Mission Bulletin Board

Honduras Mission Trip
Is a mission trip on your bucket list?
The Honduras Mission team has open spots for the upcoming mission trip June 21-28. Please pray and consider this awesome must-do trip. For more information, please contact Pastor Phillips.

Next meeting date to be announced to continue planning for the 2008 Honduras mission trip on June 21-28. We would like 28 people for the medical group and 14 people to help with constructing houses or schools. If you have any questions, contact Pastor Phillips or Bill Clark at 491-8543.
Optometrist Needed: In addition to providing dental and medical services during our trip to Honduras, we would like to provide eye care services.
Construction Workers Needed:
The 2008 mission trip will also be working on building structures. If you have construction skills, please consider joining the team.
Also, the team is collecting toothbrushes, toothpaste, children"s and adult vitamins and tylenol. Please place your donations in a trunk located in the narthex.

Items needed!
The following items are being collected in the trunk located in the narthex for the June Honduras mission trip: vitamins, adult and children's Tylenol, hair gel, hair pretties, toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental floss.

Recycled Christmas Cards
The Honduras Mission team needs recycled fronts of religious Christmas cards for their mission trip to Honduras. Please save your cards and put them in the "donation-card" box located in the narthex. Thank you for your assistance.

Work in Honduras :

For several years members from Gloria Dei and other churches have joined forces with the World Gospel Outreach (WGO) to help the poor in Honduras. In June, 21 members from Gloria Dei and six members from Lord of Life Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota will once again partner with this organization.

The Team

The team, led by Pastor Phillips, will provide medical, dental and optometry services to an anticipated 1,500 residents of the Tegucigalpa area. Their services will include prescribing and giving medicine; diagnosing ailments; providing eye exams and prescription glasses; cleaning and extracting teeth (if needed); washing children's hair; and sharing the love of Jesus. In addition to providing medical services, a small group from the team will help with the WGO's construction of a dormitory for homeless children. The team will also hand out quilts made by members of the Gloria Dei Quilters.

The Mission and History of the World Gospel Outreach

Founded in 1984 by Alan Danforth, the WGO has supplied medical care and shared the gospel with thousands of residents in Honduras. This year more than 900 people will serve God by helping the Hondurans on week-long mission trips. During their week, WGO serves as the facilitator to help team members minister to the poor. In addition to providing medical needs to those in need, the WGO has a 90-acre ranch that houses abused and homeless children. Recently, a school has been built on the ranch where children can receive a bilingual education.

Items Needed

The following items are needed for the trip: children's and adult vitamins and Tylenol, baby shampoo, hair pretties, hair gel and detangler, Zip-loc bags (sandwich and gallon size) and eye glasses (any size, prescription will work.)

Honduras Fact Sheet
Population: 7 million
Size: Approx. the size of Illinois
Income: Below poverty level - 53%
Labor Force: Services - 45%; Agriculture - 34%; Industry - 21%
Religion: Roman Catholic - 97%; Protestants - 3%
Language: Spanish
Exports: Bananas, coffee, citrus, and beef
Ethnic Groups: Mestizos, Amerindian, black and white
Climate: Tropical
Life Expectancy: 65.6 years

Uganda Mission Project:

The Lutheran Church Mission in Uganda was established in 1994, after an evangelist from Ghana was invited to begin work there since there were no Lutheran pastors. Currently, there is one pastor, Charles Bemeka, who oversees 42 Lutheran churches. Each church ranges in attendance of 120-400 worshippers each Sunday and is led by trained leaders using voices, drums, and music synthesizers.

In recent years, Gloria Dei has partnered with the churches by hosting a Ugandan worship conference last year; bringing two leaders to the United States where they attended a worship conference in Texas, and participated in worship and the daily activities of Gloria Dei; supporting Waako Yeko as he attends seminary school; and sending needed supplies to the churches.

"We want to equip the churches with what they need for indigenous worship, " said Steve Kohtz, Director of Worship Ministries. "It is really important to enable them with the right tools, so that they can do ministry within their own culture."

As the months unfold, Gloria Dei will continue to equip the Ugandan churches by collecting items, supporting the seminary student and supporting other needs as they arise.

Join us on a year-long mission effort to collect gently-used items. Starting in March, we will collect gently-used items each month to send to churches and orphanages in Uganda. It is our goal to fill 600 boxes. We will reach out to the community as well as our family here at Gloria Dei to support this ministry. The Orphan Grain Train out of Norfol, Neb. will be our transport.

The Uganda Ministry Action Team suggests collecting the following items each month:
April: Outside games, toys (bikes, trikes, etc.) and sports equipment.
May: Garden tools and supplies.
June: Bathroom supplies (towels, cleaners, supplies).
July: Electronic office equipment and musical instruments.
Aug.: Shoes (especially men's work shoes; children's school shoes and tennis shoes for women).
Sept.: Children's summer clothes and school supplies.
Oct.: Men's work clothes
Nov.: Women's clothes.
Dec.: Infants' clothing and bedding supplies.
Jan.: Children's toys and musical instruments.
Feb.: Cloth for sewing and power tools.

Large containers will be in the narthex and the Family Life Center for items to be placed. We ask for a gift of $5 be left with each donation to cover the shipping expense. Matching funds are also available to assist with this expense for every dollar we collect.

In addition, the first Sunday of every month will be called "Un-Dei Sunday," where we will collect new (still in packaging) underwear, socks and undershirts for all ages, sizes and genders.

For more information on this opportunity, please contact Steve Kohtz.

Ugandan Mission Ministry Team

We Need You!
The Ugandan Mission Ministry Action Team is looking for volunteers who are interested in being part of an interest group. These individual groups will identify and address the unique needs of our partners in Uganda. Groups will be separated into the following interests: contemporary worship, cargo collections, orphanage needs and construction needs for the church in Kampala. If you have a special talent you would like to share, please contact: Ann Zimmermann or Amy Jo Wiese.

China: Yunnan Province and Tibet

For the last several years, members of Gloria Dei have been called to bring Jesus Christ to the remote parts of China, specifically to the Yunnan Province and Tibet, a region known for its isolation due to the vast Himalayan mountains. Its freezing winters and dry summers, make the inhabitants fight for daily survival. Its main religion is Tibetan Buddhism, which believes in reincarnation and the steps to enlightenment. A common practice of their religion is to offer gifts to statues as a payment for eternal life.

Shining City Foundation, a private organization formed in 2001 by a few members from Gloria Dei, has been committed to enhancing the lives of those in the impoverished region by providing:

• Improved medical and dental accessibility
• Enhancements at an ethnic orphanage for over 300 children
• Portable solar electric generators (120 units)
• Improvements at primary school
• Ongoing monthly scholarship support to students
• Initial support of second orphanage in Tibet

In recent years, Gloria Dei has partnered with the Shining City Foundation in several ways by providing financial support to help build a church that replaced a wooden barn; providing quilts made by the Stitchin' Mission; hand delivering hundreds of knitted hats made by Cheryl Gilg, Girl Scout Troops and friends; and other items such as toothbrushes, etc.

Tibet Fact Sheet
Population: 85% rural
Average Income: $40 per year
Economy: Agriculture
Religion: Tibetan Buddhism
Literacy: 21.7%
Government: Chinese Communist
Staple Food: Barley
Life Expectancy: 40 years

Work in Taiwan

Since part of our vision is to be courageous in outreach, we support many ministries throughout the world. During the month of April, we will highlight the work and the culture of Taiwan where Dr. Stephen and Maggie Oliver serve. Last year, Gloria Dei gave $7,000 from our mission envelope offerings to help their work in Taiwan.

The Olivers

Dr. Stephen and Maggie Oliver serve as career missionaries in Asia, where Stephen is the Asia theological education facilitator and New Testament professor at China Lutheran Seminary in Hsinchu, Taiwan. He teaches New Testament courses to Chinese students who are preparing to be pastors, counselors, missionaries, evangelists, teachers, directors of Christian education and pastor's wives to grow in their faith and service. In addition, as LCMS World Mission's Asia Theological Education Coordinator, Dr. Oliver facilitates mutual support, interaction, visits, and communication among the seminaries to build upon their efforts to train indigenous servants of the cross to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth and shepherd Jesus' flock.

Born in Memphis, Tenn., Stephen grew up in Japan and in the southern and western sections of the United States. He graduated from Concordia University, Portland, Oregon, and from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri. Stephen then served as pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Carlisle, Iowa. He met his wife, Maggie, in Taiwan. In 2006, Maggie earned a Master of Arts in counseling from China Lutheran Seminary. Last year, Isaac joined the family on May 13, 2007.

"My main prayer request," Stephen said, "is that I would learn the Bible and Chinese well with a heart that is pleasing to the Lord (I Corinthians 13:1). I pray that God will give me his love for Chinese people so that through this ministry, the Spirit will work fruitfully in many peoples' lives."

Taiwan Fact Sheet

Population: 23 million
Size: 13, 99 square miles
Average Income: $14,000 per year
Economy: Industry and Commerce
Religion: Chinese folk religion 93%; Christians 4.5%
Language" Mandarin (official) Taiwanese
Government: Multi-party Democracy
Literacy: 96%
Climate: Tropical
Life Expectancy: 77 years

More Facts about Taiwan

Located 100 miles from the Chinese mainland, the mountainous island of Taiwan is home for 23 million people. Ancestors of the modern-day Taiwanese are Han Chinese, who migrated from the mainland two to three centuries ago and today make up 97 percent of the population. After the fall of the Chinese mainland to the Communist Party in 1949, Taiwan became the refuge of the Nationalist Chinese government.
On September 30, 2007, Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party approved a resolution asserting a separate identity from China and called for the enactment of a new constitution for a "normal country." It also called for general use of Taiwan as the island's name, without abolishing its formal name, the Republic of China.
Taiwan is one of the most densely populated countries in the world: 1,500 persons per square mile. Three of four Taiwanese are city-dwellers. Whereas 40 years ago, agriculture contributed about half the nation's wealth; today industry and commerce account for 75 percent. Taiwan's dynamic capitalist economy makes it the 13th largest trading power in the world.
More than 68 percent of Taiwan's people practice Chinese folk religions, a blending of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, with traditional religion. A strong emphasis is on the veneration of ancestors and the worship of many gods. Most people follow traditional religious practices out of respect for their culture and family. However, the youth are secularists and have abandoned family religions.
LCMS Work
The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod began work in Taiwan in 1951. The China Evangelical Lutheran Church Taiwan (CELC) became an LCMS partner church in 1966. In 1967, Concordia Middle School opened and continues to educate middle school and high school youth. Each year, 200 graduating seniors enter the highly competitive university system of Taiwan.

Information supplied by the Web sites of LCMS, Wikipedia and Taiwan.

World Gospel Outreach (Honduras)
Recently, a mission team spent a week in Honduras. They provided medical and dental needs, such as prescribing and giving medicine, diagnosing ailments, teeth cleaning and extraction; laid cement floors; washed children’s hair; presented quilts made by Gloria Dei quilters; and showered them with the love of Jesus.

Updates and photos!
Check out the latest news from the team that is gearing up for the summer's trip to Honduras.

If you are interested in any of our missions, please contact Pastor Phillips.

Team of 14 return to Gloria Dei with stories and hope

Pastor Phillips led the group, which consisted of 14 individuals from Gloria Dei and 17 individuals from Nebraska, South Dakota and Lake View, Iowa. He said that the trip made him realize how close to death the Honduras people live. “About everyone you meet has experienced death of a friend or a family member,” said Pastor Phillips.

The following are stories from a few of the team members:

Tammy Pierson:
"For several years, I have been interested in the work of the Honduras mission team.  This year, I believed that God was urging me to become a part of the team.  I felt that this trip would be a good fit for me, because it was a medical mission trip and, as a nurse, it would be an opportunity to provide medical care to those in need.  

"At the first brigade, people who lived in shacks half the size of an average bedroom in the US, with tin roofs and dirt floors, lined up to patiently wait for any medicine that we could provide to them. The shacks and the church where we set up our medical, dental and evangelism stations were located in a dump, literally!  The garbage strewn about the hillsides and the smell of it burning were a constant reminder of the way of life for Hondurans.  One by one, people came with health concerns that our limited supplies of medicine could only briefly diminish. 

"While the donations of so many Gloria Dei supporters enabled us to provide vitamins, limited pain relief and antibiotics to the Hondurans, I realized how fleeting this help was.  God’s purpose for the mission became clearest as I observed fellow team members at the evangelism stations in prayer with our Honduran friends, offering the only hope that is the same the world over, the chance for salvation and eternal life in Jesus. 

"While I would like to believe that the situation will change for those who live in poverty and among the garbage in the country of Honduras, the reality is that many will never see their earthly lives transformed.  The hope they can count on is the same as ours, eternal life with Jesus who died for the sins of all. 

"One woman with 4 children came to hug me at the end of the day, gratitude so evident in her smile, repeating over and again, "Amen, Amen". I hope to see her again and I thank God for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of this experience."


Cheryl Gilg:
"I was really able to see God at work in Honduras in big ways this year. On Monday morning at our first brigade site, my fellow nurses and I proceeded to set up our nursing stations. As we were digging through the trunks, we noticed IV supplies and bags of IV fluids. I remarked as to why we had such supplies as in the past 2 years, we have never needed such things. Well, we set those supplies aside and went about our morning. Late morning, a gentleman in dentistry had a reaction to the Novocain and passed out. He required those IV fluids. I believe that God placed his people where we needed to be.

"On Friday morning, I met a mother with a 11-year-old daughter who has Turner's Syndrome. This genetic disorder affects her growth and development. She needs hormone replacement therapy in order to live a normal life. This treatment is not financially available. After much discussion with Dr Hector (the Honduran doctor) and the WGO staff, they have begun the lengthy process to see if we here can send the medicine to her. What really strikes me is the faith of this mother. She feels that we were the answers to her prayers. We could not give her guarantees that we could get the medicine. However, that did not falter her faith one bit. She prayed for the Honduras Mission trip, all our families, and our church family back home.

" I have to say again that I get so much more out of this mission trip then I ever give."

Bill Clark:
"I have been to Honduras 2 other times and I never get over 2 things that are totally opposite, the amount of poverty and the amount of beautiful carefree kids. As soon as we land I get all the senses back that remind me of Honduras. You can take pictures of Honduras but you can’t explain to someone the things you smell, the way your skin feels, the way eyes feel. It is hard to explain…the people have nothing or what we think is nothing but they are very content.

"I always learn from these trips. Sometimes things do not go as planned like cancelled flights J but you have to come together as a team and work though them. We had many challenges on the trip this year that we had to overcome. It helps us to learn that it is not about us…its about God’s plan. God chose each one of us for this trip and he has chosen the members for next years trip. Some people may not even know that yet.

"The thing that had the most impact on me was the people who got the quilts and we asked to take a picture of them to show each person who made them back at home. The expressions ranged from shear excitement and joy to those who looked very sad because maybe they were not feeling well or just shared their story with one of the members of the team. Also to see a police officer get his hair washed is priceless1"

Amy Phillips:
“It was amazing to see how grateful the people were when we handed them tylenol, pulled their teeth out or talked to about their complexions. The little things that we take for granted; they were so thankful for."

China and Tibet

For the last several years, members of Gloria Dei have been called to bring
Jesus Christ to the remote parts of China. Working with partners such as the
Shining City Foundation, our efforts in the remote mountains of China have
included development of:
• medical / dental clinics in areas where there was previously no health
care,
• schools where children can go to learn for the first time,
• generators that brought electricity and light to people for the first time,
and,
• basic essentials such as quilts made by the Stitchin’ Mission and hundreds
of hats knit by Cheryl Gilg, and her friends, that have gone to children
that had no blankets or hats.
God has richly blessed us with an unprecedented opportunity. In an area of
remote China that is now growing with new brothers and sisters in Christ, we at
Gloria Dei were able to fund their first Christian church. Through Gloria Dei’s
mission support, we are providing financial resources for the materials,
and our brothers and sisters are providing the labor. God’s new church will take
the place of a wooden barn with a dirt floor where people would walk several
days to come and worship. People are still making the trip and they will now be
arriving in a beautiful structure that glorifies God and provides the opportunity to touch the lives of many more who have never heard his name.

Please keep the ongoing efforts in your prayers.

We continue to help our brothers and sisters in Uganda. Last January we hosted a worship conference and this summer we brought Alex Musegula and Ronald Muyamba to United States for a worship conference and also to spend time at Gloria Dei for for a few weeks. We also sponsor a seminary student, Waako Yeko. The following is an article about him:

Seminary Student
Gloria Dei continues to fund a scholarship for the education of Waako Yeko, a 33-year-old seminary student from Uganda. This scholarship was introduced and approved at last year’s annual meeting as a continued partnership with the churches in Uganda and is slated to continue for next year. The following interview was conducted by Jennifer Simpson during her trip to Uganda last January.
Waako Yeko is passionate about the opportunity to gain knowledge that will match his desire to share God’s love and grace. Although his life has been filled with hardship, he feels he was called to preach about the greatness of God. Yeko was married with two children until his wife died several years ago in a tragic accident. In recalling the incident, tears roll down his cheeks at the memories of his loss. Apologizing for those tears, he explains that due to this hardship he was unable to provide for his two daughters, Namughnzed Esther, 7, and Nabirye Restetuta, 9, and had to place them under the care of his sister and aunt. Waako’s parents have also died.

Life is not good, he states, but God is the Father and gives strength. “I call for my Father and he knows how to guide me,” says Yeko, “I wish to share this understanding with others.”
Yeko was not raised in the Lutheran Church; he was raised Catholic until he converted in 1994 when the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod came to Uganda.
Yeko says he experienced God’s love in a profound way when he met John Duetsman, a LCMS evangelist. During his studies with John, he felt God’s love, which encouraged him to grow. Soon he began to feel strongly about pursuing God’s calling in his life. In 1995, he studied to become an evangelist and was commissioned to share the Word as an active evangelist in 1998.
Yeko is thrilled to begin his three-year journey at the seminary in South Africa in February and is looking forward to his fourth year when he will be a vicar (intern) in Africa.

Please keep Uganda in your prayers.