From the Field – Mission Helpers – July 27, 2017
Peter wrote that we are a chosen race, royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that we may declare the wonderful deeds of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Pet. 2:9 This universal priesthood of all believers was one of those many Bible teachings that God restored to His church in the Reformation. On July 10th seventeen people from the CLC travelled to the Himalayan CLC of Nepal to carry out this wonderful task of declaring to old an young the His wonderful deeds. Only two of those travelers were pastors while the rest were men and women interested in reaching out to the many children and to unbelievers. Missionary Ohlmann is in charge of this program of Mission Helpers going overseas to assist in our sister churches. As a seminary student he accompanied two pastors to Nigeria and India in 1997. The first female worker went to India in 1998 and was under the supervision of Pastor VS Benjamin of the CLCI. Since that beginning the program has expanded. In 2001 there were five who went to India: Mike Schierenbeck, Peter Evensen, Nathan Greve, Todd Ohlmann, Karl Koenig. At first it was a trip every other year by volunteers, while now it is yearly. They have a rotation of areas they go to: 2017 Nepal, 2018 East Africa, 2019 India. Before the expansion of the program five had gone to India and six to Nigeria. With this most recent trip there have been over 150 Mission Helpers, some of whom have repeated their trips. This most recent one has had the largest number in the group.
You can read about the 2017 trip at 2017clcmhtnepal.blogspot.com/ for the latest news on this effort. Good news from a far country is like water to a thirsty soul. Prov. 25:25
This is a report to the CLC convention in 2006 soon after the expansion of the program:
“CLC Mission Helper Program –
The efforts of the CLC Mission Helper Program have borne much fruit over the past two years. In August and September of 2004, Pastor Ohlmann spent four weeks teaching and preaching in the BELC and CLCI. During the summer months of 2005 the largest mission helper trip to date embarked on a three and half week journey to India. The group included three pastors: Paul D. Nolting, Nathanael Mayhew, and Todd Ohlmann. These three men spent time teaching classes in the various pastoral training stations of the BELC and the seminary of the CLCI. In addition to teaching, they accompanied the other members of their mission helper teams as they reached out with the Gospel to an estimated 5,000 children. The other volunteers were: Kristen Nolting, Peter Evensen, Liz Povolny, Josh Ohlmann, Mike Gurath, Lindsey Paul, Paul Tiefel III, Tamar Reim, Candy Ohlmann, and Dana Wuerch. The thirteen volunteers were divided into three groups. Each team served in a different area of South India, under the supervision and direction of the local church leaders. Each team had the opportunity and privilege of teaching a distinctively Christian message to the children of CLCI and BELC congregations, as well as to many Hindu children. In one particular village of the Vaniyambadi district of the BELC, more than 225 children and 50 adults gathered under a large tree outside to listen and learn from God’s word. This is particularly amazing when you consider that the BELC host congregation was the only Christian congregation in the surrounding fifteen villages, and only twenty of the children present were members of the congregation. The population of these fifteen villages is over 200,000. The mission helper volunteers, for the most part, raised the money for their trips through personal savings, private sponsors, and with the help of their local congregations. Pastor Ohlmann, who serves as the coordinator for this program, reports that he has already begun receiving applications and inquiries for the 2007 Mission Helper Trip to India. In addition to the semi-annual group trip, individual Mission Helpers have been making a positive impact on our foreign fields. From January to May of 2005, Mr. Scott Schiermeister of St. Paul, Bismarck, assisted Missionary Koenig among the people of the NCLC. For about six weeks during the Fall of 2005, Mr. Paul Stockman of Holy Trinity, West Columbia traveled to India to assist in the work. He contributed much valuable time and experience as he worked with the computers and computer training of the lead pastors of the BELC and CLCI. These men have volunteered their own time and expense in order to further the work of the Gospel on our behalf. We appreciate their efforts, and invite others who may have the time and means to travel to India or Africa to assist with the Lord’s work.
Conclusion –
To someone who has not visited the places and seen the people who are mentioned in this report, it may seem bewildering to try to get an overall picture of what the Lord is accomplishing in our stateside and foreign mission program. We encourage our CLC people to visit our Internet sites, if possible, to get a visual idea of who and where these people are, and the great opportunities that lie before us. It is our joyful privilege to do the best we are able, with the means the Lord provides, to advance the cause of the simple Gospel message to those who do yet know Christ, while at the same time strengthening our brethren in sound Scriptural teaching. It is our prayer that the Lord will continue to bless these efforts, and move the hearts of our people to support them wholeheartedly, along with the other needed programs and responsibilities of our church body.”
The Nepal mission helpers will be returning to the USA and give reports on God’s work with them in that strongly Hindu country. Praise God!