"A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots." (Isaiah 11:1 NRSVUE) | | |
$158,762 Match Secured for Year-End Giving!
Big news! A group of special and long-time friends of LPGM have generously contributed to a year-end match of $158,762🎉
This means that when you give on or by December 31, your gift* will be matched dollar-for-dollar while match dollars last—doubling your impact** for people at the margins around the world, ensuring that their needs are met this year!
Your gift of $100 gift will become $200, and your gift of $1,000 will become $2,000!
This match is especially important, because we have $300,000 left to raise of our $1.2 million annual budget to fully support students’ needs in 2025. This is above and beyond expected sponsorship and other pledged support.
Together, let’s raise $300,000 by the end of the year, so that students at the margins can access the quality education they deserve. Thank you for being part of the LPGM family – deeply-rooted and hopeful for a bright future!
Questions? Contact us at 612-823-5058.
*Gifts you have already committed, such as student sponsorship or monthly giving, are not eligible to be matched.
**You can maximize your impact through tax-wise giving—such as via IRA/QCD, donor-advised fund, or appreciated stock. Please consult with your trusted financial advisor to learn how, and please allow your fund manager ample time to process your request.
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Announcing our New Home:
Bethlehem Lutheran Church - Minneapolis Campus
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Last month, we announced that we needed to find new office space by year-end. Our property manager had informed us of our neighbor's expansion, and the alternate spaces in our current location were not ideal. This news presented an opportunity to find a new home that better aligned with our mission, vision, and values.
After many internal discussions, several tours, and much prayer, we are thrilled to announce that our new home is Bethlehem Lutheran Church in southwest Minneapolis.
"This is a full-circle moment," says LPGM executive director Dan Ruth, "as Bethlehem was the first home to LPGM when we began 30+ years ago."
Our offices will be on the second floor in rooms formerly used for Sunday school.
Packing is underway, with the movers coming Monday, December 15, to move our furniture. Our current mailing address will be used until the end of 2025, with USPS mail forwarding for several months.
Our new mailing address as of January 1, 2026, will be: 4100 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis MN 55409. Our physical office will officially open Monday, January 5, 2026.
Should you need to connect with us in person for any reason, please call us at 612-823-5058. Thank you for your patience during this time of transition!
| | Thank-a-thon gives thanks to YOU! | |
On Friday, November 14, we hosted a "Thank-a-thon" to put our gratitude to action.
Current and past board members, Development Committee members, and the entire LPGM staff gathered in our office complex's Sun Deck Room to write thank-you notes to a number of LPGM supporters. We chatted, wrote cards, and enjoyed a pizza lunch, courtesy of a Thrivent Action Teams grant. The grant even covered most of the postage, which was a huge blessing!
As our meal was being gifted to us, we used this opportunity to collect items for our local neighbors in need. Attendees brought non-perishable food items, personal care items, and cash donations to help neighbors through VEAP, a local food bank.
This ministry is, and always has been, a collaborative effort, and we are so grateful for our friends, near and far.
| | Tanzania’s General Election Sparks Country-Wide Protests | | |
In late October, we learned about post-election violence in Tanzania. We are inspired by the resiliency of both of our Tanzanian partners, Mwangaza Education for Partnership and Eripoto for Girls and Women, in the face of ongoing civil unrest.
They continue to work tirelessly to provide safe housing for girls escaping forced early marriage and pregnancy and nonviolent communication training for students, parents, and teachers.
Read more about the situation in Tanzania...
| | With Mwangaza's Support, Tanzanians Step toward a Safer Tomorrow | | |
Following recent events in Tanzania, the Mwangaza Education for Partnership team facilitated a five-day nonviolent communication session with 26 teachers at Jali Green Primary School.
Through guided reflection and empathetic connection, the teachers gained clarity, emotional grounding, and practical tools to communicate with compassion. The impact was evident - renewed trust among staff, strengthened teamwork, and a shared commitment to creating safer, more nurturing classrooms.
Shortly after the Jali Green training, Mwangaza hosted another multi-day workshop. This time, the Mwangaza team led a two-day workshop for 31 participants representing partner schools in Monduli, Meru and Kilimanjaro, Eripoto for Girls and Women, Bethel Rehabilitation house, Ecobank, Mwangaza staff, and Health Integrated Multisectoral Development (HIMD).
Participants learned strategies to enhance resilience after emotional trauma (trauma healing and recovery) and how to build empathy (for self and others). Mwangaza will continue to support these participants as they continue to deepen their knowledge and skills.
| | Amid Challenges, Eripoto Remains Hopeful | | |
Eripoto for Girls and Women, our other partner in Tanzania, recently shared this update with LPGM supporters:
"The past weeks have been a time of reflection and resilience for all of us here in Tanzania. We are deeply grateful for everyone who has stood with us through these times, especially our partners. You checked [in] on us, as well as prayed for us. At Eripoto, our mission remains strong to empower and support girls and women in our community. We also keep in our hearts and prayers those affected by recent challenges. May hope, strength, and healing reach every home. As we look ahead, we do so with hope, renewed energy, and gratitude. Thank you for walking this journey with us."
| | Women's Literacy Pilot Thrives in Year Two | | |
In late summer, attendance dipped in the women's literacy program in CAR. Instead of the expected 80 students across three centers, 53 students regularly attended classes - 22 students at the Bouar Center, 19 students at the Cantonnier Center, and 12 students at the Gallo Center. This decline was due to the start of the farming season when women play an essential role in agricultural work, and many had to temporarily miss class.
By fall, attendance rebounded with 84 active students!
Classes are held three times a week, and each class is three hours long. They follow a structured format similar to classrooms in the United States: students begin by reviewing homework with their instructor, then receive the day’s lesson, ask questions, and finally practice through exercises.
The women are committed to their education and are highly motivated to learn. They want to read and write well so that they may both proclaim the word of God and thrive in their small businesses.
These learners have already made huge progress towards these goals! 27 students are now able to read and write their names, and five students have started reading the Bible during Sunday worship. These milestones are especially significant, as many students had never entered a classroom before this program or had only attended school briefly as young girls.
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WALC Sessions Launch; Girls Prepare to Soar
This year's Women in Agroecology Leadership for Conservation (WALC) session is in full swing at our partner Community Cloud Forest Conservation (CCFC)'s campus in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. The first day was November 23.
WALC is a holistic leadership training program for Maya girls and single young women ages 13-26. The curriculum focuses on agroecology (agriculture + ecology), but also teaches nutrition, cooking, health and hygiene, family planning, career and educational options, self-esteem and confidence building, and a large array of other life skills. These all improve quality of life for these women and their families.
CCFC co-founder Rob Cahill reports, "We are doing better than ever linking our agroforest parcels to our daily menu." In the photo above, WALC participants show off their cooking skills with the traditional Q’eqchi’ dish, “Kak Ik.” This soup, one of the most famous Mayan dishes in Guatemala, features dark turkey meat in a spiced red broth.
After completing the session, the students return to their homes high in the mountains. If they succeed in establishing small agroforest parcels with 16 trees and heirloom crops, and return to school, they are eligible to receive a scholarship, funded by friends of LPGM like you. These WALC scholarships are keeping girls in school in a region where most drop out after 6th grade.
WALC participants call CCFC, "Tz’unun," which is the Q’eqchi’ word for the national bird of Guatemala, the Quetzal. Like the majestic Quetzal, you are empowering these young women to soar to new heights with their newly acquired skills and knowledge.
| | Siloam's Tailoring Program | |
The tailoring program at Siloam is making waves. Every Saturday and Sunday, 20 9th grade girls enter the classroom and get to work. Some students repair worn-out dresses. Other students sew cloth bags for daily use. Still other students sew new jackets and dresses. The instructor also teaches embroidery.
For 20 rupees (about 22 cents), students will repair a classmate's dress. This covers the cost of materials, and this fee is given to the instructor to buy more materials for the program.
According to India program manager, Elangovan Mu See, "The program has shown encouraging engagement and skill development among the students."
With each stitch, they are building confidence and hope for a future filled with dignity and possibility.
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Upcoming Christmas Break
Boarding home students will be home with their families for Christmas break from December 24, 2025-January 3, 2026. If you write your student during this time, please allow for extra time for a response.
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Sponsorship by the numbers*
1072 students being supported by LPGM sponsors
550 LPGM sponsors
340 students in need of a sponsor
*As of November 2025
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Turn the Tables on Bad; Mining Out the Good in Horrendous Times
By Randy Klawitter, Executive Director of Wilderness Fellowship Ministries and cousin to Tim Olson
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Have you ever heard someone say, “He lived a fruitful life"? I’m sure you have, but have you ever heard it said, “He had a fruitful death!”? Probably not! ...
I had a cousin who was just a little younger than I, named Tim. He finished strong at St. Olaf College and, before he went for another four years of school, the Lord laid on his heart the desire to serve for a year for a mission that would be in line with his chosen profession of architecture. So, the opportunity opened up to go build a church in the capital city of Central African Republic.
It was not easy those first months, but by God’s grace, he persevered and began making progress.
Speeding up six months, his girlfriend came to visit over Thanksgiving. Desiring to see the wildlife of the area, they hired a guide and went to see the sites. On the way back, their vehicle was ambushed, and all three found themselves under gunfire. My cousin died on the lap of his girlfriend, praying together the Lord’s Prayer. As I understand it, his last words were, “Tell mom and dad that I’ll be waiting for them,” and he slipped into eternity.
What a shock! What a tragic event! So much pain and sorrow over the loss of a son, a cousin, a nephew, a brother, and so much more. Any of us would be absolutely shaken to the core and ask, “Why, God?”
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Please join us as we pray for:
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The safety and needs of our partners, who work tirelessly to fulfill the needs of students at the margins amidst economic hardships, political instability, and even violence.
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The health, safety, and education of the students we serve - that they may experience God's love and feel the support of our friendship from afar.
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God to open doors to new partnerships, restore lapsed relationships, and increase sources of funding.
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A peaceful move to our new offices, and that God will use this change as an opportunity to build and strengthen new relationships.
We also give thanks to God for the many blessings we've received — amazing partners, staff members, volunteers, donors, and friends, and a new office that meets our needs and beyond!
In Jesus' name, AMEN!
| | Pictured above: Tim Olson stands with the Rev. Andre Zoule, who later served as president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the CAR, at the construction site of what would become St. Timothy Lutheran Church. The photo was taken in October 1991, one month prior to Tim's death, which launched our ministry. Read Tim's story. | | | |
Sharing is Caring!
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Upcoming Events
Mon.,December 15 - LPGM moves offices
Wed., December 24 - Students leave the boarding homes for Christmas break; LPGM office closed for Christmas Eve
Thurs., December 25 - LPGM office closed for Christmas Day
Wed., December 31 - Final day for year-end giving and match; LPGM office closed for New Year's Eve
Thurs., January 1 - LPGM office closed for New Year's Day
Sat., January 3 - Students return to the boarding homes in India
Mon., January 5 - LPGM's new office space officially opens
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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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