Remember to keep the Walls in your prayers as they settle into their new mission field and begin work there!

The last LCMS World Mission staff in Panama, James and Christel Neuendorf, will be moving to Santiago, Dominican Republic in May.

Cayman Islands

-Auger transition for congregation

-Continued studies for Cherie and Ed

-Continued recuperation for Ed’s leg

- New Confirmations

Spain

- Tenth year anniversary

- Continued health and strength for missionaries

- Building project

Argentina

- Supporting Spain mission and missions in the north

-Expanding partnerships with the Buenas Aires Seminary

Uruguay

-Youth Convention in February

Bolivia

-Relationship building with the national church

Paraguay

-National Church

-Volunteers for Ciudad del Este computer school project

Panama

-Jorge and Olga Groh’s transition to Canada

-VBS beginning at all congregations

Venezuela

- for the peace and health of the National church

Brazil

-For the church as it responds to the disaster in Rio de Janeiro.

Cuba

-New open doors for potential future work

Dominican Republic

-Krey Family transition to Regional Director position

-New GEOs, the Kellers, moving to the Dominican Republic

-Willy Gaspar preparing for his colloquy

-Thanksgiving for 5 confirmation classes

-School is going well, beginning new classes this year gym, art, and computers

-Celebration of 5 years of ministry

Haiti

- That doors would open for continued opportunities for ministry

- Rev. Glenn Merritt

Guatemala

-Offering new regional course in September

-Peace and harmony within the church body

- Need of pastors

- Means of training pastors

Mexico

-for the National church

Here in an old church in Panama is represented the classic view of Mary in Latin America, practically seen as a goddess. Many believe that scripture speaks of her ascension into heaven and will not be convinced otherwise even when challenged to demonstrate the reference Biblically.

LCMS World Mission GEO (Globally Engaged in Outreach) missionary Anthony DiLiberto wrote this excellent article in his November newsletter. It is a helpful and thoughtful piece on the reality being faced by all missionaries in Latin America.

“According to a recent TIME article entitled, How Peru Became the World’s Counterfeit Capital, “In the past two years, Peru has become the No. 1 distributor of counterfeit currency
internationally.” Counterfeit currency isn’t the only type of fraud I’ve encountered since I began my missionary service here two years ago. It’s not the most serious kind either. The closer I study the religious landscape in Latin America, and particulary here in Peru, the easier it has become to recognize a fake gospel when I see one. Approximately $33 million dollars of counterfeit cash has been seized since 2009, says Kenneth Jenkins of the Secret Service’s Criminal Investigative Division. I can’t help but wonder, however, the amount of Peruvians that are being ripped off by the “prosperity gospel” that too often characterizes the Pentecostal preaching so prevalent all throughout Latin America. I can’t help but wonder how many Peruvians have been dooped into believing that praying to the statues of the saints or the Virgin Mary somehow isn’t idolatry. I can’t help but wonder how many Peruvians have fallen into the traps of non-Christian sects like the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The cambista (the Peruvian Spanish term used for currency-changers that line the streets of the capital city) on the closest corner will gladly teach you how to spot a fraudulent bill. They’ll teach you where to rub you’re finger in search of a slight perforation that’s difficult to duplicate. They’ll show you the watermark that only appears when you hold the bill up to the light. In short, they’ll teach you all you need to know in order to tell a real from a fake. What the average cambista won’t teach you, however, is how to put religious teaching to the test. The information they share might help you save money (or avoid run-ins with the local policia), but they don’t typically offer any advice on “test[ing] the spirits, to see whether they are from God.” (1 John 4:1, NIV). Money counterfeiting is such a serious crime because of the far-reaching effects it has on a nation’s economy. The more fake cash there is floating around, the less valuable the true currency becomes. In the same way,
any religious teaching that puts an emphasis on what man does to earn God’s favor automatically discounts what God has already done for us (namely, Jesus’ death on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins). Paying tribute to the saints might seem like a pretty harmless activity, but these sorts of practices are the marks of a counterfeit. For if God’s favor could be won by parading statues of saints around town, why did Jesus have to die on the cross?

I may not stand on street corners changing currency, but I do consider myself a cambista. For as long as the sufficiency of Jesus’ death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins is being discounted by popular religious beliefs or the dogma of human institutions, I’ll be doing my best to teach those I serve about how to tell the difference between a real gospel and a fake one. You too, brothers and sisters have been called to proclaim Christ crucified and the free gift of grace only he can offer!”

To learn more about Anthony’s work in Peru or read more of his insightful posts go to his blog or help support his work

Pictured: James and Christel Neuendorf, Jorge Groh, Bruce Wall, Eunice Jerona and Mack Preston.

2011 opens with an important change in leadership for LCMS World Mission in Latin America, as previous regional director and faithful servant Rev. Dr. Jorge Groh is replaced in his role as regional director by missionary Rev. Ted Krey currently serving the the Dominican Republic. In addition, Jorge’s wife Olga Groh, who most notably led the growing diaconal program for Latin America will also no longer be serving with LCMS World Mission in Latin America. Jorge and Olga returned to their home in Ottawa, Canada in December, where their three daughters are already living. Please keep the Grohs in your prayers as they make the transition from Latin America to Canada and as they seek to follow God’s will for them in a new stage of their lives, as well as keeping new Regional Director Ted Krey and his family in prayer as they take on the role of listening to and following God’s will for His work in Latin America.

In addition to these changes in leadership, 2011 also brings the end of the print and e-mail edition of Puertas, the regional newsletter, in favor of more delivery via the Web of current news from Latin America.

Get involved in ministry in Latin America! Check out www.lcmsworldmission.org/service for service opportunities right now in Latin America and around the world, or check out  http://www.youtube.com/user/lcmsworldmission for videos about LCMS work around the world.

Want to learn more about how you can serve in a mission field like Peru? Go to www.lcmsworldmission.org/service

While in Latin America many people work long hours and have little time off, when they do take time for a "fiesta" they go all out. Here, crowds in Panama are voluntarily submitting themselves to the mercy of hoses hooked up to tanker trucks in the street.

As part of an outreach to the community, a small congregation in Paraguay is producing soy milk with high nutritional value to give to the poor. The project is run entirely by members of the congregation who gather clothing and other basic resources as well as the milk on a weekly basis.

Today a beautiful and attractive spot for tourists, this plaza in Valladolid, Spain was a dark place for Lutherans in the 1500's. It is where many of the first Lutherans in Spain were burned at the stake for their beliefs, essentially extinguishing Lutheran doctrine in the Spanish world until today.