By my (admittedly unofficial) count, in 2009, 73 good and faithful ELCA missionaries have completed, or will soon complete, service.  When called, these 73 responded, “Here I am, Lord, send me!”   Hand in hand, these missionaries gave and shared their gifts and they received and shared the gifts of companions around the world.  Thank you, good and faithful servants! 

Please consider sending a note of thanks, corporately to the “Class of 2009,” or personally to any individual missionary;  leave a comment below or send an e-mail to globalmissionsupport@elca.org.  Typing a list risks all sorts of inadvertent mistakes, so with advance apologies, I invite you to note any corrections in a comment box.  Learn more about opportunities for global service by visiting www.elca.org/globalserve and learn more about opportunities for supporting an ELCA missionary with prayer, communication, and financial gifts by visiting www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship. —Sue Edison-Swift, Global Mission Support

Five or more years of service
Clifford and Saida Lewis (Cameroon, Senegal, Egypt)
Joyce and Ian Graue (Papua New Guinea, Central African Republic)
Aaron and Lynette Albrecht (Japan)
Judy McGuire (CAR, Guyana)
Robert and Denise Schmalze (Kenya)
David and Carla Schick (Slovakia)

Four years of service
Stephanie Quick (Costa Rica)
Sylvia Countess (Jerusalem)
Heidi Torgerson Martinez (Mexico)

Three years of service
Louis and Mytch Dorvilier (Senegal)
Sarah Loan (Japan)
Matthew Gardner (Japan)
Pamela Sersen (Japan)
Janet Alcantara (Honduras)
Karen Ressel (Uganda)
Larry Paxton (Slovakia)
Chad and Natalie  Rimmer (Denmark)

Two y ears of service
Abigail Sylvester (Egypt)
Roger Rogahn (Egypt)
Ryan Smart and Katrina Vigen (Hong Kong)
Lynnea Walker (China)
Megan Richards (China)
Kyrstal Overmyer (Costa Rica)
Daniel Beirne (El Salvador)
Ronald Shellhamer (Liberia)
Christiana Metzger (South Africa)
Kira Elliott (China)

One year of service
Rachel Cook (Cambodia)
Laura Lindgren (Slovakia)
Anne and Sean Edison-Albright (Slovakia)
Tim Wrenn (Egypt)
Daniel Nguyen (Germany)
Elizabeth (Elly) McHan (Norway)
Mike Powell (Jerusalem)

Young Adults in Global Mission
United Kingdom
Winona Brueggemann
Blair Fingland
Aubrey Kesecker
Tyler Moe-Slepica
Kandisa Skaff
Jacqueline St. Pierre
Allison Sutton
Erik Thone
Amanda Wieland
Jerusalem/West Bank
Meredith Harber
Paul Kacynski
Kendra Kintzi
Chelsea Mathis
Nicole Schmidt
Marta Spangler
Slovakia
Sarah Fitch
Christina Pelto
Uruguay
Mary Kinsler
Mexico
Whitney Guldberg
Malory Hendrickson
Alisha Ohlert
Sarah Rossing
Argentina
Mary Kinsler
Angela Kordahl Rapp
Jacob Rapp
Stephanie Wood
South Africa
Crystal Hall
J. Edward Johnson
Kelly Schumacher
Jacinda Shields
Matthew Shields
Amy Swenson
Kenya
Shurie Madery