"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.'” (John 8:12) | |
Pictured above: Women in Agroecology Leadership for Conservation (WALC) participants celebrate the first day of Advent on their second day of the Winter session, which ran from November 30 - December 13. WALC is the flagship program of LPGM's partner Community Cloud Forest Conservation, based in the Central Highlands of Guatemala. | |
Mwangaza Teachers Receive Special Training | |
Mwangaza trains teachers in nonviolent communication (NVC) throughout the year. In April, they were joined by Dr. Gitta Zimmermann and Jacqueline Muller, certified trainers from the Center for Nonviolent Communication.
This was a special, six-day training that included 10 teachers from five different schools. The training offered the four steps of NVC - observations, feelings, needs, and requests - and then focused on NVC in the context of working with children.
The training emphasized play and interaction while discussing topics like managing anger, the effects of punishment, and rewards.
Teachers learned about conflict resolution and empathy for oneself, students, and parents.
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WALC Teachers Help Program Reach New Heights | |
WALC's winter session was a great success, drawing 145 participants! WALC is a holistic leadership training program for Q'eqchi' Maya girls and single young women ages 12-26 in the Central Highlands of Guatemala.
Rob Cahill, CCFC's co-founder, reported that this WALC session was "probably one of the best WALC sessions ever" due to the exceptional depth and maturity of the 18 teachers. He gushed, "This was a zenith - a real high point - for the WALC program."
Part of the session involved planting five species of nitrogen-fixing bean trees (pictured above) in level contours to prevent soil erosion in agroforest ecosystems.
Your gifts fund scholarships to keep these girls in school!
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English Club Field Trips Provide "Real Life" Opportunities to Practice English | |
The English+ team has launched English Clubs at the ALC boarding homes to provide opportunities for extra practice and learning.
In the Kalrayan Hills, elementary-aged English Club participants visited the post office and spoke with the postal worker. They learned words like stamp, envelope, and postcard. Staff members also set up a pretend grocery store and stationery shop for students to role play shop keeper and customer and practice their English skills in a shop setting.
At Melpattambakkam, English Club students visited a supermarket in Cuddalore (pictured above).
At Siloam, English Club students visited train stations in Villupuram and Tirukoilur to learn English words.
Stay tuned for more news of creative teaching scenarios as English Clubs continue to become established at the ALC boarding homes.
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WALC Impacts One Family Across Generations | |
Lidia, a current WALC coordinator and past participant, started attending the WALC program after 6th grade. The photo above shows Lidia (right) at her 9th grade graduation in 2013 with her cousin (middle) and her cousin's baby (left). Lidia's cousin never attended WALC, and like many Q'eqchi' Maya girls who don't stay in school, she got pregnant quite young.
Rob explained that Lidia's cousin represents "the default setting for students that don't keep studying." He shares, "They generally get pregnant at a very young age, and then the whole cycle of poverty and malnutrition continues."
While her mother wasn't able to break the cycle, Lidia's cousin's daughter hopes to follow in Lidia's footsteps. According to Rob Cahill, CCFC's co-founder, "This little girl in her cousin's arms is now 14 and wants to participate in the WALC program."
Attending WALC and staying in school past 6th grade will give this young girl a better chance at a brighter future.
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Teacher Spotlight: Dharmaraj | |
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Dharamaraj - a middle school teacher working in the Kalrayan Hills in Tamil Nadu, India - believes each student deserves dignity, respect, and to have their needs met.
This means viewing them as humans first and students second. He explains, "As teachers, we need to approach them and ask, 'Did you eat, brother? Are you well? How is everyone at home? How is your mom and dad?' When we talk to them about their lives, they feel relieved and think, 'The teacher cares about us.' This makes them very happy."
Viewing each student as a human first inspired him to provide extra support to one little boy in need. When the boy was in third grade, his father passed away, and his mother left him with his grandparents and went abroad to work as a housemaid to support her family. Dharmaraj explains how he supported this particular student below:
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"The boy was very reserved. I already had two children, so I treated him as my third child. I spoke to his grandparents and assured them that I would cover all his expenses as if he were a part of my family. I bought him pencils, pens, notebooks, and textbooks. Over time, his mindset changed. He started to feel comforted and thought, 'I have a teacher who cares about me.' He’s now the school leader, and he helps other young students with reading and writing, which brings me joy. He has become very dear to me, and helping him makes me feel blessed, as Jesus said that helping the poor is what it means to know God." | |
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We're Hiring an International Program Manager! | | |
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Mary Peterson, LPGM program director, is retiring at the end of this month after 12 years of service to LPGM.
This means that a position is open on LPGM's staff - International Program Manager. In short, the International Program Manager is responsible for the coordination, partnerships, and evaluation of all international programs of the organization.
Please share this exciting position with your network and reach out to dan@lutheranpartners.org with any questions.
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Registration is Open for June 2025 Trip to Guatemala | |
After January 1, the cost will increase to $1,850/person. The tentative trip dates are June 14-24, 2025, but they are subject to change.
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Small World Connections Lead to Big Impact | |
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Soon after Bethany Krepela joined the LPGM staff in 2020, she discovered that she knew several friends of the ministry, including Rebecca Totzke. The Totzke family have sponsored students through LPGM's Project Education India since 2016, and Rebecca happened to be the music teacher at Bethany's daughters' school.
"We always connected at school conferences and events," Bethany recalls, "but never had enough time to finish a conversation!" The two bumped into each other on Halloween and decided to change that. They met after work one day, and Rebecca hatched the idea to invite Bethany to her home to meet with her small group from church — mostly moms who, like the Totzkes, are members at Bethlehem Lutheran Church (Minneapolis).
"As a sponsor, I have watched LPGM do amazing things around the globe," Rebecca shares. "I was excited to share their mission with friends and to help grow this amazing global community!"
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Year-End Gifts Move Us toward Our Goal! | | |
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To date, friends like you have funded 82% of our annual budget of $1.23 million. As an independent Lutheran nonprofit, we rely on your gifts to support the work of our global partners.
"Kindle a Flame. Ignite Hope." is the theme of our year-end campaign. Gifts to the Elevate Excellence of Education Fund will provide needed training for our partners' teachers and enhance other academic programs.
You may also direct your gift to another fund or "Where Needed Most."
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Creative Ways to Give this Holiday Season
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Maximize Your Impact with Non-Cash Assets | |
Direct Your Thrivent Choice Dollars® to LPGM
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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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