Convention Connections
What an uplifting experience the national LWML and connections were made with LHF’s faithful supporters,
Stopping by LHF’s exhibit booths were:
1. Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison, newly re-elected president Director Rev. Dr. Matthew Heise (right) and Rev. Lutheran Church of Ukraine.
2. Päivi Räsänen (on trial in Finland for “incitement Female He Created Them) signed copies of the English
3. LHF’s mailroom supervisor and LWML member Karen from California to whom she regularly sends LHF’s
4. Carol Klein, president of the LWML English District, Spanish-Speaking Families,” an LHF mission grant
5. Rev. Shiu Lau from California got a first look at
6. Hail, hail, the gang’s all here! Spanish-speaking pastors congregated with LHF staff to celebrate the upcoming
7. Rev. Heise and LHF founder Rev. Robert Rahn expressed presidents Patti Ross (left) and Janice Wendorf
8. LHF’s coordinator for African projects, Rev. Dr. Dinku Rev. Peter Anibati Abia, bishop of the Evangelical LCMS’s newest international mission partner!
9. Rev. Ted Krey, LCMS regional director for Latin Heimer, active in Lutheran outreach along the southern
10. Rev. Dr. Juhana Pohjola, bishop of the Evangelical project coordinator there, inspired LCMS convention
11. Resolution 4-04 at the LCMS National Convention: Himnario Luterano [printed by LHF] and commend
Convention Connections
LCMS conventions were this summer! Many, many LCMS leadership and international church partners.
president of the LCMS, met up with LHF Executive Serge Maschewski, bishop of the Evangelical
“incitement to hate” for writing an LHF publication, Male and English language edition of her book.
Karen Floyd met Rev. Doua Xiong, a Hmong pastor
LHF’s Hmong publications.
District, delivered her district’s mites for “Bible Books for grant adopted at their 2022 convention.
LHF’s Chinese Book of Concord translation.
pastors and missionaries from throughout the Americas upcoming 2nd edition of Himnario Luterano. expressed their thanks to former national LWML Wendorf for their long-standing support of LHF’s work.
Dinku Bato, spent time in translation planning with Evangelical Lutheran Church in South Sudan/Sudan - the
Latin America and the Caribbean, and Rev. Stephen southern border, discuss LHF’s Spanish resources.
Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland and LHF convention attendees to bravely witness the faith.
Convention: “To give thanks for Spanish language hymnal commend its use” passed with 99.54% of the vote!
Kenya continued from p. 4
children’s closest relatives - sometimes a parent, other times grandparents or uncles. The children’s reasons for running away are many and varied. Sometimes they have sinned against their parents by stealing money from a pocketbook and they cannot face the shame. In other cases, parents have died due to HIV, or a widowed mother has remarried and the new husband doesn’t accept her first husband’s children.
As Capstone staff brings family members together, they begin therapy using an important tool: A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories, translated and printed by LHF in the Swahili language.
A culture of home devotions
“We teach the parents how to use the book for home devotions,” explained Dan. “We’re working to create a culture where parents sit down with children in the evening, even if by candlelight or lantern, and read Bible stories and pray. This book is perfect, because even though it’s designed at a child’s reading level, many [impoverished Kenyan] parents are also at that level.”
A devotion might cover the Old Testament story of Joseph being reunited with his 11 brothers after the death of their father, Jacob. Retaliation and revenge was a family weakness then, as it often is today in many rural Kenyan homes. Families learn how the cycle is broken, when Joseph renews his promise of forgiveness and chooses to love instead of hate.
“Our hope and prayer for these children is not what the typical American might think,” said Patty. “We aren’t striving to create scholars, doctors and lawyers. We want people who are stable at home, who value their family and value their faith in Christ. If we can get that much, that’s a happy life!”
Thank you, Ohio students!
“The Lutheran Schools of Ohio were thrilled to be able to partner with LHF for our 20222023 Hearts for Jesus project. Just as our Lutheran Schools throughout The LCMS share God’s Word with their students each and every day, the Lutheran Schools of Ohio were blessed to be able to support LHF’s Juan 3:16 Project and the printing of children’s Bibles in the Spanish language.”
- Kevin Creutz, superintendent
PRAYERS REQUESTED:
LHF translator injured
Please keep Rev. Bonar Lumbantobing, LHF’s lead translator in Indonesia, in your prayers. Rev. Bonar remains hospitalized with significant injuries resulting from a train striking his car in late August. There have been signs of improvement over the past few weeks, and we pray that God would return Rev. Bonar to full health.
Also pray for the families of two recent seminary graduates who were in the same vehicle with Rev. Bonar. Those new pastors have now gone to eternal joy with Jesus in heaven, even while their families mourn their loss here on earth. Pray that God would send the families His comfort and peace and provide for their earthly care.
And finally, we thank God for the invaluable translation work done by Rev. Bonar and his team in Indonesia on the recently-printed Indonesian Book of Concord, Volume 1 - a historic first in this predominantly Muslim land! An LHF introductory seminar for Lutheran pastors and church leaders is planned for November.
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.
