera Mountain region in the northern part of Luzon island. The two established LAMP congregations are relatively close, but the roads that connect them take quite a while to navigate. The congregation members can walk via footpaths quicker than you can drive. 

While in Delles, several members of the two congregations and a few visitors attended a seminar on the doctrine of Justification. On Sunday, we studied the proper distinction between God's Law and Gospel in Bible Study and worshipped with about 30 in attendance. It was a wonderful weekend of fellowship and growth in our understanding of God's word as we focused on His grace and mercy. 

We also made two more trips up into the Cordillera foothills during this visit. The first visit was to the barangay or barrio (village) where Jordan's parents live (both in their 80s) to see the house where they live. This three-story house was built by and belongs to Jordan's sister, but the upper level of the building has been gifted to the LAMP for use as a Pastor/Missionary training classroom and worship sanctuary. The LAMP is also working to establish a preaching station that will become a LAMP congregation according to God's plans. 

The upper level of the building is still unfinished, but they plan to begin working on it soon. Once it has been cleaned up and a few minor improvements have been made, they plan to schedule the first, hopefully of many, church leadership training seminars and worship services. The second story of the building has four bedrooms that will work well to lodge the students when they come for training.

Our fourth and final trip up and into the Cordilleras was spent visiting a barangay where the LAMP has a preaching station. We had hoped to conduct a seminar but, as mentioned before, plans changed. Instead, we took the opportunity to visit and bring the comfort of God's word to a woman and her family in the area. The woman is the wife of Jordan's second cousin, who is being treated for breast cancer. In addition to bringing comfort and hope to this family, it was a good opportunity for Jordan to touch base with and encourage this family. He is hoping and praying that this family can be instrumental in establishing a thriving ministry in this area. 

While everything didn't go according to our plans, this allowed the Lord to bless  Jordan and me with a little extra time to discuss the joys, challenges, and importance of the work our Savior has given us the privilege of doing. There seem to be many opportunities and open doors here for proclaiming the truths of God's saving word. It's easy to feel overwhelmed with just how much there is to do and how little time and resources there are to accomplish it all. Thankfully, by faith, we know that it is Kazi ya Mungu... the Lord's work and He will provide all that is necessary and will bless that work according to His always good and gracious will!

Today, I'm back in Manila... cleaning up the inbox, working on reports, and waiting for my flights home. I will fly from Manila to San Francisco to Saint Louis. This will complete a literal trip around the world. Because I cross over the international date line in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, I will actually arrive 3hrs and 35mins hours before I depart. My flight leaves at 9:55 AM, and I am scheduled to arrive in San Francisco at 6:20 AM on the same day. My mind can't quite figure that one out...but after three weeks in Bangladesh and a little over a week here in the Philippines, I'm ready to gain a day and be home before I leave! On a side note...when discussing this with Jordan and Amabel, Jordan said with a sly grin, "I guess the Philippines are way ahead of America!" :)  

Your prayers for safe, uneventful, and on-time flights home are requested and much appreciated!

A brief walkthrough of the Delles L.A.M.P. Congregation

LAMP Hymnal in the Ilocono Language

LAMP Liturgy in Ilocono

Pastor Jordan Palangyos Teaching

Delles Congregation Pre-Serice Singing

Filipino Jeepney - the most common form of public transportation

Filipino Tricycle Ride through the Cordillera Foothills

Pastor Jordan buying meat for the seminar meals.

Future LAMP Classroom and Worship Space

Pastor Jordan and His Father in the Future LAMP Classroom and Worship Space

Future LAMP Classroom and Worship Space on the Top Floor

Bonus Blog for anyone who makes it all the way to the end...

With a whole day to kill in Manila before my early morning departure flight, I decided to do a little sightseeing. A quick Google search told me that Intramuras is the place to see if you only have one day in Manila. Intramuras literally means "inside the walls." This is an old and fortified portion of the city that was originally built by the Spaniards when they colonized the Philippines during the 1500s. The walls and buildings date back several hundred years. This area of Manila served as the seat of government for the Captaincy General of the Philippines of the Spanish West Indies. It has also been the seat of government for the Philippines since the Philippine Revolution in 1898. It was fascinating to visit Fort Santiago, which sits at the edge of Intramuros along the coast and a riverway that leads into the main city. 

There is a lot of interesting history to take in, much more than I could absorb in one afternoon. Some of the history is rather sad. One monument within the fort is a single white cross that marks the spot of a mass grave for 600 Filipinos who were held captive, abandoned, and eventually died of starvation in a dungeon as the Imperial Japanese Army fled the islands after the Philippines were liberated by American forces toward the end of WWII in 1945. The corpses of the Filipinos were so decomposed that the individuals could not be identified. When Japan surrendered, this ended a brutal three-year occupation by the Japanese. 

Within the fort is also a museum honoring the life and sacrifice of José Rizal, a national hero for his part in the revolution that led to the Philippines gaining its independence from Spain. He was held, tried, and executed on December 30, 1898 at the fort.

The Manila equivalent to the National Mall in Washington, DC, is named Rizal Park. It's just a few blocks away from Intramuros. The most prominent feature in the park is the Rizal Monument, which commemorates this man's life, death, and contributions to Philippine independence. The monument was designed and constructed in the early 1900s when the United States still controlled the Philippines. The U.S. officially recognized Philippine independence when President Truman signed Proclamation 2695 on July 4th, 1946. Having been liberated three different times. First from Spain, then Japan, and finally from the United States, Filipinos have a lot to celebrate on their 4th of July Republic Day. 

It was a fun and interesting walk through so much history. Rizal Park has statues honoring the Philippines' past leaders and freedom fighters. There's a lot of history here. I'm kinda glad that I only had a few hours to walk around because now I am looking forward to visiting again!

Grand Gate to Fort Santiago

Philippines Flag at Rizal Park

Rizal Monument that holds the remains of José Rizal