Missionaries end, begin service

Blake Warren (left), managing director of global business operations for the LCMS Office of International Mission, congratulates retired missionaries (from left) Rev. Dr. Charles and Connie Cortright and Cynthia Wrucke. (LCMS/Frank Kohn)

What more is there to say but thanks be to God for the service of our dear missionaries,” said the Rev. Kevin D. Robson, chief mission officer of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), following a special chapel service on July 19 at the LCMS International Center (IC) in St. Louis. “In many ways, you are the living embodiment of the hopes and prayers of everybody working in this building, … [and] of congregations and schools of [the LCMS] across this country who want to support the extension of God’s kingdom.”

The occasion was the annual Day of Thanksgiving hosted by the LCMS Office of International Mission (OIM), which celebrates those who have concluded their international missionary service. In addition to chapel, the day included time for fellowship and a lunch hosted by the OIM. Several current missionaries and alumni missionaries were also present.

The following missionary families were recognized for their service:

The Rev. Vance and Linda Becker, who served in Kenya from 2019 to 2024;

Kelly Haynes, who served in Kyrgyzstan from 2020 to 2024;

Jerry Mays, who served in Tanzania from 2022 to 2024;

The Rev. Dr. Cory and Jennifer Rajek and their daughters, who served in Latvia from 2021 to 2024;

Mark Winterstein, who served in Germany from 2022 to 2024;

The Rev. Dr. Charles and Connie Cortright, who served in Russia, Latvia and the Czech Republic from 2016 to 2023;

Kendall and Kerri Cortright and their daughters, who served with the OIM in Hong Kong, Taiwan and St. Louis from 2015 to 2023;

Valerie Stonebreaker, who served in Togo in various capacities for over 25 years;

Cynthia Zirbel Wrucke, who served in the Czech Republic from 2017 to 2024; and

The Rev. James and Peggy Krikava, who have over 25 years of mission experience in the Czech Republic and St. Louis.

All the missionaries were honored with a small gift at the end of the service.

‘Learn the people first’

Stonebreaker, who served for 25 years teaching English as a Second Language, shared advice for current missionaries.

“I think the most important thing is to learn the people first and their needs,” she said. “The church has been there, and the people have their traditions, and you have to learn where they’re coming from.”

During her service, Stonebreaker also mentored and cared for several students from the community within her own home and served as a liaison between the Lutheran Church of Togo and the LCMS.

Linda Becker also offered valuable insight:

“We know that [mission work is] what God wants us to do, and when you’re doing what God wants … He gives you the resources and … the support that you need. I was worried when we first started, but everything fell into place because God is in control.”

‘Incredibly helpful’

On Aug. 2, two weeks after honoring those missionaries coming off the field, the OIM recognized missionaries who have recently completed their orientation and are preparing to enter the mission field. This is the second of three missionary orientations this year. These newly trained missionaries, including three vicars, are:

The Rev. Jason and Emily Groth and family, Belize;

Vicar Jesse Liebmann, Romania;

Jordan and Justin Logston, Dominican Republic;

Vicar Paul and Courtney Mroczenski, Puerto Rico;

Deaconess Melissa Pflug, Romania; and

Vicar Joshua Wareham, Sri Lanka.

Instead of the customary yearlong assignment that a domestic vicarage entails, an international vicarage consists of two years. The additional time allows for the orientation, preparation and language training necessary to serve internationally. Liebmann said the orientation was “incredibly helpful” in helping him research and better understand the region in which he will be serving and take important steps to prepare for deployment.

“We covered a great deal of topics over the eight weeks of orientation,” he explained, “but there were two topics that received significantly more time and attention than the rest. The first of these was how to make presentations about our mission fields and ministries and how to coordinate sharing these presentations with domestic congregations. These classes and discussions were incredibly helpful for me, as I am still a seminarian and not yet a very experienced public speaker.”

Liebmann added that he also appreciated assistance with “pragmatic topics such as international banking, will-making and power-of-attorney discussions as well as more emotional and spiritual topics such as how to maintain good devotional and health habits while under duress and how to say goodbye properly to friends and family.”

Liebmann will be serving his vicarage at St. Mary’s Confessional Lutheran Church in Brasov, Romania, working primarily with the Russian-speaking Ukrainian refugee population in the city.

Saying goodbye

Preaching for the new missionary recognition service on Aug. 2, the Rev. Dr. Cory Rajek, executive director of the OIM, directed hearers to the reading for the day, found in Acts 20:17–38.

“Goodbyes are never easy, and yet they are a part of our world,” Rajek said. “In our text for today, St. Paul knows how true this sentence is. … [He] is saying goodbye to some very special people … with whom he was extremely close. …

“Today, our Lord wants you to know — especially you, our newest missionaries — that … your goodbyes are not forever … and all because He said goodbye to His heavenly father. …

“He said goodbye in order to take on our flesh … in order to take up the cross. Jesus willingly gave up everything, even His very life, so that we might not have to. …

“Because He said goodbye, our Lord has changed our goodbyes forever. He has made them temporary. One day our Lord will call us home, and we will know that happy reunion in the presence of God with all who have gone before us in faith.”

Posted Sept. 10, 2024