Lutheran Women in Mission and Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, have been blessed to be mission partners throughout the years. Since moving the LWML Office to Loeber Hall on the Seminary campus in 2018, the connections and opportunities for LWML Office staff to interact with students, staff, and their families have increased.
One of the activities that Katie Thompson, LWML Outreach Assistant, coordinated this past school year was a Knit & Crochet Night. An instructor and supplies were provided at no cost. Over the winter, Maggie Oliver and her daughter Ginny started attending — and, after the first time, never missed a night!
Ginny’s dad, Pastor Steve Oliver, shared these photos. “This is Ginny, enjoying knitting at home! I’m also attaching a picture she drew of the LWML headquarters in Loeber Hall. See her going in for LWML activities. This has been Ginny’s first and most positive personal contact with LWML, and I think she loves it!! I’m so glad to see this because I feel that the LWML has really been the most practical, down-to-earth, committed, enduring, and joyful support of missions in the LCMS, resulting in the salvation of many and much eternal fruit in Heaven. So, to see the next generation with such a positive attitude toward LWML brings not only tears of joy to my eyes, but gives great encouragement to push forward in the Great Commission!” God weaves relationships.
He continued, “In December 2000, I was sent as an LCMS missionary to China Lutheran Seminary in Hsinchu, Taiwan, where I’ve been teaching New Testament (NT) Greek and NT courses for a little over 19 years. We teach in Mandarin Chinese since our graduates will serve in Chinese churches or as missionaries to Chinese. In our rich biblical doctrine, we have an urgent and great gift to share with Chinese Christians, among whom Christianity is growing explosively! This gift is the root of the Word!! Besides my main work at the seminary, I often go to other Asian countries for short trips to teach, present, lecture, and minister.”
“The LWML has supported us in so many ways all of these years. One of the most evident ways is through the financial gifts that have directly supported us to be in Asia. Gary Thies sent us a photo of LWML representatives giving a check of $100,000 to Mission Central to support a number of missionary families in Asia, including ours!” God weaves relationships.
Pastor Steve, Maggie, Ginny, and her two brothers, Isaac and Gary, were in the States this past year so he could do continuing education and guest instructor services at Concordia Seminary in the Ethnic Immigrant Institute in Theology (EIIT) program. In May, Seminary President Dr. Dale A. Meyer received an LWML mission grant check for $100,000 to support the education costs of students enrolled in the Center for Hispanic Studies and EIIT ministerial formation programs. God weaves relationships.
When Pastor Oliver sent out a newsletter this Spring, a member of the LWML who supports them wrote back: ‘P.S. Ginny Oliver — I see a future LWML president in you.❤️’” God weaves relationships.
For more information about the mission grants referenced in this story, view the mission grant pages here:
