Trip and ongoing Missions.

Thank you for your prayers for the mission trip to the Philippines. The trip is complete and everyone is home safe and sound. The Word of God was proclaimed to many people in many congregations. May God add His blessings to that spoken word.

The Foreign Mission of the Apostolic Lutheran Church is involved in the following missions:

1) Supporting pastors in hundreds of churches around the world.

2) Work in fellowship with over 1100 churches outside the USA that have a membership of at least 140,000 people.

3) Hold regular pastor training seminars in several countries per year.

4) Channel support for children in orphanages

5) Print and distribute Christian monthly's outside the USA

6) Print and distribute the Follow Jesus prevent aides booklet. The number of these is in the millions.

7) Print and distribute the Where He Leads me newsletter.

8) Reach thousands of people in the poor villages in several countries around the world.

This is not a complete list, but is just a bit of info so that you can be reminded to pray for the Foreign Mission, it's pastors and associates, as well as pray for your brothers and sisters in faith around the world.

In Christ! John

Trip in Progress! + Please Pray!

Hello and God's Peace!

Currently Colin Kinnunen and team are in the Philippines conducting pastors training seminars. After Saturday 1/17 they will be doing church visits, including one to a joint service with 15 or so churches. This service usually has about 1000 people. Please pray for Colin and Randy Kinnunen, Scott and Bruce Niemitalo, Al and Kathy Traffie, and Frat Aho on this trip. Also meeting them there are Amanda and Leona Matson who are currently on a two year world trip. A brother of theirs may also be with them right now also. The return date for this trip is Jan. 23rd.

Planning on the India trip is coming along just fine. Be in Prayer for this, as we know India is not the safest place right now. Dates; Feb 9th to March 6th. Sorry, due to conditions on the ground in India, we are not allowed to take anymore people with us. Only two will be going, Dennis Hilman and John Ruotsala. This is upon the serious advice of our hosts.

In December the FMB had a meeting in NH. This time together was blessed. Continue to hold the Foreign Mission in your prayers, as we desire to do our little part of the Lord's work obediently.

New Year at the Foreign Mission!

Hello to all! God's Peace!

As this New Year begins I am very much looking forward to a year of getting to know many more Christian people in the USA and around the world! Please be in prayer often for our efforts as we labor in the Lord's vineyard! Nothing good will happen without the Lord's blessings and guidance! I will not write much here, as this portion is set aside for just quick updates!

* Pray for safe travels and wonderful services for Colin Kinnunen, Al Traffie, Kathy Traffie, Frat Aho, Randy Kinnunen, Scott Niemitalo, and Bruce Niemitalo as they are leaving for the Philippines on 1/13/09.

* India trip by Dennis Hilman and John Ruotsala is on schedule. Feb 9-24 for John and a week or two longer for Dennis.

* Ryan in Guatemala has started a blog to keep you updated on things in Guatemala. It is http://www.ryanruotsala.blogspot.com/

* Leona Matson also has a blog for her around the world travels. Leona and Amanda Matson are on an around the world trip. This is not a funded foreign mission trip, but when they are close to countries that we work in, they do help us out greatly by visting our people. The blog is http://leo-leyla-lena.blogspot.com/

There is room for several more youth to go on a mission trip this summer, 2009. Please email me at foreignmission@comcast.net for more info.

Now that NH has power back and the Holidays are over, I will update this as often as I can so please keep checking back! I will be traveling a lot, but hopefully I can do some of it from the road as well.

In His Service! John

FM Latest Developments

Hello all! God's Peace!

Just a quick note about a few of the very latest FM developments.

* Dennis Hilman has now finished a three month FM tour in South Africa, and is back in Finland. Pray for him as he spends the next month or so moving from the apartment he and his beloved late wife shared. This will be hard on him, so prayer will help!

* There will be four separate regional Mission Training seminars held in the USA in March and early April 09. Congregations in South Carolina, Minnesota, or WA that would be willing to host these, please contact the FM administrator at jthree16@comcast.net There will also be one session in NH. Dennis Hilman will be the Pastor doing the training, and the FM administrator will assist him. Exact dates and locations TBA!

* Pastors training in 4 West African nations have been moved from January to April and May due to the time needed to get Visa's lined up and all the plans laid. Dennis Hilman and Frank Famiyeh from Ghana will be teaching.

* John Ruotsala will be accompanied by Dennis Hilman and probably not Carl Lamppa as originally planned for the India trip in February. One or two other people can join in if you decide very quickly. Just emial me at jthree16 @comcast.net if you are interested.

* There are 7 people going from the 13th of January to the 23rd of Jan to the Philippines. They will also try to secure hard to get tickets to Vietnam, but have not been able to yet. Pastors training will be held by Colin Kinnunen and others on this trip.

* There is a Pastors training seminar coming up in the summer of 09 in Guatemala.

* There is a youth mission trip to Guatemala in Summer of 09. Jay Wirkkala is the Team Leader and Scott Niemitalo is the pastor.

May more developements will be posted here as time goes on.

Thanks, John

Fall/Winter Fund Campaign

Dear Christians everywhere!

God's Peace!

Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15)

These are the words of our Lord. Your Foreign Mission is endeavoring to be obedient to His calling. The Lord has blessed us and has allowed us to be used in this capacity in many countries, such as India, Myanmar, Russia, China, Ghana, South Africa, Guatemala and many other countries. We pray that He will continue using His servants here on earth to bring the saving message of the Redemptive work of Jesus Chris to the multitudes.

We want each Christian to know that your help and assistance is greatly appreciated. We encourage you to join us in the mission field. There is so much to do and so little time to do it, that the Foreign Mission desires and needs your help! The fields are ripe for harvest!

Unfortunately, this work comes with a high financial cost. The Foreign Mission is experiencing a financial struggle due to our slow economy. We are attempting to be good stewards of His treasures and continually take a close look at all of our expenses. We have cut our budget at least 22%. We have redoubled our efforts to be sure that the maximum percentage possible of our spending goes toward the actual preaching of the Gospel.

However, even with this effort, we must make a plea for funds! Would you be able to help the Foreign Mission financially? Whether your gift is large or small it will be a great help in this battle. For instance, you can support a pastor for as little as $30 a month in India, Myanmar, and some other countries. You can even support 50% or 25% of a pastor's needs if that is what is right for you! ...and how shall they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:14)

During the first seven months of this fiscal year, the Foreign Mission received $134,000, which is well off the pace needed to operate as usual. As we strive to utilize your generous contributions in the most efficient ways in our current and future efforts, we recognize that we may have to operate for the present time with a reduced budget from what he have grown accustomed to in recent years. However, let us remember, that even a small contribution given by many people, multiplies quickly into a large amount. For instance, when you consider that there are probably around 6000 members in the Apostolic Lutheran Church alone, plus any number of other interested Christians, and if each contributed 12 dollars per month, contributions would amount to $72,000 on a monthly basis. (based on only 6000 people) We realize not everyone can afford even this much, but we pray this could be balanced through the giving by those who would be able to contribute more than 12 dollars on a monthly basis.

During this Christmas Season, would you consider a donation to the Foreign Mission? Perhaps this could be done in lieu of a gift for that person that is so difficult to buy for, and many Americans fit this category. By contacting us, we can plan a donation gift for you on behalf of that person so that he/she will be able to have the joy of giving also! All donations are tax deductible and a receipt will be issued.

Thank you for your generosity! Please remember this is the Lord's Foreign Mission; therefore, as a Christian, it is Your Foreign Mission!

Sincerely,

John Ruotsala Foreign Mission Administrator

Welcome!

This is just the initial welcome message for this new blog. I will, Lord willing, update this weekly or more often, except while out of the country.
The reason for this blog is to allow all readers the ability to quickly be able to see the latest news and happpening in regards to Your Foreign Mission!
The stated goal and desire of the Foreign Mission in to be obedient to the words of our Lord when He said, " Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15
This Blog may have articles from time to time, but that is not the real purpose. It is just to inform of the happenings and maybe show a picture or two. Other places on the website and the Where He Leads Me newsletter will deal more with articles.
So please check back here often for the latest news! Thank You! John Ruotsala FM Administrator