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Global Mission of the Texas
Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod ELCA

The Global Mission Team thanks you in advance for your efforts to connect with peoples around the world.

 

The Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod has three companion synods:

• The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Peru
• The Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Central African Republic
• Hungary

We encourage you to read on.

Companion Synods

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Peru

• Evangelical Lutheran Church in Peru website

• Synod Global Mission Peru website

Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Central African Republic

• ELCA's CAR website

• CAR Overview - pdf

• Photo Album of the Gallo Clinic decication on Picassa

• There are 200,000 refugees in CAR (according to Carolyn Jacobs)

• Life expectancy is 43.74 years (CIA World Factbook)

• CAR has struggled with organized civil conflict. The most educated have fled the country.

• Religious make up: 50% Christian. 25% Protestant, 25% Catholic, 15% Muslim and 35% indigenous beliefs. (CIA World Factbook)

• One of the ten poorest countries in Africa. One of the poorest countries in the world. (Wiki)

• We are currently looking for someone to serve as an elementary school teacher to serve in the CAR.

Our most recent effort was a February 2008 trip to CAR.

It took four days for the group of six (two from Texas, four from North Dakota) to travel to CAR (and four to return home).

• Pastor Steven Cauley's photos of the trip to CAR

• Louis Dorvilier's Blog

• Nola's Photos

Working with Companion Synods

Individuals and congregations are urged to:

1. Be curious and learn about our Companion Synods: Peru and CAR

   • Check out the ELCA resources

   • Check out the website.

   • Ask to be added to Louis Dorvilier's email list.

   • Promote events utilizing Bible verses, hymns, and speakers listed below

   • Any of your own creative ideas

2. Be intentional about sponsoring activities/fund raisers to benefit the Safe House Project

3. Send funds to the Synod marked for the benefit of the Safe House Project in Peru or the Women's Center in CAR. God's blessings!

Speaker's List

We do have a Speaker's List of qualified folks who are willing to speak about our Companion Synods as well as the scope of our synod's Global Mission work:
They are:

• John Warner

• Phil Pienkos

• Jim Young

• Ruth Kelling (Brenham area only)

• Susan Giesecke

• Shelby Bockeloh

• Carolyn Jacobs

• Ruby Reviere

• Michael Roberts

• Ruth Kelling can provide email or postal mail addresses. Contact her at rukell@swbell.net.

Scripture Passages

Scripture passages appropriate for Global Mission:

• Isaiah 58:1-12

• Isaiah 61:11

• Jeremiah 29:11

• Micah 6:8

• 1 Corinthians 13:1-7

• 1 Corinthians 4: 5-18

• Hebrews 11:1-3

• James 2:5

• James 5:13-20

• 1 John 3:17-18

Hymns

Hymns appropriate for Global Mission (from the Lutheran Book of Worship):

• In Christ There is No East or West #359

• O Zion Haste #397

• The Church of Christ in Every Age #433

• Lift High the Cross #377

• Jesus Calls Us, O'er the Tumult #494

• God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending #408

• Lord of Light #405

• Lost in the Night #397

• Blest Be the Tie That Binds #370

• I Love Your Kingdom, Lord #368

• Built on a Rock #365

• The Church's One Foundation #369

• Lord, You Give the Great Commission #756

• We All Are One in Mission #755

• The Spirit Send us Forth to Serve #723

Prayers

Prayers: (each prayer can stand alone or be used with any of the other prayers)

Lord Jesus, you who loved all of us so much that you were willing to give your life for us, open our eyes to the needs of our Companion Synods in Peru, Central African Republic, and Hungary.  Help us to walk and learn from their devotion to You..

 

We honor Pastor Antoinette Beanzoui of Central African Republic, who has been led by God to minister to the needs of her people.  Pastor Antoinette returned to CAR to train seminarians even though it means her own children no longer have the luxury of electricity.  She is raising her brothers children after his death from AIDS.  Pastor Antoinette says to us "In Africa, HIV/AIDS kills millions of people, especially youth and women.  From this experience, we would say, there is no hope any more for us.  Yet, it is a contradiction to claim we believe in God through Jesus Christ and at the same time say we have no hope when we are overwhelmed by everyday life difficulties such as poor health, poverty, loneliness, discrimination, and injustice. Dear friends, we are the church of the Living God and therefore compelled to announce words of hope. Our actions, our lives should be words of hope for those who still doubt.  This is our prayer.

 

Lord Jesus, you tell the story of a persistent widow in Luke l8.  Help us to recognize in Matilde Ponce of Peru and Pastor Antoinette of Central African Republic two women who yearn for answers to the needs of their people.  We all desire justice for all your children.  Give us courage to be persistent in making others aware of those needs.  Give us faith to accept the challenge of giving generously knowing that giving is a blessing to the giver.

 

We honor the devotion of faithful people like Bishop Andre Zoule of Central African Republic and Pastor Ben of Peru who daily struggle against limited resources and increasing pressures to meet the overwhelming human needs of their people.  These courageous men dream of a Safe House and Training Center as a way of witnessing to the community of the church's love for God's people.

 

We pray for Gordon Olson of Minnesota, who honors the memory of his son Timothy.  Upon Timothy's death as a missionary in Central Africa Republic, Gordon determined to transform this evil by returning good.  We are blessed for the opportunity to join with Gordon in making the dream of a Safe House Project in Central Africa Republic a reality.  Grant us the gift of Gordon's spirit as we join him by acting Christ like.

 

We remember the courage of Constanza and Maria of Peru, who write powerful poetry to help North American people understand the role of poverty and safety in the lives of people with little resources and little hope. Maria, who said, "Sometimes I ask myself: How shall I love my neighbour, Lord? Love? Will we every understand, Lord? How shall I teach, Lord? I believe that to love my neighbor is to be able to give the little that I have in me the little I can give with love and sweat. To love my neighbor, I believe, is to imitate you In my daily acts, Lord."

 

We pray for wisdom for Pastor Pedro Bullion, president of ILEP, our Peru Companion Synod and Bishop Andre Zoule, president of the Lutheran Church of Central African Republic.

 

We pray for Andrew and Barbara Hinderlie and their son, Michael, who serve in Kenya as regional representatives of the ELCA for the purpose of "accompaniment."  Pastor Andrew says: Accompaniment practices interdependence and mutuality.  It recognizes the wisdom and gifts of both our church and our companion churches.  Accompaniment literally means walking together side by side and can be compared to the biblical story of the two disciples walking together on the road to Emmaus when the Lord reveals himself to his companions.  That is to say that while walking together and in sharing a meal the companions recognize the presence of Jesus with them and God's plan in Jesus' resurrection becomes clear.