Every other month our CLC Board of Missions updates us with recent news from various mission fields.
“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
That is the end-of-service blessing with which we’re all familiar; it makes for a good end-of-school-year blessing as well—wishing the Lord’s continued favor on our students as they move on to college, the workforce, the classroom, and the pulpit. But, while our school year has largely concluded, the school years of many of our Christian brethren overseas have just begun.
The Wittenberg Lutheran Seminary of the CLC-Tanzania began classes in January with ten new students. This is the first year of what is now a four-year program, the seminary faculty having added a pre-seminary year to the existing program. Following this first year of introductory theological training, each student will be evaluated by the faculty and either advance to three more years of advanced study or be awarded a certificate in evangelism and made available for service to their local congregations. Many improvements have been made to the seminary facilities over the past couple of years. With the blessing of CLC-Mission Development Fund (MDF) grants, a new roof was installed. Dormitory rooms, laundry/bathing facilities, a kitchen, office/library, and a classroom were built. Textbooks were purchased as well.
St. David’s Kinship Academy in Etago and Emmaus Milimani Hill School in the Moi’s Bridge area have recently begun the new school year. The CLC Board of Missions approved increased funding, MDF grants, and Kinship grants to provide new textbooks and internet connectivity as well as to help fund construction projects for new classrooms at both schools.
The Himalayan Bible Institute (HBI) in Nepal is excited to begin classes in the new building that was recently completed and dedicated. This building project was a joint effort, with funding from the CLC MDF and funding raised through offerings and loans in Nepal. In mid-May, ten new students traveled from around the Himalayan Church of the Lutheran Confession of Nepal to start the new semester. They are the first students to stay in the dormitory rooms and study in the new classroom.
As we ask the Lord’s blessings at the end of our school year, we ask the Lord also to bless and keep these students as they begin theirs. Many of these students are supported directly by Kinship sponsors. If you are interested in supporting a seminary student, contact Kinship Sponsor Liaison Dan Roehl at danroehl@hotmail.com or (507) 381-2042.
Top: Tanzania Seminary graduation. Above: Moi’s Bridge classroom building to be replaced.
Samuel Rodebaugh is pastor of Faith Lutheran Church of Manchester, Missouri.