Jackson (pictured), a new Lutheran living in Venezuela, can’t keep the peace he found in the gospel to himself.

“You fill them up with the gospel and this hope and peace and comfort, and it starts to spill out,” says Missionary Mike Hartman, field coordinator for Latin America. 

What’s amazing is that less than a year ago, Jackson didn’t have that peace. Living in a country that economically and socially is falling apart—and where there aren’t any churches that faithfully share God’s true Word—Jackson was looking for hope. He saw a Facebook post from Academia Cristo that shared the gospel message and invited him to join a Whatsapp (texting) group that discusses a daily devotion. As he learned more, Jackson began peppering group leader Henry Herrera, pastor at Most Holy Trinity, Medillín, Colombia, with questions. Herrera invited Jackson to take an online class that he was leading through Academia Cristo. Jackson joined all Herrera’s classes, went through Bible information class, worshiped online with Most Holy Trinity, and within months was confirmed. 

But that wasn’t enough for Jackson. He began inviting people into his home in Venezuela and teaching them what he had learned. He also started offering weekly worship, using the WELS website Iglesia Luterana Cristo for worship resources. 

Jackson is just one example of the people Academia Cristo is reaching. Since its launch three years ago, Academia Cristo has reached Spanish-speaking people in every Spanish-speaking country with the life-saving message of Jesus. And some of those people, people like Jackson, are sharing that message with others. 

Did you know? Academia Cristo (Christ Academy) is a joint effort between World Missions’ One Latin America Team and Multi-Language Publications that offers Christ-centered resources for Spanish speakers around the world.

Missionaries and the Administrative Committee for Africa have organized a new operational team for all of Africa, the One Africa Team. With new requests for gospel teaching coming from seven additional African countries, the One Africa Team is prepared to share resources and increase partnerships with national pastors and missionaries to meet this growing cry for outreach. Some of these new outreach fields include South Sudanese refugee camps in Kenya, Ethiopia (pictured), and Liberia as well as Mozambique, where the national church of Malawi is in the process of registering with the government to conduct mission work.

Read Missions blog “Africa Awaits! One Africa Team Assembles for Action.”

Read Missions blog “Expansion of Christ’s Kingdom: Kakuma Refugee Camp.”