Fall Update

One LATTE professor has now completed preparing an entire Dogmatics course for online presentation (moodle) and has taught it for the whole cycle. He has also prepared the Hermeneutics course for the same presentation. Another LATTE professor has been named director of the Mexican seminary by the national church. 

LATTE continues to provide training for future pastors as well as continued education for those already serving [in Latin America].

Work in Mexico & Theological Education

Mexico

God continues to bless and refine His church as they deal with challenges related to the ‘drug wars’ affecting significant portions of the country. During the past few months, the national church has begun outreach in a new region of the country (Costa Maya) and increased outreach in their home base of Torreón as well as in their new outreach effort in a new city. In the past 12 months mission work being done by nationals has spread from five regions to eight different regions in the country. LATTE continues to teach onsite  in México and offers online courses for a student in Puebla.

Seminary Training Throughout Latin America

The LATTE professors are continuing to carry out teaching according to the scheduled plan drawn up in September of 2010. Teaching trips have been made to Bolivia, the Caribbean, and Colombia. National churches were encouraged in their evangelism efforts and were provided with the theological education that they had requested. A plan for finalizing the seminary training of a student in the Dominican Republic and in Puerto Rico is still being formulated.

Work in the Caribbean

Dominican Republic

The Lord continues to bless the work being done presently among the members of the congregation in Moca, near Santiago. The Dominican believers and their LATTE Trained Pastors seem very energetic and passionate for the gospel and for sharing it with others. Although numbers are small in comparison to other mission fields, great outreach work is being done in this country. 

Haiti

Despite the many problems that face the country of Haiti presently, the Lord continues to work through pastors, like LATTE Graduate Pastor Rona, who have a strong desire to share the Word in its truth. The possibility of an orphanage could be a way to share the gospel with young souls.  Humanitarian aid efforts by WELS Christian Aid and Relief Committee  have created bridges to an orphanage association in Haiti.  Seven of nine orphanages visited invited our expatriate missionary and national pastor to work with them in providing a religious education to the orphanage directors, staffs, and children.  There are 12 more orphanages in the association yet to be visited.

Puerto Rico

The Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Church of Puerto Rico, a World Mission field for over 40 years will formally ask at the convention to be recognized by WELS as an independent sister church.  Partnership with this independent Lutheran church will be maintained through regular contact with the Commission on Inter-Church Relations (CICR).  A former missionary to Puerto Rico, is the CICR’s current contact man for this ongoing partnership. LATTE continues training Seminary Student Eligio through online education. 

The ministerial training work continues to be done among the leaders and members in the various congregations throughout the Caribbean by LATTE.  As in past years, there are some government and cultural obstacles toward the work of the church. Despite these challenges, the Lord continues to provide believers and to bless the work being done in some countries.