Mission and Ministry work in Latin America & the Caribbean
Venezuelan native, Rev. Gustavo Maita, grew up in a Lutheran home. This firm foundation served as a launch pad for formal theological studies, which began at Juan de Frías Theological Institute in Venezuela and continued at Concordia Seminary in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He served his vicarage in the Dominican Republic and graduated from Concordia Seminary in Argentina.
Pastor Benjamin Flores is a church-planting pastor serving in Belize with his Norwegian wife, Karina, and their sons Lukas and Matheo.
The Abundant Life Project (John 10:10) is an effort by the Latin America and Caribbean Region of LCMS International Mission to respond to life issues around Latin America. This is a region-wide effort to provide Spanish-language materials and resources, encourage life-affirming conversations, and stimulate a response in mercy for a variety of life topics and issues. Lutherans around Latin America have identified five topics to prioritize: marriage and family, homosexuality, abortion, gender issues, and health.
Resources provided by the Abundant Life Project can be found here: https://www.ielco.net/resources
Today we said farewell to a valuable member of the Latin America & Caribbean missionary team. Courtney Zalmanoff, a GEO missionary arrived in the Dominican Republic on September 30, 2019. Armed with degrees in Spanish and Psychology, she faithfully carried out her role as assistant volunteer coordinator for over two years.
The LCMS first established itself on the Isle of Pines, known today as the Isle of Youth, 31 miles south of the Cuban mainland, in 1911. Current theological projects are aimed at shoring up and encouraging the existing pastorate while also seeking others who desire a theological education.
Many pastors and seminary students in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region are expressing their thanks and gratitude for another great resource provided through the VDMA Project: The Lord’s Supper by Rev. Dr. John Stephenson.
Pastors and seminary students throughout the Latin America and Caribbean Region (LAC) are receiving a treat today in the form of a new Spanish translation of Good News magazine: The Healing Medicine of God for You. Distributed electronically by the VMDA Project, this magazine comes close on the heels of Your Good Shepherd, another new Spanish issue of Good News sent out earlier in September.
Rudy Carbajal was ordained and installed at Cristo Rey (Christ the King) Lutheran Church in Guatemala City, Guatemala on Sunday September 26, 2021. Pastor David Rodriguez, Senior Pastor at Cristo Rey led the liturgy; Pastor Byron Paz, Vice President and Director of CLET program for the Lutheran Church in Guatemala certified Rudy’s completion of requirements for ordination and preached at the service; Pastor Ignacio Chan, president of the Lutheran Church in Guatemala ordained and installed Carbajal at Cristo Rey; Pastor Herb Burch, Area Facilitator for Guatemala, represented the Latin American and Caribbean Region of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod.
Today Deaconess Cheryl Naumann, Director of the VDMA Project, announced the publication of Spanish translations for two more volumes of the Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics Series: The Lord’s Supper by Dr. John Stephenson and Law and Gospel and the Means of Grace by Dr. David Scaer.
The Latin America and Caribbean Region had a special visitor this week. Deaconess Tiffany Manor, Director of LCMS Life Ministry, arrived in Santiago, Dominican Republic, to meet with the region’s Life Coordinator, Jamielynn Tinkey Flores, and other regional team members.
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