LCMS World Mission Blog

This update was shared by GEO missionary Donna Meyer, who serves in Papua New Guinea. Photo: Lutheran high school students in Papua New Guinea.

It is with great joy that I write to you this second time from Papua New Guinea. What a big and great God we serve! I have learned and seen so much this past month! Even though this is a very small country, the culture is very diverse. It was not until 1948, when the first LCMS missionaries entered the Highlands, that the Highlanders were introduced to the modern era. Age-old tribal thinking and ways of doing things are still embedded in local, national and church politics and customs.

The LCMS is well-established in the Highlands. Like in all churches, each generation in the Highlands needs support and a constant influx of new materials to meet the challenges of evangelizing their youth. My role in serving among the Gutnius (Good News) Lutheran Church (GLC), the LCMS partner church in Papua New Guinea, is to provide encouragement, tools and resources to help the church establish sound educational bases to be built upon in the Sunday schools, confirmation classes and day schools. I am very excited after the meeting I attended Jan. 27 at Timothy Seminary, the GLC’s Pidgin-speaking seminary near here in Birip. The principal of the seminary, John Nathan, asked me to hold a Sunday school workshop at the seminary for his church district. It is to take place when the seminary students are on break in March. This gathering will be reported throughout the GLC, and then, hopefully, other districts will follow suit with their own workshops.

This is an answer to prayer because I did not know how God would open a door for me to begin working with the Sunday schools or any other educational entity. Not only did John make this request, but he also asked me to assist him in his seminary classroom with topics regarding educating youth. Additionally, fellow missionary Julie Lutz told me yesterday that the elementary (grades K-2) teachers will be having a teacher training and I have been asked to assist with it. Praise God for these open doors! I am overwhelmed with His provision. Praise God for preparing in advance for me all these opportunities to serve the people of the Gutnius Lutheran Church.

• Learn more about witness and mercy work in Papua New Guinea.
• Learn more about GEO missionary Donna Meyer and how you can support her work.