An invitation for life

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For over 60 years, Godā€™s people have been gathering at King of Kings Lutheran Church in Garden Grove, Calif. WELS men and women have been supporting additional ministry from this same location, starting with a King of Kings grade school that is approaching 60 years of existence. King of Kings also assisted in the formation of California Lutheran High School, which is nearing 50 years of ministry. In recent years, King of Kings opened their campus to support their fellow WELS congregation Pan de Vida and a new WELS outreach to the Vietnamese community.

On Dec. 22, 2024, members of King of Kings had the chance to witness WELS pastor Rev. Trung Le gather a group of 44 Vietnamese friends and neighbors to hear the gospel on the King of Kings campus. With support from WELS Joint Mission Council, members of Pan de Vida, and members of King of Kings, a multi-purpose room on the King of Kings campus was renovated to become an additional sanctuary for worship. It was in this worship space that Pastor Trung Le preached the good news of John 3:16 to the ears and hearts of the Vietnamese community.

God is blessing this partnership in gospel ministry so that more people in Garden Grove are hearing that God loves them ā€“ so much so that he sent his one and only Son to save them ā€“ and that whoever believes in this Savior, Jesus, will not suffer eternal punishment but rather will enjoy eternal life with God in heaven. This “gospel in a nutshell” is an invitation for life: for believers to find peace, both in this life and for eternity. God has blessed the gospel proclamation on the King of Kings campus for over 60 years and we pray with our brothers and sisters that God would continue to bless this same proclamation, in various languages, for many years to come. The Vietnamese community knows that Pastor Trung Le and fellow WELS believers will continue to be present and serve in their community. And now this same community has received an invitation for life: for as long as King of Kings is open, the gospel will be proclaimed to them, just as it has been for generations in Garden Grove. Yet this invitation for life goes beyond a location or church building. The gates of eternal life are open to the Vietnamese community just as they are to anyone who hears the saving Word of God and believes it. This was visible for all in attendance at the opening Vietnamese worship service, as Pastor Trung Le baptized a new brother in the faith. Rejoice with all the brothers and sisters who gather and support the ministry in Garden Grove, Calif. God invites all of us to find joy in his love that is for us today and for eternity.

Rejoice that you too have an invitation for life.

Written by Rev. Neil Birkholz, North American Asian ministry consultant.Ā 




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Merry Christmas from WELS Missions

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Dear Family of Believers,

Are you one of those people who waits impatiently to see that first Christmas card in your mailbox? Many of us cherish this festive season, which allows us to exclaim the great news of Jesusā€™ birth to family members and loved ones through warm holiday letters and greeting cards.

ā€œThe Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.ā€ – John 1:14

On behalf of Home, World, and Joint Missions, we want to thank you for your prayers and support. We hope this Christmas season will bring joy to many and will inspire hearts to share the priceless message of Godā€™s love with others. We are truly grateful for your encouragement and offerings. Thank you! Together with you, we pray for the Lordā€™s continued blessing as we keep reaching out to the lost and hurting people in our communities and all around the world.

We have already been given the most precious gift that could ever be given. Our heavenly Father delights in our excitement as we declare this great news to others during the Advent and Christmas seasons and all throughout the year. Joyfully, we proclaim, ā€œwe have seen his glory. . . full of grace and truth!ā€

May Godā€™s peace be with you and your family today and in the year to come.

WELS Home, World, and Joint Missions

P.S. – Want to learn more about WELS mission work? Follow us on Facebook or Instagram @WELSMissions or subscribe to Missions Blogs and Update Newsletters at wels.net/subscribe.

Happy Thanksgiving from WELS Missions!

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Dear Friend of Missions,

ā€œ. . . because of your partnership in the gospel. . .ā€

ā€“ Philippians 1:3-5

This was Paulā€™s reason for giving thanks. He cherished his partnership with Godā€™s people, knowing he couldnā€™t do mission work without his brothers and sisters in Christ in the congregation at Philippi. So, he said this at the beginning of his letter: ā€œI thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel. . .ā€ (Philippians 1:3-5)

We, too, cherish our partnership with you in the gospel. Humanly speaking, we couldnā€™t do what we do in Home and World Missions without it. This is by Godā€™s design. The many parts of the body are meant to work in partnership with each other for the common good. Your partnership in the form of prayers, encouragement, and gifts enables us to enter new mission fields and provide ongoing support to missions throughout North America and across the globe. We thank God for this blessed partnership! Enjoy this video that shares a small taste of how God blessed our partnership in 2024.

We also join with you in giving thanks to our gracious God. We know where we would be without him. Yet, by his grace, we are children of God, bought with the blood of Jesus Christ and heirs of eternal life. By his grace, we are showered with an abundance of earthly blessings that provide for our daily needs and more! And by his grace, we are partners in gospel outreach ministry that has an eternal impact on souls around the world. Praise the Lord!

From all of us in WELS Missions, we thank God for you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

WELS Home, World, and Joint Missions

P.S. – Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to watch even more videos from our missionaries in the upcoming weeks!

Itā€™s better to have 100 friends than 100 rubles

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“Itā€™s better to have 100 friends than 100 rubles!ā€

This bit of Russian folk wisdom comes from a time when 100 rubles was worth a lot of money. Having many talented friends who can help in different situations makes life a lot easier ā€“ especially for people living in a collective society.

God has blessed me with many friends.

From Siberia to Portugal, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, God has allowed me to develop deep, spiritual relationships with many dear brothers and sisters. The members of Jesusā€™ body are precious, blood-bought souls carefully gathered by the Lord of the Church and placed exactly where he wants for our mutual edification and his glory.

Recently God has blessed me with some new friends in the U.K. and back ā€œhomeā€ in the WELS. Let me explain.

Pete Myers served in the ministerium of the Church of England. He is a Hebrew scholar and worked for several years as a professor of Old Testament studies at a seminary in Ethiopia. Pete is a sincere man who wants to confess solid Biblical faith in Christ. To make a long story short, Pete became Lutheran through an independent study of classic Lutheran writings and began searching for a Lutheran church faithful to scripture. After moving back to London, he met Missionary Michael Hartman. The two of them spent hours discussing what we in WELS believe on the basis of Holy Scripture. God blessed those conversations. Several months ago, Pete and his family joined our fellowship. Since then, they have moved to Manchester (a major city about four hours north of London), where Pete is supporting himself with secular work as a math teacher. But his real passion is to plant a congregation in Manchester that enjoys fellowship with our hub church in London.

Weā€™re thankful for Pete and his family, and weā€™re excited about blessings God is giving to his people through them. But we also want Pete to deepen his understanding of confessional Lutheranism, and we want those in our broader Lutheran fellowship (CELC) to have confidence that we share a common faith. What should we do?

Let me introduce you to some partners in WELS who are helping us.

Professor Allen Sorum teaches at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. He is also part of the Pastoral Studies Institute (PSI). Professor Sorum has broad experience working with men who want to prepare for ministry not only in North America, but around the world. He serves as the PSI representative to our Europe team. This past June, he arranged for Pete to spend a couple weeks on our seminary campus in Mequon. Here Pete attended summer quarter classes and spoke with faculty members about a wide variety of doctrinal topics.

While in Mequon, Pete met another friend of mine, Professor Jim Danell. Professor Danell serves on the faculty of Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minn., where he helps prepare young men for ministry. He also serves as the chairman of WELS Commission on Inter-Church Relations (CICR). This commission works to ensure that we indeed share authentic doctrinal fellowship with our brothers and sisters around the world. He is the CICR representative to our Europe team.

Iā€™m so thankful that Professor Sorum and Professor Danell join our Europe team meetings every week. They understand the work that we are carrying out in Europe. Having PSI and CICR working together with World Missions has been a tremendous blessing. God richly blessed Peteā€™s time during summer quarter, and there are plans in place for continued doctrinal conversations with key representatives in WELS to ensure that we are all walking together and contending for Jesusā€™ truth.

Please join me in giving thanks for the gifted friends the Savior gives us in his Church. Letā€™s continue to work together to share Jesusā€™ good news with the world!

Written by Rev. Luke Wolfgramm, world missionary on the Europe One Team.Ā 

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Teach all nations!

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Teach all nations! Equip the saints! Those two holy commands come from our ascended Savior to his Church. Victory of the Lamb in Katy, Texas, has partnered with WELS Latin America missionaries to do more of both.

Katy, Texas, is a ā€œsuburbā€ of Houston that has swelled to 400,000 in population and continues to grow. Because of the oil/gas and medical industries, it is an upscale, international community. Although people from every continent make Katy their home, some have given it the nickname ā€œKaty-Zuelaā€ because so many Venezuelans have moved into town. In addition to these Venezuelans, many other Spanish speakers live in Katy as well. Approximately 20 percent of the households within 3 miles of Victory of the Lamb speak Spanish in their homes. Some of them are bilingual, but many are not. Victory of the Lamb has faithfully preached and taught Godā€™s Word for 25 years. . . in English. However, I, the pastor at Victory of the Lamb, do not speak Spanish. Is there anything that can be done?

In May 2023, a dozen Victory of the Lamb members who speak Spanish got together to talk about it. The first step was an encouragement for them to take the online Academia Cristo classes, produced by WELS Latin America missionaries. Then they could invite their Spanish-speaking friends and family to do the same from a background of familiarity. Perhaps some additional inroads could be made into the Spanish-speaking Katy community.

Hector Medellin, a native Mexican and Victory of the Lamb member for 12 years, attended this meeting and decided to give Academia Cristo a try. Very quickly, he was hooked! Godā€™s Word in his native tongue grabbed him, and he deeply enjoyed the experience. Hector progressed through the first level of self-directed classes on the Academia Cristo app. The next step was to begin taking online classes led by a WELS world missionary, with several other Spanish speakers from all across the world as his classmates.

Hector was excited, but also had some mixed feelings. Was this worth the time and effort? Did he want to make such a large commitment of time? In his first online class, one fellow student lived in a place where he had to drive an hour up a mountain, each way, in order to get an internet signal so he could take the class. Another student tried to take the class as best as she could while also working shifts as a nurse, because that was her only way to have an internet connection. Hector thought, ā€œOkay, if they go through that much effort to take this class, and Iā€™m sitting at home with internet and air conditioning, I have no excuses. Iā€™ll do it.ā€ He says it was one of the best decisions heā€™s ever made in his life! As Godā€™s Word grew in his heart, Hectorā€™s love for his Savior also grew, as well as his desire to reach more souls.

Fast forward one year. With the help of his professors and missionaries, Hector is now trained to lead his own Bible class! On June 9, 2024, Victory of the Lamb launched a second adult Bible study on Sunday morning ā€“ one in English and one in Spanish. Hector also plans to lead a four-week class on Bible basics online with some Spanish-speaking friends and family members who donā€™t live in Katy. Victory of the Lamb members can invite their Spanish speaking friends, relatives, and neighbors to these classes. Down the line, it will be easy to encourage more Spanish speakers to try Academia Cristo. Hector is equipped to lead Bible studies either online or in person.

Teach all nations! Equip the saints! Through Victory of the Lambā€™s continued partnership with WELS Latin America missionaries, and connection to Academia Cristo materials, both of those goals are happening more than before. Praise God!

Written by Rev. Nathan Buege, home missionary at Victory of the Lamb Lutheran Church in Katy, Texas.

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Faces of Faith – Kim Nga

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I arrived in Garden Grove, California in the first week of October to begin my work to answer the Lordā€™s call to serve at King of Kings. Iā€™ve spent a lot of time visiting nursing homes and care centers. One of the places I often visit is Chapman Care Center. It appears this place is owned by a Korean.

On November 2, I visited and met Uncle Minh, who is Vietnamese. His wife, Ms. Le Thi Kim Nga, had been in the hospital for a while. When he heard me greet him and talk, he was surprised and somewhat excited because heā€™d thought I was a Korean. When I heard their story, I asked for his permission to visit his wife and pray for her. Through the story, I learned that the uncle came back to Vietnam and married his wife and brought her to America recently. A few years ago she had a brain tumor, they removed almost half of her brain. Now she can’t walk, she must stay in bed and have special care. Uncle Minh is retired and takes care of his wife every day. I was very touched by their story!

After praying for Ms. Nga, I continued to come back and share Jesus with her, explaining God’s love to her. She was quiet and attentive, and in December when I came back to visit, I asked her if she wanted to be a child of God. She replied that she did and asked me what she should do if she wants to become a child of God? I told her I would help her!

On December 12, 2023, I called uncle Minh as usual. I didnā€™t know how we could talk about Baptism. He shared that he asked a Vietnamese pastor to visit, pray, and baptize his wife, but that pastor was busy and had no time. I said I could help complete the Baptism for her. He agreed. Within a period of 2 hours. I prepared water in a cup, and a certificate along with it, and on December 12, 2023, I baptized Ms. Nga in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. One more soul has been recorded in the book of heaven.

When it ended, Ms. Nga told me she was happy, and proclaimed that God is real, and that she wanted to share God with many more people. I replied that she could share with everyone because she was now a child of God.

From Trung Le, home missionary at King of Kings Lutheran Church in Garden Grove, Calif.

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A new city, the same gospel

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“Here in Bread of Life: the Church of the Lord, members of his body, by God it was formed. Reunited family, branches of the Vine, reconciled people, declare his love divine.” On November 19th, 2023, over 80 individuals gathered to celebrate the reality of these beautiful words, an English translation from the hymn “AquĆ­ en Pan de Vida” adapted and translated by Pan de Vida’s longtime worship coordinator and staff minister, Amy Reede NuƱez. Pan de Vida Iglesia Luterana in Garden Grove, Calif., celebrated its 20th anniversary on that night with a special worship service followed by a meal and a mariachi band.

All Nations Sunday at King of Kings Lutheran Church.

Although this Spanish outreach mission currently calls Garden Grove its home, most of its rich history occurred about five miles east of its current facility. Pan de Vida launched in Santa Ana, Calif., back in 2003 under the leadership of Pastors Brian Doebler and Chris Schroeder, recent Seminary graduates who did six months of language training in Mexico. English classes and Bible studies blossomed into Spanish worship services, first in the pastors’ homes, then in local elementary schools, and finally in Pan de Vida’s own building that they purchased and renovated in 2008.

In all of these different locations, the Holy Spirit quietly worked through the means of grace as his church proclaimed Christ’s message of reconciliation. Individuals who came to learn English stayed after class to hear about God’s Word, and the Holy Spirit planted and grew faith in their hearts. Families invited their friends, and their friends kept coming back to hear about their heavenly Father’s infinite love for them in Christ. A couple walked across the street from their apartment one Sunday morning to inquire about this new church and kept coming Sunday after Sunday to hear the good news of the gospel. To this day, the highlight of their week is when their pastor comes to their home to feed them with Word and Sacrament, and then they get to feed him with home-cooked food that is way too spicy for him to handle. One of my favorite parts of my first nine months as pastor at Pan de Vida has been getting to hear everyone’s story of how God worked through the faithful proclamation of his Word to connect them to this body of believers. He blessed so many people through the ministry that took place in Santa Ana.

In 2021, due to a number of factors, Pan de Vida had to sell their longtime home. However, God provided for his people once again, this time through the brothers and sisters at King of Kings Lutheran Church in Garden Grove, who graciously opened their facility for Pan de Vida’s use. Although many changes have occurred for Pan de Vida in the last couple of years, the celebration of its 20th anniversary reminded us of one thing that will never change. The same gospel that called, gathered, enlightened, and sanctified this family of believers in Santa Ana is the gospel it continues to proclaim in Garden Grove. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. May the Lord of the Church bless his people as we strive to faithfully carry out his ministry and declare his love divine to those around us.

Written by Rev. Grant Hagen, home missionary at Pan de Vida in Garden Grove, Calif.

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Pastoral Studies Institute: Winterim 2024

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Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous WELS member, the Pastoral Studies Institute (PSI) was able to bring five of our East Asian PSI students to Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary for an intensive one week of instruction. They were able to attend classes that were specifically focused on their course requirements but also upon their cultural background. One of the PSI courses is ā€œHistory of Christianity in the Studentā€™s Context.ā€ Our students were able reap the blessings of being taught by Professor Emeritus Glen Thompson who served at Asia Lutheran Seminary teaching Historical Theology and New Testament. Professor Thompson shared his class ā€œHistory of Christianity in East Asia.ā€ Much of his course was new information for our students since most East Asian history is rewritten to coincide with the current governmentā€™s policies.

While on campus our PSI students were able to attend daily chapel and meet and interact with our traditional students who were also on campus for their intensive Winterim courses. Our PSI men made the most of their time on campus in a second course, ā€œEngaging the Spirit World.” This was a very practical addition to their training as future pastors, given the high rate of spiritism in East Asian culture.

This is just one more way that the Pastoral Studies Institute attempts to be flexible in our training methods, but consistent and academically rigorous in delivering our Confessional Lutheran content. This is another fine example of our WELS members partnering with us to be able to provide these kinds of exceptional learning opportunities. For more information about the Pastoral Studies Institute, please visit wels.net/psi.

Written by Harland Goetzinger, Pastoral Studies Institute director

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God allows for wonderful plans to unfold

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Peace in Jesus Vietnamese Lutheran Church in Boise, Idaho, is a Vietnamese congregation in the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. We are thankful that the Lord allowed myself and Trung Le to study to be pastors through the Pastoral Study Institute (PSI) program. Pastor Daniel Kramer was the active pastor of the congregation while we were in training to be the pastors. Pastor Kramer was also a Vietnamese-speaking pastor, and he led the worship services, preached and taught in Vietnamese.

The congregation was always wondering what would happen to Peace in Jesus as well as the Vietnamese outreach ministry after Trung Le and I graduated from the PSI program. Everyone was excited for the work of the Lord, but the congregation was curious, ā€œWhat would happen next for Peace in Jesus?ā€ They didnā€™t know the answer at that time, and they prayed to God for direction.

Finally, that day came and God allowed for a wonderful plan to unfold. In 2023 there were a lot of blessings that happened at Peace in Jesus. Two Pastoral Studies Institute students, Trung Le and I, graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in May 2023.

That same month, Pastor Trung received a divine call to serve as a Vietnamese outreach pastor at King of Kings in Garden Grove, Calif., where there are a lot of Vietnamese living in the area. Pastor Trung accepted the call and moved to Garden GroveĀ  in early October 2023.

L to R: Pastor Tao Nguyen, Pastor Daniel Kramer, Pastor Trung Le

Shortly after Pastor Trung received the divine call, Pastor Kramer also received three different divine calls. He accepted to serve at Crown of Life in New Orleans, La. Crown of Life is about one mile away from the Vietnamese community in New Orleans. He and his wife, Karis, made their move to New Orleans in early October 2023. We pray that if it is Godā€™s will, many more Vietnamese in New Orleans will hear the gospel.

With Pastor Trung and Pastor Kramer leaving to serve God at other locations, Peace in Jesus extended the divine call to me to serve at as their pastor, and I accepted the call in August 2023. We thank God for all these transitions and that they have gone smoothly.

During the transition, many members have stepped up, served, and become more involved in church activities. Most of the members had mixed feelings. They didnā€™t want to see any of the pastors leave Peace in Jesus because of the strong bond developed by being a part of Christā€™s family. Nevertheless, all of us also recognized that the Kingdom of God is way larger than any of us can imagine, and no one can measure his love for humankind. Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.ā€ God not only allowed for a wonderful plan for Peace in Jesus to unfold, but God also has a plan for everyone who believes in him.

We thank God for his wonderful plan for Peace in Jesus in Boise, Idaho. We pray that his kingdom continues growing in Vietnamese communities, not only in Idaho and in the States, but also abroad.

ā€œGive thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.ā€ Psalm 136:1

Written by Rev. Tao Nguyen, missionary at Peace in Jesus Lutheran Church in Boise, Idaho

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Mission Journeys opportunities in London

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The new world mission field in London has partnered with WELS Mission Journeys to establish a volunteer program in London. Through volunteering, you have the exciting opportunity to experience life and share the gospel in a global city rich with history and culture. London is filled with people from numerous nationalities and backgrounds, many of whom are in desperate need of hearing the gospel message. You will learn about new cultures, meet people from all over the world, and share the truth of God’s Word with those who are lost.

Short-term opportunities
We are looking for groups of eight to ten people to come volunteer for eight to ten days in London. Your time will be spent attending two Sunday church services at our WELS church, volunteering at various charities throughout the week, and exploring the city. You have the humble opportunity to serve your neighbor and let your light shine by helping others. You will also be a positive representation of what our Lutheran church teaches. When youā€™re not volunteering, enjoy spending time in London! Go to a pub, eat fish and chips, watch the changing of the guard, drink tea, and soak in the beauty of a city that has been around for almost two thousand years. You will leave London with a greater appreciation for the world we live in, the millions of people God has created, and a renewed fire to share the gospel with others.

Long-term opportunities
If you are interested in taking some time off of school, work, or you have time to spare, consider serving as a long-term volunteer in London. In this role, you will spend up to six months working one-on-one with the missionaries, serving at local charities, and growing in your understanding of a new place and culture. You will be able to encourage others in their faith as well as grow in your own faith. Spending extended time in a foreign country is a valuable experience that will leave a lasting impact on your heart and mind.

Interested in either opportunity? Contact WELS Mission Journeys for more information at [email protected] or call Mr. Shannon Bohme, Mission Journeys coordinator, at 651-324-4218.




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Outstanding ministry blessings in Vancouver

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Sometimes God just blesses us with blessings piled up on top of each other. At Saviour of the Nations in Vancouver, BC, we were blessed to have such a weekend on Oct. 1-2. Taking advantage of a local holiday weekend we were blessed to do a discipleship training with our mission counselor, Rev. Matt Vogt. But we packed much more into this weekend.

ā€œThe Story of the Bibleā€ initiative

Since Sept.10, we have been doing an ā€œall ministry Bible information class,ā€ meaning every Bible class is a Bible information class. In place of a traditional sermon, we are substituting in a modified Bible lesson connecting an Old Testament story to Jesus in Johnā€™s gospel and the relevant doctrines. On Oct. 1, we had 50 people in worship, including five people who have never heard the gospel. And it happened to be on the day we had the clearest presentation of law and gospel. Among them was a gentleman who was raised a Hindu who called the message ā€œbeautifulā€, a Muslim woman who had never attended a church before, a Japanese woman who had never heard of Jesus before, and a skeptic who was attending worship with his family member. Our Sudanese members came from Surrey and sang as a choir in worship to everyoneā€™s delight.

Sampling dishes from the International Food Festival

The gospel message was doubly reinforced by also celebrating four adult confirmations in the same service. Our other prospects who regularly attend got to hear these four confirmandsā€”Cindy, Taehoon, Chanmuk (Danny), and his wife Mayā€”publicly confess their confidence and faith in Jesus. It was a day we all pray the Holy Spirit can use to work in the hearts of those who heard the gospel for the one-hundredth time, and especially for those hearing it the first time.

International Food Festival

To celebrate all that was going on, including Korean Thanksgiving weekend and the Chinese mid-autumn festival, we had an ā€œInternational Food Festivalā€ after the service with 60 people attending, our highest attendance ever for a meal. We counted 14 countries from four continents represented in various groups among our attendees. Everyone brought dishes from their home country. We tried all kinds of food and had fun voting for different categories like ā€œveggie magicā€ and ā€œInstagram perfect.ā€ One of our prospects who worked very hard on her Indian dish was so happy she wonā€”it was a big hit for everyone!

Congregation annual meeting

After the food festival wrapped up, we had our annual meeting where we elected two new council leaders: Taehoon Kang from Vancouver and Hakim Kon from our Surrey Sudanese mission. I shared an overview of the churchā€™s past year and what we are doing to share the gospel through building relationships. Rev. Matt Vogt was conveniently present to explain what WELS is to prospects and how we are planting new missions. Our chairman, Volo, presented about the budget and shared gratitude for the financial support we receive through synod subsidy.

Discipleship training

Discipleship training with Mission Counselor Matt Vogt

Twenty-one members, Pastor Matt Vogt, and 13 kids came back on Monday to do an all day discipleship and leadership training. Pastor Vogt shared with us what Biblical leadership looks like and inspired our members to be more involved with the day-to-day operations of our ministry. At the end of the session, both our Sudanese leaders and Vancouver leaders put together respective lists of areas where laypeople can step up and help with the ministry. We hope to be implementing a few each quarter and working on the lists in the coming months.

We ended the day with fellowship over a dinner of Mexican food and celebrating one of our Sudanese kid’s seventh birthday with a cake, singing, and a Lego present to top it off.

God really piled up the blessings for us this weekend. He let us lean into our mission name, ā€œSaviour of the Nationsā€, to build more meaningful relationships with people through music, food, and above all, the gospel.

Shared by Rev. Geoff Cortright, home missionary at Saviour of the Nations in Vancouver, B.C., CanadaĀ 





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The gospel in Garden Grove…in three languages!

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ā€œPastor, has there ever been a trilingual ordination service in the history of WELS?ā€

It was a very good question. This past Sunday, August 6, 2023, the installation and ordination service of two pastor was held at King of Kings in three languages. The three languages were English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Songs, prayers, and Scripture readings happened in all three languages with translations printed in the bulletin. If there had been a trilingual ordination service sometime earlier in WELS history, it was probably not in those three languages.

One of the men being installed and ordained was Rev. Grant Hagen, a Spanish-speaking graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (WLS) who had been assigned to a Spanish-speaking congregation. The other man being installed and ordained was Rev. Trung Le, a Vietnamese-speaking graduate of the Pastoral Studies Institute of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, who had been assigned to lead Vietnamese outreach for an English-speaking congregation.

The English-speaking congregation, King of Kings in Garden Grove, Calif., had opened its doors to the Spanish-speaking congregation, Pan de Vida Iglesia Luterana, a couple years earlier. The chancel furniture was from Pan de Vidaā€™s previous location. The man who preached the Spanish sermon, Rev. Luis Acosta of the WELS One Latin America Team, stood behind the pulpit and told the assembly of more than 200 people how ably Hagen had served as a senior vicar in a Spanish-speaking congregation in Milwaukee, Wis.

The man who preached the Vietnamese sermon, Rev. Daniel Kramer from Peace in Jesus in Boise, Idaho, told the assembly, including 20 pastors who had come to participate in the laying on of hands, how Trung Le had come to faith and ably served in the leadership of that congregation in Idaho.

Because the WELS Joint Mission Council is helping with part of the effort, I had the privilege of preaching the English sermon. All three of us preachers used the text Matthew 9:36-38, ā€œWhen Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ā€˜The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.ā€

Because the Lord sees how harassed and helpless we human beings are, and because he has compassion for us, he knows exactly what good gifts to give as a result of his peopleā€™s prayers. On this day, in southern California, he gave two men who are in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. They join Rev. Brian Doebler in Garden Grove, Cal., in proclaiming the everlasting gospel.

In three languages!

Written by Rev. Paul Prange, Administrator for Ministerial Education and Joint Missions Council chairman.Ā 

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Peace like a River

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“Peace like a river” was a fitting theme for the 60th Annual Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society Convention, held this past weekend in La Crosse, Wis., held just steps to the Mississippi River. This convention serves as a an annual opportunity for men and women to come together in one place and serve by increasing awareness of, interest in, and support of the mission outreach of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS).

This year’s convention included speakers from Wisconsin to Ecuador to Colorado to East Asia. Each workshop leader and keynote speaker had something unique to present as a result of their unique mission fields.

Rev. Daniel Lewig, of Richland Center, Wis., spoke on “upcycling evangelism.” He shared examples from personal experience with their church, Bethlehem Lutheran. He reminded attendees that each congregation has it’s strengths and weaknesses, so why not lean into those strengths. They did just that by leaning into their Live Nativity event that had great attendance, and they never looked back. What began as a well attended event, eventually led the church to settle on Bethlehem as their name. How fitting!

Coming from the other side of the country, Rev. Paul Biedenbender and Vicar CJ Fury from Denver, Col. presented on the Vicar in a Mission setting program, which allows seminary students to serve their vicar year at a home mission, or mission minded, church. Vicar Fury was able to give a first hand account of some of the responsibilities and projects he took on during his vicar year at Christ Lutheran, as well as stories of the ministry he’s been able to do this past year.

To speak about World mission work in Latin America, LWMS had Missionary Elise Gross, the director of Women’s Ministry for the One Latin America team, as one of the keynote speakers. Elise told her story of growing up as a missionary child in Antigua and how she now has a missionary child of her own in Quito, Ecuador. She addressed how her role as director of Women’s Ministry has given her an opportunity to connect Latin American women with Academia Cristo, as they have the monumental task of sharing the gospel with their families, which takes strength and courage.

The convention had many other Home and World missionaries who were able to present and share their stories of faith, struggle, success, and unexpected situations in a mission field. Along the way, attendees were also able to receive Home and World Mission updates from Rev. Larry Schlomer and Mr. Sean Young, a 100 in 10 initiative presentation by Rev. Paul Schupmann and Steve Wolf, members of the 100 in 10 task force, and LWMS Business Meeting highlights.

After four days filled with WELS Missions, the 60th Annual LWMS Convention came to a close. The weekend was spent with over 1,200 attendees sharing their love and support for WELS Missions and all by the hand of God, who made all things possible. God willing we will meet again next year in Sioux Falls for the next Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society Convention!

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Breaking down barriers

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The Central Africa Medical Mission (CAMM) has treated over 70,000 patients a year and has been operating in Mwembezhi, Zambia, since 1961 and in Malawi since 1970. The goal of CAMM was to work side-by-side with the missionaries. CAMM would assist in the physical needs of the people and the missionaries would preach Godā€™s love and nurture the spiritual needs. When the clinics opened, the idea of nationalizing the clinics seemed incomprehensible, but was still part of the charter when CAMM was originally created.

The missionaries, staff ,and the CAMM stateside board made nationalization a reality in 2007, when the Lutheran Mission Rural Health Center in Zambia was transitioned to being fully run by national staff under the direction of a chief clinical officer. Since that time, the clinic has run efficiently and even dedicated an additional clinic building in 2015. Patients continue to rely on the clinic in Zambia for wellness visits, immunization, and labor and delivery.

During the pandemic, our American clinic staff, living in Malawi, were sent home for their safety. It was during that time that the CAMM stateside board realized how reliable our Malawian staff were and that American staff were no longer needed in Malawi on a full-time basis. Careful planning and proper trainings were completed in the months that followed. In 2022, God blessed CAMM with a successful Malawian nationalization! The Malawian clinics are now fully run by national staff under the direction of a stateside field director. What an amazing blessing!

According to Violet Chikwatu, Lutheran Mobile nurse-in-charge, there have been many positives seen in the clinic since nationalization. First, communication is no longer a barrier between the people in the village and the nurse-in-charge. The patients are able to fully express their feelings and symptoms about their conditions since the language is the same between patient and provider. No longer does the patient have to explain the condition multiple times to different people. Another positive impact that continues to grow is the community is looking after and maintaining the clinic property. Through this, the community feels they have a sense of ownership to protect the clinic property and ensure the day-to-day clinic operations run smoothly.

Since the clinics operate fully on donations and grants, CAMM wants to ensure the nationalization of Malawi and Zambia clinics continues to maintain Christian values and operate at its fullest potential with good efficiency. To aid in operation, our stateside based field director, Gary Evans, provides ongoing leadership and financial management. He also travels to Malawi and Zambia regularly to meet with the staff and medical councils, address issues and confirm all medical and clinic equipment, and ensure that the overall properties are being taken care of and maintained.

It has been almost a year since the clinics have been run fully by Malawian staff and over 16 years since Zambia was nationalized. We continue to see Godā€™s blessings through the clinic, staff, and the Lutheran Church of Central Africa (LCCA) pastors at work. Many bodies and souls are being nourished through the work of CAMM. May God continue to bless CAMM and the possibility of future clinic sites in different areas of Africa.

Written by Angela Sievert, Public Relations for Central Africa Medical Mission.

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Faces of Faith – Harry

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HoonSik, Harry Jo, graduated from Martin Luther College a few weeks ago with a degree in elementary education. He was fully qualified to serve anywhere, and he made himself available to serve anywhere.

His connection to WELS began in 2008 when Mr. Jay Wendland, the principal of Immanuel Lutheran School in Salem, Ore., came to Seoul, Korea, to tell people about the Christian education that his school offered. HoonSikā€™s mom decided her son should attend. He was in fifth grade at the time.

Harry at Martin Luther College graduation in May 2023.

At Immanuel Lutheran School, HoonSik, better known as Harry, learned about Jesus, was baptized, and eventually confirmed. His faith continued to grow at his time at Evergreen Lutheran High School in Tacoma, Wash. Then, in his senior year, Harry decided to pursue public ministry at Martin Luther College, a decision supported by his parents and his Oregon host family, the Wassers.

While in the United States, Harry embraced some of the American lifestyle and interests. He loves American sports and culture. He played on the MLC football team. He took a cross-country trek to further explore this place he calls home. ā€œMontana took forever,ā€ he always says.

But Harry still stayed in touch with his Korean roots. He cheered for the Korean soccer team in the World Cup. He remains fluent in both Korean and English. And his fiancƩ, who he is marrying this month, is also Korean.

With all of those interests and abilities, what would be the best place for Harry Jo to serve? His assignment, his very first call, is to serve as the 5th-6th grade teacher at Jerusalem Lutheran School in Morton Grove, Ill., where there are many Korean immigrant parents who have enrolled their children.

Jerusalem’s principal is Chiseon Kim, who came from Korea himself to train for service in WELS. ā€œOur dream is to have a vibrant Korean ministry here at Jerusalem,ā€ says Chiseon. And with the blessing of the Lord, Jerusalem is well on their way to seeing the fulfillment of that dream.

Written by Rev. Paul Prange, Administrator for Ministerial Education and Chairman of the Joint Mission Council.Ā 

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Right place, right time

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ā€œMissional Livingā€ is a lifestyle in our mission church. Itā€™s a constant reminder for the members of our congregation to live every day of their life as if itā€™s a mission trip and recognize where Jesus is already at work in our neighborhoods, workplaces, and schools. Our goal is to just wake up each morning and say, ā€œLord, what kind of mission trip are you going to take me on today to reach one more person for Jesus?ā€

One example of missional living happened recently in my dentistā€™s chair. I know, thatā€™s not the place where you would normally think of ā€œmissional living,ā€ but it was on this day.

I went in for a regular teeth cleaning and check-up. While I was getting settled into the chair, I asked the dental hygienist how things had been going in her life lately. She told me that although she had just got engaged, she was struggling with some incompatibility issues with her fiancƩ. I listened attentively to her while she worked on my teeth.

When there was a ā€œbreak in the actionā€ (in between rinses), I asked her how compatible she and her fiancĆ© were spiritually. That question opened the floodgates, and she began telling me all about her past religious experiences and struggles with God and the Bible. I listened to talk about her struggles while she continued to work on my teeth and tried my best to answer her questions (again, in between rinses). I didnā€™t want to say anything that might upset her, since she was holding a sharp object in her hand. So, I did much more listening than talking.

After she was finished cleaning my teeth, I said, ā€œYou know, Iā€™m a pastor, and I would be happy to meet with you sometime for coffee and help you with some of these problems that you and your fiancĆ© are struggling with.ā€ She replied, ā€œI would like that. In fact, Iā€™ve got a lot of other questions about God and religion that Iā€™d like to ask you too.ā€ I smiled and agreed.

As I was leaving, she said, ā€œThank you for listening to me and answering my questions. Iā€™d like to come and visit your church sometime. Would that be ok?ā€ I joyfully replied, ā€œAbsolutely! I think you will be blessed by it.ā€

God was certainly up to something in this young womanā€™s life that day, and I was exactly where he wanted me to be to join him on his mission. What a privilege it is to be used by God to accomplish his purpose in the lives of others. On that day, at that time, his purpose for me was to be in that dentist chair and make a connection with that young woman at a time when she needed it most. Let us continue to make those connections and remain in a mindset of ā€œmissional living.ā€

Written by Pastor Kevin Schultz, Home Missionary at The Vine Lutheran Church in Hayden, Idaho

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True love, God’s love

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As couples prepared to buy chocolate, candies, teddy bears, cards, and roses for each other on Valentineā€™s Day to express their love for each other, Faith Hmong in Alaska uses this time of the year to gather couples for an evening of food, relaxation, photos, and Godā€™s Word on the message of true LOVE.

“This is real loveā€”not that we loved God, but that he loved us.” – 1 John 4:10a

The message that evening focused on Genesis 2:17, ā€œThey become one flesh.ā€ This reminded couples that marriage doesnā€™t stop after the wedding ceremony, having their first child, or being able to accomplish some of their goals. Couples must be intentional with their marriage. They canā€™t just show love or affection towards each other once a year on Valentineā€™s Day; they must show love for each other and serve each other every day to continue to strengthen a marriage, which is built on the foundation of Christ. It was great opportunity for couples to gather together and experience an evening filled with Godā€™s Word, great conversations, and time to reflect on each other.

Faith Hmong in Alaska uses this kind of event as an outreach opportunity to invite friends, family, and neighbors to the Faith Hmong community. We also have events for kids and parents to spend time together, such as a family paint night, which is planned for next month. Coming to worship services can be a little intimidating for some, but with events like these, believers and friends can come and relax and hear about their Lord. Itā€™s a fun way for the church members to do outreach in the community.

We have been serving the Hmong community of Anchorage since 2009 and have established a beautiful relationship with our Anglo brothers and sisters at Faith Lutheran Church. Every Sunday, our doors are open early in the morning for an English service, followed by a Hispanic service preached by Pastor Chris Ewings and Pastor Nathan Wagenknecht. Then, we end our Sunday with a Hmong service starting at 3:00 p.m., followed by Hmong Sunday School. We designate the first Sunday of each month as a fellowship Sunday for the opportunity to invite friends, families, and neighbors to attend and enjoy some snacks and conversations.

Faith Hmong continues to focus its ministry on the Hmong community in Anchorage, and God continues to bless us. We look for opportunities to share what so many people in the world are still seeking ā€“ LOVE. A love the world cannot give, but rather true love that comes only from our Savior, Jesus.

Learn more about our ministry at faithhmongalaska.org.

Written by Pastor Pao Moua, Home Missionary at at Faith Hmong Lutheran Church in Anchorage, Alaska

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