Mission and Ministry work in Latin America & the Caribbean

Schlund Family Farewell

Missionary Pastor Andrew Schlund, his wife, Kelsey, and their two little daughters, Charlotte and Margaret are on their way back to the United States. They have faithfully served as LCMS missionaries since June of 2015. Rev. Schlund worked tirelessly as Pastor of Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Mexico City, and as an adjunct professor for Concordia the Reformer Seminary in the Dominican Republic.

Celebrating 10 Years of God’s Mercy

Our heavenly Father is faithful and has certainly protected and provided for His six children that He has placed in our care. January 3, 2021, marked the 10th anniversary of our kids moving out of the government orphanage and into the loving home prepared for them. The Lord has heard your prayers on their behalf. He has provided through all of you over the past ten years so that they might know the love of Christ Jesus.

2021 Deaconess Program Kicks Off

Concordia the Reformer Seminary launched her Deaconess Program for 2021 on January 14th, with an eight-week intensive course entitled The Catechism – Disciples for Life: Instruction in the Christian life from Martin Luther’s Small Catechism. Over 100 women from the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, and Venezuela, signed up for the online offering, with Deaconess Caitlin Ramirez and Rev. Sergio Fritzler serving as the professors.

Moving Forward with VDMA Resources

Our understanding of Jesus Christ – as we confess Him to be Lord and Savior in the second article of the Creed – is well articulated in Christology by David P. Scaer; the sixth volume of the Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics series commissioned by Luther Academy.

Eleven Baptisms – New Church Plant

“As unthinkable as it might sound, in the Dominican Republic, a Roman Catholic country heavily influenced by Pentecostalism, people are thirsty for the Gospel,” shared Rev. Sergio Maita, a Lutheran missionary pastor from Venezuela.

We Welcome the Burakowski Family

The Lord has provided a much-needed Associate Regional Director for the Latin America and Caribbean region, Rev. Jonah Burakowski. Pastor Burakowski will work alongside Regional Director, Rev. Ted Krey, to provide leadership for the Latin America and Caribbean missionary team. Together

Fresh Beginnings in Belize

When one thinks of the Lutheran Church of Belize, they can’t help but think of the many ways God’s hand has blessed the ministry there. The country is bursting with opportunity!

Rapid Response to Hurricanes Eta and Iota

The countries of Belize, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama have been hardest hit by back-to-back hurricanes. Eta made landfall as a category 4 hurricane in Nicaragua on November 3rd, then lingered for two days over Central America before intensifying and moving on to Cuba, where flooding was already a growing problem.

A Stream of New Pastoral Candidates

The 2020 graduating class had their formal graduation ceremony postponed until May 2021, due to the pandemic. These outstanding men have completed all coursework and requirements for graduation, so even though they must wait a bit longer to don their caps and gowns, they are being ordained and installed as pastors in various countries across Latin America.

Dedication of Worship Facility in Peru

For months our Lutheran mission congregation in Los Olivos, Peru was unable to meet for in-person worship, due to the lockdowns. On November 15th, they were finally able to gather together for the long-awaited dedication of this beautiful new worship facility and to celebrate the Sacrament of the Altar.