At home with the Advent wreath

The lighting of an Advent wreath as a countdown to Christmas has become so globally popular that Venezuelan newspapers run articles explaining it as a “Catholic custom.” This is a matter of some debate, as many sources trace it back to the Lutheran Reformation. Roman Catholic apologists agree that it began in Germany, but claim it originated earlier in the Middle Ages. The mystery arises from the fact that the Advent wreath originated as a form of family devotion, not as a rite of public worship. Lighting the wreath as we know it today did not become a widespread practice outside of Germany until the 19th and early 20th centuries, with the tide of Germans fleeing political conflicts and economic difficulties in their homeland. Only then was it incorporated into Advent services in churches of nearly every denomination. That is how I explained it to our afterschool students and youth of our congregation, drawing a comparison of how the migration of Venezuelans is dispersing Venezuelan customs throughout the world. Also, I emphasized the importance of Bible reading and prayer in the home, not just in the building designated as a house of worship. 

 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7 is a classic verse that illustrates the importance of family devotions in the Christian life. So is Ephesians 6:4, “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” Although the parental duty is set forth in terms of the father’s obligation, yet the mother’s rule and responsibility, being included in that of the husband, is just as strongly enjoined. St. Paul, in 1 Timothy 1:5, commends Timothy’s grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice, for raising Timothy in the faith despite the lack of a faithful father. In Timothy 2:15, the apostle says again that Timothy is fortunate in “that from childhood  known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

With the assistance of Luz Maria’s sister, Rosaura, we presented a special workshop for all the young people in making Advent wreaths for the home. 

A tradition of Christian education

Luz Maria and I are grateful for the opportunity to speak via Zoom on December 4, 2025, to the students of Deshler Lutheran School, Deshler, Nebraska. Our special thanks to principal Todd Voss; Brian Francik, pastor of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Deshler; and José Flores, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Friedensau, Nebraska. Deshler Lutheran School is one part of the ministry conducted by St. Peter-Deshler and TrinityFriedensau. Both congregations have a rich tradition of providing Christ-centered education. Trinity Lutheran at Freidensau called the first teacher to the Nebraska District in 1879. St. Peter's Lutheran School was established in 1889. In 1966, Trinity-Friedensau and Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Kiowa joined with St. Peter's-Deshler to form the Deshler Lutheran School Association using the 1953 building and grounds in Deshler for its campus. Trinity-Friedensau celebrated its 150th anniversary last year. I attended the centennial anniversary in 1974 which featured my father’s older brother, the Rev. Alfred Ernst, as guest speaker. My great-grandfather, Henry Schabacker, so far holds the longest tenure as pastor of Trinity-Friedensau, having served for more than 30 years. His daughter, Theodora Amanda, married my grandfather, David Julius Ernst, who was the sole teacher in the parochial school and also church organist.

Like grandmother, like granddaughter

While we celebrated the first Sunday of Advent in La Caramuca on November 30, 2025, Oriana Montoya, Luz Maria's granddaughter, was consecrated as a deaconess at Jesus of Los Olivos Lutheran Church in Lima, Peru. Oriana was baptized February 15, 2003, at Corpus Christi Lutheran Church, Barinas, and took first communion October 28, 2012, at Epiphany Lutheran Church of La Caramuca. She graduated from our preschool and was active in the Epiphany youth group. She represented our mission at the national youth gathering of the Lutheran Church of Venezuela in 2016. After moving to Peru in 2017, Oriana enrolled in and graduated from the deaconess program offered by Concordia El Reformador in the Dominican Republic.

Door opens just a crack

While Luz Maria and I can no longer operate our preschool in the same cooperative relationship with public educational agencies, the door is not completely shut. It opened a crack on October 27, when I led a closing devotion for Early Education Week at Rafael Urdaneta public preschool in La Caramuca. In recent years, Venezuela has faced severe economic challenges, which have affected the operation of public and private education. The government’s ability to allocate resources has diminished, leading to overcrowded public classrooms, a lack of essential teaching materials, and deteriorating infrastructure in many public schools. Additionally, salary cuts and inflation have prompted many qualified educators to leave the profession or seek opportunities abroad. Families who once could afford private schooling have found their options limited as economic hardships continue. Furthermore, changing government regulations on tuition fees and operational standards create additional obstacles for private institutions, ultimately affecting their sustainability.

Religious freedom is written into Venezuela’s Constitution. Various faiths can hold regular rites and services. But although there is no declared policy of discrimination against faith-based organizations, those whose beliefs do not completely conform to current public policy, may face challenges. Yet, unlike in the United States, there is no ban on prayer in public schools. Thus our opportunity to continue influencing education beyond the walls of our mission.

I walked the children through the Apostle’s Creed, especially the Second Article. This, I said, is the reason why we have Christmas and Easter. (Because public Christmas displays are already being set up and the merchandising of decorations and gifts for the home is underway.)

Communion of the saints

We celebrated one long festival of the Reformation and All Saints from Sunday, October 26, when we distributed medicines sent by Global Lutheran Outreach Chile and studied the 95 Theses at our afternoon youth Bible study, to Sunday, November 2, when we celebrate the Reformation and All Saints Day in the morning at Epiphany Lutheran Church of La Caramuca, and in the afternoon at Corpus Christi Lutheran Church in Barinas. In La Caramuca, we not only distributed the medicine to those who needed it, but also homemade soap and food items that we had collected as part of the regular Sunday offering to everyone who attended.

The feasts of the Reformation and All Saints are closely linked. Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses on October 31, 1517, All Saints Eve, on the doors of All Saints Church in Wittenberg, Germany. In his theses, Luther raised questions about Roman ideas of penance, purgatory, the value of good works, the authority of the Pope over the souls of the departed, and the definition of a “saint.” These questions resonate to this day, for we celebrated the Reformation in the midst of a national celebration across Venezuela of the canonization of the first two Venezuelan “saints”: José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros and María del Carmen Rendiles Martínez.

On Sunday, October 19 (which happens to be my birthday) Pope Leo XIV proclaimed seven new saints on before an estimated 70,000 people in St. Peter’s Square, including the first saints from Papua New Guinea as well as Venezuela. The canonization Mass unfolded with Venezuelan flags waving across the square. The canonization was followed in real time from different parts of Venezuela, with gatherings in squares, temples, and homes.

It was an opportunity for us to celebrate the true “communion of the saints”, which is the whole church on earth and heaven. We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (as it says in the epistle for Reformation Day, Romans 3:19-28. But we are all saints who have been clothed with the righteiousness of Christ in baptism. We all have the promise of eternal life with HIm immediately upon leaving this world.

Celebrating our 34th baptism

 At a Matins service on September 20, 2025, Eidan Andrés Garrido Albarrán was baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:3-6). This was the 34th baptism at our mission. The first was Elias Isaac Montoya Santana on June 26, 2005.

“Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? If I wash in them, shall I not also be clean?” (2 Kings 5:12). 

“Without the Word of God, water is mere water, it is not baptism; but with the Word of God, it is baptism, that is, it is the water of life, full of grace, and a washing of regeneration by the Holy Spirit, as Saint Paul says to Titus.” (The Small Catechism and Titus 4:4-6).

When Naaman did as the Lord commanded, he was healed. “Then he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” (2 Kings 5:14).

Grand opening of “Mi Pequeña Lucecita” House of Study

On September 15, 20205, we opened “Mi Pequeña Lucecita” (“My Little Light”) House of Study with an orientation meeting for the families involved. The expanded afterschool tutoring program is from 3:00 to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Sixteen students are enrolled, from first to sixth grade, all of whom have academic knowledge below the level they should have for their grade level. There are third-graders who do not know their numbers, and sixth graders who read at a first grade level. There are other families who would like to enroll their children in the program, but Luz Maria feels that those who are enrolled need the most help that she and her assistants can give. We share God's love in Christ by improving literacy, language, math and vocational skills.

Our program remains the only one in our entire region that integrates instruction for Christian living with basic skills for learning.

Although circumstances have forced to shift our emphasis from preschool education to a more diverse group of students, remains unchanged:

• Encourage academic performance by addressing academic needs with fun and motivating resources to develop learning skills and abilities.

• Promote the comprehensive development of each student in accordance with the values ​​of Christian education established in the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions.

• To guide parents on the importance of the family's leading role in raising children in the reality of the Venezuelan context.

In addition to Luz Maria as chief teacher, there are three young ladies who help tutor students: Diana Torres, Yusmelvis Salas and Anyi Garrido. All who came up through our preschool program and are now communicant members and high school students.

We would like to develop more intensive seminars in mathematics and other topics; more instruction for adults; support and advice for high school students on projects to be completed for graduation; training sessions in home economics; hosting of group sessions for online courses, such as those provided by Seminario Concordia El Reformador in the Dominican Republic.

To further improve our learning and worship spaces, we are seeking funds for two more study tables with six chairs each; 20 additional plastic chairs; printer ink and a new computer monitor; additional educational materials; four wall-mounted ventilation fans; and a water purifier for the kitchen area of the former preschool. Perhaps our biggest capital improvement project for the near future is the repair of public sanitary facilities built 10 years ago to host large groups in our open patio/playground. These have not been used since the COVID-19 lockdown, but we think there soon will be use for them again.

You may donate to our mission online at Global Lutheran Outreach.

How shall they hear without a preacher?

“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?” Romans 10:14-15.

Corpus Christi congregation gives 
baptismal gifts to Eidan Garrido.

As the only called and ordained pastor of the Lutheran Church of Venezuela within a tri-state area, I continue to preach and administer the sacrament of the altar at Corpus Christi Lutheran Church in Barinas. As of the last census, Barinas has a population of approximately 350,000 people. Besides being a regional trade center and the headquarters of state government, the city is home to an important agricultural research and teacher training university. La Caramuca is a town of around 8,000 people, located 20 to 30 minutes drive from the city of Barinas, depending on the traffic. There is plenty of work for another pastor in Barinas, but Corpus Christi has not been able to call a full-time pastor in nearly two years.

At the 2025 World Conference of the International Lutheran Council in the Philippines, Eduardo Flores, president of the Lutheran Church of Venezuela, outlined the serious problems that still face the nation of Venezuela, resulting in “profound social, economic, and cultural implications,” including for the Lutheran church. There has been a significant decrease in the number of members in Lutheran congregations, mostly among young people and their families. This not only impacts the spiritual life of those who leave, but it also causes serious issues with paying pastors and the financial sustainability of congregations.

Finally I felt the earth move

One fond memory of my youth is listening to Carole King sing “I Feel The Earth Move”, one of the most popular cuts from her milestone 1971 album, “Tapestry”. But I never really knew the sensation until September 24, 2025. There was a minor tremor in Caracas while I was there in 2007, but I was taking a nap and slept through it. At 11:51 p.m. on September 24, my chair began vibrating and the teacup on the table rattled. That was the impact in La Caramuca of a 6.0 magnitude earthquake with its epicenter near Bachaquero, Zulia, 178 kilometers or 111 miles northwest of us. This was only one of 10 distinct tremors and 21 aftershocks that shook western Venezuela that evening. But its magnitude made it not only the main feature of the night, but one of the three strongest earthquakes to rock the country in the 21st Century. The others were in Carabobo state in 2009 (6.4) and Sucre state in 2018 (6.9). None of these three claimed any lives, although there was property damage in the areas most affected. Perhaps the worst ever in loss of life was the Maundy Thursday earthquake of 1812 (between 7 and 8 magnitude with its epicenter in Caracas) which claimed from 15,000 to 26,000 lives. A 6.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Caracas in 1967 claimed 256 lives. In years past, the mission has hosted workshops on how to avoid injury during an earthquake. Thank you, Carlos Teran!

Earthquake safety seminar in 2014.

Counting the cost of discipleship

We learn from Luke 14:28-33 that God has given us the ability to calculate the resources we have to carry out a project, as well as what we can lose and what we can gain. When we weigh our own strength against the magnitude of suffering and sacrifice required by the Christian life, we must give up all hope in our own merits and  place our faith in the righteousness of Christ, with which we are clothed in baptism. But this faith, which we receive as a gift from God in Christ, also gives us the confidence to measure and plan good works in this life. God also wants us to "count the cost" of what we would do for him here on earth. That's why basic education is important, especially reading, writing, and math. Therefore, we are pleased to organize a math workshop, primarily for young people starting high school next school year. The workshop was led by Eliezer Montoya, a member of Corpus Christi Lutheran Church in Barinas, who holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics and is a teacher by profession. Professor Montoya covered addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers and fractions, and even a little algebra.

Renovation continues

The renovation of our former preschool space continues. Mi Pequeña Lucecita (My Little Light) House of Study is the new name of our educational program. We are preparing for an older group of students, from first grade up to sixth grade, with some of our communicant members who are attending high school as Luz Maria’s teacher’s aides. Our vision for the future includes more Bible studies and workshop in specific subjects for adolescents and adults. A new study table for taller people is nearly ready. Bookshelves are in place. What we still need: more chairs, a gas stove for the kitchen, a ceiling fan for better air circulation, and a water filter and cooler. Also, we would like to recondition an outbuilding with public restrooms that we closed during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Let us pray together 

Global Lutheran Outreach recommends a  “Mission Circle” model of  a group of Christians who meet regularly to:
• Engage in a deeper study of God’s mission through the Word;
• Become informed and involed  God’s mission in other localities through communication with a specific crosscultural missionary;
• Pray for their missionary and for God’s mission in their own surroundings.

I would like to start a monthly “Mission Circle” podcast based on a videoconference between myself and whoever else would like to participate. It would last no longer than 30 minutes. The first videoconference would be on Monday, September 15, 8 p.m. Central Standard Time. Please let me know if you would like to be involved and I will send you a user ID and password.

Lord God, heavenly Father, who has placed the nations of the world under the authority of your Son, by your Holy Spirit incline the hearts of all who govern to submit themselves to the Lord of lords and King of glory, that the peace of heaven might prevail on earth. Let there also be peace in the church, in our homes and in our hearts. Amen.

 

Come to Macedonia and help us

Our focus for Sunday Bible study since Trinity Sunday has been the missionary journeys of St. Paul. What could be more fitting for summer vacation? We even had a sort of campfire song based on Acts 16:10. These are the lyrics in English:

"Come to Macedonia and help us pray, that the kingdom of God may be revealed to the lost souls in this world. Oh, come to Macedonia and help us pray!"

Our goal is not only to help the youth visualize the distant lands described in the Acts of the Apostles, but also the people whom Paul met there and his companions in his travels. Many of these people are mentioned in the Pauline epistles, which comprise a great part of the New Testament. We passed out prizes for those who could memorize the most names and places. 

COVID/dengue: A one-two punch

Venezuelans expect most of their annual rainfall from May through December. But this season has brought the heaviest rains and most turbulent storms in decades. Rivers have overflowed their banks, dams have burst, landslides have destroyed homes and highways. The most affected areas are located in the western part of the country, including our state of Barinas. According to official estimates, 8,000 families have been affected, nearly 400 homes have been damaged, and at least 25 bridges have collapsed. Agricultural losses have been reported, with more than 150 hectares in Mérida state and over 6,000 hectares of crops lost in the states of Bolívar and Portuguesa. The Orinoco River's rising levels have forced evacuations in Amazonas and Bolívar, with hundreds of families taking refuge in temporary shelters. The Venezuelan government activated emergency response plan. Medical teams have attended to hundreds of affected individuals.

Although the property damage is costly, there has been relatively little loss of life. These are not flash floods, as in Texas. People have time to run away. Here in La Caramuca, we have remained relatively high and dry.

But the heavy rains and humidity create an ideal environment for Aedes aegypti, the species of mosquito which is the primary carrier of dengue fever. Dengue is endemic in over 100 tropical and subtropical countries, primarily in Asia, the Pacific, the Americas, Africa, and the Caribbean.

But here is a new wrinkle: Co-infection of dengue and COVID-19. Individuals with a history of dengue have been found to be at an increased risk of developing COVID-19. Moreover, co-infection of dengue and COVID-19 results in worse outcomes, including a high mortality rate, more frequent admissions to intensive care units (ICUs), and prolonged hospital stays. Although the viruses enter the human body in different ways, COVID-19 and dengue share clinical symptoms, making differentiation difficult, especially in dengue-endemic regions, which increases the risk of misdiagnosis. There have been a number of people in our surrounding community diagnosed and hospitalized with this co-infection.

Blessed Lord, defend us from fire and floods, earthquakes and landslides, Let not any plague come near the dwelling of those who have made the Most High their refuge. Give your angels charge over us to keep us in all our ways. Amen.

I preached and administered the Lord's Supper at our sister church in Barinas, Corpus Christi, on July 6 and July 27. Please pray that the Corpus Christi congregation might call a full-time pastor.

Close of school year

Sandro Dionel Perez.

For the first time in 22 years, a school year ended without our preschool in operation. But Luz Maria continued with afterschool tutoring of children with learning challenges. In addition to remedial exercises in grammar and mathematics, tutoring sessions include prayer and Bible. One boy, Mateo, was pleased to discover that he was named after one of the four evangelists (Matthew). Now we are renovating the former preschool space for an expanded tutoring program for the school year which begins in September. One of our former preschool students, Sandro Dionel Perez, who was baptized December 15, 2019, graduated from the community preschool and will begin first grade next school year.

The need for creeds

Luz Maria and I traveled north to Barquisimeto for a pastor’s conference at Cristo es Amor (Christ is Love) Lutheran Church from June 25 to 26. It was privilege to celebrate the 495th anniversary of the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession with other pastors of our national church, the Lutheran Church of Venezuela.

Argénis Hernández, pastor of Ascension Lutheran Church in San Félix de Guayana, offered a meditation on Matthew 10:26-33 at the opening Matins service on June 25. I did the same for the appointed epistle, 1 Timothy 6:11-16, at Vespers.

The word “confession” is used in different ways. Perhaps most widely understood is the confession of sins. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”, 1 John 1:9. In the Lutheran church, confession of sin may be public or private. The dialogue of communal confession of sin by the congregation and absolution by the pastor as part of the Divine Service is of ancient origin. But Lutherans also retain the practice of private confession, either specific sins to a neighbor one has wronged, or sins that weigh particularly heavy on the heart to the pastor. Private confession is not a requirement, but a gift.

“Confession” as declaration of faith, or creed, is always understood as a public, not a private matter. (The word “creed” is derived from the Latin “credo” or “I believe”.) This is the essence of public worship, as shown in Nehemiah 8:1-12, the Old Testament lesson which was not read. Ezrah the priest publicly read from the books of Moses and all the people answered “Amen, Amen!”, while lifting up their hands. “And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.” God speaks to us in his infallible Scriptures, and we respond.Whether one says “I believe” or “we believe” does not matter, for what follows is not personal opinion, but an authoritative articulation of what the Scriptures say. An open proclamation of the truth and a steadfast defense of the truth, is demanded for every follower of Christ.

“Therefore whoever confesses me before men, him will I confess also before my Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven”, Matthew 10:33.

“Do the work of an evangelist”

St. Paul also tells his disciple in 2 Timothy 4, “But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” This served as the basis for another highlight of the pastor’s conference was a presentation by Carlos Ventura on “The Pastor as Evangelist”.The word εὐαγγελιστής (euaggelistés) is used in only two passages of the New Testament. Ephesians 4:11 sets evangelists among Christ’s gifts to His church: “And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers”.Apostles and prophets are those who received direct revelation from God. Because the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments contain all we need to know for salvation, there is no need for new revelation, therefore apostles and prophets do not exist in the contemporary church.

“Pastors and teachers” describes the regular ministry of publicly preaching the Word and administering the sacrament, which in all periods of the church has been and remained the same. The expression “teachers” probably refers chiefly to the public activity, while the other, “pastors,” to the application of the pastoral office to the individual members of the congregation. “Evangelists” is placed on the list in between apostles and prophets, and pastors and teachers.
In Acts 21:8, the title of evangelist is given to Philip, one of the original deacons of the church selected by the congregation at Jerusalem in Acts 6, but driven from the city by later persecution. Philip’s activities in Acts 8 are the only description given of “the work of an evangelist”.

He travels as an itinerant missionary, preaching and baptizing, performing miracles in Christ’s name, but under the authority of the apostles. Peter and John had to travel to Samaria to confirm the validity of Philip’s baptisms (Acts 8:14-17).

So what of Paul’s admonition to Timothy, a pastor and bishop, to do the work of an evangelist? We may conclude that even as the apostolic mission of the church continues without the apostles (Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15-16; Lucas 24:47-48; Acts 1:8), the work of an evangelist is not limited to the pastoral office. For Acts 8:4 says all who fled Jerusalem “went everywhere announcing the good news” (literally, εὐαγγελιζόμενοι, euangelizomenoi, evangelizing). It is highly desirable for all members of a local congregation to share the Gospel with family, friends and co-workers, pray for them and invite them to church. But the pastor also has an important rose to play in evangelism, as a teacher, guide and planner of intentional strategies.

Pastor Carlos Ventura and his wife, Berkis, with Meduardo Aparismo, the youngest of the five children of Rafael and Sabrina Aparismo, one of the founding families of El Redentor Lutheran Church.

A pioneer pastor

This month El Redentor (Redeemer) Lutheran Church of San Antonio de Capayacuar, Monagas state, will celebrate its 70th anniversary. During our spare moments in Barquisimeto, its current pastor, Carlos Ventura, talked with me about Heinrich Zeuch, its first pastor, installed in 1955. Zeuch was ordained as a deacon in Germany.  During World War II, his home in Berlin was destroyed by Allied bombing, leaving his family without a place to live. After the war, the Zeuchs arrived in Venezuela in refugees on an Italian ship, thanks to Gerhard Zeuch, Heinrich's son, who already had a job as an agronomist on a tobacco plantation. After many struggles and difficulties, they settled in San Antonio. At that time, San Antonio did not have electricity, a hospital or paved roads. Heinrich taught adult Bible classes and vacation Bible schools in the area, and was colloquized as Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod missionary before being called to serve El Redentor. San Antonio de Maturín became for many years in the center of a growing Lutheran presence in the state of Monagas and the southern zone of Sucre state.

Wind, rain and a wild ride

We returned from Barquisimeto on Friday. Day after day of heavy rains and strong winds in northwestern Venezuela made the rivers overflow, the dams explode, landslides and closed roads. The government quickly declared an emergency state in the mountain states of Trujillo, Tachira and Mérida, and eight of the 12 municipalities in the state of Barinas. In the afternoon Wednesday, June 25, 2025, the intense rainfall affected the state of Portuguesa, leaving the overflow of several rivers and the flooding of communities near the road that leads to the city of Guanare. Flooding of the Ospino River and overflow of a dam caused the collapse of the La Trinidad bridge on the José Antonio Páez highway, between Barquisimeto and Barinas. A detour around the collapsed bridge took us on a wild ride on a old, two-lane road as heavy traffic continued to flow as if on four lanes and roadside crews removed debris. We are now high and dry on our hilltop, but we ask you to please pray for those left homeless and otherwise affected by the inclement weather (200,000 families in Barinas state alone).

Caught up in the clouds

 The celebration of the Ascension brings to a close our annual reprise of the earthly ministry of Jesus. He walked among his disciples for forty days to testify to His resurrection. But it was necessary for Him to return to the Father so that His exaltation was complete (John 16: 5-15) . As we confess in the creed, Jesus "ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; and from there he will come to judge the living and the dead." We have no difficulty seeing in the ascension and enthronement of Jesus to the right hand of God the fulfillment of the prophetic words of Psalm 110. That Jesus is to the right of the Father, as a mediator and lawyer, means that forgiveness and sanctification are possible (Acts 5:30-31).

 resurrection of Our Lord was not simply the miraculous revival of a single man. The Scriptures contain other similar stories: the resurrection of mothers’ sons by Elijah and Elisha; the son of Nain's widow; the daughter of Jairus; Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha; and more. God, in His mercy, restored these people to their families, but in the end they were taken from this world. There are also stories in the Old Testament of men who did not die physically, but were taken to heaven. In particular, Enoch, descendant of Adam (Genesis 5: 21-24), and Elijah, in the Old Testament lesson appointed for the Ascension (2 Kings 2:5-15).

But even these miracles of God did not change the common fate of human beings, which is the eternal separation of God because of original sin. Both the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus changed everything for all. They were signs and stamps of His victory, a victory that He won when He died on the cross. It was a victory over sin, the power of the devil and death itself. Those who believe in Jesus Christ may die physically, like everyone else. But for those who believe in Jesus Christ, there is the promise that we also will be raised to life on the last day, not only to see Him return in the clouds as He was taken up (Acts 1:9-11), but also to be "caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 4:17)

Education program continues

On Sunday, May 11, 2025, we presented seven students and three assistant teachers with scholarships from LeadaChild. The assistant teachers who help Luz Maria with afterschool tutoring are all confirmed members of the mission: Anyi Garrido, Yusmelvis Salas and Diana Torres. The students who brought their mothers for Mother's Day also received packages of school supplies. God's providence, the Gospel reading for the fourth Sunday after Easter is John 16:16-22 and the sermon was based on verses 16 to 21:  "A woman when she is in labor has sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembers no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man will take from you."

Luz Maria's students are advancing in their studies and have shown distinct improvement in their grades. We have reopened what had been our preschool classroom before its forced closure for afterschool tutoring. We plan to remodel the preschool so that it is more of library and study center for older students.

We were pleased to learn of the high school graduation of Frenyerlin Naleska, a former recipient of LeadaChild scholarships. She was one of Luz Maria´s afterschool tutoring students, attended Sunday afternoon Bible class, and took first communion at our mission on January 8, 2017. Frenyerlin now lives in the city of Coro, Falcon state.

Frenyerlin Naleska, Escarleth Ruíz and Elias Montoya with LeadaChild scholarships.

Ready to serve as deaconesses

From May 1 to 3, 2025, Luz María served as an instructor at the final in-person seminar of the second cycle of the deaconess program sponsored by Concordia El Reformador Seminary and the Juan de Frías Theological Institute in Barquisimeto, Lara state. Other instructors were Deaconess Ginnatriz Vera de Mendoza, and Pastor Eliezer Mendoza, director of the Institute. On Sunday, May 5, eight women graduated from the program and are ready to serve as deaconesses.

The women who graduated from the deaconess program are: Matilde Castillo, Cristo es el Camino Lutheran Church, Barcelona, ​​Anzoátegui state; Cinthia Moreno and Ysaela Cedeño de Lozano of Fuente de Vida Lutheran Church, Puerto Ordaz, Bolívar state; Migdalia Veliz, Cristo el Vencedor Lutheran Church, La Pica, Monagas state;  María Ramírez de Coronado, La Fortaleza Lutheran Church, Maracay, Aragua state; Ana Gómez, Belkys Castellanos and Graciela Peraza de Coronado of Fuente de Vida Lutheran Church.

 

Trabajad, luchad y orad, No. 1037 in Himnario Luterano, is a hymn written by Stephen Starke and translated by Antonio Schimpf.

Three pastors reunited before the altar

On Sunday, May 4, five pastors celebrated the divine service together. Eduardo Flores, Sergio Maita, and I were ordained together at El Salvador Lutheran Church in Caracas on December 8, 2008. The three of us were together once more before the altar. Sergio is now missionary pastor of Cordero de Dios Lutheran Church in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, and professor at Concordia El Reformador Seminary, while Eduardo is the pastor of La Santa Trinidad Lutheran Church in Caracas and president of the Lutheran Church of Venezuela.

Pastor Maita preached the sermon for the Third Sunday of Easter on the Gospel (John 10:11-16) and the Introit (Psalm 33:5-6; 33:1; 33:18-20). The Hebrew word translated "mercy" in Psalm 33:5 is חֵסֵד (hesed). It can also be translated as steadfast love, loyalty, faithfulness, or kindness. But in the same verse, the psalmist says that the Lord loves justice and judgment. This blend of attributes is seen in the figure of the Good Shepherd, who does what is right for his sheep because he loves them.

The other pastors present were Eliézer Mendoza, pastor of Cristo es Amor Lutheran Church in Barquisimeto and director of the “Juan de Frías” Institute; and Juan Carlos Silva, assistant pastor of Cristo es Amor Lutheran Church.

Luz Maria's granddaughter graduates

On the same Sunday in Lima, Peru, Oriana Montoya, the granddaughter of Luz María, graduated from the same diaconal program. Oriana was born February 7, 2003, baptized that same month at Corpus Christi Lutheran Church in Barinas; and took first communion October 28, 2012, at our mission. On May 7, 2021 we said goodbye to Oriana; her mother, Yepci; and Aaron and Elias, her brothers. Like many Venezuelans, they sought a brighter future in another country. We give thanks that they were found by the LCMS Mission in Peru.

Bookending birthdays

On the evening before the deaconess seminar started, we celebrated Pastor Eliezer Mendoza's birthday with Pastor Eliezer, his wife, Ginnatriz, their two daughters and the deaconess students. The day after the graduation ceremony, we celebrated Luz Maria's birthday. 

Our time in Barquisimeto also included outiings to local attractions, including Tintorero, a village known as a center for folk art and crafts, especially colorfully dyed hammocks. Luz Maria purchased a traditional Venezuelan coffee maker (see below).

Our time in Barquisimeto also included outiings to local attractions, including Tintorero, a village known as a center for folk art and crafts, especially colorfully dyed hammocks. Luz Maria purchased a traditional Venezuelan coffee maker (see below).