Team South America update.

Here is an important message from the Rev. James Tino, executive director of Global Lutheran Outreach (GLO):

Liisa and Jim Tino.

“A big THANK YOU to everyone for their support of the missionaries of Global Lutheran Outreach through our 24-hour online event, Go Beyond! (November 8-9( Over 125 people made a contribution, offered prayers and words of encouragement, and blessed us in so many ways. Due to popular demand, our Go Beyond! page will stay open for the rest of the month. Until November 30, people can still visit the page, learn about GLO and our missionaries, and make a contribution that will be tripled.”

Through our association with Global Lutheran Outreach, Luz Maria and I are able to help not only people in La Caramuca, but throughout Venezuela and even Chile! Since 2017, Luz Maria, together with Corali Garcia de Loturco and Elianeth Pineda of the Confessional Lutheran Church of Chile, has coordinated requests for needed medicines from congregations of the Lutheran Church of Venezuela.

During its initial years (2017-2020), the GLO Medicine for Venezuela project was a virtual lifeline because medicine ceased to be available in the country. Many pharmaceutical companies ceased operations in Venezuela, and local pharmacies had bare shelves. Today, medicine is once again available but at high prices and in dollars! Daily medication for high blood pressure, for example, may require 80 percent of someone’s monthly salary!

Non-prescription medicines are purchased in Chile with the cooperation of a local pharmacy. Volunteers at Santiago mission congregation collate the orders and prepare each congregation’s shipment. After arriving in Venezuela, meds are sorted and packed for distribution to each beneficiary. In the first year of the project (2017), 333 patients received a month’s supply of medicine to 333 patients. In the most recent shipment (Jan/Feb 2022), 1,055 patients received a month’s supply!

Elianeth and Corali.

Many of the volunteers in Santiago are Venezuelan expatriates, like Corali and Elianeth. One result of the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela is that record numbers of Venezuelans are immigrating to other countries. Chile is the third-most popular destination for Venezuelans (behind Colombia and Peru) fleeing their country’s humanitarian crisis. GLO maintains a ministry to Venezuelan immigrants to Chile.

James Tino served for eight years as missionary pastor of “Divina Providencia” (Divine Providence) Luheran Church in Santiago before assuming full-time duties as GLO executive director. Adrian Ventura was installed as the pastor of Divina Providencia in his place on February 19, 2023. I met both men in Venezuela 20 years ago. Adrian was the pastor of Cristo Rey (Christ the King) Lutheran Church in Maturin, Venezuela. James Tino was region director of Latin America and the Caribbean for Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod World Missions after many years as a missionary in Venezuela. Luz Maria and I received premarital counseling from Pastor Tino before getting married in a civil ceremony on November 29, 2003 (our church would follow on July 25, 2004).

Adrian Ventura.

So it was a great honor and privilege to join Pastor Adrian; his wife, Cruz Maria; Corali; and Elianeth as members of Team South America to raise money for the GLO general fund.

This is a breakdown of what online donations (tripled through matching funds) to the GLO general fund will provide:

• $29 provides a missionary with an online donation platform for one year.

• $75 sponsors one person to attend a GLO mission conference.

• $101 provides a missionary with the services of a professional accountant for one year.

• $260 provides a missionary with software and other online services.

  

  Luz Maria with Cruz Maria
  and Yuraima Gonzalez.

• $365 provides for a supportive and encouraging visit to a missionary in their field of service.

• $582 supplies all support services to a missionary for one month.

As Thanksgiving draws near in the United States and the end of the church year everywhere, we live in the expectant hope of Jesus' return while giving thanks to God for all of His gifts, including health, family, work, home and the spiritual blessings of forgiveness and eternal life. May God continue to use GLO to share Jesus with the world so that many more people can join us in looking forward to the life to come!

Please donate to GLO online at our Team South America page: https://charidy.com/glo/samer