Hand in Hand Global Mission Support Blog Digest

Christine Eige is an ELCA teaching missionary in Japan. To support Christine, or another of the ELCA’s nearly 250 missionaries, go to www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship.

This is the kanji for “Lent.”

We are entering the season of Lent and are focusing our eyes on the cross. Recently, at Bible study, I had the experience of explaining Lent to someone who is not a Christian. I said that Lent is a time to remember how Jesus died on the cross; this sacrifice made it possible for people to know God better and to be with him after they die. It is sad because Jesus had physical and emotional pain, but the story didn’t end there. On Easter we celebrate how Jesus rose again.

After this experience, I grew curious about how Japanese Christians view Lent.  Although Lent is not well-known in Japan, Lutherans here do often know about its meaning.

The word for Lent in Japanese is “jyunansetsu.” It is made up of three kanji (pictures that symbolize words or parts of words). The first kanji means “to accept,” the second means “hardship,” and the third means “a period of time.” Together, in Japanese, Lent means to accept hardship for a time.

I love that image because it reminds us that suffering and hardships are only for a time and that there is an end to the difficulties. Jesus suffered tremendously, but his glorious resurrection put an end to his pain and provided an eternal solution to suffering. So whatever challenges, pain or difficulties you are experiencing, know that the end is in view.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3: 22-23).

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The Rev. David and Mary Kuck are ELCA missionaries in Kingston, Jamaica, serving in theological education at the United Theological College of the West Indies. To support the Kucks, or another of the ELCA’s nearly 250 missionaries, go to www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship.

David Kuck meets with the current group of Doctor of Ministry students and their lecturer.

Dear friends:

Some of you have been supporting our work here in Jamaica for many years; others have signed on quite recently. We believe that all of you have made this commitment not only because you are generous supporters of our church’s mission around the world, but also because you appreciate the crucial importance of theological education to the life and health of the church.

We are the Lutheran presence on the faculty of the ecumenical seminary called the United Theological College of the West Indies. Through our teaching we help to form a committed and skilled cadre of pastors and leaders for churches throughout the Caribbean region. In an arc from Belize to Guyana our graduates serve in urban and rural, wealthy and impoverished, thriving and dying communities (this is not to mention the numerous UTCWI graduates who are serving in North America and the United Kingdom).  The people you meet in the hotels and resorts in the Caribbean are often active members of churches pastored by UTCWI graduates.

Our president, the Rev. Dr. Marjorie Lewis, came back from a recent visit to Haiti impressed by the way Methodist, Lutheran and Baptist UTCWI graduates have provided strength and leadership in the crisis of the earthquake in Port-au-Prince two years ago and its aftermath.

In recent years David has served as the coordinator of graduate studies at UTCWI, while Mary teaches research methods in the program. In collaboration with the University of the West Indies we offer Master of Arts and Master of Philosophy degrees and doctoral degrees in theology. We recently have added the Master of Divinity degree.  And in collaboration with Columbia Theological Seminary in Georgia we offer a Doctor of Ministry Degree. These graduate programs attract students not only from the mainline denominations but also from a wide variety of Evangelical and Pentecostal denominations as well. This gives us a wonderful challenge and opportunity to help raise up thoughtful leaders all across the Christian spectrum.

You are partners in this educational process. Your support of our work helps to assure that the Christians of the Caribbean region will continue to have the kind of leaders needed to guide the churches through economic and cultural turbulence. Many thanks to you all.

God’s Blessings,
Mary and David

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The Rev. Kate Warn is an ELCA missionary in Sierra Leone, serving as a pastor in residence. To support her, or another of the ELCA’s nearly 250 missionaries, go to www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship.

During rehearsal: "Y" for Youth.

Youth of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierra Leone (ELCSL) are dreaming and working toward the goal of producing an album of original music for sale in Sierra Leone and beyond.  Late last year they recorded two tracks for the album and are continuing to raise money for the project.

This past weekend (Feb. 4-5), some of the members of the Lutheran Youth Organization came together to create a music video featuring the theme song and title track of their project.  They sang and danced and had an altogether fun time, at least for the time they spent outside my house in the ELCSL compound. The photo here is but a glimpse of the grace and energy of the Lutheran youth! While I was snapping still shots, Alfred Gorvie was directing and shooting video. He hopes to share the music and the finished video at the Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod Assembly in April.

The theme song has great words, a great tune and invites all hearers to start moving and dancing:  “Let the Lutherans sing we are one in Christ, we are one, oo–ooh we are one!”

— Kate Warn

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Austin and Tanya Propst are the new ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) coordinators for Madagascar. They have just arrived in what will be their new home for the next four years. The YAGM  program is reliant on the coordinators who facilitate the young adults’ ministry and provide mentoring and spiritual guidance.  To support a YAGM coordinator, go to www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship.

After 43 hours, from Asheville, N.C., to Tana, Madagascar, Tanya and Austin Propst arrived at 2 p.m. local time with no lost bags, very little sleep and hot sunshine to greet them.

Madagascar!  Yes, we have been called to be the coordinators for the ELCA’s Young Adults in Global Mission program in Madagascar. We will walk with the people of Madagascar, as we work with young adults from the United States who feel God pulling on their heart strings, to experience God on a global level. So what does that mean? Stay tuned and we’ll find out together. We will be in Madagascar, living in Antananarivo (say it, three times fast!), for a four-year commitment, so we’ll have plenty to talk about.

There is a saying in Malagasy, “Tsihibelambana ny olona,” which is roughly translated to mean that all people together are a great broad mat. That to me means unity; oneness that can be felt, enjoyed, and shared by all people. Tanya and I are super excited to be embarking on a journey in Madagascar, where the people understand that we are all from the same mat. We are one.

We’ll keep you up-to-date on our adventures to come!

Austin

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Doug Foster and Sue Wironen Foster are ELCA missionaries in Kumamoto, Japan, where they are ESL teachers.  To support them, or another of the ELCA’s nearly 250 missionaries, go to www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship.

Sue Wironen Foster and Doug Foster

It does not seem possible that so much time has gone by since we moved to Japan and now we are planning the reverse move back to the United States.

The second week of January was the start of our last term as teachers at KyuGak. Doug started on his own as Sue developed this mysterious skin infection that required a few visits to the doctors and a few weeks worth of medication. Thanks to fellow missionaries Nathan and Sharonette Bowman the doctor visits were not stressful and Sue is fully recovered.

January is also the start of the Missoula Children’s Theater. This English language play is sponsored by KyuGak every year. Children from the Junior High School at KyuGak and children from various elementary schools try out for the parts. We work with the youngest children and are teaching them their lines and their songs. They are so much fun.

We are also back doing our English Bible study at Murozono Church. We have had as many as 13 students at the class but average eight students each week. What pleases us the most is that we have one gentleman who has been with us since the first day. He is not a Christian and is the most faithful attendee at the class. We hope that someone will continue with this English Bible study class. We have become a very close group and would like to see it continue.

January is also entrance exam month in Japan. We had to stay late with all of the teachers to correct the entrance exams. Students from all over the city come to take the exam to see if they qualify for entry into KyuGak.

Time is going by quickly. We have friends from school and church planning “enkais” (parties) for us to wish us goodbye. I think that is when reality will really hit. There are only eight weeks of school left and then we will be heading home.

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The Rev. Bradn Buerkle is an ELCA missionary serving in parish ministry in Novosibirsk, Russia. To support Bradn, or another of the ELCA’s nearly 250 missionaries, go to www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship.

Plunging into ice-cold water is how some Russians mark the Baptism of Christ.

This year for the extreme-sports-like celebration of the Baptism of Christ (Jan. 19 according to the Orthodox calendar) I joined the crowds that jump into various bodies of blessed ice-water, “entering into the Jordan” as they call it here. I must admit that any deep, spiritual meaning behind this event is still a bit foggy to me — I’ve learned in the last few days that many in the Orthodox church consider the tradition a bit suspect, too.

But what, after more than a decade in Russia, is pushing me to participate in this rather unusual practice? It was jumping out a window.

That’s right. I’ve started jumping out a window regularly in the past few months. It has been part of my weekly trip to the banya (the Russian version of a sauna) ever since winter started. There’s a window from the shower room that gives you direct access to a snow bank, and I’ve found that going out into the snow after sitting in the heat makes the banya even better. While there was no banya on Jan. 19 (there was, thankfully, a heated tent for changing your clothes — they even distributed hot tea inside), going “into the Jordan” was simply stepping it up to the next level.

The reason I write about these rather insignificant and personal experiences is that, for me, they are symbolic of what I want 2012 to be. The last few months have been a time of moderation: The situation in the congregation is stable. The ecumenical situation in Novosibirsk has also been generally positive. The church structure in which I am working shows positive signs, and even the situation in the country has improved, insofar as people have started to make their voices heard and to push for change.

I realize that it would be easy to be content in each of these areas — in some ways, it is already better than one could reasonably expect. Yet, thanks to the snow bank outside  the banya, I’ve been reminded not to start the year ready to settle for “good enough.” Instead, I’m going to try to start it by taking it to the next level, even if that means diving into the shocking cold.

Bradn Buerkle

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The Rev. Jeffrey Truscott is an ELCA missionary in Singapore where he teaches at Trinity Theological College. To support him, or another of the ELCA’s nearly 250 missionaries, go to www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship.

Front row, from left, Jeffrey Truscott, Anthony Loh, Bishop Terry Kee, Samuel Wang and Richard Chiu.

Greetings from Singapore!

As I write this, the nation of Singapore is celebrating the Lunar (Chinese) New Year, along with other countries in Asia. Traditionally, CNY (as we abbreviate it) is a time for families to gather for a celebratory meal and to express good wishes for the coming year. It would be like a combination of Thanksgiving and  New Year’s Day in the United States.

In November three pastors were ordained into the ministry of the Lutheran Church in Singapore (LCS) at Bedok Lutheran Church, with the Rt. Rev. Terry Kee, bishop of the Lutheran Church in Singapore, officiating. The ordinands were Revs. Richard Chiu, Samuel Wang. and Anthony Loh. I was privileged to supervise Rev. Wang in the preparation of his ordination thesis, which is a special requirement for ordination in the LCS.

One of the great joys of teaching at an ecumenical seminary is the diversity of contacts one makes.  Through a former Trinity Theological College student, I have been invited to make a presentation on worship at a local Anglican church in February. This will not only be a good opportunity for me to teach but also to learn about the concerns that the local Anglican community has regarding worship. I am grateful for the chance to deepen my awareness of local church life in Singapore.

Let me once again thank you for your continued support through the ELCA Missionary Sponsor Program. I am especially thankful for the various cards, newsletters and other items that you send to me. I am glad that you are thinking about me and praying for me and my work. I look forward to the possibility of making contact with you later this year during my home assignment.

Regards in Christ,
Rev. Jeffrey A. Truscott
Trinity Theological College, Singapore

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Dana Nelson is an ELCA missionary in Lima, Peru. To support Dana, or another of the ELCA’s nearly 250 missionaries, go to www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship.

Among the participants of a recent workshop on domestic violence was a woman, third from the left, who had been attacked with boiling water.

Dear sponsoring congregations, friends and family,

Domestic Violence is a serious issue all over the world as we know.  Peru, where there is a lot of machismo, is no exception.

I am thrilled to have found an excellent program to prevent and stop domestic violence in Peru. It is called Alto a la Violencia (Stop the Violence). In the Peruvian Evangelical Lutheran Church, we have hosted, so far, three of these trainings.

The photo included here is a small group that gathered in Cristo Rey for a workshop.  The tall woman in the photo (third from left and next to me) survived her boyfriend pouring a huge pan of boiling water over her face and body when she was sleeping. Now that she has recovered and healed, she is speaking out, teaching others in Lima what to do if they are in violent relationships, how to get help, how to be safe, how to seek justice and protection, and know their rights as human beings.

In St. Paul, Minn., before I went to seminary, I worked for a time as an advocate in the Latina organization Casa de Esperanza in their domestic violence shelter. I am passionate about ending domestic violence in the world and grateful that God has called me here to Peru to continue this struggle in a small way.

God bless the people of the Alto a la Violencia project as they carry on their important work! They do such good and effective trainings that there is talk of replicating the project in other South American countries.

Have a wonderful new year! Que Dios les bendiga mucho. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Paz,
Pastora Dana

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Kari and Justin Eller are ELCA missionaries in La Paz, Bolivia. In a recent newsletter, Kari reflects on being an immigrant. Here are some of those thoughts. To support the Ellers, or another of the ELCA’s nearly 250 missionaries, go to www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship.

Kari and Justin Eller

On Aug. 26, 2009, Justin and I left the United States as missionaries to Bolivia; in essence, we immigrated to follow God´s call. Our needs are different than many of our immigrant brothers and sisters, but none of that changes the fact that we too are immigrants.

We speak Spanish fluently, but some days we feel less understood than others. Other days though, we are inspired by what we see and do. It is a blessing to work with the Bolivian Evangelical Lutheran Church and they are adding to the core of who we are and what we are about. Living here has given us so many more opportunities to open our eyes and to truly welcome our neighbor into our lives and be transformed by them. And every morning when we wake up and look at Illimani (the mountain) we remember that while our jobs are big, we are only a small part of God´s plan.

In the Old Testament, we learn of the radical hospitality that should be extended to orphans, widows and foreigners.

 The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt:  I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 19:34 

So look around you.  Who are the immigrants and marginalized in your community?  How have you welcomed them, shown them the radical hospitality of God´s love?

Or maybe you´re one of those people who hasn´t said anything against an immigrant, but maybe you haven´t spoken up for them either. I am an immigrant.  I look like many of you reading this newsletter today.  How would you prefer me to be treated?  How do you treat others like me where you live?  In this post-Christmas season, we reflect on how God unexpectedly reveals Godself to us in our neighbor and as a helpless baby in a manger.

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31: 8-9

­Love always, Kari

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