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"God is within her; she will not fall."
(Psalm 46:5)
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Pictured above: Young women staying at Eripoto's Safe House in Tanzania share a sweet moment of connection with Esuvat Lukumay, founder of Eripoto for Girls and Women. | |
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If you have questions or well wishes for Laura, you can reach her at laura@lutheranpartners.org or at 612-806-0732.
Laura will be joining LPGM's trip to Guatemala this coming June.
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Laura Feile, our newest staff member, began her role as international program manager on February 3rd.
She brings her passion for “helping people help people.” She started her professional career as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer serving a rural farming community in Jamaica for two years. She has worked both internationally and domestically, including arranging individual and group overseas trips for technical and cultural exchanges.
Laura also has experience in both direct care in the field of mental health and in indirect care managing programs for supportive services. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, running, baking, doing yoga, traveling, and walking her dog.
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2024 Tax Statements Are Out
To help you prepare for your taxes, we emailed consolidated gift summaries on January 22 from "thank-you@donorperfect.io." Please contact us at 612-823-5058 or office@lutheranpartners.org with any questions, or if you would like a physical copy in the mail.
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"Snail Mail" is Paused; Use the Sponsor Portal | | |
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Our LPGM India team is currently in the process of obtaining a new post box in Cuddalore, so writing to your student via "snail mail" is not possible at the moment. In the meantime, please write to your student using our online portal. Thank you for your patience. | |
Introducing Sustaining Neighbors | | | |
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We've created a new monthly giving program that supports basic recurring needs across our partners' programs. Your monthly investment — no matter the size — can provide critical support to empower teachers in the trenches — and to help students stay in school.
You can choose to support nutritious meals, health and hygiene, and/or school and office supplies. There's always the option to sponsor a student's entire year of education in India too!
Your sustaining gifts offer security and peace of mind to our hard-working partners—allowing their crucial work to continue.
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Travel to Guatemala with LPGM!
June 14-24, 2025
Your trip leader will be Pastor Mary Beenken of Peoria Heights, IL.
The purpose of the trip is to experience the Guatemalan and Maya cultures while participating in our partner CCFC's educational programming and agroecology projects. You will share your life and God's love with those you meet.
Deposit Deadline: March 31, 2025
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Baking Class Promotes Teamwork Among Eripoto Girls | |
Eripoto staff recently hosted a baking class as a creative way to teach safe house girls about teamwork and responsibility, while also imparting basic culinary skills.
The girls were incredibly excited to take the class, and while Eripoto doesn't have much baking equipment, they still enjoyed the experience. According to Eripoto's founder, Esuvat Lukumay, the girls felt a sense of accomplishment after completing their creations.
In fact, Esuvat shares, "We are already seeing the impact of this class, with girls becoming more confident in their abilities to try new things and work as a team."
Esuvat hopes to offer similar classes in the future, with the goal of adding additional baking equiment to enhance the overall experience.
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Empowerment Sessions Inspire Confidence at Eripoto | |
When school isn't in session, Eripoto safe house girls have been benefiting from empowerment sessions led by Eripoto's founder, Esuvat Lukumay, as well as a social worker and volunteer mentor.
The sessions have aimed to build confidence and self-awareness by teaching the girls about women's rights, goal setting, and advocacy.
Eripoto staff have also brought the program to students in government primary and secondary schools. While it's challenging to travel to remote, rural villages, Eripoto is committed to continuing these sessions.
According to Esuvat, "We are already seeing significant changes in the girls, including increased self-confidence and a stronger belief in their ability to shape their futures."
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Heavy News from Melpattambakkam Boarding Home
Content Warning: Mention of Suicide.
While we prefer sharing uplifting stories, sometimes tragedy strikes. In the spirit of transparency, we have heavy news to impart to our community. A 9th standard student died by suicide at Melpattambakkam Boarding Home on February 7, 2025. As expected, her death deeply shook the campus, and a number of students temporarily left the boarding home. Many students are now returning to Melpattambakkam, and staff members are supporting them by hosting prayer services, as well as by planning a trauma-informed counseling program for all students, which will occur throughout the day on March 1.
Staff are equipped to support students through this trying time. Specifically, Dr. Benita Prince, Melpattambakkam's manager, is a child psychologist, and Keerthiga, the Sponsor Relations Coordinator (SRC) at Melpattambakkam, has a master's degree in social work.
While this student didn't have an LPGM sponsor, we care about every student at the boarding home, and we imagine that her death has impacted many of your sponsored students. If your sponsored student lives at Melpattambakkam, we encourage you to reach out to her. Your words of support and encouragement can make a real difference. Your prayers would also be appreciated.
We are in regular communication with our LPGM-India staff and can answer any questions and share more details as we learn them. If you, or someone you know, is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please call the free 988 Lifeline.
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LPGM Offers a Lifeline for a Grief-Stricken Student | |
Sunithi’s early life was marked by tragedy. Her mother, Fayal, passed away a month after giving birth to her, and her father, Murali, passed away less than a year later. So, Sunithi was raised by her paternal grandmother.
In 2012, she started sixth grade at Siloam Boarding Home. She thrived at Siloam, pursuing dance and public speaking and excelling in her studies.
When she was in eighth grade, her grandmother passed away. She was overcome with grief, and even though her grandmother’s sister became her guardian, she struggled to meet her basic needs.
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Recent Graduate Dreams of Bringing Speech Therapy to the Kalrayan Hills | |
From first through fifth grade, Akila was a sponsored student at Alathi Boarding Home in the Kalrayan Hills. She recently returned to campus for the first time since fifth grade for an alumni meet.
When she stepped foot on campus, a strong wave of emotion hit her, and she was filled with nostaglia and fond memories.
Currently in her third year of a bachelor’s degree in speech language pathology in the bustling city of Chennai. After completing her internship next year, she would like to work in a school.
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Pictured above: This signed copy of "Earth from Above" still adorns the shelves at Alathi after 22 years. | Pictured above (left to right): Naomi, Sandra, Tim, Ann, and Steve smile during a planning meeting for their 2002 trip. | |
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Above left: Naomi Staruch, former LPGM managing director, presents "Earth from Above" to the manager of Alathi Boarding Home in 2002.
Above right: LPGM-India program manager Elangovan Mu See, Mary Peterson, and an Alathi student look at "Earth from Above" at Alathi Boarding Home in February 2025.
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When Sandra Anderson, Naomi & Steve Staruch, and Tim & Ann Moe traveled to India in 2002, they gifted four signed copies of "Earth from Above" to four ALC boarding homes: Siloam, Saron, Melpattambakkam, and Alathi (in the Kalrayan Hills).
According to Naomi, "Steve and I had seen an outdoor exhibit in Chicago earlier in 2002 and that's where the idea for gifting the book came from. Ann, Tim, and Sandie loved the idea, too. It is a fascinating feat of photography. The book is in its third printing and is now available in many languages."
When Mary Peterson, LPGM's newly-retired program director, and Shannon Mahedy, LPGM's communications coordinator, visited Alathi's new library this past month, they spotted the book on the library's shelves. Mary emailed Naomi to tell her about the sighting, and Naomi said it made her heart sing to know that students at Alathi still had access to the book.
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Upcoming Dates
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Sat., March 1 - Board nominations due
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Sat., March 31 - Deposits due, June trip to Guatemala
- Thurs., March 20 - Board meeting
- Sat., April 26 - Board Retreat
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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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