Today the leaders of the IELC (Mexican Lutheran Synod) are gathered together for the start of the annual national convention. They have traveled from many parts of Mexico to Juárez, a city in northern Mexico just across the border from El Paso, Texas.Pastors and delegates traveled from places as far away as Mexico City and Puebla. While these journeys are long (24-plus hours in a bus), the trip is worthwhile. The convention is a time to make decisions, enjoy fellowship, and receive encouragement.

On Sunday, the convention will conclude with the graduation ceremony for Juan José Olvera. He started studying in the Mexican Lutheran Seminary in 2003 and has now completed his studies.

After Sunday, he will be called to serve in one of Mexico’s congregations. To God be the glory!

The May-June rice harvest is in and the numbers look good for the Dominican Republic. This crop was abundant and will help keep the country self-sufficient in rice production. To meet the country’s demand of an average of 335,000 tons of rice per year, two harvests are brought in each year, one in May and the other in January.

Rice – a good source of energy, B vitamins and low in fat – is a staple of the Dominican diet. It is easily found in any grocery store, market or corner store, highly visible, easy to find, it is usually sold in one of the first rows in a variety of sizes and name brands, it occupies almost half of an aisle all by itself. A popular saying goes, “A meal without rice is not a meal”. Rice is one of the first foods a mother will teach her young daughter to prepare. The average Dominican will eat rice every day, consuming about 43 kilos per year/per person.

Rice is served plain with seasoned meat or chicken. It accompanies soup or is mixed with a variety of vegetables to become a side dish. It can be yellow (flavored with anchiote) or brown (flavored with soy sauce). The Dominican “bandera” (typical meal) contains rice. Other popular local dishes like asopao and sancocho are served with rice. Rice is also found on the dessert menu in Rice and Coconut and Sweet Rice.

Besides being a main dish in the Dominican diet, rice production provides 1.5 million jobs for Dominicans. The Dominican Republic is the largest producer of rice in Central American and the Caribbean (http://www.fao.org/).

Before we lived in Latin American we did not eat much rice, but after learning about and enjoying their culture, we also have added rice to our menu. Most of our children prefer rice to potatoes. Some of our children also say, “A meal without rice is not a meal”.

(Submitted by Kathy Strackbein)

Source: Picture taken by Jan Zatko, March the 16th, 2005According to a study by the Wall Street Journal, the Basilica of our Lady of Guadalupe was the most visited Catholic sanctuary in the world in 2006. It even topped St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.

Last year, almost 10 million visitors came to the Basilica of our Lady of Guadalupe. Located in Mexico City, the large cathedral draws pilgrims from all over Mexico.

Mary is the centerpoint of most cathedrals in Mexico. Jesus is sometimes on display; however, he is usually in the back of church. A statue of Jesus may rest in a coffin, or he might be pictured on a cross. The emphasis is on his suffering. Very few know of the resurrection.

Thus the need for the Gospel in Mexico remains. Preaching a resurrected Christ is of utmost importance. Pray that that precious message reach as many as possible in Mexico.

Mission Accomplished! What is the mission? To share the good news of Jesus Christ and to establish and equip national churches to do the same within their cultures. Since 1993 we have lived in the central Taiwan city of Taichung. The divine call that we were given was to plant a church in Taichung that could be handed over to the National church body that WELS works with here in Taiwan: the Christian Lutheran Evangelical Church (CLEC).

Our first years were spent in language school and learning about the Chinese people, language, history, religious practices and culture. At the same time we made friends and began some “home based” ministries. After 7 years of holding “home worship” in our living room our numbers were increasing and we needed a larger place to gather. Many of you have followed the growth of this work over these 13 years knowing all along that it was our intent to one day hand this work off to a Chinese national evangelist.

The Lord has led Evangelist Noah Chen and his wife, Angela, to join the work here in Taichung. Noah has over the past number of years taken Bible courses here in Taiwan and most recently in Mequon, Wisconsin all with the intent of serving the Lord. Noah’s training has equipped him to serve as an evangelist and he is continuing Seminary training to reach a Bachelor of Theology degree. In June of 2007 Noah and Angela began the move to Taichung. The Taichuung Gospel Center extended a divine call for Noah to serve as their evangelist. Their presence has had an immediate impact and their love for the Lord and his people is evident.

Over the next 6 months we will continue to w

ork with Noah and Angela as we help them to transition fully into the leadership of the Taichung Gospel Center. Please pray for the Chen’s as they learn a new city, as they visit with and better understand each of the members and their needs, and as they acclimate to this ministry. Praise God for his mission and for his plan to carry it out!

What follows below in the YouTube clip is Evangelist Chen addressing the congregation on the day of his installation as Evangelist.

One by one, the girls stood under a canopy of roses. There they waited for their six-year-old counterpart to present them with a rose on one knee. Together they walked to the dance floor, where they performed a waltz with the other graduates.Kindergarten graduates, that is.

On Tuesday, July 3rd, we attended a ceremony to honor the children who had completed kindergarten. In Mexico, children must enter kindergarten when they are three years old. They take three years of kindergarten and then begin first grade.

One of our members from Jesus Pan de Vida (Jesus Bread of Life), Ivonne, was part of this graduating class. The ceremony we attended for her was a typical one for graduation. It began with parents walking in their children and accompanying them to their special chairs. The chairs were covered in white and green, to match the white and green that the children wore.

Then the teacher (pictured above) read the names of the children, and they walked to the front to receive their diploma.

The diplomas were only the beginning of the party. Special dances followed. Children who had completed their second year of kindergarten performed traditional dances, like the one pictured below.

All of the decorations, dancing and overall festive atmosphere reflect Mexico’s culture to hold events and celebrate. As one teacher said before the four-year-olds performed a dance, “Let’s remember that we’re norteños (the name for those who live in northern Mexico) and we’re happy!” Indeed, the celebration on Tuesday proved that statement true.