“We have a wonderfully large opportunity to recruit pastors and lay missionaries,” the Rev. Randall L. Golter, the new executive director of the LCMS Office of International Mission (OIM), told the board. “It’s time we do a full-court press on recruitment.”

LCMS Chief Mission Officer Rev. Gregory K. Williamson echoed Golter’s concern with information from the Concordia University System (CUS), pointing out that the count of pre-seminary candidates in the CUS is down to 178 students this academic year, from 446 students in 2001.

“We [do] get seminary students from other places,” Williamson said, “but these numbers are troubling.”

Both Williamson and Golter emphasized the importance of sustaining strong relationships with the two LCMS seminaries and 10 CUS schools to build students’ interest for the mission field.

This was the first BIM meeting after Golter’s installation in late October.

The Rev. Dr. David Birner, who served as the OIM’s interim executive director, began serving Feb. 18 as executive director of International Education at Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon. In his new position, he will play an integral role in helping to identify and develop students for future mission work.

Williamson expressed his deep gratitude for Birner’s service to the board and welcomed Golter as “a great addition to our team.”

The board asked Chairman Rev. Bernhard Seter to convey its thanks and appreciation in a letter to Birner.

Calls, appointments

After discussing the need for recruitment, the board voted to extend seven missionary calls and appointments, including:

• four career missionaries — two called (to the Asia Pacific and Southern Asia Regions) and two appointed (Asia Pacific and Latin America).
• two Globally Engaged in Outreach (GEO) missionaries  — called (both to Africa).
• one international educator — called (Asia Pacific).

In addition to missionary calls, the board endorsed one military chaplain candidate.

The board also addressed the topic of missionary safety and security.

The Rev. Dr. Edward Grimenstein, director of Missionary Services with the OIM, presented the office’s program for deployed missionary security and safety. The program details the security measures for all LCMS missionaries and their families, including monitoring criminal and terrorist activities, processes to remove them from the field in such situations and actions that would be taken to repatriate them.

“The safety of our personnel is, of course, a high priority,” Golter later told Reporter.

The Rev. Mark Schreiber, the Synod’s director of Ministry to the Armed Forces (MAF), explained to the board the call and vetting process for military chaplains serving MAF. The board reviewed its policy on this process and posed possible changes. As a result, it approved processes for calling military chaplains that enhance MAF endorsing procedures.

Also approved was the draft of a new protocol document with Hong Kong International School.

Policies drafted by the board will be submitted to the LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters and the Synod’s Board of Directors for final approval. Upon approval, the BIM’s initial policy drafting process will be complete.

BIM members heard a theological presentation by Golter titled “Lutheran Mission: A Simple Look.”

“The heart of mission is God speaking people righteous,” Golter said. “Those who are gathered don’t assemble themselves, but it is God speaking that causes a holy assembly and that is the Church.”

Golter concluded his theological presentation by summing up the overall theme of the meeting with a call to action. He emphasized that mission work comes not only from professional educators, but also from throughout the Church, including board members. “It’s time to put our feet to the fire on recruitment,” he said.

The next BIM meeting is set for May 30-31 here.

Get involved:

• Learn about missionary service at www.lcms.org/service.
• Access the Serve Now service opportunity database at www.lcms.org/servenow.

Story courtesy LCMS Reporter Online; http://reporter.lcms.org.

Since October, Birner, 61, has served as associate executive director for Administration, Planning and Operations with the Synod’s Office of International Mission (OIM). Prior to that he served for more than a year as interim executive director and interim co-executive director of the OIM, and was part of the former LCMS World Mission leadership team since 2003.

He also served the Synod’s mission board as area secretary for Asia and area director for East Asia from 1991 to 2003, and was a missionary and field director for Papua New Guinea from 1977 to 1991.

In his new position at Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW), Birner will work closely with the academic deans and program directors “to identify, connect and coordinate CUW’s multiple relationships and academic programs in order to further define and expand CUW’s global footprint,” according to a news release from the school.

Other duties include helping to increase the number of international students studying at CUW, and assisting CUW students who wish to study abroad.

“We are thrilled to bring Dr. Birner onto our team,” said CUW President Rev. Dr. Patrick T. Ferry. “Not only does he bring with him Synod experience, but his international work as a missionary will be extremely valuable to our fast-growing program.”

Birner said he is “looking forward to using my networks and life experience to support and promote the excellent reputation of CUW, both here in the U.S. and abroad.” He added that he is “especially excited to join such an energetic, spirited and talented staff.”

Story courtesy Reporter Online; http://reporter.lcms.org.

Please pray for David and his wife, Lois, as they transition to Wisconsin and David’s new role in God’s mission. Give thanks for their 35-plus years of faithful service on behalf of the people of the LCMS through the Synod’s various mission boards and organizations.

Golter, 57, is former president of the Synod’s Rocky Mountain District, where he served the maximum three terms (2003-12). He was a parish pastor from 1985 to 2003, and served congregations including Trinity Lutheran Church, Wheatland, Wyo.; Grace Lutheran Church, Albuquerque, N.M.; and Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Highlands Ranch, Colo. Prior to that, he was a pharmacist.

He is a 1984 graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and is currently working toward a Doctor of Ministry degree from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind.

In his new position he will oversee all staff, programs, projects and activities of the Synod’s international ministries.

Golter told Reporter he is “still quite full of amazement over the Lord’s ways. He is utterly kind and gracious in extending this call to me to serve the church in His mission.

“I simply can’t wait to begin, to get to learn and deeply understand — and to think through together — the complex challenges His missionaries face around the world, as well as those of the staff at the International Center.

“In the midst of a constant hostile culture locally and globally, Missouri must boldly herald God’s doctrine with all clarity and faithfulness to everyone everywhere. We have no other choice.”

Golter said he especially looks forward to “listening to our brothers and sisters of our partner churches. We have much to learn from them as we work together with the Triune God and His mission.”

He added that he is “deeply grateful for my bride of 32 years, Elizabeth, and our boys and grandson, for their prayers as we waited for the Lord to show His hand.” The Golters have two sons — Jacob of Denver and Caleb of Fort Hood, Texas — and a grandson, James, of Denver.

The Rev. Bernhard Seter, chairman of the Board for International Mission — which sets policy for the Office of International Mission — described Golter as “a faithful servant of Christ in many different capacities, recently as district president in the Rocky Mountain District. He has worked tirelessly in raising awareness and funds for work with our partnerships around the world. He has a collegial approach to all he does, and his winsome witness to the love of Jesus has always been seen fostering our ‘life together’ and will serve him well in his new position.”

Seter added, “We would be remiss if we didn’t thank and remember the hard work and dedication of Rev. John Fale and Rev. David Birner, as they worked diligently to bring things together during restructuring and making LCMS World Relief and Human Care and LCMS World Mission a cohesive entity.

“God continue to bless all these men as we all move into the future, remembering that now is the time for Lutheran theology, education, witness and mercy here and around the world.”

Story via Reporter Online; Posted Sept. 27, 2012. http://reporter.lcms.org

That total includes 101 positions for GEO (Globally Engaged in Outreach, serving one- to two-year terms) missionaries, with only 51 filled, and 64 career-missionary requests, with 38 filled to date.

More missionaries are needed, Birner said when he shared those figures with the Board for International Mission (BIM) during its Sept. 7-8 meeting in St. Louis. He added that during the next quarter the Office of International Mission will focus on “recruitment of new missionary families for global ministries while continuing work on aligning program and budget priorities for the coming year.”

The Board for National Mission (BNM) also met Sept. 7-8 — separately and in joint sessions with the BIM.  Continuing with their primary responsibility of developing policies for the Offices of National and International Mission, the BNM adopted 11 policy drafts in five ministry areas and the BIM adopted one regarding chaplains.

Both boards are working toward finishing their initial policy drafts and plan to submit those drafts early in 2013 to the LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters and the Synod Board of Directors for their review.

In their joint meeting, the two mission boards heard reports from:

• Synod President Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, in which he provided a breakdown of topics addressed in resolutions and question-and-answer sessions from a number of the 22 LCMS district conventions he attended this year.
• the Rev. Dr. Timothy C.J. Quill, LCMS director of Global Seminary Education, who spoke about strategies for global theological education.
• Synod Chief Mission Officer (CMO) Rev. Gregory K. Williamson, who said that both boards are important for strategic planning that is vital to the Synod’s mission and ministry.

Birner’s report to the BIM included descriptions of the LCMS Missionary Call Process and June 24-July 6 New Missionary Orientation; a list of those who have accepted calls and attended orientation; and a list of those who completed their missionary service during the summer months.

He said his department is working with the 29 new missionaries to complete their fundraising and he expects that the remainder of those who have not yet been deployed will be on the mission field by year’s end.

He also described how the LCMS does mission work — its history, partners and current focus, which is “building sustainable Lutheran communities of believers that will endure from generation to generation.”

Birner said that many LCMS partner-church leaders recall the tremendous impact of LCMS missionaries helping them with human-care needs, even though many of those church leaders were children when the Synod began work in their countries. They talk about those memories first, he said, “because that’s where the [mission] connection was made.”

Subsequent steps include establishing Bible study and Word-and-sacrament ministry, followed by training church leaders and building schools and seminaries, ultimately leading to the establishment of a multi-national mission team with staff from both the LCMS and the partner church. Such teams already are at work in the Dominican Republic and other countries, he noted.

Birner also shared several “mission priorities” with the board, including that the LCMS has:

• begun working with the seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina to train and ordain the first indigenous Lutheran pastors in Peru.
• initiated the first Lutheran Malaria Initiative program activity with the Lutheran Church of Nigeria.
• established fellowship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Liberia through the LCMS office of Church Relations.
• seen a 40 percent increase in enrollment at Concordia International School Hanoi (CISH) in Hanoi, Vietnam, in its first year of operation. The school also has identified a site on which to build a permanent K-12th grade facility and is working to secure funding for construction. (Click here to read a related story, “Board’s OK allows loan agreement for Hanoi school campus.”)

Among actions taken, the Board for International Mission approved:

• a slate of candidates for the position of executive director, Office of International Mission, and
• slates of missionaries and chaplains to serve as advisory representatives at next summer’s LCMS national convention.

“I appreciate the work of this board more and more as we begin to settle into the roles that we have,” the Rev. Bernhard Seter, BIM chairman, told Reporter. “It was exciting to see the opportunities that continue to open up around the world and the future that we can have with our partner churches in spreading the Gospel.

“I pray that when the people of our church body see that this is a great time in God’s time to work around the world, they will wholeheartedly support the work of the church even more than they have in the past,” Seter said.

“Great things are happening for Christ and His church, and we should rejoice in our life together.”

The Board for National Mission devoted most of its time at the September meeting to drafting and adopting policies. Adopted were 11 policy drafts under the following five ministry areas:

• Youth — six policy drafts.
• Ethnic Missions and Ministry — one.
• Stewardship — one.
• Health Ministries — one.
• Worship — two.

The ONM also worked on a number of other policy drafts it is expected to consider between now and its next meeting in February.

The Rev. Bart Day, director of the Office of National Mission, reported to the BNM that “the summer has been a busy time in the ONM. I am continually grateful for the wonderful dedication of our staff. The focus on expanding our work of Witness and Mercy remains at the heart of all we do. Thanks be to God.”

Day noted that the “work continues to progress with restructuring, as well as implementing various strategies within ONM.” He said that such strategy work mainly has to do with continuing priorities “to develop around connecting and collaborating with districts [and] congregations, using the rural/small-town, urban/inner-city, and suburban model.  I am convinced this is the hinge to allow us to best support the work of the church.”

He reported that several positions have been filled in the ONM since the board last met in May, and that seven positions remained to be filled.

“This is a critical time in shaping the future of the ONM,” Day wrote in a report for the board.

In line with a suggestion from its May meeting, the BNM spent time reviewing a report on LCMS Recognized Service Organizations (RSOs) compiled by Day and Deaconess Dorothy Krans, the ONM’s director of RSOs.

Employing pie charts and other formats, Day presented the report that covered numerous aspects of the Synod RSO program — nearly the same as a report that he and Krans had presented to the Synod Board of Directors just two weeks earlier.  For that information, click here to read the story about the Board of Directors meeting.

However, for the ONM meeting, additional information was prepared about RSOs’ requirements for their own boards’ makeup, primarily in terms of their stipulations concerning whether and how many of those board members are from the LCMS or other denominations.

The ONM meeting dates set for 2013 are Feb. 11-12, June 3-4 and Sept. 12-14.  For 2014, meetings were set for Feb. 7-8, May 30-31 (jointly with the BIM) and Sept. 26-27.

Future meeting dates for the BIM in 2013 are Feb. 8-9, May 31-June 1 and Sept. 12-14. Other than the joint meeting with the BNM, the BIM’s 2014 meeting dates are set Feb. 10-11 and Sept. 29-30.

During the two boards’ time together in the Sept. 7-8 meeting, Harrison reported that for the 35 LCMS district conventions this year, “either I and/or a Synod vice-president was present for every day of every convention.”

He provided a breakdown, by topic, of 152 questions that district-convention participants asked him during 16 of the 22 conventions he attended.

He indicated that the four types of questions they raised most had to do with:

• religious freedom, the “public square and the left- and right-hand kingdoms;
• seminaries;
• doctrine and practice; and
• project- or program-specific topics such as the Synod’s Koinonia Project, Haiti relief efforts, RSOs and Ablaze!

Harrison added that 12 of the district conventions he attended adopted 17 resolutions that addressed topics such as sanctity of life, marriage and religious freedom.

Next in order of the frequency of resolutions adopted by those conventions were:

• support for the Lutheran Malaria Initiative, from eight convention resolutions;
• support of Operation Barnabas;licensed deacons conducting Word-and-sacrament ministry;
• the role of women, as addressed in LCMS 2004 Convention Resolution 3-08A, which affirms the conclusions of a 1994 report of the LCMS Commission on Theology and Church Relations titled “The Service of Women in Congregational and Synodical Offices.”
• the definition and consistency of Communion practice;
• both concerns and commendations of the Specific Minister Pastor program; and
• extending national and international mission efforts.

Also for the Mission boards’ joint session, Harrison spoke of the importance of the “visitation” aspect of ecclesiastical supervisors’ ministry – applying that to the Synod president, district presidents and pastors.

In his report, Quill traced the history and nature of global theological education.

He spoke of the “central role” of seminaries in theological education, while also noting that preparation and use of lay evangelists and others are important.

“Well-educated missionaries and indigenous clergy are necessary to build up Lutheran churches and to protect them from numerous theological and cultural threats,” Quill told the boards. He added that such threats include “western liberal theology and secularism, Pentecostalism, Islam, relapse into paganism and lack of financial resources.”

Quill noted that a number of seminaries of LCMS partner churches were formed as a result of the work of Synod missionaries in those places, while others have been established by partner churches.

He pointed out two “critical needs”: for career missionaries to teach at partner-church seminaries and an initiative to restore their seminary libraries.

He also noted the role of laity in missions, such as with medical missions and Lutheran schools.

From the history of the early church, he said “we need to keep in mind that a key to growth of the church was evangelism of anonymous Christians giving witness in kitchens, shops and markets, and in performing acts of charity.”

He also stressed the importance of “Lutheran churches using the Lutheran liturgy in establishing and maintaining Lutheran churches with a truly Lutheran identity.”

Speaking of the importance of strategic planning for the church, Williamson thanked the Mission boards’ members and told them, “You are critical to strategic planning for our Synod.”

“Very few in the church are trained strategically,” he said. “Your policies for national and international mission can do much to move the mission strategically. You’re a rare commodity.”

He added that with the Synod staff, strategic planning is being applied in budgeting, codifying process and procedures (employing “scorecards with matrixes”), current staffing and new hires.

“We’re doing a better job of planning – strategically, with accountability,” Williamson told the two boards.

Story via Reporter Online: Posted Sept. 27, 2012  /  Updated Sept. 28, 2012. http://reporter.lcms.org

Photo: Iranian refugees and German Lutherans recently shared a devotion in a SELK chapel.

This update was shared by the Rev. Matthew Heise, LCMS missionary in Eurasia.

“In the past few years, refugees have been flooding into Germany from the Islamic Republic of Iran. While it is not entirely clear, some may be political as well as economic refugees. But in their escape to freedom, the transition has not been easy. A new land, new culture, new language. All of these things can be intimidating for anyone, so the missionary arm of the Independent Lutheran Church of Germany (SELK), an LCMS partner church, has stepped into the breech. They have reached out in missions to share the Good News with people who have lost hope, due to their experiences in Iran.

“I was in Germany recently to discuss and prepare for oral examinations in my Ph.D. program and had the opportunity to share our work at SELK mission festivals, as well as spend the weekend with the Iranian refugees at a mission seminar. There, I had the chance to share with them the hope that we have in Christ, no matter our circumstances. For some, it was Good News indeed. Some of them had even protested at the Berlin Human Rights Center for Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, who had been imprisoned in Iran and sentenced to death for converting to Christianity.

“But for others, the Gospel message was difficult to square with their former allegiance to Islam. You might be surprised at the large number of agnostics among modern Iranians today–no doubt a reflection of the Islamic regime’s brutality. Nevertheless, the German Lutheran Mission continues to show Christ’s unconditional love for them by helping them acquire the necessary documents for asylum seekers and simply in adjusting to German life.

“Please keep these wonderful people, whom I now call friends, in your prayers. It was clear that many of them are well-educated. Therefore, the lifestyle change this entails, especially living in the squalid conditions that normally accompany refugees in any country, has been somewhat traumatic. It was a pleasure to see that SELK, unlike the German state church, takes missions and the spiritual lives of all God’s children seriously.”

• Learn more about LCMS witness and mercy work in Germany and Eurasia.
• Learn more about how you can pray for and support Rev. Matthew Heise and his ministry.

Pictured above: Students from around the globe stand in front of Westfield House’s ivy-covered walls. Westfield House is the theological training center of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England.

Download the August 2011 prayer calendar, which provides specific prayer requests for LCMS ministry in the United Kingdom, along with ways to pray for the Lord’s work through Deaconess Ministry around the globe.

Download the August 2011 Pray for Us calendar in Microsoft Word or PDF formats.

Representatives of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod and the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession (known by the Czech acronym ECAV) in the Czech Republic signed a “working agreement” July 11 that pledges continuing dialogue between the two church bodies and allows the LCMS to operate an English-speaking congregation in Prague – St. Michael’s Lutheran Church.

The agreement was signed at St. Michael’s by the Rev. Dr. Albert B. Collver III and the Rev. Tony Booker of the LCMS, and the Rev. Marián Cop and Dr. Jaromír Neumann of the ECAV. Collver is director of LCMS Church Relations, Booker is an LCMS missionary who serves as pastor of St. Michael’s in Prague, Cop is superintendent of the ECAV and Neumann is the ECAV’s senior consistor.

Collver is quick to note that the agreement is not a declaration of altar and pulpit fellowship between the two church bodies, “but rather it expresses both churches’ commitment to engage in further discussion as they work together in limited ways externally.”

Specifically, that means both churches have agreed to:

• have regular contact between their leaders.
• strengthen the work of pastoral ministry through lectures and symposia.
• invite each other to theological presentations.
• share theological opinions with one another, especially as those opinions pertain to the “theological and ethical problems of our civilization.”

Regarding the St. Michael’s congregation, the agreement allows Booker to continue as an LCMS pastor there as if he were serving an LCMS congregation — “upholding the LCMS position on altar and pulpit fellowship and conducting the service according to the Lutheran Service Book,” says Collver.

He added that the ECAV’s “desire for this working agreement shows that the LCMS has contributions to make to world Lutheranism, particularly in the realm of theological dialogue, education and in the social and ethical arenas.”

• To watch a YouTube video about St. Michael’s Lutheran Church, click here.

Story via Reporter Online July 12, 2012.

This update was shared by GEO missionary A.J. Davis (pictured above), who serves through the LCMS in Slovakia.

“In May, I joined my colleague Peter on a camping and hiking trip to a small village outside of Presov. We didn’t plan too much, just where we wanted to end up and when we would start. The weather was beautiful all day as we walked along the Torysa, the river that flows through the town. When we wanted to stop and rest, we would stop and rest. During our hiking trip, we discovered an amazing hole-in-the-wall restaurant. It served some of the best bryndzova halusky, Slovakia’s national food.

“After our meal, we continued to hike through a pass between two hills connecting Presov with another smaller village, Velky Saris. Here we found an outdoor park, where we saw some people grilling. You could also get food and drinks from a vendor close by. So Peter and I got something to eat and sat down. We talked about life, school, the world — anything that came to our minds. We sat there for quite some time until we realized it was actually pretty dark and we still had a ways to hike to reach our campsite.

“As we were leaving, a fellow patron of the outdoor park, Lucy, heard us speaking English and asked where we were from. I then told Lucy how I ended up in Slovakia. She was quite interested in my missionary service here and told me that she has been thinking about God recently. She told me that she hasn’t read the Bible since she was a little girl, and that she had stopped going to church. She asked me good questions, like how can we trust God and not worry so much about life. I remembered what Jesus said about worrying in Matthew 6:25-26. I asked her if she would like to read it. She then read it among the people at the park pavilion. She thought it was a good verse and was astonished, because she wouldn’t have believed that she would read the Bible that day. She asked us to pray for her as she prepares for exams for her bachelor’s degree. Then she offered to give Peter and me a ride to our hiking destination. I myself am constantly marveling at how God works over here in Slovakia, and ask that you pray that Lucy will continue to search out God in her life.”

• Learn more about LCMS witness and mercy work in Slovakia.
• Learn more about how you can pray for and support A.J. Davis and his ministry.

Photo: The new LCMS career and GEO missionaries at New Missionary Orientation 2012 gathered in the lobby of the LCMS International Center, St. Louis, in front of the “Great Commission” moasic by artist David von Behren of El Cajon, Calif. It is made from almost 1,600 pieces of 16 varieties of wood found throughout the world.

Twenty-three new career and short-term missionaries and educators, along with their spouses and children, began a 13-day orientation in St. Louis June 24 to help prepare them for service abroad later this year.

The annual event, held at the International Center, focuses on training, equipping and encouraging the new missionaries under the theme “Credo: Created to Live … Forever!” from 1 John 5:11. The event is organized by the LCMS’ Office of International Mission.

[Learn more and meet the missionaries at www.lcms.org/missionaryorientation.]

The 2012 career and GEO (Globally Engaged in Outreach, serving one- to two-year terms) missionaries range in age and experience and include recent college graduates, retirees and mid-career couples. The 16 countries where they will serve include Germany, Macau, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, the Czech Republic, South Africa and Singapore.

Missionary orientation provides information, experiences and study materials that are designed to establish a solid foundation on which new missionaries build as they prepare for service. It also gives specific training for their ministry assignments and an introduction to the LCMS staff and structure that will support them during their international deployment, said Kama Bernabo, director of Ministry Mobilization with the Office of International Ministry.

“U.S.-based orientation provides fellowship and foundational learning, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg,” Bernabo said. “The learning process in the field is one of full immersion and continues as long as a missionary is in service.”

Titles of orientation sessions include “Global Issues through the Lens of Scripture,” “LCMS as Your Employer,” “Created to be God’s Stewards,” Barriers to the Gospel,” “Culture Shock” and “Encountering Islam.” A special program for children and a dinner for women also are part of the orientation. Other activities include a tour of Concordia Publishing House, worship at Historic Trinity Lutheran Church in Soulard and daily chapel services at the LCMS International Center.

The orientation will culminate with a special “sending service” and reception at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 6, in the International Center chapel. The special Divine Service with Holy Communion is open to the public. LCMS First Vice-President Rev. Dr. Herbert C. Mueller Jr. will share the homily and musicians will provide special music.

The LCMS has been involved in mission and outreach since 1851 when it established its first mission board; the church body sent its first overseas missionary to India in 1895.

Today, the Synod trains, sends and supports “called” and appointed long- and short-term missionaries throughout the United States and in various countries around the world where there are mission stations, partner churches, schools and mission relationships.

For more information about missionary orientation, click here.

To find out more about the missionaries, or to support their efforts, download their prayer cards from the LCMS website at www.lcms.org/prayercards.

This update was shared by GEO missionary Sarah Berta-Somogyi, who serves in Hungary and is pictured above.

“Although this month was full of many wonderful happenings, the one that sticks out in my mind the most was having to say goodbye to my 12th graders. In Hungary, the seniors take their final written exams and graduate, then have to come back for their oral exams in June. I’d been teaching almost all of the students I had to say goodbye to for four years, and some I’d even known for six years, because we first met at an English/Bible camp. I’d met privately with a few of them to study for language exams, and I’d had random chats with many about life.

“Whenever I have to bid farewell to students, I always want to leave them with some nugget of wisdom — something that will serve them well in the future. Of course, this doesn’t have anything to do with grammar or sentence structure, but rather, it has everything to do with Jesus. My classes this year really hung onto one song that we’d been singing for four years about being the light of the world.

“Therefore, the last lesson, I gave them little lights, which we lit and then talked about how Jesus is the light of the world. And we too can be little lights to shine the truth of Jesus wherever we go — to Budapest, to Vienna, around the world or even just here at home. Many of my students are facing the reality that they may not see their friends and family as much in the future. They will have to learn how to live in a new place with new people (and for some going abroad, with a new language). However, the one thing that will not change is that Jesus is with them and they can have a relationship with Him. After discussing, we sang ‘Light of the World’ together. There were many smiles and tears, and I pray that my students will cling to this truth of Jesus wherever they go.”

• Learn more about LCMS witness and mercy work in Hungary.
• Learn more about how you can pray for and support GEO missionary Sarah Berta-Somogyi and her ministry in Hungary.