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“Guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Luke 1:79 NRSVue
| | Mwangaza's Daudi Msseemmaa Visits with LPGM Team | | |
Daudi Msseemmaa from Mwangaza Education for Partnership, one of our esteemed Tanzanian partners, visited LPGM's office at Bethlehem Lutheran Church - Twin Cities in Minneapolis on August 12.
He has worked with Mwangaza since 2012 as an advisor, along with Phillip Wilder. It was a pleasure to connect with him face-to-face, since most of our communication is generally over email, WhatsApp, and Zoom.
Daudi's intentional, thoughtful, and authentic presence was a breath of fresh air for our team on an 87-degree summer day, and we were honored to welcome him to our space.
| | Frequently Asked Questions: Your Sponsored Student Graduated - What's Next? | | |
We often hear similar questions from sponsors once their sponsored student has graduated from 12th grade, so we've created an FAQ with answers to common questions.
Questions include:
- Will my sponsored student attend college now that they have graduated?
- How I can support my student’s future goals?
- How do I know my student’s future plans?
- Why do some PEI graduates not attend college?
Read the FAQ
| | Girls Talk and Boys Talk: Gaining the life skills to plot out a course to success | |
At a recent Girls Talk training at Migugani Secondary School, Naiputa shared her ambition: “My dream is to become a nurse to help my fellow Maasai community become educated and help mothers during pregnancy.”
Mwangaza began Safe Schools programming at Migugani only this year. However, students are already confidently stating their dreams and gaining the life skills to plot out a course to success.
Keep reading
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Walking the WALC
Reposted from CCFC's June email newsletter
This year, Maribel, a CCFC intern from the University of San Carlos, and Yoselin Bac, one of CCFC's teachers, designated and planted gray-water filtration systems in the village of Chitzujay.
Because of their dedication and tenacity, twenty-eight families said goodbye to the fly-infested drainage area and received green and growing water filters! Their great work is being carried on at CCFC and the surrounding areas by the Clean Water Institute of Calvin University.
Learn more about WALC
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On July 29, Dan Ruth and Laura Feile from the LPGM team had a video call with Jean Paul Yerima, program manager for the social work arm (OSEEL) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Central African Republic.
Jean Paul (pictured lower left) is our valued partner and main contact for our joint Women's Literacy Program in the CAR.
The call was made possible through live French/English translation by Sitraka Rakotoarivelo whose wife, Katelyn, serves on the LPGM Board of Directors.
Please reach out to office@lutheranpartners.org if you'd like to assist with occasional French or Tamil interpretation.
Learn more about the Women's Literacy Program
| | Peace Club Alumna Writes Book about her Life-Changing Experiences | |
The Mwangaza team was thrilled to receive a recent visit from Peace Club alumna, Florentina Ulomi.
An active member of the Mwakasa Secondary School Peace Club for four years, Florentina graduated from secondary school last year.
During her visit, she presented the Mwangaza team with a framed card that explained how Peace Club had impacted her life. Specifically, it had gifted her with knowledge, confidence, values, and lifelong friendships.
Her Peace Club experiences also inspired her to write a memoir titled "Kutoka Gizani Hadi Mwangaza" (From Darkness to Light)!
Johnson from the Mwangaza team shares, "Hearing her commit to continue learning and spreading peace for the rest of her life fills our hearts with gratitude."
Learn more about Mwangaza
| September Lunch and Learn Webinar | |
Join the Rev. Dan Ruth for LPGM's September Lunch & Learn webinar on Wednesday, September 14, from noon to 12:30 p.m. This monthly series is designed to provide LPGM updates, offer a chance to ask questions, and highlight our partners' programs.
At September's webinar, you will learn about how Mwangaza has been transforming school communities in Tanzania for the past 30 years.
Register today
| | Announcing our 2027 India Trip Leader | |
We are thrilled to announce that former LPGM Board Chair Marc Olson is leading our February 2027 trip to India!
Marc is an author, editor, theologian, dad, and stepdad. In addition to extended sojourns in Guatemala, Tanzania, and Israel/Palestine, Marc has also traveled in Egypt, Honduras, and El Salvador. He has worked as a teacher, pastor, garbage collector, manager of a family homeless shelter, and undertaker’s assistant. Marc has written four books for young readers, including the award-winning The World Jesus Knew: A Curious Kid’s Guide to Life in the First Century.
He currently serves Nokomis Heights Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as Resident Theologian, as well as working full time as a developmental editor with Hazelden Publishing in Center City, Minnesota. Marc has degrees from Pacific Lutheran University and Luther Seminary and lives with his wife, Sara, in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Join Marc on this trip-of-a-lifetime
| | Teens Find Connection and Meaning at CCFC | | |
From July 11-21, 2026, four adult chaperones, including LPGM trip leader Laura Feile, brought 11 teens (ages 14-18) on a multi-congregational youth trip to Guatemala.
The majority of the travelers came from two congregations, Normandale Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minn., and Faith Lutheran Church in Shelton, Wash..
Over the course of their eleven day trip, the group of 15 travelers explored the Central Highlands of Guatemala – from experiential learning at LPGM partner Community Cloud Forest Conservation (CCFC)'s campus to scrambling around waterfalls and caves to basking in the clear turquoise water of Sacmoc.
Continue reading
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Generosity Matters:
A Monthly Reflection on Faithful Giving
| | Make-a-Will Month: What Are You Waiting For? | | |
Have you heard the adage, “Do one thing today that your future self will thank you for”? Writing your will is certainly one task that fits.
To make the process as easy as possible and remove the cost burden, LPGM has joined with Good Raising to provide you with a free, online will-making tool. It is:
- Vetted by attorneys
- Encrypted and secure (your data will never be shared)
- Fast (I completed mine in 30 minutes!)
- 100% free – no credit card required
You may make your will for free using lpgm.willforgood.com and gain the ultimate peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
Continue reading
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Tips for Communicating with your Sponsored Student
By Corinne Engstrand and Marcie Flasch
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It is hard to overestimate the importance of sponsorship in the life of the student you have committed to sponsor. You are a big deal to them! They know you by name, pray for you, and are proud and grateful that they have been chosen by you to receive this great gift. From the sponsor’s point of view, it likely feels good to know you are doing something that makes a real difference in another’s life.
But it can also feel like there are emotional expectations that are hard to meet. Contact with your student is one of those expectations that is difficult for many sponsors. We get it! Writing to someone from a different generation and a different culture while trying not to highlight in any way the difference in lifestyle is not an easy task.
Keep reading
| | India celebrated its Independence Day on August 15 with flag hoisting, parades, fireworks, speeches, and cultural programs. Since 1947, Indians have celebrated their independence from British rule each year on August 15. In this photo, boarding home students and staff in the Kalrayan Hills raise India's flag to celebrate the holiday. | | | |
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Upcoming Events
September 9-20 - Trip to Tanzania
September 13 - LPGM at Normandale Lutheran Church Ministry Fair & Community Fest (Edina, Minn.)
September 14 - Lunch & Learn: Mwangaza's 30th Anniversary (Zoom webinar)
September 17 - LPGM Board meeting (Minneapolis, Minn.)
September 26 - LPGM Speaks at Eastern ND Synodical Women's Organization (Kulm, N.D.)
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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.
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