2010 Work

October 2010

Eighten men from the CLCI, BELC and HCLCN and two CLC missionaries met for two days in Nellore, India to share reports on the Lord’s work among these sister churches. Pastors Thang and Kham could not come from the CLC Myanmar due to border difficulties. They did send a report on their work and were with us in our minds and prayers. One of the variety of items that separates us from other Christian churches is our teaching and practice on the two sacraments. These we treasure as means of receiving God’s grace in Christ. While we did not have a complete record on baptisms we did receive joyous news about this sacrament’s use. In the HCLCN with 2530 souls they had around 100 baptisms. In the CLCI in new congregations they had 84, while through their Gospel meetings another 146 were baptized. In the BELC a partial listing showed 393 washings of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit. And of course we closed our two day conference with communion. If you would like to read the full reports given in these days of fellowship sharing, you can read them on the website www.lutheranmissions.org under Newsletters or you can receive the newsletter which comes out twice a month. The reports will begin with the end of October newsletter. If you want to receive the newsletter by email just send a request to Mary Koenig at dnmkoenig [at] yahoo [dot] com

August 2010

Fellowship in Johannesburg

I had the opportunity recently to visit with the Denis Mulumba family in Johannesburg. Although we had hoped that he would be able to start a gathering of French-speaking souls around the Word here, it has not come about yet (this being a second time after earlier riots against foreigners in Johannesburg sent the worshiping group fleeing for their lives). In our fellowship relationship we have prayed for him when he got into a serious car accident last March. He lost his job during the recuperation time after the accident, although now the Lord Has given him a new job, 14 hours a day at six days a week. This has hampered outreach, but we wait on the Lord. John, who Denis had hoped would be a partner in outreach in Johannesburg, has moved to Capetown and then back to Congo. Now Denis prays that he can in January move back to the area he lived in previously before the riots against foreigners in the Yeoville and Hillbrow sections of the city of Johannesburg. He still prays he can get a website up to use as an outreach tool. Commit him to the Lord in prayer that Denis will be again an instrument to gather people about the Word.

August 2010

What a blessing to dwell together in the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace!
The CLC has its pastors and laymen out among our brothers and sisters overseas as follows:

In August Pastors Todd Ohlmann and Nathanael Mayhew will be visiting the ELCC and CCLC in Congo.
In August Russ Schmitt and Stephen Mayhew will be working in East Africa(Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) joined by Pastors Mayhew and Ohlmann coming from Congo.
On August 24th Pastor Mike Gurath will go to Moi’s Bridge area of Kenya working there under the auspices of Holy Cross Lutheran congregation of Phoenix, Ariz. He will also be assisting at the teaching points established elsewhere in Kenya.
In November Larry Hansen will be going to East Africa again to work with the brothers there.
Pastor Ude has left for West Africa, especially to be at the Christian burial services for the late Pastor E.E. Essien. He will work with the brethren in Nigeria, Ghana and Togo, returning then to India.
In November Pastor Bohde and his son Carlton are planning to go to work in Myanmar with Pastor Koenig.
In August Pastor Koenig goes to Johannesburg and then returns to India, going to Myanmar Nov. 10th

All of this is a sure indication that we love our brothers and sisters in Christ and delight to work together for Him, our gracious Lord and King.

August 2010

Out of Sight, Out of Mind?

While we don’t usually see our fellow overseas workers, there are over 700 pastors, evangelists, and catechists in our sister churches. They, along with those they serve, and those whom they are attempting to reach with God’s saving Word need our prayers as much as the pastors, teachers, and fellow believers we see quite often. And don’t forget the 76 men who are training in our sister churches to be pastors. Those of you who sponsor them through KINSHIP likely remember them in your prayers.

BELC CHENGLEPUT DISTRICT (66 Pastors)

Pastor T. Samuel has been admitted in the hospital more than one month due to leg pain.[polio problem] He has to undergo an operation, please pray for him.

Pastor Bisvasam is suffering from fever and legs swelling, please pray for him.

Pastor Saron Kumar’s wife is pregnant. She fell down and her left hand is broken, she is under treatment, please pray for her.

Pastor Yesupadam is suffering from knee pain and is under treatment, please pray for him.

Pastor D. Jonson has a heart problem, please pray for him.

BELC ANDAMAN ISLANDS DISTRICT (55 Pastors)

Pastor Daniel Babu’s mother-in law died last month, please pray for the comfort of the family.

Pastor Paul Reddy’s mother died last week please pray for the comfort of the family . Pastor Ernest Raj’s wife has a problem inside the nose, she has to undergo a small operation according to the doctor’s advice please, pray for her.

Pastor Pujarilal is suffering from chest pain please pray for him.

Pastor Rajesh Guriya and his wife both are suffering from fever and are admitted in the hospital, please pray for them.

Pray at all times, commending our brothers and sisters to the Lord.

July 2010

Greetings,

Word was recently received that, upon the passing of Pastor E.E. Essien, Pastor Patrick Udo has been elected as the new president of the NCLC.

Your prayers are requested on behalf of Pastor Udo and the Nigeria-CLC.

In Christ,

Pastor Todd Ohlmann

April 2010

Prayer List

Denis Mulumba in South Africa spent two weeks in the hospital after his accident. Pray that he is able to get back to work. Suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, character produces hope and hope does not disappoint us because the love of God has been poured into our hearts. Romans 5:3-5
Pastor Kham of the CLCM,Myanmar reports that strong winds swept through Chin State. Three pastors (each serving seven villages) report that 38 homes were damaged. Pray that our brothers are able to help one another, as Pastor Kham is encouraging them. Remember them in your prayers. Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit are what counts above the material things. These cannot be swept away because they are in the heart. Rom. 14:17
In the Chengleput Dist. of the BELC,India Pastor Dayalaraj has gone to be with the Lord. It seemed as if he might recover with his heart trouble, when he came home from the hospital, but it was not God’s will. His son has replaced him in our monthly pastoral studies. Elijah’s mantle is passed to Elisha. May God comfort the family such that they anticipate with joy being in that great white host.

Representatives of four church bodies met in Nellore, India for two days in October,2009 to hear reports on THE work. Seven men each came from the CLCI and the BELC of India. For the first time we invited Pastors Thang and Kham from the CLC of Myanmar and Pastors Raju and Rajan from the Himalayan CLC Nepal. One very important item we considered was how we are reaching out. In India we are looking to go especially into villages where there is no Christian witness. While we go into other villages also, we keep keep alert for the unreached above all. In Nepal the men are facing an even smaller percentage of Christians among the population than even in India. Although Myanmar the outreach through the years has been among the tribes, the CLCM is very concerned about reaching out to the Burmese who are very unevangelized. Opportunities abound for these four church bodies to work in their native countries. While in the USA we find a lot of churches, if one goes to many foreign lands it is not so. It is estimated that 99% of the unevangelized live outside the USA and Canada. Ninety-one percent of foreign missionaries minister to professing Christians, not the least-reached. We are trying with our foreign brothers in our small way to go to the unreached. Pray that the 18 men who met in Nellore will be strengthened by the Gospel we heard in abundance to lead their church bodies into the villages where Christ is not worshipped.

TO BE OR NOT TO BE ‘LUTHERAN’
Reading through some recent literature from the Lutheran World Federation gives joy and sorrow. It is a joy to see the Lutheran church in Ethiopia increase in numbers by 2.9% to 5,012,486. It is sad to see the European Lutherans decline by 200,000 and the North American Lutherans by 100,000. But it is even sadder to see the LWF spouting their nonsense on unionism, women pastors, social gospel and ‘greening’ work. We have to thank our dear Lord that He has preserved us with the precious truth of the Word that we don’t vitiate our message with the tripe that they do.
What is now the CLC of Myanmar previously had made application to the LWF for membership. Fellowship is a wonderful thing and intensely so when facing persecution as they are in Myanmar. The present church withdrew their application to the LWF and is pursuing fellowship with the CLC. The LWF still sends its invitations to meetings to the CLCM, even though they have told them they are not interested.

March 2010

E-News From India: Greetings in the name of our Savior!

The members of CLC congregations are blessed with a variety of opportunities to spread the truth of God’s Word through the offerings made to the CLC Cooperative Budget Plan. The Lord has given all of us the privilege of supporting U.S. and overseas missions along with our Immanuel Lutheran High School, College, and Seminary in Eau Claire, WI.

While the vast majority of the funds sent overseas are used to train 100’s of men for the Gospel ministry the Lord also gives us the opportunity to show our love for Him in providing modest assistance to those in need. The following report from Pastor Koenig gives us reason to rejoice and thank the Lord that we were able to join together with our brothers and sisters in Christ in providing a Christmas celebration at two Leper colonies in South India. The financial resources for this outreach effort were provided through offerings made to the Mission Development Fund of the CLC.

Your brother and fellow servant in Christ,

Pastor Todd Ohlmann, Chairman, CLC Board of Missions.

The following news from India comes from Missionary David Koenig.

Leper Christmas
The CLC Mission Board authorized money from the MDF to provide a Christmas celebration among lepers in two parishes of the BELC. Following you have the reports on this. It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Pastor Moses (chairman of the Nellore district of the BELC) Reports – Pastor John Paul serves lepers in the large leper colony in Tirupati. The money you sent for their Christmas was distributed as follows: 25 dhoti shirts for men, 25 saree dresses for women = 13,200 R., Meal expense was 7800 R. ($450 total, $9.00 per person) It is interesting that permission had to be obtained from the local Leprosy Society to carry this affair out. There was no distribution to outsiders. There are perhaps 500 families in this large leper colony.

Pastor D. Paul (chairman of the BELC) Reports -Greetings to you in the name of our lord Jesus Christ.
I am here with submitting the report of leprosy mission work.
We ,D. Paul, B. Bhasker, Yesuratinam, D. David, D. Babu A. E. Daniel and Augustin visited and conducted the Christmas Eve celebration at Ponnai on 23rd December 2009.
32 men and women were gathered and heard the Word of God on that day. Pastor D. Paul and Pastor B. Bhasker preached the Gospel text in Matt 25: 32—46.
We have disbursed dhoties, towels and shirts for leprous men and sarees and blouses for leprous women . They accepted our gifts very thankfully and joyfully. We had arranged a feast for them providing chicken biriyani , sweets , bananas etc.

They were all in a very festive mood and very grateful to our CLC mission board and our God.
We have shared our Jesus Christ love through the Word of God.
One man from that group said vote of thanks to our Lord and mission board of CLC.
The head of the village of Ponnai participated and praised our God.

We request you to pray for our work among leprosy people.
thanking you

And Merry Christmas indeed!

Faith Lutheran Church of W. St. Louis County
Todd H. Ohlmann, pastor

2010 Work

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