LCMS World Mission Blog

This week, the following announcement and resources were shared with LCMS leaders to invite them to celebrate the launching of four career missionaries to the mission fields where they will serve. Please join us in celebrating!

Dear Pastors and Principals,

I invite you to join us in launching new career missionaries onto the mission field. They join the 115 year-plus tradition of LCMS overseas career missionary service — responding to the call to share the Good News of God’s love with people of all nations.

This month, four missionaries will travel to their mission posts: DCE Anthony DiLiberto will serve the Lord and His Church in Peru, Rev. Dr. Carl and Deaconess Deborah Rockrohr will serve in South Africa and Rev. Tony Booker will serve in the Czech Republic. During this month, especially during the weeks of Jan. 15 and 22, please use the information below in your communications and worship services as you deem appropriate in support of our missionaries.

Thank you for your support of God’s mission and the LCMS missionaries who serve in the name of Christ. I will continue to seek your support as we send career missionaries to bring the Good News in word and deed to the mission field. May our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, grant peace and joy to you and those who serve in distant lands.

In Christ,

Rev. Gregory K. Williamson

Chief Mission Officer

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

*************************************

Bulletin Announcement:  Help launch LCMS missionaries to Peru, South Africa and the Czech Republic this month

All LCMS congregations and schools are invited to join us in launching new career missionaries, DCE Anthony DiLiberto, the Rev. Dr. Carl and Deaconess Deborah Rockrohr and Rev. Tony Booker onto the mission field. Please include them and their families in your congregational and school prayers the weeks of Jan. 15 and 22. Anthony will fly to Peru on Jan. 16, the Rockrohrs will fly to South Africa on Jan.21 and Pastor Booker will travel with his family on Jan. 26.

A prayer for inclusion in your worship or school chapel services

O Lord God, merciful and gracious Father, we give thanks for all the blessings You have bestowed on missionaries Anthony DiLiberto, Carl and Deborah Rockrohr and Tony Booker and their families in their preparation to share the love of Christ in Peru, South Africa and the Czech Republic. By Your Word and Spirit preserve them in the one true faith. Grant them faithfulness in their field of service and a readiness to grow in wisdom, knowledge and skill for the sake of those they serve to the glory of Your holy name; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Lutheran Service Book Agenda)

Meet the Missionaries:

About Anthony

DCE Anthony DiLiberto will serve as a career missionary in the name of Christ and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in Peru. As the Peru mission team’s mercy outreach specialist, he will identify and develop ways for new members of the emerging Peruvian Lutheran church body to put their faith into action, reaching out with the love of Christ to their neighbors in both word and deed. He will also help the LCMS church-planting ministry team in Peru. Anthony has served in Peru since the fall of 2008, coordinating short-term mission teams and service projects.

About Carl and Deborah

Rev. Carl and Deaconess Deborah Rockrohr will serve as career missionaries in the name of Christ and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in South Africa at Lutheran Theological Seminary. Carl will teach and assist the rector with administrative tasks of the seminary. Additionally, he will assist the bishop of the Lutheran Church of Southern Africa (LCSA), an LCMS partner/sister church. As the director of the new residential deaconess training program, Deborah will teach diaconal classes and develop this new program. The Rockrohrs’ son, Ted, will join them in the field.

About Tony

Rev. Tony Booker will serve as a missionary in the name of Christ and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in Prague, Czech Republic. Tony will serve as the pastor to a small congregation of English-speaking expatriates and help build closer relationships between the LCMS and local Lutheran churches, so that they might work together in mutual mission and ministry. He will also coordinate cultural exchange events with members and institutions of the surrounding community, develop a deeper relationship with a Lutheran Czech day school and serve as the LCMS supervisor for local short-term mission teams and projects. Tony’s wife, Connie, will join him in the field.

In their own words

Anthony writes, “LCMS congregations, schools and individuals play an integral part of my missionary service. Simply put, if it wasn’t for the prayers and financial gifts of my supporters back home, I wouldn’t be able to serve as a career missionary in Peru. My friends back home are that important to me. Life on the foreign mission field is not always easy. When the ‘going gets tough,’ it makes all the difference in the world to know that I’m being included in the prayers of the Church at multiple congregations on any given Sunday, that there are families lifting me up to the Lord during their daily devotions and that I have the support of so many brothers and sisters in Christ back home cheering me on.”

Deborah writes, “It is so obvious that we just cannot [deploy to South Africa] without the Lord’s blessing and guidance. So, it is a time of preparation for sure, but it is also a time that the Lord is daily teaching us the blessings of relying on Him for all things. We give thanks to God for many generous and heartfelt individual donors and congregations. Yet fundraising awareness needs to continue, and support needs to build in the coming weeks and months. We encourage you to share this information with others who may be interested in learning about our work. Even if congregations cannot at this time budget official support, perhaps special gifts and offerings can be considered.”

Tony writes, “The Church raises up workers and sends them out into the harvest — we have the prayers of our friends and church family, are sent by Jesus Christ and are hard-wired into our baptismal identity as the children of God by the Holy Spirit. We lack nothing! But, I can start to feel what Peter may have felt as he stepped out of the boat and onto the water. ‘Help me Lord!’ and He does. I remember praying for years for the people behind the Iron Curtain to hear the saving message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I never dreamed that God would say, ‘I’m sending you.’ This has been humbling and exciting at the same time.”

Get involved

• Visit www.lcms.org/diliberto, www.lcms.org/rockrohr or www.lcms.org/booker to learn more and to give a secure online donation.
• Call 888-843-5267 to learn how your congregation can “adopt” Anthony, the Rockrohrs or the Bookers.
• Anthony, Carl, Deborah and Tony are just four of nearly 100 LCMS career missionaries who need our support. Call 888-843-5267 or visit www.lcms.org/prayercards to learn about the other LCMS missionaries in the field who would be blessed by your support.