South American Update

BOLIVIA – One Latin American Traveling Theological Educators (LATTE) professor is continuing to instruct a small group of confessional Lutherans in La Paz.

BRAZIL – Local members of the Brazilian Lutheran Church (ILB) are active in teaching children's Bible classes, youth ministry, adult instruction, and leading worship, but welcome additional training and counsel. The ILB is a relatively small church body and growth is slow, but recent baptisms, confirmations and requests for more Bible instruction show God continues to bless the preaching of his Word.

COLOMBIA – The Colombian national church continues its efforts to reach out in other areas beyond Medellin, such as Pereira, Manizales, Santa Marta and Bogota. Plans to relocate one pastor in Manizales continue. The national church continues supporting the small congregations in Santa Marta and Quibdó with pastoral training, educational materials, teaching visits and Bible studies via Skype. The International (Virtual) Church continues reaching out to repatriate Latin Americans who live in several places around the globe.

Hope in the Lord

Pastor Elcy completed his colloquy in 2007 and currently serves as a pastor at Jesus Salvador Communidade (Jesus Savior Congregation) in the city of Gravataí, located in southern Brazil.  

 Pastor Elcy & his wife Noeli

Tell us about your congregation:

It is a small, but important Evangelical Lutheran congregation, located in southern Brazil, in the metropolitan region of the capital Porto Alegre, in the city of Gravataí.  At Jesus Savior Church, the Word of God is preached, the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper are administered, and sinners who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are welcomed.

Church Exterior

Church Interior

What are your goals or plans for the future?

To expand ever more the knowledge and location of Jesus Savior Congregation as a place to come together to hear and study the Word of God and the Sacraments.

Celebrating Birthdays

What is your favorite Bible verse?

"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40:31

Children of the Congregation

Serving as a Missionary

Pastor Roberto completed his seminary training in 2009 and serves as a home missionary for the Igreja Luterana Brasileira - Brazilian Lutheran Church (ILB) to start a new congregation in the city of Presidente Prudente in Southeastern Brazil.

 LATTE Professor Natán & Pastor Roberto

How are you using your seminary training now?

At this moment, I am giving Bible Studies in the houses of the people, that is to say, I have different studies in some houses on different days of the week. On Sundays, I gather with my family for Bible studies, or sometimes we listen to a sermon that was recorded in Dourados, or other times I myself preach.

What are some of your joys in the ministry?

I am happy to be able to share my joy in knowing that Christ died for all of my sins, and to share salvation in Christ with other people.

Pastor Roberto Teaching a Bible Study

What are some of the challenges in your ministry?

There is always a challenge when one handles God's Word. First, our challenge is to study the Word carefully in order to be as faithful as possible. Then the challenge is to share these truths from the Word with other people.

What is your favorite Bible passage?

 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. - Romans 10:17

Professor Natán, Pastor Roberto, Pastor Elcy, & Pastor Charlie

Brazil - Update

In the southern city of Gravataí, Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Pastor Elcy serves the congregation Jesus Salvador. 

About 18 hours northwest, Pastor Roberto serves as a missionary, working with a small group in President Prudente, São Paulo (SP). 

Evangelist Gilberto actively assists Pastor Charlie of Estrela de Belén in serving the congregation's needs with zeal in the town of Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul (MS).

LATTE Professor Natán serves as the WELS Friendly Counselor for the Brazilian Lutheran Church. He provides theological training for Evangelist Gilberto and offers continued education courses to Pastor Elcy and Pastor Roberto.

The Brazilian Lutheran Church (ILB) is planning its biennial convention this spring.  At the convention, delegates will ask for the Spirit's guidance as they discuss how to combat the increasing temptation of materialism and its effects on Christian stewardship in Brazil's improved economy.  They will also seek the Lord's favor to provide additional servant-leaders for the church, both among the laity and in the public ministry.  

 The ILB is a relatively small church body and growth is slow, but the recent confirmation of three teenagers and return of some delinquent members shows God is still blessing the preaching of his Word.

Retired Missionary Charlie and Beth continue to serve the ILB as active volunteers.

Timeline of Brazilian Mission

1987 -- Three missionaries and their families arrive in Brazil. They were allowed to enter the country as missionaries because a small independent Lutheran congregation in Gravataí, RS, invited and sponsored them. The first year is spent learning the Portuguese language, settling in rented homes and beginning to understand the customs of the country.

1988-89 -- Visits are made to two other areas of Brazil where people have shown interest in the WELS. Two more missionaries accept calls to Brazil, making a work force of 5. One of the missionaries is sent to the city of Dourados, MS, to work with and through a family that has invited the WELS to this area.

1990 -- Work begins in Porto Alegre, RS, with a Christian Information Center. Congregational work is re-established in Gravataí, RS, after the first family with its independent church separates from the WELS.

1991 -- One missionary accepts a call stateside. For the time being he is not replaced. His position as field coordinator is handed to one of the other missionaries.

1993 -- Work begins in the city of São Paulo, SP, with the move of one of the missionaries from Gravataí, RS. A Christian Information Center is equipped and used for outreach, and an extensive mailing program is begun.

1994 -- Another missionary leaves Brazil to accept a stateside call. His position as field coordinator is given to one of the other missionaries.

1995 -- A new missionary, a seminary graduate, is sent to Brazil, and begins his training in Sâo Paulo, SP. The following year he moves to Gravataí, RS, to work in that city.

1997 -- Long distance mission work begins in the city of Várzea Grande, MT, through regular trips by the missionary in Dourados, MS.

2000 -- The missionary who worked mainly in Porto Alegre, RS, accepts a call stateside. The work in Porto Alegre, RS, is closed.

2002 -- An evangelist (finished pre-seminary training) is sent to Várzea Grande, MT, to work in this mission field.

2003 -- The work in São Paulo, SP, is closed for financial reasons. The missionary there is cut from the budget and accepts a call stateside. The coordinator jobs falls to another missionary. A new missionary is assigned from the seminary to work in the Gravataí, RS area.  A LATTE professor begins teaching trips to the seminary in Gravataí, RS.

2005 -- A program of full-time seminary training is begun in Gravataí, RS, with three students. One of those is the evangelist who had been working in Várzea Grande, MT. That mission area goes back to long-distance work by the missionary in Dourados, MS.

2006 -- A national church body is formed, with the name of Brazilian Lutheran Church (Igreja Luterana Brasileira).

2007 -- The first national pastor graduates and accepts a call to the Gravataí, RS, congregation.

2008 -- The national church holds its first convention in Dourados, MS.

2009 -- The missionary who is field coordinator and head of the seminary program accepts a call stateside, leaving one missionary in Gravatái, RS. The second seminary graduate is assigned to a new mission opening in Presidente Prudente, SP. The third student is assigned as a vicar in the Dourados, MS, congregation. 

2009 -- The WELS formally discontinues full support of the Brazilian mission, calling back the one remaining missionary. The missionary in Dourados has been serving as a self-supporting volunteer for several years already. The vicar in Dourados leaves the ministry program to go into another field of work. LATTE Professor is assigned as WELS Friendly Counselor to Brazil.

2010 -- The second biennial convention of the Brazilian Lutheran Church is held in Gravataí, RS.

2011 -- The first pastor's conference of the Brazilian Lutheran Church is held in Dourados, MS.

2011 -- Pastor's Conference

Christmas -- Dourados, Brazil

When considering Christmas customs in Brazil, you have to realize that it is a big country, with many very distinct regions. Food and customs are different by region. They are also different among the many ethnic groups, nationalities and religions that live in Brazil. But there seem to be three things that all regions have in common, perhaps excepting the Amazonian Indians.

Christmas presents are a must in Brazil. Everyone gives presents to as many people as they feel necessary. So right now, two weeks before Christmas, shopping is the big activity - in all parts of Brazil.

The second common custom is family visits. This is similar to the United States, except that here in the southern hemisphere summer vacation has just begun, so the visits can be prolonged. Many companies give collective holidays from the week before Christmas to the week after New Year's Day. City government also closes down for that period, and health posts are left with very few doctors, which is the down side of the custom. What a wonderful time to either visit or receive visitors! (But not a good time to get sick.)

Family

The third common custom is food, but here it is restricted to the Christmas Eve supper. A hold-over from the Catholic midnight mass, all people seem to think that the Christmas Eve supper should happen after midnight, no matter what their religious beliefs. What happens then is that the whole night is taken up, first by the supper and then by night long visiting. The weather is warm, the doors and windows are open, and in many neighborhoods people are in and out of each others' homes all night.

Public Market

In our congregation we try to have several Christmas services over a two week period, to give everyone a chance to worship the Savior at least one.

Youth Group Practicing Christmas Musical

Feliz Natal!

Update from South America

Bolivia  

A LATTE Professor has been in La Paz, Bolivia, since March of this year. His purpose is to help a small church body in its effort to become a confessional Lutheran church. The instructor reports that there is good progress. The pastor of the La Paz congregation is now preaching and practicing sound Biblical doctrine and other leaders are also gladly receiving Biblical instruction. Though there has been progress, there is still work to be done. 

Brazil  

Despite church break-ins and unexpected bills from the city, God is helping the members of the Gravatai congregation to slowly increase support for their local ministry. Another two baptisms and five confirmations show God's grace in action. The Brazilian Lutheran Church (ILB) is in the process of producing evangelism tracts that deal with current issues in Brazilian culture. National pastors gathered around God's Word for spiritual growth and mutual encouragement in October. In November, WELS representatives met with the ILB to discuss options for how the WELS and the ILB might work together so that the gospel may continue to be proclaimed in the world's fifth largest country. 

Colombia

The growth of the church in the Medellin, Quibdó and prospective Pereira area is slow. The willingness of the church of Medellin to relocate Pastor Herrera to a new city and partially support him shows the seriousness it takes mission work. This idea is under strong consideration and is an objective for the immediate future once more prospective members are added. This outreach commitment merits support and encouragement.  The growth in Bogota has been very limited.  Efforts are being made to help the congregation focus on evangelism, as well as the LATTE efforts to train three leaders of the congregation. Training of one pastor continues via Skype and with personal visits from LATTE professors. Training of two more student candidates is under consideration.

Field Visit

Last month, three WELS Representatives arrived in Brazil for a 14-day tour of Igreja Luterana Brasilera (ILB) – The Brazilian Lutheran Church. Pastor Robert Smith serves as the chairman for our Administrative Committee for Latin American Missions (AC-LA) as well as liaison to LATTE, Mr. Ernesto LaTorre serves on the AC-LA as the newly appointed liaison to Brazil; and Dr. Robert Anderson serves on the WELS Board for World Missions (BWM).  Read below as they share their observations.

 Friendly Counselor Natán, Mr. Ernesto LaTorre, Pastor Robert Smith, 

& Dr. Robert Anderson

In contrast to the densely packed cities are the vast expanses of farmland in central

and southern sections of the country. Smaller cities and a slower paced life allow

us to work with the people to spread the Gospel message. Worshiping with our

brothers and sisters in Gravatai and Dourados warmed my heart and reassured me

that the work of the Holy Spirit through WELS missionaries for the past 24 years

has born much fruit. I am left with the prayer ta, 'Times New Roman', serif;">

In contrast to the densely packed cities are the vast expanses of farmland in central

and southern sections of the country. Smaller cities and a slower paced life allow

us to work with the people to spread the Gospel message. Worshiping with our

brothers and sisters in Gravatai and Dourados warmed my heart and reassured me

that the work of the Holy Spirit through WELS missionaries for the past 24 years

has born much fruit. I am left with the prayer that our Lord will allow us to continue assisting the ministry in Brazil."

-- Dr. Robert Anderson, WELS Board for World Missions Member

"Our trip to Brazil brought many memorable moments. One of them was the church dinner held on a Sunday night in Dourados. The church had prepared a special meal in the Brazilian style of churrascaria, which includes various meats roasted on spits over a barrel of Brazilian charcoal. As the meal was starting, there was a thunderstorm going on outside, and the lights started to flicker. Just a couple minutes later everything went dark. That did not stop the meal. Some people turned on their cell phones to provide light, others their cameras. Together with a flashlight or two there was enough light to continue. And then, just about when everyone was done eating, the lights came back on. 

This event made me think a little bit about the bigger picture. Brazil is a land like any other, filled with people who live in the darkness of sin and unbelief, people who need the light of a Savior. The darkness seems overwhelming, considering that we have only two rather small congregations in the middle of a land of 200 million. Nevertheless, Jesus sends us out with the light of the gospel. Just as with the light of the cell phones was enough for the meal, so the light of the gospel, even though the workers are few, will shine and accomplish God's purpose in Brazil."

-- Pastor Robert Smith, WELS Administrative Committee-Latin American Missions Chairman

  

 

Maté Doce

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Ingredients:

• 5 T Sugar
• 3 T Chocolate Power 
• 3 T Water
• 1 Liter Milk
• 1 1/2 Cup Coconut
• Bomba (Portuguese) / Bombilla (Spanish)
• A tube or drinking straw with a strainer at one end, especially for drinking maté (tea) and is a custom to share with others

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 Directions:

1. Mix sugar, chocolate powder, & water together
2. Add milk when sugar, chocolate, & water form a paste
3. Boil for 10 minutes & stir occasionally
4. Pour coconut into a thick cup
5. Insert bomba into coconut
6. Pour hot mixture into a tall cup
7. Cool for 5-10 minutes
8. Drink & share

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Recipe provided by Geiciely & Karla, members of Star of Bethlehem in Dourados, MS, Brazil. A hot drink on a cool winter day.

"Lord, it is good for us to be here!"

Echoing Peter's reaction to Jesus' Transfiguration (Matthew 17), a small group of pastors and evangelists of the Brazilian Lutheran Church (ILB) met on October 10 and 11 to bask in our Lord's glory through study of his Word.  Despite an 8 hour drive for one pastor and a 22 hour bus ride for another, the fellowship, encouragement and renewal in the gospel was worth the effort.  In my role as WELS Friendly Counselor to the ILB, I had the privilege to attend, and -- despite a four day delay between flights to get here -- I agree it was worth the effort.  It was good to be here!

I shared a study on 1 Kings 19:9-18, reminding us that God continues to work through his "still, small voice" in the gospel to save sinners.  Pastor Roberto, an ILB home missionary in Presidente Prudente, led us in a discussion on evangelism.  Pastor Elcy of Jesus Salvador congregation in Gravatai, guided our review of lay ministry.  And Pastor Charles of Estela de Belem congregation in Dourados, provided a summary of ILB history from 1986 to 2011 and opened the discussion for future plans under God's grace.

But just as Peter, James and John could not stay because there was still work to be done, we also "came down from the mountain" to return to our ministries -- refreshed and renewed.  For me, that means a few weeks of study with Evangelist Gilberto reviewing what the Bible says about Church and Ministry, and then guiding members of our Administrative Committee of Latin American missions on a field visit in the beginning of November.

Pastor Elcy, Pastor Roberto, Volunteer Missionary Charlie, 

LATTE Missionary Natán, & Evangelist Gilberto 

Thank you, Jesus, for our time together with you and each other!

Between Borders

This month, Professor Natán and I departed our home in México to visit the Lutheran Church in Brazil. Our flight itinerary took us from México through Peru and then Bolivia to Brazil. While changing plans in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, the airline notified us of a problem with our Brazilian visas and would not allow us to board the plan. We were stuck between borders.

As it was 3:00 am on a Saturday morning, we had to wait until Monday morning to visit the local Brazilian Consulate. We did take advantage of the wait and visited some Inca ruins outside the city.

We met with an agent at the Brazilian Consulate as planned and filled out the initial paperwork for a new Brazilian Tourist visa.  The next step was to find a local photo studio to get passport-size photos taken and go to a specific bank to pay the fee to process the visa.  We returned to the Consulate with the photos and payment receipt from the bank.  After we answered a few more questions, the agent told us to return the following day.  We spent the afternoon making new travel arrangements with our stateside travel agent through the Internet via Skype and emailed our contacts in Brazil.

The next day, we went to the Consulate, reviewed the final documentation, signed a couple of papers, and left with new visas in hand. Our new Brazilian visas have a later expiration period as well as a longer maximum stay.

Our 3-hour layover in Bolivia turned into a 4-day adventure. We are thankful to God for his protection during this unexpected delay and that there was a Brazilian Consulate in Santa Cruz that processed ours visas so quickly.

Go to here for more details on this journey.

Bolinho de Chuva

 Ingredients:

• 2 cups of flour
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• ½ cup of milk
• Ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Mix baking powder, egg, flour and milk in a bowl
2. Form into round balls and fry in oil (completely covered in the oil)  
3. Roll in cinnamon and sugar after frying

Notes: They taste a little like cinnamon and sugar donut holes. For more variety small pieces of apple can be added to the mix.

Recipe is from Brazil.

Work in Brazil

Mission Established: 1987

LATTE Service:

• Professor Natán begins regular teaching trips in 2003

• Professor Natán becomes WELS Friendly Counselor to the Igreja Luterana Brasileira (Brazilian Lutheran Church) in 2009 to assist in maintaining their current ministry and provide training for future church leaders at local and national levels

Colorblind

Retired Missionary Charlie and Beth Flunker share details on returning home to Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul where they serving Igreja Luterana Brasileira – The Brazilian Lutheran Church as active volunteers.

When was the last time you thought about the color of your skin? I'm guessing that most of you live in places where one skin color predominates, and people of another race and skin color are few. You might have some in your congregation or neighborhood, but they are the minority. As you might well imagine, different colors of skin are the rule in mission work, and often it is the missionary who is the minority.

Charlie and I just returned from our annual visit to the US. The trip was very interesting! In the Chicago airport, waiting for our flight, we observed the people. That airport has many international flights, and we began to see people of many different nationalities. When we finally decided to sit down in the gate area of our flight, we begin to interact with the many Brazilians, who are returning home from the US. This interaction continues on the plane. The Brazilians often take us for Germans, who are the light-skinned and light-haired people living in Brazil, so we always have a ready-made conversation starter.

Once in the bus station we see a wider variety of skin colors. Everyone uses the efficient and comfortable bus system in Brazil. There are business people, students, store owners with huge sacks of merchandise going back to their small towns after the buying trip to the big city, old people going visiting, whole families, and actually people moving all their belongings in large feed sacks. We can pick out the Bolivians, who have noticeable facial characteristics, and who are returning to their homes just across the frontier from Brazil. Here, as well as in the 15 hour bus trip home, we see all skin tones and walks of life.

This all happened from Wednesday to Friday of last week. So it was rather unique that Gilberto, our evangelist, preached a sermon on Sunday that was based on Peter's vision of the sheet full of unclean animals, and the lesson that Peter learned from it. God does not look at people's skin color, He just wants to find faith in their hearts. So it is important for us to accept one another, and to reach out to all people, because if God doesn't see any difference in skin color or social level, neither should we. Wonderful reminder to get back to work here in the mission field in Brazil!!

We pray that you have also learned this lesson, that a soul is a soul, no matter the external covering, and all souls are tainted with sin and need a Savior. May the Lord bless your mission spirit!

Unpredicted

Charlie was saying earlier today that there are two things, for sure, than can not be predicted with certainty. One of those is, of course, the weather! Here we are in Wisconsin in June, and should be having beautiful days of early summer. Instead, we braved almost two weeks of cold, rainy days before June lived up to its name. And back in Dourados, they also had a weather surprise. During the summer months the farmers and ranchers plant soybeans, and when these are harvested, they plant corn for a second harvest. The government extension agents give out a date by which the corn should be planted in order to be harvested before the possible freezes of July. Ooops! It froze in some of the fields around Dourados a couple of days ago, and the temp in town was near freezing. So much for predictions! About 40% of the corn harvest has been compromised by the freeze that came too early. I'm sure you have lots of stories about weather surprises!

Another thing that can't be predicted is where and when the Holy Spirit is going to work. In one of our many discussion over Skype with Gilberto, our evangelist in charge in Dourados, we heard a number of stories in which someone surprised Gilberto with a confession of faith. Probably the least expected were the answers of two teenage girls who are studying to be confirmed. Gilberto decided to test them with a number of important questions before the class began. He was bowled over by the answers they gave which confessed their faith. He didn't expect it because they are two rather quiet girls. Certainly the Spirit has been working in them because they are often in church, and sitting up in the front with their dad and grandad.

An excerpt  from Retired Missionary Charlie and Beth Flunker continue to serve Igreja Luterana Brasileira – The Brazilian Lutheran Church as active volunteers, residing in Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul.

Advancements Affect Mission Work

BRAZIL

Technology

How times have changed! What a wonderful tool the internet and Skype can be! Pastors in more remote areas are being trained using Skype and missionary families can talk daily with their relatives in the U.S. Yes, how times have changed!

Population

In Dourados, Brazil, some of the results of the 2010 census are being published in the media. These first results really underscore how times are changing in Brazil. For instance, the current population is 190,732,674. Brazil is a big country in area and population! But for the first time, the number of people above the age of 65 is more than the number of children below 5 years of age. Families are limiting themselves to 2 or 3 children, and many opt for just one child. What a contrast to just a few years ago when families of 7 or 8 children were common! What has brought about this change? Strange as it may seem, the changes are due to an increased standard of living for many people, and more education, as well as better health care which is extending life for many people.

Economy

Again, these are drastic changes. Whereas a decade ago 90% of the population earned less than $340 per capita per month, that number has now been reduced to 60%, thanks to aggressive government programs to reduce poverty and a stable economic climate. Brazil has an emerging middle class which understands that it is possible to have a decent life, free of economic misery, but it means limiting family size. These government programs also are only available to people whose children remain in school and where any adult who is still illiterate must also attend literacy classes at night. Meanwhile the government encourages employers to insist on an education in its employees. These days, you can't even be a sacker at a supermarket unless you have finished 8th grade.

The level of abject misery in the country of Brazil has dropped to only 16 million people. Abject misery is defined as a family who earns less than $44 per capita per month. And the present administration is trying hard to lower this type of economic misery in the country even more.

Education

Besides this, the government is opening more and more free courses for people to train for a profession. For instance, one of our congregation members, as a high school graduate, entered a one year free course for learning to sew, to make patterns and all about style and the marketing of clothing. Today, newly married, she has a good job in the clothing manufacturing industry, and the chance to attend more free courses to upgrade her skills.

What do all these advances mean for mission work?

Sad to say, the picture is not so rosy there. For one thing, Satan has used this new-found economic up-turn to tempt people to over-reach themselves. Credit cards appeared on the scene a number of years ago, and their abuse is also very common. As one of our church council members said, "People get themselves in over their heads with easy credit purchasing and then have to pay their bills and have no money for offerings." Actually, offerings are better than they used to be, mostly because all our members are working. But they are not nearly what they could be. Sound familiar? Satan knows how to use even the improvements in life to test us! And it is so easy for people to think that money will make them happy, and see less of a need for God in their lives.

Another thing is that many of the established churches are offering much more glitzy services - mega-churches are booming, and the Gospel bands and singers are making good money in all these churches. So people begin to desire to see this same level of "entertainment" in all churches. "Your church doesn't have a band?" is a not uncommon question. What need is there for the pure Gospel, if you can have not only a rousing, rhythm in church service, but picnics, special speakers, health care education, retreats, etc... Mission work is more difficult today than it was 20 years ago.

But, the Lord is still calling His own, and we are still His tools to spread the Word of salvation. And that Word will bear fruit, as the Holy Spirit works in hearts. There are still baptisms regularly, there are people in instruction to be confirmed, there are hearts willing to give their hard-earned money to the Lord, and God's people are still carrying His message to others around them. And we are all working together in this endeavor.

An adapted mission update from Retired Missionary Charlie and Beth continue to serve Igreja Luterana Brasileira – The Brazilian Lutheran Church as active volunteers, residing in Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul.

Work in South America

Bolivia

Contact with concerned Christians in Bolivia started in 2007. Nine LATTE teaching trips have been made to teach main doctrines of the Bible. There has been significant growth in understanding Scripture, including the ability to distinguish between law and gospel. There is still much to be done, however, especially in the area of practice where we have not had a physical presence in Bolivia to help with the follow through. A LATTE professor and his wife on site for three years will be a great blessing to the work of determining whether a confessional Lutheran church can be established in this country.

Brazil

Brazilian Lutheran Church (ILB) has decided to continue its mission efforts in Presidente Prudente in southern Brazil.  Another six baptisms and three adult confirmations in Dourados and Gravatai show God's grace in action. WELS and ILB representatives plan to meet in November to discuss how to support the development of the Brazilian Lutheran Church's gospel ministry and direction for the future.  One semi-retired missionary and two national pastors serve the two congregations. One LATTE Professor continues to serve as Friendly Counselor to Brazil and provide theological training in Portuguese as requested.

Colombia

The membership growth of the church in the Medellin and in the Quibdo and Pereira areas is encouraging. The willingness of the church of Medellin to relocate Pastor Henry and partially support him shows the seriousness with which it considers mission work. In contrast, the growth in Bogota has been very limited in spite of mission opportunities. The need to work with the Bogota congregation is urgent and to that effect a visit by WELS reps has been planned for this year. LATTE continues to provide seminary training with both onsite visits and online classes depending upon the course and availability.