LCMS World Mission Blog

Rev. David and Joyce Erber serve as missionaries in West Africa, based out of Nigeria, and recently shared this update.

“During these last weeks, our world has witnessed devastation through a tsunami in Japan, war in Libya, tornadoes in the United States and renewed fighting in Ivory Coast. According to Rev. Amos Bolay, president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Liberia, fighting in Ivory Coast has resulted in one million refugees fleeing to Liberia. These refugees have nowhere to go, nowhere to sleep and no food to eat. In March, President Bolay and Rev. Baicrah Gaye (men with whom we work closely in Liberia) collected funds from Lutheran congregations in Monrovia and traveled to the areas of Liberia that are close to the Ivory Coast border. After much searching, they found refugee Rev. Tade Desire, president of the Lutheran Church in Ivory Coast. They also distributed the bags of rice they had taken with them. In addition to all of the relief efforts in Japan and other places, LCMS World Relief and Human Care has given a grant of $17,500 for refugee relief in Liberia. The church in Liberia hopes that this aid will enable them to reach out to people in desperate need with both physical and spiritual care.”

• Learn more about the Erbers and how you can support their ministry.
• Learn more about LCMS work in Africa.