"For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope." Jeremiah 29:11 | | Pictured above: Arcot Lutheran Church Bishop Rev. Peter Paul Thomas dedicates the recently renovated 8th grade dormitory building, as well as the adjoining restroom building, at Saron Boarding Home in Tamil Nadu, India. The restroom building will primarily be used by students, but it will be especially useful during monthly family visits. Your gifts make much-needed renovations like these possible. Thank you! | | LPGM Celebrates 30 Years of Providing Access to Quality Education for People at the Margins | More than thirty years ago, a young college graduate named Tim Olson felt called to adventure and service. He traveled to the Central African Republic (CAR) to help build a church, and he tragically lost his life while serving there. His devastated parents, Gordon and Betty Olson, transformed this unimaginable tragedy into something beautiful: Lutheran Partners in Global Ministry (LPGM). As we celebrate 30 years this month as a registered nonprofit, we reflect not only on what we've accomplished together, but on what our faithful partnerships have taught us along the way. | | | VBS Raises Over $300 for Mobile Computer Lab in India | |
This summer, Oak Hill Church-CLB (Bloomington, Minn.) chose for their VBS offering collection to help the Mobile Computer Lab. By bringing in spare change, VBS children raised $313.27 to help upgrade technology.
"On behalf of LPGM and our Lutheran partners in India, we thank you for your gifts of change and dollar bills this week," Bethany Krepela, LPGM Development Director, shared with students and families. "You are a blessing to village students and their communities by opening doors to technology and hearing about Jesus!"
The Mobile Computer Lab, part of the English+ program, teaches computer skills to children at Arcot Lutheran Church (ALC) village schools throughout Tamil Nadu, India.
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Joint Campaign Increases Hope and Safety for Students in Tanzania
During June and July, supporters from LPGM and Friends of Mwangaza (FOM) were invited to invest in a joint initiative to support the transformational, community-centered work of our mutual partner, Mwangaza, in Tanzania.
Thank you to those in our LPGM and FOM communities who invested over $35,000 in Mwangaza's work!
Through Peace Clubs, teacher seminars, and parent workshops, Mwangaza advances child protection policies, nonviolent communication, and alternative discipline practices in schools to ensure dignity and learning for all.
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New Ways to Give
We’re excited to make giving even easier and more convenient for you, our supporters! You can now donate using your Donor-Advised Fund (DAF), Apple Pay, or Google Pay—right from any of our giving pages.
Whether you're on your phone, tablet, or computer, simply choose your preferred payment method during the checkout process. It’s fast, secure, and seamless.
These new options are part of our ongoing commitment to making generosity accessible for everyone. Thank you for your continued support—we couldn’t do this without you!
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Click the video above to get a glimpse of the campus. | | Tour Community Cloud Forest Conservation (CCFC) | Tessa Laswell, a long-time nutrition and health volunteer at CCFC, takes you on a quick tour of the CCFC campus. CCFC works with Q’Eqchi’ Maya people from mountain villages in the remote Central Highlands of Guatemala. They alleviate poverty and decrease deforestation through education, especially of young women and girls. | | | |
Click the video above to learn about the science behind the plot's unique structure and design. | | |
Learn about a Unique Agroforestry Plot at CCFC
Tara Cahill, co-founder of CCFC, shows off the garden plot recently planted by Women in Agroecology for Leadership Conservation (WALC) participants.
WALC is a holistic leadership training program for girls and young women ages 13-26 that combats early school drop-out and promotes sustainable agricultural practices.
| | | | Boarding Homes Buzz with Joy as New Academic Year Begins | |
During a recent Zoom meeting, LPGM-India staff were asked to share one word to describe the mood at the boarding schools at the start of this new school year.
“Joy.” “Buzzing.” “Focused.” “Nourished.”
These were the words chosen by the Student Relationship Coordinators (SRCs). SRCs serve as liaisons between the students, LPGM, and the Arcot Lutheran Church, which owns and operates Siloam, Saron, Melpattambakkam, and Kalrayan Hills Boarding Schools.
“The students are very happy with their friends,” shared Aswini, SRC at Siloam. “They are full of joy and excited to learn new things."
“We’re hearing stories of their summer vacations and their expectation of the new year, and there’s all the new uniforms and new things,” Keerthiga, SRC at Melpattambakkam, added. “And 80-plus students are new admissions, completely new to boarding home life… So they are buzzing in the boarding home, and the place is lively again.”
Praveen, SRC at Saron, mentioned that the boys at Saron are focused after adjusting back to their usual routines. He added, "The students were roaming freely around the village for the last one month, and they are again back to their old positions... Everything is done on a time basis."
Victor, SRC at the Kalrayan Hills, shared that the students are nourished. He explained, "It’s not only about the food, but it also includes the students’ care and their well-being.”
Our SRCs were the familiar faces students ran to when they returned to their boarding homes. They are the ones who bring students news from their sponsors (and help with translation as needed), organize the monthly birthday parties and family visit days, and plan other enriching opportunities - like special speakers and field trips - made possible through your gifts to the Wish List.
And, over the summer break, SRCs conducted village visits, checking in on the children and encouraging them to stay in school rather than dropping out, which is commonplace for Dalit children, especially girls.
| | | Click the video above to view scenes from daily life at Siloam. | |
Daily Life at Siloam Boarding Home
As classes commence and students settle back into their routines, daily life at Siloam Boarding Home is filled with activity.
From walking to class and studying in the courtyard to dancing with their friends and learning martial arts - students are embracing the new academic year.
Their safety, nourishment, and academic success are possible because of sponsors who provide financial, spiritual, and emotional support to students at the boarding homes.
| | | Odette's story was originally shared in Sango, one of two official languages in CAR, with French being the other. Odette's words have been translated from Sango to French to English. | | |
After a successful pilot program, the second phase of the Literacy Program in CAR has begun.
Odette, one of the students in the pilot program, shares her experience as a participant:
"I am very happy for the literacy course put in our center, because since I was born, my parents did not enroll me in classical school, and I did not know how to read and write. Thanks to the literacy course with the financial support of LPGM's partners at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Central African Republic (ELC-CAR), my teacher taught me to read French alphabet and arithmetic. Today, I can read, I also write names, and I can sing with the songbook.
Finally, I learned a lot from the first phase of this program because it was an opportunity for me to meet with other women to share our experiences and also the good way our teacher advises us to take care of our children. Thanks to the literacy program, I learned arithmetic, and it makes it easier for me in my small businesses."
| | Meet Keerthana and Keerthiga | | Keerthana and Keerthiga stand in front of a new mural at the boarding home. The caption reads, "Believe, it's girl power." | | |
Keerthana and Keerthiga are twin sisters and 12th graders at Melpattambakkam Boarding Home.
After both of their parents passed away, they were taken in by their paternal grandmother, but the family struggled financially.
In 2022, their lives took a positive turn when they were admitted to Melpattambakkam as 9th graders. Education means everything to them, and they strongly believe that it is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and achieving a better life.
Keerthana aspires to serve others by becoming a nurse in the future. Keerthiga - fascinated by science and technology - dreams of becoming a biotech engineer.
The sisters hope to one day help other children who are in need—just like their sponsors have helped them.
| | Webinars & Travel Meetings | |
| | Guatemala Intergenerational Travel Webinar | |
Join us online to learn about our June 2026 Intergenerational Trip to Guatemala:
Wed., August 13
12 noon - 12:45 p.m. (CST)
You'll learn about LPGM's history, our Guatemala partner, and past traveler experiences. You'll also get the chance to meet the trip leader, Pastor Mary Beenken. The webinar will be recorded and available to view later.
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Even if you are not 100% sure that your church will participate in this trip, please consider attending this meeting. Your feedback is valuable! | | |
Planning Meeting: Multi-Congregation Youth Trip
Calling all congregational leaders & youth directors!
Join us online for a collaborative planning meeting for LPGM's July 2026 Multi-Congregation Youth Trip to Guatemala:
Tuesday, August 5
2:00 - 3:15 pm (CST)
During the Zoom meeting, we will:
- Share trip objectives
- Collect feedback from church & synod leaders like you
- Identify next steps in the planning process
Interested in attending? Email laura@lutheranpartners.org.
| | | | Early Bird Pricing for 2026 Trips | | |
Pictured above: Second Row (Left to Right) - Laura Feile (international program manager), John Anthony (finance and office administrator), Bethany Krepela (development director)
First Row (Left to Right) - Shannon Mahedy (communications coordinator), Dan Ruth (executive director)
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July 30 was our first "Wacky Wednesday" at the LPGM U.S. office, and as you can guess, the theme was 1970s. What do you think of our team's groovy outfits? We think they're pretty far out!
The last Wednesday of every month is "Wacky Wednesday," when one team member chooses a theme and brings in a treat to share at our staff meeting. Shannon chose this month's 1970s theme and brought in raspberry crumble bars made with raspberries from her garden.
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Upcoming Events
Sun., August 2 - Dan Ruth preaches at United Lutheran Church in Red Wing, Minn.
Tues., August 5 - Multi-Congregation Youth Trip Planning Meeting (Zoom)
Wed., August 13 - Guatemala Webinar (Zoom)
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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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