From Everywhere to Everywhere

The monthly newsletter of Global Lutheran Outreach

March 2023 | No. 1

You are first in line!

Woo-hoo! Welcome to the first-ever edition of "From Everywhere to Everywhere", the new monthly newsletter of Global Lutheran Outreach! We pray that this endeavor will be uplifting, encouraging, faith-strengthening, and informative. We ask you to be aware that some of our missionaries work in sensitive areas - in those cases, we will use pseudonyms, avoid mention of locations where they serve, and not post any identifying photos. If you have any suggestions for this newsletter, please pass them along. You can email me here.

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Director's Corner

I am humbled at what God has done - and at what He continues to be doing! My goal in this newsletter is to highlight God's work through the missionaries of Global Lutheran Outreach and to build a supportive community of prayer and praise.

So much that is going on today breeds suspicion, fear, and division. Plain and simple, that is of the devil. I find that I can rise above that by focusing on God's great mission to reach the lost with the Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ!

Rise with us!

Headlines...

From Guatemala to Guyana!

We praise God that Victor and Belén Rivas and daughter Sofia have deployed as missionaries from Guatemala to Guyana! They are the first Lutheran missionaries from the Lutheran Church of Guatemala... ever! They arrived in Guyana at 2:30 am on February 27th.

They request prayers:

To adjust to the climate... they are thankful to have arrived during a cooler season.
For language learning... there are no formal schools to learn the English-based creole of Guyana, so they will be learning using the "barefoot" approach.

Pray also:

For the Lord to help build a network of trusted friends in Guyana who can help them avoid pitfalls, financial and otherwise.
To adjust to their new living space which is being provided by our partner in Guyana, called Guyanese Outreach.

Good Idea from missionary Rev. Steven Massey in Guatemala

Here's an idea - you've heard of Vacation Bible School, but what about "Advent school"? Missionary Steve Massey in Santiago Zamora, Guatemala reports that during the four weeks of advent, three days each week they had activities for the children which included: a time for reflecting on the angel’s messages in preparation for Jesus’ birth; learning songs in Spanish and English; learning English, and arts and crafts. After extensive covid restrictions, the children were starving for this type of activity. Most importantly, the children were able to share the love of Jesus with one another and their families. They are thankful to Faith Lutheran church in Grand Blanc, Michigan for providing the funds for a Christmas basket that each family of the program received. Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones (CPTLN or Lutheran Hour Ministries) provided a video and booklets that each child took home. It was truly a blessed time for the teachers, the children, and their families.

Steve also reports that construction for reopening the school is moving forward! All the classrooms have had improvements made and they now have a new office area for our director and secretary, new bathrooms, and a new kitchen.

Heather and Nathan Pittman need our prayers!

Prayers are needed for Nathan Pittman (formerly Nigeria) who has been suffering from severe migraines which have been resistant to all conventional treatments. They are currently being controlled by medication which prevents him from driving, so his pregnant wife Heather has to drive him to Dallas, Texas three times per week for infusions. They are hopeful that a new Migraine Center in Dallas will be able to offer some better solutions!

Heather is due near the end of March! We pray for a safe and easy delivery and a healthy baby! The Pittmans have also accepted the invitation to serve as missionaries at Rift Valley Academy in Kenya - Nathan as full-time IT, and Heather as part-time K-5 music teacher. They will continue in their new callings as GLO missionaries. Pray for their support discovery process during what is a challenging time in their lives! They hope to be able to deploy by August.

Together before the Throne

*We pray for Beth H. (Africa) on the loss of her mother on February 27. May the Lord comfort her and the whole family, especially since she was unable to attend the burial in New York.

*We praise God for good news from Shary Frahm in Cambodia. After a nasty fall which dislocated her hip, she has been miraculously healed! And, because she is a retiree, she has been granted her visa in Cambodia!

*We implore God’s intervention for the granting of USA Visas for missionaries Viya Stoltenow (Cambodia) and Scarlett Paz de Tino (Guatemala).

*Praise God for new missionary opportunities - for the Rivas family as they begin their ministry in Guyana, and for the Pittmans as they prepare for service in Kenya.

Steve Massey (Guatemala), asks us to pray:

That the paperwork gets done so they can open their school in 2023.
Marco Massey (Steve's son) as he continues to adjust and make friends in Guatemala.
The families of the church and school that will grow in their love for Jesus.

*Praise God for the new life in the womb of Heather Pittman! Pray for a safe (and easy!) delivery.

*Beseech the Lord for relief for Nathan Pittman's migraines.

*Praise God for the legal registration of GLO Kenya! Pray for a mission awakening in Kenya and in Nigeria, where GLO missionaries are waiting on the Lord's provision.

Rise above!

Through your prayers and your gifts, you are a key part of the Global Lutheran Outreach family! Your gift to the General Fund supports all GLO missionaries. Or, designate your gift to the missionary of your choice. Click here.