Finally, brethren, pray for us,
that the word of the
Lord may run swiftly and be glorified,
just as it is with you...
2 Thessalonians 3:1 (NKJV)
1.
Myanmar
– Pastor Thang has undergone surgery and will spend a few more weeks in the hospital
in India before going back to Myanmar. He is eating and drinking on his own and
gaining strength. Through the CLC Project Kinship, financial aid has been sent
to assist with medical bills and other expenses involved. Pray that the Lord
will continue to bless his recovery and that the Lord will continue to provide
for all his and his family’s needs. And thank the Lord for moving hearts to provide
financial gifts during this time of need.
2.
Nepal – Rama Bhitrakoti
(Raju’s mother) was recently admitted to the hospital and is now scheduled to undergo
surgery to remove cysts on her ovaries. Pray that the surgery is successful and
that she recovers quickly so she can return home to her husband and the orphan
children that she cares for.
3.
New Missionary to Begin work in Togo and West Africa – Missionary Evensen will be moving to Togo in early May.
Missionary Ohlmann will accompany him to introduce him to the leaders, pastors,
and work in Togo. Missionary Evensen will be primarily working with Pastor
Kossi Blewu and the Mission Evangelique Lutherienne Church of Togo (MELC).
Since Missionary Evensen is conversant in the French language, this will be a
great blessing in working with the seven men who are currently studying to be evangelists
and ordained pastors at the MELC Mt. Horeb Lutheran Bible Institute. He will
also have several opportunities to preach and teach at the French speaking
congregations and preaching stations of the MELC in Togo and Benin.
Missionary
Evensen’s new call will also involve working with other French speaking
pastors, churches, and contacts in D.R. Congo, Benin, Republic of Congo, and
Senegal. Living in Lomé will also put him in close enough proximity to visit
and help out in other countries in West Africa. Thank the Lord for the language
gifts that He has given to our missionary and please pray for all that is
necessary for such a transition.
4.
Liberia –
Pastor Joseph Kwiwalazu will be traveling to Bopolu with a few individuals from
the congregation he serves in Monrovia. While in Bopolu they will spend a few
days conducting classes and doctrinal discussions as they meet together to draft
a church constitution as they work to establish a new church body in Liberia. Pray
that the Lord will provide all that is necessary for this work to go forward
and that He will bless this effort.
5.
Kenya – Ownership
of the property of St. David's Kinship Academy is still caught up in a family
dispute. Local leaders are making sure that classes continue peacefully
for the time being. Pray that all those involved will find a peaceful and
God-pleasing resolution to the issue.
6.
Uganda – Bulondani
and Iganga have been hit by heavy rains again and many have been forced to
rebuild. The church in Iganga needed extensive repairs and the Mission
Board was able to provide a small grant through the MDF. Pray that the Lord
will keep His children from discouragement during these trying times and grant
them courage to continue to proclaim the truth.
7.
Kenya/Uganda –
Pastor Michael Gurath, who serves as our part-time visiting missionary to Kenya
and Uganda, will be traveling to Kenya and Uganda the first two weeks of May to
visit to the two schools that are being supported through Project Kinship along
with several pastors, teachers, and contacts. Pray for Pastor Gurath, his wife
and family, and for those he goes to work with, train, and encourage.
8.
India
(BELC) – Twenty men recently graduated from the Martin Lutheran Bible
Institute of the BELC. These men were ordained and assigned to the congregation
they will be serving. Classes began again with Twenty-Five new students on
March 15th. Pray that the Lord will bless the ministry of these
newly ordained pastors and that He will bless the studies of the new students
as they spend the next two years training to be faithful preachers and teachers
of God’s saving word.
9.
India
(CLCI) – Seventeen men from the Immanuel Lutheran Seminary of the
CLC-India will graduate, be ordained, and assigned to their congregation in
June. Thank the Lord for the training these men have received, for their
dedication to their studies, and for the privilege being able to support this
important work of training pastors.
10.
India –
National Elections are taking place in India over the next several weeks. For
the past four years the Hindu nationalist political party (BJP) has held the
majority in their government and has appointed a BJP Prime Minister. This has
led to an increase in persecution of Christians in India. Continue to pray for
our brothers and sisters in Christ of the CLC-India and the BELC as they carry
on with the great privilege of making disciples of all nations as they baptize
and teach all that God has commanded in His Word. Pray that the Lord will keep
them strong in the faith and filled with confidence in His love and the
privilege of suffering for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom.
11.
Bangladesh
– Following the March visit by Board of Mission Chairman Joel Krafft
and Missionary Ohlmann, the official colloquy process (via email correspondence
course) has begun with Pastor Monotosh and the leaders of the Bangladesh Lutheran
Church Mission. Pray that the Lord will continue to bless this correspondence and
that it will lead to a God-pleasing fellowship based upon a unity of doctrine.
12.
The
National Lutheran Church of Myanmar – During the annual week
long Buddhist Water Festival in April, the NLC-Myanmar will be conducting a
series of special outreach Bible studies during this national holiday. This outreach
effort is being partially funded through an MDF grant. Thank the Lord for this
opportunity to proclaim the Gospel and pray that those who hear the Good News
through this effort will be led by the Holy Spirit to repent of their sins and
rejoice in the forgiveness that Christ won for all on the cross.
13.
CLC-TZ
Outreach in Burundi – With the assistance of a Mission Development Fund Grant from
the CLC Board of Missions, a representative from the CLC-Tanzania recently
completed a three-week visitation to the newly established Mwanza District in
the North-Western part of Tanzania. They also visited a few contacts in the
country of Burundi that shares a border with Tanzania. Pastor Mshana Godson,
vice president of the CLC-TZ, reports that the two weeks of meetings with these
eight pastors in Burundi went very well. These are independent pastors who have
either withdrawn from false teaching fellowships or have never been formally affiliated
with a church body. Following the two weeks of daily seminars the men wrote and
all signed a statement declaring their agreement with the teachings of the
CLC-TZ. This statement will serve as a God-pleasing starting point as they
continue to build upon this God-pleasing foundation of mutual agreement on Biblical
doctrine. Pray that the Lord continues to bless and provide for this
opportunity to train and develop pastors who are faithful and dedicated to
proclaiming the saving truths of God’s saving word.
14.
Wartburg Lutheran Theological Seminary of Tanzania – The newly established seminary was dedicated to the
Lord and the first semester classes began with six students on February 25th! Praise the Lord for this
opportunity to train more men to be faithful preachers and teachers of the
Gospel. Pray that the Lord will continue to provide all that is needed and that
He will grant wisdom, patience, knowledge, and commitment to all who are
involved in this effort further God’s kingdom among the people of Tanzania.
15.
Nepal
– Our brothers and sisters in Christ are considering many
opportunities to further the Gospel in this predominately Hindu and Buddhist
nation. They would like to schedule more outreach trips to several districts
throughout Nepal. They also continue to train twenty-one men to serve as
pastors with an expected graduation/ordination date of early 2020. They are in
need of a larger, more permanent facility for the Bible Institute classrooms,
dormitory, offices, library, and residence. The cost of land and construction
in the Kathmandu valley is very high. They are exploring different ideas and
opportunities for such a building project. The HCLCN has also completed
translation work on the Luther’s Large Catechism and need funding to send it to
the printers. There are several other books and teaching materials that they
are working to translate and print for use in Evangelism efforts and for use in
the Bible Institute. Pray that the Lord will bless these efforts and provide
the necessary funding for their proposed building project, outreach efforts,
and translation/printing projects.
16.
Zambia –
The nation of Zambia is in the southern hemisphere and so they are deep into
their summer months. They are experiencing extremely hot temperatures and a
lack of rain. Please pray that the Lord will provide much needed precipitation for
the nation and especially for the many families we are privileged to call
brothers and sisters in Christ.
17.
Zambia –
Say a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord for the opportunity that He has given
to the CLC-Zambia to purchase a building for about one-third of the going cost.
They have been looking for a building to purchase for the past few years but there
was nothing available within a price-range that they could afford with a
CLC-Mission Development Fund grant. Their patience paid off and the Lord has
provided! With a grant from the CLC MDF they were able to make a down-payment
on the property before it was sold to another buyer. They have taken possession
of the building and with a special memorial gift they will begin making repairs
and renovations soon.
18.
Zambia –
Plans are being developed for pastoral training seminars that will meet
quarterly for one week in the newly acquired Mission Building in Livingstone.
Pray that the Lord will bless this effort to provide necessary on-going
training for the Gospel ministry and that He will provide the necessary
resources to carry out this work in an efficient and God-pleasing way.
19.
Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) –Through an MDF grant from the CLC,
construction continues on three buildings that will serve as classrooms/chapel,
dormitory, and a library/office for Trinity Lutheran Seminary. There is also
plenty of room on the property for farming where the students will be
responsible to grow their own food as a portion of their school fees. They will
also be able sell some of the food they grow for their own financial support. Pray
that the Lord will bless these men and those who are teaching them in their
last year of classroom instruction and during their year-long internship. They
are all scheduled to graduate and be ordained in October of 2020.
20.
Nigeria –
Our brothers and sisters in Christ of the Nigeria-CLC are facing a variety of
challenges as they work together to proclaim the Gospel, care for the sheep of
the flocks the serve, provide both spiritual and bodily care for orphaned
children, and train men for the Gospel ministry at the NCLC Martin Luther Bible
Institute. Please pray that the Lord will provide the pastors and leaders of
the NCLC with wisdom, compassion, patience, commitment to the Lord and His
word, love for one another, and all that is needed to carry out this important
work.
21.
CLC
Online Theological Studies –
continue to pray for individuals in the following countries around the world who
are studying God’s word through email correspondence courses as they continue
to train to be faithful preachers and teachers of God’s saving word:
1. Senegal, West Africa
2. D. R. Congo, Central Africa
3. Liberia, West
Africa
4. Bangladesh, South East Asia
5. Zimbabwe, Africa
6. Myanmar, South East Asia
7. Tanzania, East Africa
8. Kenya, East
Africa
9. Uganda, East Africa
10. Congo-Brazzaville, Central
Africa
