RAZIL BULGARIA BURKINA FASO BURMA/MYANMAR CAMBODIA CAMEROON CANADA CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC CHAD CHILE CHINA ONIA ETHIOPIA FINLAND FRANCE GAMBIA GEORGIA GERMANY GHANA GUATEMALA HAITI HONDURAS INDIA INDONESIA JAPAN ZAMBIQUE NETHERLANDS NICARAGUA NIGERIA PANAMA PAPUA NEW GUINEA PARAGUAY PERU PHILIPPINES POLAND RUSSIA SLOVAKIA ANZANIA THAILAND TOGO TURKEY UGANDA UKRAINE UNITED KINGDOM UNITED STATES URUGUAY VENEZUELA VIETNAM ZAMBIA
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:
PERU:
“LUTHERANS MAKE IT SIMPLE AND CLEAR”
“LHF GIVES US A TOOL TO INSTRUCT”
In the Dominican Republic (DR), a predominantly Catholic culture, it seems the issues faced by the Lutheran Reformation are more relevant to this culture than perhaps others. Steeped in medieval-like Catholic superstition, it is common practice for Dominican priests to charge their people for religious services. Much as in Luther’s day, the Gospel comes across as fresh good news in the face of the abuses of the Catholic Church. Throughout the DR, and indeed, across all of our Latin American missions, LHF’s Spanish Bible with Small Catechism is used in our churches and schools. In Palmar Arriba, a man named Antonito was greatly dissatisfied, as his priest didn’t teach him any Christian doctrine. After finally landing in the Lutheran Church, he began to read Luther’s catechism printed in the front of the Bible. He exclaimed to me: “The Lutherans make it simple and clear!” - Rev. David Preus LCMS missionary
Many people in Peru have been confused by alternative translations of the Bible, (i.e., Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, etc.) LHF’s RVC version of the Spanish Bible with Small Catechism gives us a tool to instruct, both in the basics of the Christian faith and also in Bible stories and truths. So many people in Peru have a
Rev. Herb Burch, left, with Ricardo Mueller’s family
very shallow Biblical experience and knowledge. For many years, the Roman Catholic church forbade reading the Scriptures, and people obediently shied away from exploring them. One such man, Ricardo Mueller, actually feared opening the Bible. None of his children had been baptized. I visited them every Saturday for a year, using LHF’s Spanish Bible for their instruction. The family was baptized on Sept. 13, 2016 at our church service in Los Olivos. - Rev. Herb Burch LCMS missionary formerly to Peru, now to Belize
DENMARK:
GOD’S WORD FOR MUSLIM IMMIGRANTS As the wave of refugees and migrants came in 2015, hundreds of Iranians (Shia Muslims) came to our Lutheran churches, seeking Christian fellowship. Not many here were able to speak Farsi, so as soon as we had access to LHF’s Farsi catechism, we could safely let them read and take in everything. Recently I learned about an Iranian family who had been receiving catechism instruction. They were about to be sent back home to Iran. The father was unable to read, so he didn’t know how to prepare for the deportation interviews with the government. During the interview, this father’s new Christian faith was tested, and he was asked if he could explain the meaning of Pentecost. He replied, “Pentecost is where Jesus’ Spirit comes into me and changes me to be one with those who believe in Him.” He had learned the basic Christian faith by heart from his family’s reciting of the catechism! - Rev. Knud Skov Lutheran pastor in Denmark 7
