At our synod convention, Missions Counselor Steven Petersen reported that during 2006 3,000 people were baptized in the Lutheran Mission of Salvation—India. Pastor Young Ha Kim reported that 8,000 people made use of the church building in Seoul, South Korea in 2006. Missionary David Russow reported on the Lord’s work being done in Rogers, Minnesota and their plans to build a worship facility. Truly the world is ripe for the harvest and the Holy Spirit is causing the Gospel to reach many people. We should thank the Lord for giving us the opportunity and the resources for these new missions.

Meanwhile in Chile, English as a Second Language classes have proved successful. Our two missionaries are busy contacting people with the Gospel and teaching classes. And it is certainly amazing how the people of Peru, both in Lima and in the Amazon jungle, have understood the value of Christian education so that new schools are being started and existing schools need to expand.

A greater number of ELS young people traveled to Ukraine this summer to work at Vacation Bible Schools of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church. These young people worked hard to have sufficient funds to travel there and worked hard as they taught the gospel to young people in Ukraine.

This fall, one of our seminary students will live in the Czech Republic to teach Greek and Hebrew to two Czech men who are preparing themselves for seminary classes. He will keep up with his own seminary classes on-line. He is doing this so that mission outreach in Plzen can increase through the work of these two men. Meanwhile, teachers from the United States dedicate a portion of their lives to teach at the Martin Luther School in Plzen to train up a generation of Czech young people in God’s pure Word.

These successes did not just happen. Many people worked hard to proclaim the Gospel. Think of the many trips missionaries have traveled by horseback and boat in Peru. Missionaries in Chile drive many miles to reach people in distant towns. Evangelists in India diligently travel far to study and then to teach the people, braving the wrath of other religions. Missionaries in the eastern Europe must deal with rejection by those still influenced by communism.

At times, gospel work may have seemed fruitless. Yet, God used the gifts and sacrifices of these missionaries so that His Kingdom of grace would expand into the world. However, all these mission workers of the gospel had this in common—they had a love for the truth of God’s Word, a love for lost souls, and a desire to tell people about Jesus.

In 1968, those first missionaries who were sent to Peru could not have foreseen the blessings of an expanded mission program that God has now granted to our synod. But they laid foundations for mission work, mission zeal, and mission prayers—all of which God has blessed.

Perhaps we may feel that our congregations are not as successful in our mission outreach as they could be. However, Jesus asks His children to be faithful to His Word, to be steadfast in our love for others, and to declare His praises to those who remain in unbelief. We do this as we teach or help with Vacation Bible School, Sunday School, Christian day school, youth groups and Bible classes in our congregation. Through our attendance at, support of and prayers for these various activities of the congregation, the Holy Spirit will give us opportunities to tell others about the hope that Christ has given us by His death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven.

God has also given us opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young people through Lutheran Schools of America. This effort is designed as a mission effort to draw students to an excellent education and teach them what Jesus has done for them.

God has given us many opportunities and resources to make a difference in the lives of people around us and far away. Let us use what God has given us so that the message of salvation in Jesus can be heard near and far.

Theodore Gullixson is pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Madison, Wisconsin.