Since 1964, WELS has been working to bring the good news of Jesus’ resurrection to Latin America. Missionaries were first sent to Puerto Rico. During the following decades, mission work spread to more countries south of the U.S. border.

Today, 12 WELS missionaries serve Latin America. In addition to Puerto Rico, they reside in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Brazil. They also travel to Colombia, Bolivia, and other places.

Missionaries learn the languages of the countries they serve, which include Spanish, Portuguese, French and Creole. This helps them share the Gospel with others, train men to be pastors, and work with these pastors to develop self-supporting congregations and church bodies.

Approximately 550 million people live in Latin America. To reach them all with the good news of salvation is a steep task. Yet we give thanks to God for providing opportunities to do so. While cultures, people, and languages vary, the goal is one: to bring more sheep into Christ’s resurrected arms