For more information on these overseas workers, click on their name to view their website or most recent newsletter.
Rev. Matthew Heise - Russia
Position: Theological Educator
Home Congregation: Guardian, Dearborn
Prayer Requests: Please pray for our seminary student, Boris Churpov, who suffers from HIV/AIDS and is currently in the hospital with a dim prognosis...pray for healing but especially for the Lord's presence if these are indeed his last days on this earth; Thank the Lord that he has blessed my teaching and retention of the Russian language in my courses; Pray for safety during upcoming journeys to Georgia; Pray also for a safe flight back to Prague on December 17 and my subsequent trip back to the States for classes in early January.
Doris Kayser - Latvia
Position: Deaconess Intern
Home Congregation: St. Paul, Caledonia
Prayer Requests: Pray for Doris as she begins service in Latvia in October; Ask the Lord to be with Doris as she adapts to the culture, and pray that God uses her to reach many with the Gospel. Finally, lift up the entire LCMS missionary team in Latvia, that God would continue to protect them and guide them in their work.
Dr. James and Joan Koerschen - China
Position: Head of School, Concordia International School, Shanghai
Home Congregation: Shepherd of the Lakes, Brighton
Prayer Requests: Please pray for continued good health as we serve in China and for God to continue to bless the school. Please also pray that He would send us a qualified Principal for the elementary school.
Paul and Rosangela Lantz - Brazil
Position: Seminary Student at Seminario Concordia in Porto Alegre, Brazil
Home Congregation: Faith, Troy
Prayer Requests: For God's direction and blessing as Paul begins his final year at the seminary which includes vicarage at a local church in the Porto Alegre area.
Nora Léon
- Haiti
Position: President of Caribbean Children's Foundation
Home Congregation: Holy Cross, Jenison
Prayer Requests: Pray for increased sponsorship for orphaned children, tuition assistance for school students, and financial assistance for critically ill children. With approximately 300 children orphaned every day in Haiti, and the average family income only about $1 a day, the struggle to properly care for children is great. Also pray for those still trapped in the grips of Satan. His chains are tight but we pray that they will be broken apart by the saving grace of God.
James and Christel Neuendorf - Panama
Position: Communication Specialists for Latin America
Home Congregation: St. Paul, Ann Arbor
Prayer Requests: Pray that they would be able to assimilate quickly and accurately to life in Panama, especially as they try to learn the language; that their ministry can become fully funded; and finally, pray in thanksgiving with them for the tremendous ministry that God has already blessed His people with in Panama!
Rev. Richard and Maya Rudowske - Botswana
Position: Bible Translation Advisor with Lutheran Bible Translators
Home Congregation: Trinity, St. Joseph
Prayer Requests: Praise for the peace God has given us in Botswana and for another year of growth in love for Him and one another; Pray for God to guide us in culture and language learning, for grace and patience in adapting to our new surroundings, for spiritual strength to stand firm in our faith, and for wisdom in all matters.
Amanda Runey
- Southeast Asia
Position: Volunteer English Teacher at Hanoi University of Technology
Home Congregation: St. John, Rochester
Prayer Requests:Thanksgiving that Sarah is adjusting well to Vietnam and making new friends; Thanks for a wonderful Tet holiday of visiting Vietnam family and friends; Pray for one of my students who is recovering from a serious motorbike accident; Thanksgiving for all the students and teachers at Hanoi University of Technology.
Ed and Wilma Rupprecht -Nigeria
Position: Scripture Use Consultants with Lutheran Bible Translators
Home Congregation: St. Michael, Richville
Prayer Requests: Pray for the Language Committees in the Bokyi, Kukele, Mbe, and Yala languages as they grow in the ability to deal with complex situations affecting Translation and Scripture Use concerns; Pray for the planning process as additional languages are evaluated in the Ogoja area; Pray for Wilma's adjustment to the realities of diabetes; Pray for the families of our children, Kim and Paul, as they deal with issues that are affecting their work and their lives; Pray for peace in Nigeria.
James Rush
- Japan
James Blog
Position: English Teacher
Home Congregation: Peace, Flint
Prayer Requests: Praise be to God for the many people who have become part of God's kingdom as a result of coming to our (Lutheran-English) schools and interacting with Japanese and American Christians; Pray for those who are open to learning more about God, and pray for those who are new to faith and what that means for them in their daily life; Praise to God for those of you who are "oceans" away and offering your support in a variety of ways.
Rev. Chuck and Karen Tessaro - Nigeria
Position: Translation Consultant with Lutheran Bible Translators
Home Congregation: Redeemer, Fremont
Prayer Requests: Thanksgiving for faithful partners working together to spread God's word in Nigeria, for a successful Yala workshop just after Christmas, and for safe travel. Please pray for steady and consistent work in the various language projects.
Thank you for praying for those who are abroad that God would provide for them as they are living and working in unfamiliar areas and that He would encourage them as they are away from family and friends in the United States.
