For some of us, it’s back to school. Well, maybe not for us personally, but perhaps for our kid or grandkids…But in my case, I get to go back to school as a theological instructor of the “English stream” of Riga Luther Academy, Latvia—the online seminary supported by the LCMS. Enrollment this fall is at an all-time high, with a total of 44 students and 18 freshmen: 11 from Africa and 7 from Europe. I will once again teach two courses per week: Overview of the Bible, a 20-week course that extends into March, and Overview of Practical Theology, which goes until Christmas. I greatly appreciate that I can work with people brand-new to Christianity (that is, our Persians in Hamburg) and also have the privilege of being one of the instructors who guide mature Christians on their four and a half journey to ordination. Some of our seminarians have been pastors for years, but wish to enhance their understanding of historic Christianity faithful to Scripture, while most of them are laymen. For all of our courses, the requirements are the same: for each lesson, read a copious amount, watch a roughly 60-minute video, work through the handout, and take a quiz on that particular lesson. And all of that times four or five per week for the various courses. Quite a workload for men who are juggling jobs and family obligations at the same time. Classes for the new school year start today, on August 25. And so, for the past few weeks, I have been preparing for “back to school”—recording videos and writing handouts and quizzes. At the same time, the Persian ministry goes on. We recently started a new 12-week Baptismal class, with currently six candidates, and I continue to lead the Farsi-language Divine Service and preach in Farsi, sometimes taking turns with my Finnish missionary colleague Rev. Pasi Palmu, about whom I write in this month’s newsletter. Thank you all for keeping the Tiews going out here on the mission field, and praise God for the many ways in which He is blessing His work that we are privileged to do!
May our gracious God bless and keep you!
With love, Pastor Christian Tiews and Lula
The Tiews in Germany 