LHF - The Word at Work; Vol. 30 No. 4

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Vol. 30, No. 4: July/August 2023

The WORD at WORK INSIDE:

PAGE 2: Translators in Sierra Leone learn new skills

PAGES 2-3: LHF introduces new children’s mission project for West Africa

PAGES 2-3: LCMS kids’ offerings send Bible books to Ukrainian children

Transforming kids’ lives in Vietnam In Vietnam (where more than 85% of the people say they have no religion), a Lutheran volunteer named Mr. Ten is taking LHF books to children and teens in the highlands. Mr. Ten writes:

grade one next year, so will I be given a book like other kids now?’ It was a very touching and innocent question, showing the desire to have a book even though I know he cannot read yet.

“Thanks to this literature program at the local churches, I gradually am seeing the value “Thank God for this opportunity to serve of what I am doing, not only giving away books, Him! I would like to say thank you to LHF for but also that I have learned new lessons for giving me this precious myself, day by day, to help my chance. I mainly work spiritual life grow more and with children in the highmore. This book distribution lands, with geographical project also shows that we and physical difficulties, care for the young generabut the only thing which tion of the local churches, remains in me is the when the society is immersed love of God of the people in technology, games, and there. It makes me feel different social evils. Our book moved every time I travel program can help them a lot. to give books to the tribal “Furthermore, the Sunday kids. school teachers’ feedback is “When I first apcompletely positive when the proached them, I was a children always show each bit worried, even though other the stories they have the local church invitread and learned through the ed me and asked for the Happy children in Vietnam immediately lessons. Children really love delve into their new Bible books, books, because I didn’t our books since the books are provided by LHF supporters like you. know what I would say. well designed and contain How would it be? meaningful lessons.

“But when I got to the place and saw their “Most importantly, we sow the seed of God’s innocent, desirous eyes, sitting and waiting Word in their hearts. We hope that one day for us, I was really emotional. I remember a many children from that area will be touched little boy in Dak Long, a remote border area, by the Holy Spirit and follow Jesus as their own when I arrived. About 100 kids were waiting in Savior, and their lives will be transformed.” the church, and he asked me: ‘Sir, I will be in

www.LHFmissions.org

Teaching translators in Sierra Leone LHF translation work isn’t simple. Aside from knowing basic vocabulary and grammar, translators need to thoroughly understand the Lutheran meaning and teaching behind theological terms.

Even more challenging, when in a country where Lutheranism is new to the people, translators may need to create new vocabulary for Christian concepts previously unknown to them, such as “original sin” or “justification.”

Sierra Leone: A new area of LHF’s work To provide better training for translators, two LHF staff members recently traveled to Sierra Leone to lead a seminar on theological translation.

Rev. Dr. Dinku Bato and Rev. Mark Moss spent 3 days leading classes at the Lutheran Seminary in Jembe, attended by Rev. John Bundor (president of the Christ Lutheran Church in Sierra Leone see letter on page 4), Rev. John Yasse (seminary principal), and 6 other participants from the Mende and Temne language groups.

“For the national translator who is working in his indigenous (heart) language, understanding and gaining competency in the source language he is using is critical,” said Rev. Moss, LHF mission engagement associate. “The students were taught to work with simple metaphors, similes, etc. - some of the most common figures of speech in Scripture. It’s interesting to try to convey the idea of being made ‘white as snow’ to men living in the tropics.”

“This visit also helped us realize the urgent need for Lutheran literature in local tongues like Mende and Creole, in addition to Kisi and Kono, which LHF is already working in,” added Rev. Dr. Dinku Bato, LHF’s coordinator for African projects. A dozen projects such as the Small Catechism and A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories are underway in these 4 languages.

Sierra Leone 2

continued on p. 4

“Train

in the

New children’s mi SET FREE

BY JESUS

Liberia and Sierra Leo West Africa, share an int the late 1800s, new comm were settled by freed slav ain (Sierra Leone) or the What joy there undoub bonds and horrors of sla new cities named Freeto in honor of President Jam secure funding for the pr But today, many peopl in the chains of a differen to sin and the devil. They Christ is, and they don’t the Gospel.

Kids in your Luthera school can help break

Kids’ offerings pro Throughout the 2022-2023 school year, the students’ mission offerings added up. Fifty cents here, a few dollars there...and soon the gifts from dozens of LCMS day schools and Sunday schools from across the United States became enough to print 3,000 copies of the Ukrainian A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories for families living in that war-torn country.

The newly-printed books are being distributed to churches and families throughout Ukraine, and LHF plans an additional printing to provide Bible storybooks to Ukrainian refugees who have fled to Europe and North America.

Rev. Dr. Slavik Horpynchuk (pictured at right), bishop of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church, writes: “This little Bible storybook is very important for Ukrainian children who daily experience horrors of war. Almost every day they survive daily missile or kamikaze drone attacks; they see remnants of the apartment block ruined by Russians, and deaths

n up a child

e

way he should go”

ission project shares Gospel in West Africa

one, two small countries in triguing bit of history: In munities in each country ves, either from Great Brite United States (Liberia). btedly was to escape the avery and start new lives in own and Monrovia (named mes Monroe, who helped roject)! le in West Africa still live nt kind of slavery - slaves y don’t know who Jesus know the sweet freedom of

an school or Sunday k the bonds of sin!

When students adopt “Set Free By Jesus: Bible Storybooks for West Africa” with their mission offerings, they will provide kids in countries like Liberia and Sierra Leone with their very own Small Catechisms and Bible storybooks.

In these books’ pages, children will learn - in languages they can read and understand! - that Jesus died to set them free and gives them everlasting life with Him in heaven.

How can your church’s children participate?

As with most LHF books, it costs only $5 to provide a beautiful, hardcover Bible storybook in languages like Kpelle, Bassa or Kono.

“Set Free By Jesus” is truly a Gospel-sharing mission project! Every $5 your students give places a book about Jesus into the hands of a child living in West Africa. Even the smallest of Sunday schools

can make a life-changing impact on children living on the other side of the world!

Order your “Set Free By Jesus” resource kit When you decide to direct your Lutheran school or Sunday school’s mission offerings to LHF’s “Set Free By Jesus” project, be sure to contact LHF to request a free accompanying resource kit.

In this resource kit, you’ll receive a short DVD to share with the children, as well as classroom devotions, arts and crafts activities, a bulletin board display and more. Depending on your location, LHF may also be able to provide free mission speakers for your chapel services.

Resource kits will ship after August 1. To order your kit or request a speaker, send an email to info@LHFmissions.org or call (800)5540723.

ovide Bible storybooks in war-torn Ukraine of friends and relatives or unknown people. They also hear reports from the front lines about our soldiers, who do their best to defeat the enemy so that the massacre of Bucha and other towns and villages would never be repeated by Russians again.

“War is a very dark period of time for every Ukrainian, especially for our children. In this darkness, rays of bright and gentle light shine. They shine through the Bible. This particular edition is filled with light of the Word of God! Even its pages are bright, colorful and breathe with God’s love to children. They read and they see picture of God’s love in Christ and they rejoice, and they see the light of Christ, they learn more of Jesus and their faith in Him grows.

“This book has also very plain language, yet it brings to Ukrainian children the immense treasure of heaven and strengthens us in our faith. Despite how things may turn in this world, no Russian enemy will be able to take the Kingdom of Heaven and our eternal life in it from us or from our children.”

Kyiv, Ukraine

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Sierra Leone

continued from p. 2

“This seminar put our spirit on fire” Dear brethren at LHF, It is with great joy and pleasure for me to write and express my sincere thanks and appreciation to this great and wonderful organization.

We held a wonderful three-day seminar from May 16-18 with Rev. Dr. Dinku Bato and Rev. Mark Moss [from LHF]. This seminar was like an eye opener for us to see new things that have been hidden to us in translation. This seminar put our spirit on fire to do more translation work with you. It is our prayer that you continue to send these men to us. They have been considered as our educational surgeons. We have received more from them within this short period of time [than for many years previous]. It was good that they stayed with us for a long time so that all of our translation sickness could be cured. Their short time staying with us has put our spirit on fire, like lighting fire on flammable substance. It is like what the Bible says in John 2:17 “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

We will continue to remember you in Sierra Leone. We appreciate your work so much that our mouths are unable to express it. I will just continue to say thank for your great job well done for the Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sierra Leone. The church in this country was screaming, but nobody could listen. Nonetheless God made it possible for you to hear our cry and come to our aid. These three days staying with us was like a birthday celebration for the Church. We celebrate this birthday like leaves dancing in the wild wind.

Rev. Mark Moss (above) and Rev. Dr. Dinku Bato (below) lead discussion of metaphors and similes in Scripture.

Yours faithfully, Rev. John Kangba Bundor, National President Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church - Sierra Leone

Thank you, women of LWML! All thanks and praise to God for the generous mission spirit of the women of the National LWML, who voted to grant LHF $100,000 for printing Spanish Lutheran books, including the Bible with Small Catechism and A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories.

Soli Deo Gloria!

NEW DONORS:

Double your gift with a $1-for-$1 match!

If you’ve never given a mission gift to LHF before, your gift (up to $5,000) will be matched, dollar for dollar, until the limit of $125,000 has been reached.

Your $25 gift will double to $50 (giving 10 new Christians a book about Jesus)! Learn more at www.LHFmissions. org/lhfmatching-gift.

LUTHERAN HERITAGE FOUNDATION 51474 Romeo Plank Rd. Macomb, MI 48042 ■ 1-800-554-0723 ■ info@LHFmissions.org ■ www.LHFmissions.org ■

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“The Word at Work” is the official publication of the Lutheran Heritage Foundation. Permission is hereby granted to excerpt from this publication for not-for-profit purposes. The Lutheran Heritage Foundation is a Recognized Service Organization of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. LHF translates, publishes, distributes and introduces confessional Lutheran materials throughout the world so that people can be brought to Christ.

LHF is not subsidized by the LCMS or any other church body. It is entirely supported by individual donations and grants. (“Word at Work” staff: Rev. Dr. Matthew Heise, executive editor; Jennifer Bagnall, managing editor and graphic design; Anna Irwin, staff writer)