Hand in Hand Global Mission Support Blog Digest

A retired professor of nursing, volunteer missionary Edna Johnson came to Liberia nearly four years ago to support the nursing program of Curran Hospital. This hospital, a ministry of the Lutheran Church in Liberia, was destroyed during Liberia’s bloody civil war and is currently under reconstruction. Living in a remote region with no running water for three of these years and only hours hours of electricity a day, I asked, “How have you managed out here?”  Edna calmly replies, “In many times of my life I have known adventure.  At times, I have had fun. But out here, with the people of Liberia, I have found deep, deep joy.”
–Twila Schock

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I am a very fortunate fellow. I have a standing date every Friday night with Kate, my wife. The babysitter comes, the pizza goes in the oven, the kid’s video is all ready to go, quick good-bye hugs, and we are off, zooming down one of grand avenues of Buenos Aires, fighting Friday evening traffic en route to I.S.E.D.E.T, the ecumenical seminary where we take a single course, Iniciación Bíblica, or “Bible Initiation.”

The objectives of the Bible Initiation course are to read the Bible in one year, acquiring a general knowledge of Old and New Testament Books. A Friday night “Bible date” may sound dull, but when I pick up the Bible to prepare for class I can feel my heart rate go up, a butterfly or two in my stomach, and my mood improve.

These “first date” type feelings reveal that Bible dating is about growing a relationship with God. In the human-human realm, dating involves mutually exploring who that “other” is, what makes him or her tick, laugh, cry and love. Dating God is different. God already “knows” us intimately in the true Hebrew sense. What is astounding for me personally, though, is that engaging God’s message in Biblical texts is refreshing and renewing the most important relationship I will ever have: the one I have with Jesus Christ.

So, to add some excitement in your life, add regular Bible dates to you calendar. Open your Bible; read it, struggle with it, and let God breathe new life into the relationship that binds you to God´s saving grace for the world. –David Wunch

David Wunch and Kate Lawler are ELCA missionaries in South America. They serve as Regional Representatives and coordinate the Young Adult in Global Mission site in Argentina.

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“These are strong African women,” said Pastor Savera Bishanga, director of the Karagwe Diocese Women’s Project, as we sat in the small, crowded living room. The Rularo Women’s Group had invited us for tea. With the table set, there was a prayer of blessing, and steaming cups of tea were passed to our grateful hands.

That morning, we visited a couple of the small farms owned by these women, all of whom were either widows or had been abandoned by their husbands. Theirs is a micro-loan success story. In 2002, they had developed an economic plan that included sharing their land and evenly dividing a loan of 16 million shillings ($14,000 USD) received through Bishanga’s project. Within a few years, the women were financially independent and able to support their families. With proceeds from their farm crops, they had purchased chickens, goats or pigs. Several had replaced their tiny mud houses with brick houses. The paid back their loan in just one year.

After our tea, the women presented us with a flower-decorated parcel wrapped in banana leaves. While singing a song, the Rularo Women gave us gifts from their bountiful harvest: pineapples, fresh eggs, and a bag of freshly roasted peanuts. These strong African women blessed us with many gifts this day, including the fruits of their labor and their faithful thanksgiving to our providing God.

Thanks to Pastors JMe and Bob Lowden, ELCA Regional Representatives to Tanzania & Rwanda for this post.

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“Why do we have missionaries in Germany?” is a common question that missionaries Margit and Pastor Ben Coltvet are asked. Serving the American Church in Berlin (ACB), the Coltvets describe how the ministry of international congregations has changed. In addition to providing English-language worship to the expatriate community, ACB ministers to minorities, especially persons of Turkish descent through its Leib und Seele (Body and Soul) program. Every Friday evening nearly one ton of food is distributed to 200-300 Turkish immigrants in need of nutional support. “What is great,” says Pastor Coltvet, “is that recipients also become a part of the distribution process in the program. The ministry of our congregation becomes theirs!” –Twila Schock

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Thanks to the Rev. David Brandos, ELCA missionary in Mexico, for sharing this update.

During the past couple of weeks we here in Mexico have been living with the restrictions established by the Mexican government over the influenza outbreak. We were caught by surprise on Thursday night, April 23, when we learned that classes at all levels would be cancelled on the following day because of concerns about so-called “swine flu.”

We had big plans for Saturday, April 25, since the first three woman graduates of our Lutheran Seminary were going to be ordained together in a special service here at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd as the first Lutheran woman pastors in Mexico. Because of the flu situation, there were questions as to whether to proceed or not, but we did. The attendance was much lower than we originally expected, since the government was heavily discouraging any type of large public gathering like a church service. You can see in the photo of the ordination how a number of people were wearing surgical masks.

After almost two weeks of no school, no religious services, no restaurant service, and no other activities involving large numbers of people, things are now returning to normal. However, what has been most difficult for the majority of people is not so much dealing with health issues but with the disastrous effects that all of this has had on the Mexican economy. Many people here have been without work. Foreigners are now afraid to come to Mexico or to have any contact at all with Mexicans, even when they are perfectly healthy. For a good article on these problems, see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8035802.stm

Please continue to remember all of us in your prayers, including especially those who have been hit hardest by this crisis.

–David Brondos, ELCA Missionary in Mexico

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“They came to Philip… with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” –John 12:21

Recently our family worshipped at Amazing Grace Lutheran Church, which has a special outreach to Filipinas employed as domestic workers here in Hong Kong. They cook, clean, watch children, run errands. They live right in the same small apartment with their employers, and usually only receive one day a week off… if that.

While many feel fortunate to have jobs that can help pay school bills and raise the living standard of their families back home in the Philippines, these women can find themselves in a very vulnerable situation in the case of a dispute, miscommunication, or sadly but realistically, physical, emotional, or sexual mistreatment by their employers.

The liturgist this Sunday was Letty, who came from the Philippines many years ago herself, and so is a unique role model and inspiration for the congregation. The choir, consisting of seven women, filled up the small sanctuary so much that Wayne and I kept looking around to see where all the extra voices were coming from. Angels, maybe?

Wayne consecrated the sacrament, the congregation eagerly reaching out for the body and blood of Christ. Afterwards there was a fabulous supper for all.

I saw this gorgeous flower arrangement adorning the altar. What a good symbol, I thought, of the vibrant, beautiful women who make up a large part of this church and the joy and strength they find in the all-embracing love of Jesus.

This story is taken from Christa von Zychlin’s blog on the many facets of her new life in Hong Kong. She and her husband Wayne Nieminen are ELCA missionaries in Hong Kong, where Wayne recently began service as a professor of Practical Theology in the area of Marriage and Family at the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Hong Kong.

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