|
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.
Psalm 85:11NRSVue
| | Pictured above: A sponsored student and her family sit outside their home in Karuvelampadi in the Kalrayan Hills. LPGM's India team is currently visiting students in their villages during summer break. During the visits, they check in on students, collect feedback from students and parents, strengthen their relationships with students and their families, and learn more about the students' home lives. Click here to get a glimpse of village life. | | Introducing Our New Lunch & Learn Webinar Series | | |
| |
Join Bethany Krepela, LPGM Development Director, for LPGM's inaugural Lunch & Learn webinar from 12-12:30 p.m. on Monday, May 4.
This new monthly webinar series is designed to provide LPGM updates, highlight our partners' programs, and offer you a chance to ask questions.
May's topic is nutrition at our partner’s boarding homes in Tamil Nadu, India. Learn about what students eat, how the food is prepared, and about the cooks who nourish students day in and day out.
Register for May's Lunch & Learn webinar
| | LPGM Office Open Houses Rescheduled | | | | |
Minneapolis was hit with a huge snowstorm in mid-March, and we had to cancel our open houses for everyone's safety.
Spring is here, and we've set two new dates for our open houses.
You are invited to join us for treats and a tour on one of two rescheduled dates:
Sunday, May 17, 2026 -
9:30 a.m. - noon
Monday, May 18, 2026 -
5:00-7:00 p.m.
Bethlehem Lutheran Church-Twin Cities, Minneapolis campus
4100 Lyndale Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55409
RSVPs appreciated but not required.
| | India Travelers Host Adult Forum at Zion Lutheran Church, Anoka | | |
On the morning of Sunday, April 26, around 45 Zion church members gathered to hear Bill and Marie Norquist and their daughter, Sarah Irwin, share about their February trip to India with LPGM.
Bill, Marie, and Sarah talked about their experiences visiting iconic sites in Delhi/Agra, our partner's boarding homes in Tamil Nadu, and the garden city of Bangalore.
They recounted heartfelt anecdotes, including how their fellow travelers started as strangers and ended as friends. They marveled at the incredible hospitality and generosity shown to them wherever they went, and the meaningful time spent in the boarding homes. They were especially thrilled to meet their sponsored students.
While it was a very long journey to get there, they remarked that their experience was truly transformational.
| | FYI: Check Your Spam Folder | | | | |
We recently became aware that some emails notifying sponsors of a new message from their student were being marked as spam. Sponsor portal log-in links have also been periodically marked as spam. We recognize that this is frustrating, and we apologize for the inconvenience.
We've made some updates on our end that should hopefully fix the problem, but please check your spam folder to make sure that you haven't missed any emails from us or messages from your student(s).
| | Wedding Announcement & A New Chapter | | | | |
Aswini Subramani began her role as Sponsor Relations Coordinator of Siloam Boarding Home for LPGM India in July of 2022. Almost four years later, she has become a beloved member of the LPGM team and has made an indelible mark on the girls at Siloam.
With bittersweet feelings, Aswini recently shared that she is getting married, moving to a new city, and leaving her role at LPGM.
She shares, "I am deeply grateful for the support, encouragement, and camaraderie I have received during my tenure [at LPGM]."
Continue reading about Aswini's new chapter
| | Students on Summer Vacation | | | | |
The academic year has ended in India, and boarding home students are currently on summer vacation. You are still welcome to write to your student during this time.
If you choose to write a greeting now, please know that a response will be delayed until June after students return to the boarding homes and our India staff have a chance to deliver it and get a response for you. Thank you for your patience!
Write to your student
| | Mwangaza Celebrates 30th Anniversary | | |
This year, Mwangaza Education for Partnership, based in Arusha, Tanzania, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. In 1996, the organization was founded by Dr. Shoonie Hartwig, or "Mama Shoonie."
From its founding, Mwangaza has worked with secondary school teachers. Over the years, they have added additional programs to support students, community members, and parents, too. Its current Safe School Initiative reflects these original roots - working with teachers, faculty, students, and parents - to support safe learning environments. In 2025, Mwangaza worked in 16 schools, reaching 1,600 students and more than 400 teachers.
Read more about Mwangaza's 30th anniversary
| | Women in Agroecology for Leadership Conservation (WALC)'s Ripple Effect | |
Rob Cahill, co-founder of Community Cloud Forest Conservation, recently shared the ripple effect created by the WALC program:
“Early in December, Tara [Cahill] cut her hand on a broken glass. It was more than we could handle at home, so I drove her to the hospital.
After paperwork, we were put in a treatment room. In walked the nurse, Margarita Caz Xol, who attended a WALC session in 2015. She went on to complete nursing school, and today she works full time as a nurse in a public hospital, and part time in the private hospital in the evenings. It was quite a reunion—and very affirming regarding our work.”
| | |
Generosity Matters:
A Monthly Reflection on Faithful Giving
| | In this new monthly feature, LPGM Development Director Bethany Krepela reflects on topics related to generosity, giving smartly, and stewardship. Have a question for Bethany to answer in a future post? Contact her at 612-806-0733 or bethany@lutheranpartners.org. | | Stewarding God's Resources: A Biblical Perspective on Financial Literacy | | | | |
For Christians, finances are not just a personal matter, but also a spiritual one. The Bible teaches that our resources are a gift from God, and we are called to be faithful stewards of what He has entrusted to us.
As April is Financial Literacy Month, it's the perfect time to assess our financial health and make informed decisions about our money.
Read on to learn about biblical examples and principles of financial stewardship.
| | |
Overcoming Fear on the Road to Nursing
Kalrayan Hills (India) graduates Saranya & Biruntharani are working towards their diplomas in General Nursing and Midwifery at St. Joseph’s School of Nursing. Currently in their first year of the three-year program, they are learning how to give injections, set drips, apply dressings, and administer medication.
When they enrolled last November, adjusting to their new lives proved challenging. The school is an 8-hour bus ride from their home village, and they had never taken the bus alone before starting college. They share, "Staying far from parents was difficult and frightening."
Keep reading about Saranya & Biruntharani
| | Space Remains on this September's Trip to Tanzania! | | |
Trip dates: September 10-20, 2026
(Register by June 10)
| | |
What makes this year's trip unique?
This trip is unique, because it will coincide with Mwangaza Education for Partnership's 30th anniversary. You'll get a special opportunity to celebrate our partner's milestone with their dedicated team.
You'll also get the opportunity to be some of the first people to tour Eripoto's brand-new campus addition. This important expansion was made possible by LPGM supporters.
$4,275/person + airfare
Learn more about traveling to Tanzania
Watch 2025 trip highlights
| | India Travelers Reunite, Reminisce, and Reflect | | | | |
A group of 11 travelers traveled across the world to visit our partners in Tamil Nadu, India, this past February.
On April 14, 10 of the 11 travelers gathered at Bethlehem Lutheran Church Twin Cities, Mpls Campus for a post-trip reunion.
Read their key takeaways from this transformational trip
| | Meet The Face of Jesus: An Excerpt from The Rev. Dan Ruth's Sermon | | The Rev. Dan Ruth, LPGM executive director, preached at Oak Knoll Lutheran Church in Minnetonka, Minn., on Sunday, April 19. Click the video above to watch a brief clip from his sermon. To request pulpit supply for your congregation, please email office@lutheranpartners.org. | | Photos of the Month: Spring is here! | | Pictured above: Spring has sprung at Bethlehem Lutheran Church Twin Cities, Mpls Campus! We’re currently on duckling watch, as mama duck dutifully protects her nest of eggs in the courtyard. What a blessing it is to have our offices on this blooming & abundant campus! | | | |
Sharing is Caring!
Share this newsletter with a friend and help spread the word about LPGM.
| | |
Upcoming Events
May 1-2 - Minneapolis Area Synod Assembly (ELCA), Lord of Life Lutheran, Ramsey, Minn.
May 4 - Lunch & Learn webinar with Bethany Krepela, Zoom
May 17-18 - Rescheduled Open Houses
May 24 - The Rev. Dan Ruth preaches at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Pepin, Wisc.
May 29-31 - SE Michigan Synod Assembly (ELCA), Farmington Hills, Mich.
June 5-7 - Eastern North Dakota Synod Assembly (ELCA), Holiday Inn, Fargo, N.D.
June 12-13 - Northern IL Synod Assembly (ELCA), Rock Island, Ill.
June 13-23 - Intergenerational Trip to Guatemala
July 16-19 - WELCA Triennial Event, Des Moines, Iowa
July 11-21 - Youth Trip to Guatemala
September 10-20 - Trip to Tanzania
| | | |
Our Mission: LPGM provides access to quality education for people at the margins – especially women and girls. We work together with global partners to listen, respond and bear witness to local needs and priorities.
Lutheran Partners in Global Ministry is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 41-1818525. Your donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
| | | | |
