Ben and Adela Jore have been accepted as candidates with AFLC World Missions. Ben is in his second year at the Association of Free Lutheran Seminary and works for Distance Shores Media (DSM). DSM works to reach people for Christ worldwide using the internet.
The World Missions Committee has voted to issue a letter of call to Ruth and Joshua Wagner. The Wagners will be placed on loan to Lutheran Bible Translators. Ruth is the daughter of Rev. Bob and Margaret Lee of Naknek, AK. Some final paperwork and agreements need to be in place before the Wagners are AFLC Missionaries on loan to LBT.
Ruth and Josh announced the birth of their first child born June 21. This has been an eventful week for the Wagners. Please keep them in your prayers.
“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the Gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Phil 1:3-6
The Pillmans left for Ecuador on June 27th and are beginning their ministry there even as I write. Please keep them constantly in your prayers as Paul did for the Philippians in the above verses.
At our recent annual conference in Thief River Falls, I was constantly hearing one thing from our missionaries on furlough and in their greeting that they sent to us from the field. (This greeting is in video form on an earlier post here on this blog) They said that their work would be in vain and they would not be able to persist in their ministry if we all were not praying. That is a strong statement and one we need to always keep in mind. God yearns for us to pray to Him and keep His workers in our prayers. And He desires all to come to Him in faith. So, NOW, as you finish reading this, bow in prayer for the Pillmans and all of our missionaries and the people to whom they minister…I will be joining you! Paula Nyman
Many of you have asked how you can see the 2012 Missionary Greeting from the AFLC Annual Conference. Here it is!
Andrew Olson gives us an update as they arrive in Uganda:
From under the mosquito net, I'm writing: Hello to all who have faithfully supported me!Micah and I have made it safely here to Jinja, where we will be for the next 6 months. Classes start tomorrow and we are both very excited for that. It will be great to finally experience the teaching method and see the students' interest in the curriculum. We have unpacked our things here at the room and have already found a way to get internet and mail. The people are very friendly, and the food is very good. The Lord has provided for all our needs thus far!
Your dollars have gone to purchase some well needed supplies; including mosquito netting, plumbing for our toilet and a shower head! Thank you!
The need for the gospel here is great, but our God is greater.
In the absence of the Jores while they are stateside, two faithful workers will be back in Uganda to carry on their work. Andrew and Micah left for Uganda just this week. They will be continuing the work of training pastors and leaders using the oral training method of the Ambassador Institute. Please keep them in your prayers for good health and the ability to keep the continuity of teaching/ministry going.
Editor’s note: The following post was made by the Jores on their blog on June 2o, 2012. You can read much more and see some wonderful photos on their blog.
We made it!
Thank you for your prayers during our intense week of packing up and traveling. We have been stateside for almost 4 weeks already, so that crazy week seems like a distant memory. Everything went very well. We were able to pick up the boys’ passports at the Immigration Dept. on our way to the airport. The paperwork they were needed for was literally being stamped when Nate walked in the office. So thankful. The kids traveled very well, and we had a lot of help along the way. There were so many gracious people that stopped to give a hand when we needed it. We almost felt like a reality show as we traipsed through airports and got settled on our flights. It seems that not many people travel with 5 little kids!
These past weeks have been refreshing and encouraging to all of us. It has been wonderful to reconnect with family and friends, and to just be still a bit. The kids have transitioned easily. We hear “I love America!” frequently. They are loving all of the time spent with their cousins and grandparents, as well as the many perks of life here (i.e. mac & cheese in abundance, driving fast, non-malaria-inflicting mosquitoes, riding bikes, playing at parks). Amidst all of the fun of living here, we are being intentional about reminding them of where they have come from. We don’t want to forget those we have left for this season.
Last week we attended the AFLC Annual Conference in Thief River Falls. We walked away with deep gratitude and joy in our hearts. It is incredible to be surrounded, supported, loved and prayed for by such an amazing group of people. To hear many of you say, “Our family prays for your family every night,” surprised and humbled us. Thank you. Those words cannot begin to communicate how deeply grateful we are. God has sustained us and will continue to sustain us with the help of your prayers. We need you. You truly hold us up.
Our itinerary for these next months is listed below. We look forward to seeing many of you as we travel!
June 11-15: AFLC Annual Conference in Thief River Falls, MN
July 1: Christ the King Free Lutheran in Pipestone, MN
July 8: Dalton Parish in Dalton, MN
July 18: Grace Free Lutheran in Maple Grove, MN (evening picnic at French Park)
July 22: Our Saviour’s Free Lutheran in Zumbrota, MN
July 25: Christ the King Free Lutheran in Wilson, WI
July 29-Aug 4: Family Camp at the ARC in Osceola, WI (Nate will share at the Mon and Tues 11am workshops)
Aug 6-10: Nate will attend SIT (Summer Institute of Theology) at the AFLC headquarters in Plymouth, MN
Aug 12: West Prairie Free Lutheran in Kindred, ND
Aug 15: Our Saviour’s Free Lutheran in Dickinson, ND
Aug 16: Zion Free Lutheran in Tioga, ND
Aug 19: Bethel Free Lutheran in Minot, ND
Aug 26 am: Hope Free Evangelical Lutheran in Ishpeming, MI
Aug 26 pm: Redeemer Free Lutheran in Ontonagon, MI
Sept 2: Living Hope in Elk River, MN (evening BBQ)
Sept 9: Green Lake WMF Missions Festival in Spicer, MN
Sept 16: St. John’s Lutheran Missions Festival in Milford, IL
Sept 23: Ruthfred Lutheran in Bethel Park, PA
Sept 26: Peace Lutheran in Canal Winchester, OH
Oct 7 am: Redeemer Free Lutheran in Canton, SD
Oct 7 pm: Living Word Free Lutheran in Sioux Falls, SD
Oct 13: WMF Rally at Our Savior’s in Argyle, MN
Oct 14: Fergus Falls Faith Festival at Calvary Free Lutheran in Fergus Falls, MN
Oct 21: Maranatha Free Lutheran in Glyndon, MN
Oct 30: Student Missions Fellowship at AFLBS
We are so grateful for you, intercessors.
Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you. Is 49:15
I had a plan, knew pretty much what I wanted to say to you, but this letter 
Right now there is a lot we don’t know about the children (like their last name, their exact ages) but it is heart breaking to see all we do know. First, there is Nicole. She has thin hair, a poor appetite and cries without stopping. Her mom is a crack addict and an alcoholic, it is easy to see the effect of the mother’s actions on her child. Then there are her big brothers. It is unusual to see children arrive at the Miriam Home dried eyed, but these two little boys didn’t shed a tear as they climbed out of the car. There was no request for mom, no complaints that they wanted to go home. It appears the “home” doesn’t mean much to these little ones.
After taking a shower, receiving clean clothes and seeing where they are going to sleep (a kind of scary idea—each of them has their own bed! At home all three slept on a mattress), the boys sat at the table to have chocolate milk and a sandwich. They began to tell their story, not complaining or criticizing, just stating the facts the way children do. “I like chocolate milk for breakfast - my mom likes beer, but when she drinks it she drools. Do you drool?” By this time the children had been in the house two hours and Nicole hadn’t stopped crying. The house moms tried giving her milk, a light oatmeal dish and a baby food made with corn starch that is popular, but Nicole would have none of them. Luis went the house mom and said “you have to put pinga (a type of cheap alcohol) in it, that’s what mom does”.
Editor’s note: This is just part of Jonni Sliver’s June Newsletter. Please visit here to read the entire newsletter including how WMF quilts are a blessing at the Miriam Infant Home, prayer requests, and more!
Thankful For You!
As we return to Brazil and reflect on this year of deputation, we are so thankful for all of you who took us into your homes and into your churches. We wanted to visit many more churches and even some of you were looking for us to show up at yours. To you we send our sincere apologies. Timing and scheduling did not make it possible to visit everyone that we had planned to visit. We hope that by God's Grace we might visit you on some other date. Our goal is to someday be able
to visit every church in the Association. Thank you so much for your prayers and financial support. Without you our work is greatly impaired. So once again thanks!
Praying For Fruit
In the beginning of Creation, God told man, "be fruitful and multiply and fill the Earth and subdue it." In a spiritual sense, He wants us to do the same thing. Since I started the church plant in Maringa, this has always been at the back of my mind. My goal there in, is that our church in time, and we hope not such a long time, reaches 1% of the population for Christ. Today that would be 3500 souls. It's a very lofty goal but it keeps us looking for opportunities to share the Lord with others moving in a direction to conquer the city for Christ. Pray that God would give us those souls.
May Highlights
For the 1st time we were able to attend a child's graduation: April completed her 2 yrs of AFLBS! Now she prepares to attend Northwestern College this Fall. Also in May we traveled as a family to Brazil: Thomas & April for official reasons and the rest of us, to live and resume our work in Brazil. We had the joy of celebrating with all of Tamba's siblings & their families, her parents' 50th wedding and ministry anniversary!
Editor’s note: You can read the prayer needs for the Abels as well as see some photos in their newsletter here.
Editor’s note: Here is part of the Pillman’s May/June Newsletter. You can read it in its entirety here.
This past month we were able to connect with the pastor of the Paz de Dios church in Ecuador. Pastor Santiago and his wife, Blanca, are visiting in the states for a couple of months and are temporarily filling in at an AFLC church in Northern Minnesota. We spent a weekend with them and helped to organize and Ecuadorian night for the church featuring delicious foods from Ecuador, a brief overview of the country, and a taste of the culture. All the activities made us that much more excited and ready to be there. Our leaving date is fast approaching. We appreciate your 
prayers as we transition from here to there!
Justo, Patricia, and Nathanael
The Pillman’s will be attending the AFLC annual conference in Thief River Falls and plan to leave for Ecuador on June 26! Please be praying for them as they finalize plans and prepare to move.
Editor’s note: My apologies to the Jores for this late news from their May Newsletter. You may have read this but it bears repeating!
“On April 19th, we were blessed with another daughter. She is amazing! Her big brothers and sister could not be more pleased and proud. We are grateful to God for this gift He has entrusted to us, as well as for the gift of your prayers. Thank 
you for joining us in celebrating her new life.”
The Jores have arrived safely in the United States and are looking forward to their furlough:
“The kids are extremely excited about reuniting with cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents, and especially about living at Grandpa & Grandma Monseth's house again. They have been talking about it for months... ‘Soon we'll get to eat Grandma's gingersnaps! Soon we'll get to help Grandpa in the barn! Soon we'll get to ride their pony! Soon we'll get to pick strawberries!’"
“These past few years Nate has spent a great deal of time discipling and training the Ugandan Ambassador Institute teachers so t
hat he could leave the classes in their hands when we leave. He is confident in their ability to continue the work well, and grateful for their hearts for the Lord and their excitement to teach His Word. The Jinja class, which Nate has been the sole teacher of for the past few years, will be taught by interns Micah Berger and Andrew Olson while we are on furlough. So thankful for these guys. Would you pray for them?”
With gratitude, Nate and Rhoda Jore, Elijah, Judah, Hannah, Jeremiah and Julia
Breaking News: Tonight (Monday June 4th), in Beulah, ND, a first ever “virtual shower” was held for the Jores. The WMF wanted to do something for the Jores’ new daughter and for the whole family as they return to the states. A wish list was obtained from the Jores for every member of the family and members of the WMF gathered to share the gifts which will be sent to them in Minnesota. A good time was had by all and we invite all women of the AFLC, and men too, to keep the family in your prayers as they travel around the country during their furlough. Glad to have you back, Jores!
You can reach the Jores by e-mail: nrjore@gmail.com or visit them on their website: www.thejorefamily.wordpress.com
Note from editor: My apologies to Paul and Becky for this late posting of their May newsletter. Please check out the entire newsletter here.
Youth Camp in Campo Mourão
The youth in Campo Mourão did most of the planning for this big event in February. We arrived to help keep things running smoothly and lead the counseling staff. 200 youth from many of our Free Lutheran churches in Brazil spent 4 days together praising God and learning from His Word. It's a great way to start out the year with encouragement to live for Jesus.
Women’s Congress In March two busloads of women from the Curitiba area traveled to Iguaçu Falls for the 6th Annual event for Free Lutheran women. Pictured above is of a group from our city presenting special music. Every time I plan one of these big trips I vow I'll never do it again (it's a lot of work and headache!) However, after seeing the positive results of the time of fellowship I start reconsidering. Yes, I'll probably do it again. Pastor Del and Karen Palmer were here during the month of March, and we had a great time together!
Vacation Break The beginning of 2012 has been full of big events (camps, congresses, Passion Play) and normal ministry (regular services and Bible studies six times a week, visits, counseling, parties, outings). We covered for Carlos, the ARCA administrator, while he was on vacation in March, helped get two young people into a drug rehab program, planned special events at our local churches and opened our home to people needing a place to stay. We were happy to take a 4-day road trip break when Becky's folks came to visit us in April. Andrew was with us, too, as he came to help with the lights, sound and video for the Passion Play. How we thank God for these special times 
with family! Andrew and Alexi were engaged in February and are planning their wedding for October 21. If anyone is interested in helping us with frequent flyer miles for members of our family to attend the wedding we would be so thankful for your contribution to the cause.
