Tag Archive for: fic-series-cross-cultural

Sharing the power of God’s grace with the Hmong

Julie K. Wietzke and Joel B. Schroeder


Passionate about reaching the Hmong

Julie K. Wietzke

Tong Xing Yang, one of the newest WELS Hmong pastors, is passionate about sharing the gospel with his fellow Hmong—so passionate that he began a rigorous Pastoral Studies Institute program, graduating at the age of 59.

“My wife and I believe that life on earth is too short, and if we do not know Christ, our lives would not have much purpose,” he says. “I have chosen to become a pastor specifically in order to share the power of God’s grace so that others who may not know or serve God will be saved.”

For more than 30 years, WELS has been sharing the gospel with Hmong immigrants in the United States. This includes training many Hmong men to be pastors and helping support them in their ministry. Some of these men serve congregations here in the United States, while others have returned to share the gospel in their home countries of Thailand and its surrounding area. A Global Hmong Ministry Committee was developed in 2015 to coordinate the ministry opportunities. Hmong pastor Bounkeo Lor recently accepted the call to serve as the Hmong Asia ministry coordinator.

A look at several U.S. Hmong ministries shows the challenges and blessings of reaching out to the Hmong.

New opportunities

With family, or clan, connections being strong in the Hmong culture, Yang and his wife moved to Fresno, Calif., after he graduated from the PSI program in 2013 to continue sharing the gospel with their seven children and their families. It was also a good area for evangelism with 75 percent of the Hmong population there not truly ’s grace.

Yang used his many personal and professional contacts in the Hmong community as opportunities to share God’s message; he also went door-to-door in Hmong neighborhoods. A radio broadcast further widened his outreach. Four years later, Faith Hmong has 93 members and 11 prospects—though the road has not been easy.

“Many Hmong believe that Shamanism is Hmong culture, so when I share God’s message, I am treated as a stranger because I am sharing a religion or culture that is not ‘Hmong,’ ” he says. “Oftentimes, I am challenged, left feeling ashamed, because I have been told that I am not Hmong . . . because I believe in the ‘white man’s religion.’ ”

This, however, doesn’t stop Yang. “My goal is to continue to share the gospel with the Hmong community,” he says. “I hope that God will help grow the seeds that I have tried to plant.”

Growing faith

Pheng Moua, pastor at Immanuel Hmong, St. Paul, Minn., shares Yang’s passion for reaching the lost. While Moua and his 250-member congregation continue to reach out to the largest Hmong population in the U.S., he is also working to make his congregation more independent and self-supporting.

Moua says he has seen much growth in his members’ faith since the congregation started as an exploratory mission in 1999. “A second generation of WELS Hmong Christians have emerged from the older generation that used to worship spirits and ancestors,” he says. “The young men and women whom the Lord brought to Immanuel’s congregation when they were in grade school are now teaching our WELS doctrines to the members and community.”

Currently worshiping at the Anglo congregation, St. John, St. Paul, Minn., Immanuel Hmong would like to secure its own church facility. “If we do not have a place for ourself, it is hard for us to do outreach to the community, and it is hard for our members to take responsibility and ownership,” says Moua. The church has put a building and a fundraising committee in place to work toward that goal.

Moua says Immanuel Hmong hopes to serve as a mother church for future Hmong congregations in the area as well as to partner with neighboring WELS congregations to train Hmong men for the ministry. It is also looking to add English worship services to reach the younger Hmong generation.

Close partnerships

Many Hmong ministries partner closely with an Anglo WELS congregation.

Holy Trinity, New Hope, Minn., found itself in this situation when Bounkeo Lor, then pastor at Grace Hmong, Kansas City, Kan., referred La Xiong to the congregation. Xiong and his extended family went through Bible information class and soon began members at Holy Trinity. Now Xiong is working with Dennis Klatt, pastor at Holy Trinity, and the Pastoral Studies Institute to become a pastor. “I love God and would like to help

others understand the love of Jesus from the gospel,” he says. “I want them to share heaven with me.”

Xiong offers monthly worship in Hmong at Holy Trinity as well as weekly adult Bible study. Besides his studies and his full-time job to support his family, he also is reaching out in his neighborhood and workplace. “I am currently helping a neighbor with landscaping in his yard and have had four conversations with him about Jesus,” he says. He also witnesses to his wife’s grandmother in Menomonie, Wis. “My goal is to get the family elder and his children connected to our WELS church there.”

Because he doesn’t speak English fluently, he is thankful for Holy Trinity’s partnership in reaching out to the second- and third-generation English-speaking Hmong. His and his extended family’s children attend Holy Trinity’s English Sunday school, and the entire group attends the English worship services held every week.

His goal once he becomes a pastor? “I would like to go back to Asia to share the gospel in Thailand and Laos. I would like to help them correctly understand the truth about God’s free and full forgiveness in Jesus.”


Julie Wietzke is managing editor of Forward in Christ.


Partners in the ministry

Joel B. Schroeder

Mt. Olive, Overland Park, Kan., has benefited greatly from associating with and serving Grace Hmong, Kansas City, Kan., 20 minutes northwest of us.

In 2015 we helped Grace Hmong secure a WELS Church Extension Fund loan to purchase and renovate the building they were leasing from a Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod congregation. We guided them through construction then helped them secure a grant to equip that building. Other grants purchased equipment to carry on weekly Internet radio outreach. We’ve included Grace Hmong in our annual budget. We’ve helped fund Pastor Bounkeo Lor’s frequent mission/training trips to Southeast Asia. We’ve helped buy Hmong Bibles and other printed materials he delivered to people begging for Bibles and the gospel. We’ve prayed for and encouraged Grace Hmong. Our pastors preach once a month to Hmong youth to keep them in the saving faith as they become more Americanized. Our pastors helped teach six men in the Pastoral Studies Institute.

Blessings haven’t flowed only one way. We’ve been privileged to see the passion of the Hmong people to hear and spread tirelessly the gospel. We’ve rejoiced when Pastor Lor’s trips overseas uncovered thousands of people begging for more gospel training. We are learning about another culture firsthand—delicious food, unique holidays, bright festival clothing, strong leadership by elders, and respect for the aged.

Grace Hmong has heightened our joy and burden to take the gospel to all nations. World mission opportunities exist down the block or at the next desk. We thank God for helping us see foreign fields near and far white unto harvest through our fellowship with Grace Hmong.


Joel Schroeder is pastor at Mt. Olive, Overland Park, Kansas.


This is the fourth article in a series about cross-cultural outreach in the U.S. and Canada.


 

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Author: Joel Schroeder and Julie Wietzke
Volume 104, Number 8
Issue: August 2017

Copyrighted by WELS Forward in Christ © 2021
Forward in Christ grants permission for any original article (not a reprint) to be printed for use in a WELS church, school, or organization, provided that it is distributed free and indicate Forward in Christ as the source. Images may not be reproduced except in the context of its article. Contact us

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Reaching Out to the Sudanese: Providing a Christ-Centered Home away from Home

Rachel Hartman

In 2003, “We had just built an addition to our church,” recalls Keith Siverly, who serves at St. Mark in Mankato, Minn. “Two boys rode by. They were both on one bike and I said, ‘I hope you don’t have to travel far.’”

The boys responded by saying, “We want to join your church.”

The two children rode away on their bikes, but returned a little while later with a van full of people, including their mother. The parents were originally from South Sudan, and had come to the United States as refugees. After settling in the area, they were interested in a place where they could worship and where their children could receive a Christian education.

The family with the two boys who had first greeted Siverly on bikes soon became members of the congregation. During the coming years, other families with a South Sudanese background learned of the church as well. “It’s grown over the years,” remarks Siverly. “We now have 15 South Sudanese students in our grade school out of 93 students, and 38 members of our church who are South Sudanese.”

Ministry to the Sudanese

In addition to Minnesota, refugees from the Nuer tribe who have fled from South Sudan are living in other parts of Africa and beyond. After leaving due to civil unrest, these individuals and families have stayed in refugee camps and gone through long processes to come to countries such as the United States and Canada.

Pastor Peter Bur is one of these refugees. Originally from South Sudan, Bur came to Omaha, Nebraska, and began worshipping at Good Shepherd in 2010. At the time, he was serving as a spiritual leader for Sudanese immigrants. Bur enrolled in the Pastoral Studies Institute (PSI), which is offered through Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, Wis. The PSI guides non-traditional students through pre-seminary and seminary training.

Bur graduated in 2015, and now works with a group of about 55 South Sudanese in Omaha. He helps coordinate the pastoral training of other South Sudanese in both North America and refugee camps in Africa. He has also continually sought ways to connect Sudanese immigrants throughout the United States and Canada with WELS congregations in their area.

One of the men Bur encouraged to find a WELS church had settled in the Calgary, Alberta area. “In 2013, a Sudanese man came to our church,” says Pastor Mike Vogel, who serves at St. Paul in Calgary. “He had the names of three WELS churches scrawled on a piece of paper. He had heard of us through Peter Bur.”

The man brought one family after another to the congregation. “We now have 50 that we serve,” explains Vogel.

Meeting language needs

Those arriving from South Sudan generally speak the Nuer language, but as families settle in North America, English enters into their homes and becomes the predominant language for their children.

“The first generation who are here were in refugee camps and then came here,” explains Siverly. “Those who are 18 and under – all the kids we have in the school – were born in the United States. The children often can speak the language of Nuer but can’t read it. The parents can frequently speak English but have trouble reading it.”

The group in Mankato meets once a month for a service in the Nuer language. “We realize on a local level there’s a value in meeting and having a service in your own language,” says Siverly. “They are usually three-hour services, and they are very uplifting for them.”

At Lincoln Heights in Des Moines, Iowa, a group of about 15 adults are confirmed members, and these individuals attend along with their children. “Our goal is to train another Sudanese leader for that group who can speak their language,” notes Pastor Matt Pfeifer, who serves the congregation. “Right now we use sermons from Pastor Peter Bur in Omaha. He sends them to the men in the congregation to read in their language.”

Serving with open arms

At Risen Savior, the grade school connected with St. Mark in Mankato, the Sudanese are appreciative of the opportunities for their children. “Parents are very much into family and Christian education and that’s a key for us,” explains Siverly. “We are known in the community as a place that can help you.”

The ministry reaches to a personal level as well. “There are struggles when you first come to a country,” notes Siverly. “I try to go to basketball games, dentist appointments and other things they need help with.”

Some children have gone on to attend Minnesota Valley Lutheran, a high school in the area, after graduating from Risen Savior.

At St. Paul in Calgary, the congregation has welcomed the Sudanese families along with other members from different cultural backgrounds. “We worship all together,” says Vogel. “We integrate with them and feel like they are part of our church.”

Reaching near and far

“Seattle has become sort of a gateway for the Sudanese,” points out Joel Hoff, pastor at Divine Peace in Renton, Wash. The congregation serves a group of Sudanese immigrants. “Twice a month they have Nuer services in the afternoon and the members will join us for worship and commune twice a month. It’s helping our congregation as we enjoy the blessing of world missions at our doorstep.”

They are also looking at ways of serving others in different areas. “Two of our members are involved in Kingdom Worker efforts,” adds Pfeifer. They are scheduled to help carry out health-related workshops and also evangelism opportunities to refugees in Ethiopia. “We do local ministry here, but the first-generation Sudanese are very focused on helping friends and families in refugee camps. Their mind always goes back to Africa.”


Rachel Hartman and her husband, Missionary Michael Hartman, serve in Leon, Mexico.


Meet the Omit Family

Teresa Omot is the mother of Cham, who graduated from Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School in 2016. Her son Dunwa currently attends high school there, and her other four children go to Risen Savior Lutheran School in Mankato, Minn.

Teresa recalls her journey from a village in Sudan to Ethiopia to a refugee camp in Kenya to America and eventually to the halls of Risen Savior and MVL. Jakoni, Teresa’s husband, emigrated from Ethiopia to America to forge a new life for them. Upon his arrival, he initially found work at a hotel for $6.00 an hour. Every month he sent $100.00 to Teresa so she could support her family. It took three years of bureaucratic red tape before Teresa received permission to join Jakoni in America.

And when the closure of the Fargo meat-packing plant at which Jakoni was working prompted a move to Mankato, the family came into contact with St. Mark Lutheran Church in Mankato. They soon became members and enrolled their children in the Christian education programs offered there. To listen to Teresa is to listen to a mother speak of the joy and peace her children experience daily through their Christ-centered education. She relays the priority she and Jakoni place on Christian education for all six of their children.


Pastor Keith Siverly serves at St. Mark, Mankato, Minnesota.


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Author: Rachel Hartman & Keith Siverly
Volume 104, Number 6
Issue: June 2017

Copyrighted by WELS Forward in Christ © 2021
Forward in Christ grants permission for any original article (not a reprint) to be printed for use in a WELS church, school, or organization, provided that it is distributed free and indicate Forward in Christ as the source. Images may not be reproduced except in the context of its article. Contact us

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Connecting Chinese people with the gospel

Rachel Hartman and Timothy Bourman

A worldwide effort

Sometimes, I don’t think we get this, but so much of our mission work is a truly synodical, worldwide effort. Jennifer Yao was a college student in her home country in Asia. She was befriended by WELS contacts and baptized in Asia. As she looked into graduate programs in finance, she was accepted by St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y. She made the move halfway across the world. Our contacts in Asia sent me a message saying, “We have a friend moving to your area. Can you reach out to her?”

The rest is history. She took our Bible information class at Sure Foundation, became a member, and now teaches Sunday school. Jennifer is just one story of already more than one hundred people confirmed as adults at Sure Foundation in the last eight years.

In fact, we take great pride in what God is doing through our synod all over the world. Our Sunday school teachers are a great example of what God is doing through his powerful gospel all over the world. Our team hails from Peru, Mexico, Wisconsin, Ukraine, California, and Asia. The team teaches a growing group of children from places just as diverse and just as beautiful. Through our synod and our congregation in New York City, God truly is working to make disciples of all nations.

Timothy Bourman is pastor at Sure Foundation, Queens, New York.

Many ways to share the same message

At the beginning of 2017, Chinese women of Saviour of the Nations in Vancouver, Canada, planned a Chinese New Year celebration.

“It’s a big deal,” explains Geoff Cortright, pastor of the congregation. “For them, it’s the biggest holiday of the year. It’s a little like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and the New Year rolled in to one.”

During the initial planning, a question came up regarding what to do with the red envelopes. Traditionally, red envelopes containing money are given as gifts, especially to children, during the New Year celebration. They are considered a way to wish recipients good luck for the future.

After discussing it, the group decided to fill the envelopes with Bible passages instead of coins, notes Cortright. “We incorporate their culture into Christianity without compromising our faith.”

Opportunities in neighborhoods

Vancouver has one of the highest concentrations of Chinese people in North America, per the 2016 World Population Review*.

Many come to the area in search of a top education for their child, explains Cortright. While there, they frequently look for ways to learn English and are often intrigued by Christianity.

Ottawa, Canada, is another destination for Chinese immigrants. Outreach efforts there began when Wayne Halldorson, who serves as pastor at Divine Word, saw an advertisement at the public library. The ad listed information for the Chinese Cultural Centre of Ottawa.

Halldorson got in touch with the organization and connected with individuals through it. “It gave us an opportunity to meet with people and share what we are all about,” he mentions. The Chinese outreach efforts have developed over time. “They have come to know that we’re the place to learn biblical doctrine,” he says.

While some neighborhoods have a long-established Chinese population, others are shifting and presenting new chances to share the gospel. Such is the case for the area surrounding St. Andrew in Chicago. The blocks around the church were at one time filled predominantly with German and Polish residents. They then transitioned to Hispanic families and now are trending more to Chinese families, explains Adam Gawel, who serves at the congregation. “The Chinese could be a majority in the next several years.”

Still other places are finding ways to connect to Chinese people, even if they didn’t grow up in the area surrounding the church. Joshua Yu of St. John’s in Wauwatosa, Wis., helps coordinate efforts to bring Chinese international students into the area. While there, they participate in a program known as a “bridge class,” in which they attend eighth grade at a Lutheran school to prepare for a potential transition to a public or Lutheran high school.

Currently, 67 WELS congregations report they have Chinese members. Furthermore, nearly every area Lutheran high school has Chinese students.

Reaching out in various ways

In New York, Chinese students at nearby universities frequently visit Sure Foundation. Many of them first heard of Christianity and were baptized while living in Asia and come to Sure Foundation on referral from those they met back in their home areas.

“The majority of immigrants are Chinese people coming in to the city. Typically they’ve been baptized but not instructed. We then instruct them, and they become members,” notes Tim Bourman. The congregation has bilingual Bibles, such as an English and Mandarin Bible, available for them to use. Some opt to study just in English.

Saviour of the Nations in Vancouver offers English classes to reach out to the community. One student named Annie initially came to Vancouver with her son for his education. After beginning in English classes, she began to study the Bible as well. “I teach instruction classes in English, and the questions and Bible are in Chinese,” says Cortright. He gave her a Bible in the spring of 2016 and months later, it was filled with notes. Annie was baptized on Christmas Day in 2016.

“Networking is about the biggest ‘in’ to the community,” explains Halldorson. “We want to have the reputation of being the best place to learn about the Bible. We offer Bible instruction classes in English and Chinese.”

Teaching just the Bible is a strength in our fellowship, explains Halldorson. “We are very into teaching and understanding and have zero tolerance for false teaching. I find in the Chinese mindset they have a hunger for that. They like that it’s logical and cohesive; it’s objective and concrete and clear.”

Divine Word has held open houses and potlucks to reach out to more Chinese as well.

“Especially in newer urban areas of global cities, if you can open that door and make one or two contacts, you’re in a fabulous position,” adds Halldorson.

St. John’s holds a regular service in Mandarin for those transitioning into a new culture. First-generation Chinese Americans often attend the Mandarin worship, while second-generation Chinese Americans tend to prefer an English service.

And while many Chinese only attend St. John’s for an average of two years, they leave the place equipped with the gospel message to share with others, regardless of where they go.

Rachel Hartman and her husband, Missionary Michael Hartman, serve in Leon, Mexico.


This is the second article in a series about cross-cultural outreach in the U.S.


 

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Author: Rachel Hartman and Timothy Bourman
Volume 104, Number 4
Issue: April 2017

Copyrighted by WELS Forward in Christ © 2021
Forward in Christ grants permission for any original article (not a reprint) to be printed for use in a WELS church, school, or organization, provided that it is distributed free and indicate Forward in Christ as the source. Images may not be reproduced except in the context of its article. Contact us

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Reaching the Vietnamese at Home and Abroad

Truly valuable

Mrs. Quý Thi Nguyen has always been a strong woman. Shortly after beginning a Bible Basics course in their family home, I found out that I basically got kicked out because Mrs. Quý (her name means “valuable”) did not approve. She explained to me how she believed in Buddha, the Four Noble Truths, and the Eight-Fold Path. I thanked her for sharing and continued to find opportunities to witness to her.

Mrs. Valuable’s husband was the first adult confirmand of our congregation. He also was the first Christian funeral. His last words were: “I regret that I was unable to live to see my adult children emigrate from Vietnam. My desire is for my children to follow my faith. I am at peace.”

In the months following the funeral, Mrs. Valuable allowed me to come and visit, even resuming the Bible course in her home. One day, Mrs. Valuable was quite talkative—I couldn’t get a crowbar in the conversation. She spoke of how bad things were when she was living in Vietnam waiting to come to the U.S. She talked of how difficult things were in Vietnam once again. I was pray-ing the whole time she was telling me her stories. Finally, I said, “Mrs. Valuable, I regret to hear of your difficult past. I am thankful for your present. But I am worried about your future.” And for the first time that I had ever seen, Mrs. Valuable began to cry. The walls she had put up began to come down.

Now in a new house and with her adult children emigrated from Vietnam, I concluded the Bible course around their kitchen table. As I was packing up, one of the adult daughters inquired, “Baptism, Pastor?” We are careful not to pressure people to be baptized and often use a mediator to discuss Baptism and church membership. However, when the daughter asked, I was glad to offer this tremendous blessing. The family passed the calendar around, and we settled on a date. Even Mrs. Valuable nodded her head.

When the day came, seven individuals from the family, including Mrs. Valuable herself, stood before God’s altar with wetted brow, all to God’s glory. Now Mrs. Valuable is faithful in worship and even participates in our new senior choir.

During a Christmas season, Mrs. Valuable came to see me. She said, “Pastor, I can’t remember things. I’ll go into a room and not remember why I went in there. I am forgetful. But the prayers in this book . . .” (she held up a copy of Luther’s Small Catechism in the Vietnamese language, which we had introduced during a recent sermon series on prayer) “. . . I can memorize these prayers having read through them just a few times!”

And with that, Mrs. Valuable began reciting Luther’s Morning Prayer in Vietnamese by heart. I must have said and heard that prayer a thousand times, but it had never been more beautifully spoken. Valuable, indeed.

Daniel Kramer is pastor at Peace in Jesus, Boise, Idaho.


The church that helps people

“A lot of people that don’t know English—they come to our church for help,” notes Trung Le, president of Peace in Jesus, Boise, Idaho.

Once they enter the building’s doors, these individuals receive a warm welcome and various offers for assistance. “We like to show them the love of God,” adds Le.

After receiving aid in the form of language classes, translating services, counseling or citizenship classes, many stay to learn more. Congregation members invite visitors to come on Sundays for worship or attend classes that teach about the Bible.

Starting out

Peace in Jesus first formed in 1998, when it began as an exploratory congregation aided by other groups in the area. During the following years, it carried out efforts to reach the Vietnamese community in the Boise region. The pastor of the congregation, Daniel Kramer, learned Vietnamese to connect with those who knew little or no English.

This focus on language caught the attention of many, including Le and his wife. When they moved to Boise in 2006, Le’s wife was a Christian and wanted to attend a Vietnamese-speaking service. “Some of my friends at work told me that at Peace in Jesus the pastor spoke Vietnamese,” recalls Le. His wife wanted to worship there, so he took her.

Le wasn’t a Christian at the time, however, so he didn’t usually go to church with his wife. Then one Sunday in 2008 he decided to come to church with her. “I said, ‘How come this white guy is trying to speak our language?’” Le remembers. “It touched me.”

A few days later, Le met with the pastor and asked to be baptized. After becoming a member, Le decided to continue studying. He is currently in a training program to become a pastor and involved in various forms of outreach and ministry.

Making connections

“The Vietnamese community is growing every year,” notes Le. He estimates the current Vietnamese population to be close to three thousand, with more coming as relatives and friends of residents move to the area.

To reach this group, the congregation offers English classes regularly and helps with translating services. “Sometimes someone comes in and has a doctor’s appointment coming up but doesn’t know much English, so we go along and act as an interpreter,” explains Le.

From its facility, the congregation also offers U.S. citizenship classes, which are open to anyone who needs help. “We have had individuals from various Southeast Asian countries come,” notes Le.

Members of the community can also attend classes that have biblical themes. Vietnamese proverbs and pictures are often incorporated into lessons to help communicate principles. One course, for instance, is entitled “Sau Con Mua, Troi Lai Sáng,” which means “After the Rain, the Sun Shines Again.” Its theme centers on the impact of sin as well as the bright future Jesus provides.

Reaching out globally

As Peace in Jesus has gained a reputation in its community as a church that helps people, its members have continually sought ways to provide further assistance. That desire stretches to an international level, as many have connections with family and friends currently living in Vietnam.

Due to this, an independent entity called “Friends of Vietnam” has formed to reach souls on a global level. “Our goals are to send individuals to Vietnam and bring students from Vietnam to study in schools of our fellowship,” explains Kramer.

Those traveling over to Vietnam will work as teachers in schools there and look for ways to bring the gospel message to those in the country. Students coming from Vietnam to the United States will attend Lutheran schools, where they can learn about the Bible and enjoy spending time with other Christians.

Looking to the future, Le points to God’s guiding hand. “We’ve seen how God works in our congregation,” he explains. “He can make things happen out of nothing. Now it’s our chance to work hard as a way to say ‘thank you’ to him for everything.”

Rachel Hartman and her husband, Missionary Michael Hartman, serve in León, Mexico.

 


This is the first article in a series about cross-cultural outreach in the U.S. Check out “Home mission connections lead to world mission opportunities” (p. 23) to learn how contacts made in the U.S. are leading to mission work around the world. Learn more about Peace in Jesus in this month’s edition of WELS Connection.

 


SUBMIT YOUR STORY

Do you have a manuscript, idea, or story from your own life you’d like to share for use in Forward in Christ or on wels.net? Use our online form to share it to our editorial office for consideration.

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Get inspirational stories, spiritual help, and synod news from  Forward in Christ every month. Print and digital subscriptions are available from Northwestern Publishing House.

 

Author: Rachel Hartman and Daniel Kramer
Volume 104, Number 2
Issue: February 2017

Copyrighted by WELS Forward in Christ © 2021
Forward in Christ grants permission for any original article (not a reprint) to be printed for use in a WELS church, school, or organization, provided that it is distributed free and indicate Forward in Christ as the source. Images may not be reproduced except in the context of its article. Contact us

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