"Put a Church here"

We received an invitation from a couple that lived far away from any churches. They asked a Pastor if he could help, who then asked me and some other church leaders to go and see exactly what they wanted. When we arrived at their house I couldn’t help but notice how much garden space they had. They brought us out to stand in the middle of their field as they explained.

“We don’t have a church anywhere near us. And we want to have a Lutheran Church, because from what we have heard, you teach the Bible the right way. And so we want you to put a Church here.” I, and others, looked around wondering where they meant. Every square foot was covered in plants and trees and buildings for sleeping, or housing animals (chickens, to be exact). Someone asked for clarification, “Where do you want us to put it?”

“Right here,” came the reply. “But we are standing in your garden,” we responded. “Yes,” they maintained, “dig up this portion, knock down that house, and put a Church here.”

I was shocked. Let me explain: In Papua New Guinea most people are subsistence farmers, which means their main food source is what they grow. So when someone is willing to give up a portion of their garden it means they must highly value the thing they are getting. In this case, they wanted a Church.

While we were talking I noticed a group of kids playing nearby. One in particular caught my attention. His face was visibly scarred and some hair was missing. I asked the mother, “Is this one of your kids?” She said it was, so I asked again what had happened. “When he was little,” she explained, “he fell into the fire.”

Standing there in the quiet of her garden I was not sure what to say. I watched the kids run off playing together. “Well,” I commented, “he looks happy.” I turned to the mother. “And since you want to put a church here, your boy will hear the good news that Jesus died for his sins. He will be baptized and in the new Heaven and new Earth we will have new bodies and see our savior face to face.”

This is the hope we have. Not in this life or the earthly treasures we so often set our hearts upon.

Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 
~1 Corinthians 15:57

It is my joy to serve in Papua New Guinea, but in order to continue it is necessary for me to receive adequate funding. The current LCMS ‘network support’ model requires missionaries to raise their own funds, which come from both individual donors and congregations.

Will you please join our support network and become partners with us as we ensure the Good News of Jesus’s death and resurrection for our sins is spread in PNG? The following are suggestions for donations:

Pledges or Recurring Gifts:  These gifts occur monthly but can also be quarterly or yearly. Typical giving is $20-100 monthly for individuals, but can be set at any level. These form the backbone of our support network. To establish a recurring gift go online to www.lcms.org/givenow/ritzman, or call 888-930-4438 to speak with someone at the LCMS Office of International Mission.

One-time Offerings:  These monetary gifts are given one time, or as desired. These gifts can also be done online at www.lcms.org/givenow/ritzman or by sending a check to:

The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod                Mission Central

PO Box 66861                                        or      40718 Highway E16

St. Louis, MO 63166-6861                               Mapleton, IA 51034-7105

Make Checks payable to The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

Write ‘Ritzman-PNG’ in the memo line.

Thank you. Your support allows us to help spread the Gospel despite many difficult challenges. People are blessed, souls are saved, and God is glorified.

Email:          michael.ritzman@lcmsintl.org

Website:      ompng.blogspot.com

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus ~Romans 3:23-24