Part of being a missionary is adapting to a new culture. This often includes trying different foods. For Missionary Mike Hartman, this is an ongoing adventure. He loves to try new dishes and sauces that people serve him, and is always ready to order an item on the menu that he doesn’t recognize. Here are just a few of the kinds of tacos he has tried while living in Mexico:

- Brains
- Sweat glands
- Worms
- Fried ant eggs
- Grasshoppers
- and others!!

If you would like to know more about the foods he’s tried or are wondering which of these was his favorite, drop me an e-mail at: rachelmhartman (at) gmail (dot) com.

Happy Independence Day!

Feb 27 is Independence Day in the Dominican Republic. We thank God for the freedoms we enjoy — especially, the freedom of religion.

We pray for his blessing as we strive to share the blessing of true freedom — freedom from sin, fear of death and the devil — through faith in Christ Jesus here in the DR.

The Lord bless you with his Peace,
NW

Since this is a new blog, some of these posts will be “old news”, which is really an oxymoron, isn’t it?

One of our joys in the DR is preparing local men to become pastors and leaders in the church. The Lord of the Church has blessed us with six men who desire to serve Him as pastors–Alex, Helve, Obed, Julio, Feddy and Rona (seated, left to right). We ask for your prayers that the Lord bless their seminary studies.

We welcomed LATTE Professor Ralph Martens (standing) for a three month teaching session last year (15 Aug – 15 Nov 2006). He taught Dogmatics (doctrine), the Formula of Concord (one of our historic Lutheran Confessions), New Testament Isagogics (an introduction and overview of each book of the New Testament), Pastoral Theology, Greek, and the Life of St. Paul. Yes, his plate was full. We thank God for his labors!

The Lord bless you with his Peace,
NW

Greetings and welcome!

This is my first attempt at a blog, so please be patient with the learning curve as I try out different options

It is my prayer that through this blog I can share with you news about the blessings and success of the preaching of the Gospel here in the Dominican Republic. There is no more important and precious message to share with others than the full and free forgiveness of sin through faith in Jesus Christ.

If you do not know who Jesus is or what he has done to open wide heaven’s doors for *you*, please click on the link “Want to learn about Jesus?” above and to the right.

The Lord bless you with his Peace,
NW

On February 21, the first worship service was held at “Divina Gracia” (Divine Grace) in Zaragoza Sur. God greatly blessed this initial evangelism effort. Over 60 people attendend the Ash Wednesday service!Zaragoza Sur refers to an area of Torreón, Mexico. It is one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city. Its houses consist of flats and paper bound together. Every time it rains, people have to rebuild their homes. (Fortunately, it does not rain that often – Torreón is located in a desert!)

Currently, seminary students are leading the evangelism efforts in Zaragoza Sur. Area congregations have donated clothing and household items. Seminary students sell these items at a very low price (10 cents per item) on Saturdays. Bible studies for adults and children are also offered twice a week. These evangelism efforts in Zaragoza Sur have greatly benefited from a generous gift from the WELS Humanitarian Aid Fund.

As seminary students began to work in the area, they discovered that many children have not been baptized. In Mexico, the family usually has to pay the Catholic Church to perform the baptism. In Zaragoza Sur, families cannot afford this rite.

Community members were surprised and pleased to hear that the Lutheran church does not charge for baptisms. Sem students are holding bible classes that teach the meaning and significance of baptism. In a couple of weeks, Godwillingly, more will be added to God’s kingdom through baptism at Divine Grace.

Praise be to God for the well-attended first service at Divine Grace!! May he continue to bless outreach efforts in Zaragoza Sur.