“If we are faithless, He remains faithful—for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim 2:13). *** September has been another busy month. The academic year started at Riga Luther Academy. We are blessed with ten new students—living in Germany, Finland, and Turkey (in addition to our sixteen now second and third-year students). Our new students include two women entering the deaconess program, which thrills us immensely. In the first part of the month, I was very busy with my Iranian parishioners, teaching two classes a week and attending several court hearings testifying on behalf of their asylum requests, plus officiating Divine Services in German and Farsi. In this second half of the month, Lula and I have been vacationing in the U.S., visiting our children in Oklahoma, Colorado, and Michigan. I was also graciously invited to give a missionary presentation and preach at Grace Lutheran, Tulsa, the church in which I was ordained in 2009. *** As I encounter Christians in all phases of their spiritual growth in many countries, I am grateful that our salvation does not wax or wane with the spiritual rigor or weakness of that particular phase in our lives. Rather, the Lord covers all of the sins of which we repent, as well as the sin of sometimes being lazy in our faith. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is *Thy* faithfulness!” (Lam 3:22-23). And the Holy Spirit is with us every day to recharge us in our faith in Jesus Christ!*** As always, thank you, dear donors and friends at Mission Central and across America— for supporting us and praying for us. Lula and I could not continue this work without you!
The Tiews in Germany 