Answered Prayers in Nicaragua

How did you travel to church last Sunday?  For pastors in Nicaragua the trip to hold services or visit with parishioners can be a complicated one.  Often pastors serve more than one congregation and may live in yet another community.

Some pastors rely on bicycles, some take the local bus or bicycle taxi, and then walk the remainder of the way.  Some have motorcycles. Very few have a car.

This is Pastor Geronimo who serves a number of congregations, all of which are rural.  The roads leading to these small villages are not paved and in some cases are not graveled either.  If you look closely you can see a machete in a sleeve he has attached to the rear wheel.  We asked why a machete?  Are there bad men?  He said no, there were bad dogs that he had to hold off or they would topple him over and take whatever foodstuffs he was carrying to his home or to his parishioners. 

For the last couple of years Concordia Lutheran Mission Society has had Motorcycles for Pastors as one of our projects.  Last year three pastors received a motorcycle. In this past month two more pastors received motorcycles!

Wow!  Look at Pastor Geronimo now!

He has the keys and the helmet (not shown) and is ready to get on the road!

What a blessing for him and for all of his parishioners.  Because there is still a need for more motorcycles CLMS will have this project again in 2020.

CLMS sincerely thanks all those who have given to this project.  Pastor Geronimo’s prayer for a motorcycle has been answered, and our donors were God’s instrument to have this come to pass. 

God bless you all!

         

Preparing pastors

1522 UK seminary

Students and visitors listen to a lecture.

Political unrest postponed the classes at the Concordia Seminary in Odessa in 2014. However, the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Ukraine (SELCU), which is responsible for the seminary, decided in November 2014 to resume classes in September 2015.

The students receive instruction from visiting teachers and professors from North America who work with translators. It’s an intensive residential program with meals prepared on campus. With many SELCU congregations struggling to support their pastors, the members have little funding to support the seminary. However, they are generous with support of produce and their volunteer time.

A new front for the seminary has arisen as church bodies in neighbouring countries which do not have a Seminary may send their students to Odessa.

This project helps cover operational costs and faculty travel.

Your support ensures the Lutheran church in Ukraine is served by well-trained pastors with a deep love for God, His Word and His people.

 I want to support preparing pastors for service.

(Project 1522) Goal: $2000
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Keeping pastors on the move in Nicaragua

Travelling the roads in Nicaragua is tough on motorcycles and drivers!

Travelling the roads in Nicaragua is tough on motorcycles and drivers!

When pastors in Nicaragua travel from church to church or visit congregation members they use motorcycles. While bus transportation is available, it takes a lot of time and sometimes the buses don’t go where the pastors serve!

Often the roads to these places are nothing more than well-worn dirt trails scored with deep, muddy potholes in rainy season. The conditions are not kind to motorcycles or to the pastors!

Pastor Angel travels weekly close to 200 km from Potosi, to serve three additional congregations including a mission in Cristo Rey. His motorcycle is old and worn out. Unless the church decides to send a new pastor to serve the three additional churches, he will need a new one.

That’s where Concordia Lutheran Mission Society stands ready to help. Keeping the Nicaraguan church in motion on safe wheels is a project already rolling which you can support here.