So...just who is in León? A bunch of us: 10 adults and 3 kids, to be exact.
Here's how it breaks down: In León there are two missionaries called to serve Mexico, two Latin American Traveling Theological Educators (LATTE) missionaries residing here, and two WELS Kingdom Worker volunteers teaching English. Toss in some family members and you get 13 total. Here are the details:
Mike Hartman: Mexico field coordinator. I could list all of Mike's duties, but I'll just say it how I see him: he's the glue that holds Mexico together. From overseeing outlying missions near Cancún to checking on border town congregations struck by violence to counseling pastors, teaching seminary students, and always looking for an evangelism opportunity, Mike's days are full. He serves as the liaison between the Mexican Lutheran Church here and WELS in the U.S. and takes on the administrative duties that come with that role.
We support him by staying cute (Noelle), being Daddy's "assistant" on errands (Trinity), watching football with him (Hans), and keeping a positive attitude (me). He's pictured here with us, of course - if you've been following this blog for any amount of time, you know who we are! I'm Rachel, our sweet girls are Trinity and Noelle, and the littlest one is Hans.
Larry Schlomer: LATTE missionary. Larry and his wife Marlene have a long list of world missions experience, ranging from places like Colombia to Nigeria and now Mexico. Larry is part of the LATTE team, which means he trains men for ministerial work all over Latin America. He also helps out with the mission work here in Mexico by assisting with congregational duties and evangelism efforts.
I've known Larry and Marlene since I first arrived in Mexico (thanks for picking me up at the airport!) and am truly thankful to God for placing them in my life. Among the many, many things I have gleaned from them about missionary life, I consider this lesson to be one of the most important: mission work begins - and ends - with the people. I have seen Larry and Marlene develop and maintain friendships with people wherever they go, which always opens doors to the Gospel and the nourishing of souls. They have done the same thing here in León and we feel blessed to have them on the field.
Nathan Wagenknecht: LATTE missionary. Nate serves on the LATTE team, training men in areas throughout Latin America. He also helps with mission work on the Mexico field.
Nate and Julie have served in world missions for more than 10 years. Nate started as a vicar in Puerto Rico in 1997 and Julie as a WELS Kingdom Workers volunteer in Japan in 1998. They met and started working together in the Dominican Republic in 2007. Between the two of them, they have assisted our missions in the U.S., Japan, Puerto Rico, Malawi, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Brazil, and other areas in the Caribbean. They post family updates at www.thewagenknechts.wordpress.com.
Brad Krause: Missionary to Mexico. Brad was called to serve in Mexico in May 2010. He currently oversees evangelism efforts in León, and is pastor of the mission congregation Cristo Resucitado (Resurrected Christ). He leads worship on Sundays, holds numerous Bible studies during the week, and manages the free English classes offered as an outreach effort at the mission.
Brad and Heidi have found life in Mexico to be different in many ways from the U.S. "In the U.S., lives are scheduled out in hours and minutes," says Heidi. "In Mexico, days are planned more around events and people." (sidenote from Rachel: this is so true and well-stated! A good summary of how daily life functions here).
Learn more about the Krauses here.
In the summer of 2011, we welcomed two new WELS Kingdom Worker volunteers: Lucas Fricke (left) from Mauston, Wis.; and Joel Hering from Dallas, Texas.
Both are taking a break from their studies at Martin Luther College to participate in the Kingdom Worker program and live in Mexico for a year.
Lucas and Joel currently teach free English classes offered at the mission congregation here in León. They are also helping out with evangelism efforts.
Both volunteers are settling in well to teaching, church work, and foreign living. In addition to the classes they teach, Joel and Lucas are taking weekly horseback riding lessons from an English students.
Our family - especially our girls - loves having these two around. Learn more about Joel and Lucas here.
