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Sometimes things appear a certain way, but at second glance are quite different than had appeared initially. Last week I was in Riga, Latvia, convening with fellow Luther Academy faculty members and LCMS missionaries John Bombaro, Quintin Cundiff, Jerry Lawson, David Preus, along with academic dean Jēkabs Jurdžs, preparing the 2023/24 academic year of the … Continue reading God Loves the Righteous

I serve Iranian Lutherans in two churches in Hamburg, one of which is Zion Lutheran (SELK). In the early 1940s, one of its parishioners was a lady named Margarethe Guradze. She was Jewish by birth and later converted to Lutheran Christianity. For years, the congregation had been able to protect Margarethe from the Nazi authorities. … Continue reading Concentration Camp Shepherd

This coming Sunday the Gospel lesson in the historic lectionary is John 16:16-22. The Church calls this Lord’s Day “Jubilate” Sunday because, even in the midst of any sorrow we might experience, we have reason to rejoice. Why? Because any sorrow is only temporary, whereas our joy is eternal. As our Lord explains, “Your hearts … Continue reading Dear Friends and Supporters,

“*If the Lord wills*, we will live and do this or that” (James 4:15). The Resurrection of Our Lord was curious for me this year… I had been instructing my five Iranian catechumens for months and we were looking forward to me baptizing them and also confirming another adult on Easter Sunday. As I was … Continue reading If the LORD Wills

Last week Lula and I took a few days off and traveled to Rome. One of our highlights was meeting with Rev. Tyler McMiller, LCMS missionary and “circuit rider” for all of Italy, and also with two of our Italian students enrolled at Riga Luther Academy (the online Lutheran seminary at which I teach). Lorenzo … Continue reading When in Rome…Visit Saint Paul

“‘I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’ So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace” (Romans 11:4-5). You may recall that a few days ago I commented on the sorry state of affairs in Germany’s Protestant “state church,” which is known … Continue reading The Remnant

Last week, Lula and I attended a Lenten service at Hamburg’s St. Michaelis, which was built in 1647 and now belongs to the Protestant “state church” (EKD). As we stepped into the beautiful edifice, some 150 feet long and 130 feet wide, a sign read: “Lenten service in the chancel.” We proceeded through the cavernous … Continue reading Hymns Full of Grace

Wrapping up our baptismal preparation class at Zion Lutheran Church (SELK) in Hamburg last Thursday, we met in the children’s Sunday school room, which is well-stocked with Legos, building blocks, and other toys. We discussed the ending of the Second Article of the Creed in the Small Catechism (Farsi translation): “From thence He will come … Continue reading What Would We Do Without Jesus?

As we approach the end of Lententide, it is with great joy that I greet you all once again from Germany. God has been faithful to us and has guided us through the ups and downs of missionary life. His grace has sustained us and His love has never failed. In this newsletter, we share … Continue reading Dear beloved friends and supporters,

I was recently helping an Iranian lady prepare for her asylum court hearing and asked her a question that sometimes comes up: “How often do you pray?” She replied that she prays many times a day—for her family, her personal circumstances, and for the political situation in Iran. But she also shared that she was … Continue reading Paying for Prayers