Lutheran Mission Society San Diego Thanksgiving List

12 Reasons to Give Thanks for God’s Work Through the Lutheran Mission Society San Diego in 2024

                1.            New Missionaries

We welcomed new missionaries, including Gustavo Valderrama, Elvis Willians, Jake Jackson, and Dawa Jarso, strengthening our team to more than 30 leaders. These additions increased our missionary count and brought fresh energy to the mission field.

                2.            Partnering Churches

Churches like Community, Grace, First, Good Shepherd, University, Immanuel, Faith, and St. James have embraced our mission by partnering with us to identify missionaries and strengthen ministries—joining many others who supported us last year. We are steadily approaching our goal of connecting with 100% of LCMS congregations in San Diego County and Tijuana.        

3.            New Ministries Initiatives

God opened doors for new ministries, such as ESL classes, a Men’s Ministry, and a Spanish-speaking women’s Bible study reaching both San Diego and Tijuana.

                4.            Support for Existing Ministries

Through relationships with missionaries already serving in San Diego and Tijuana, such as Diego Zamorano, Elisabeth Martinez, Tere Montoya, and Kevin Zhang, we nurtured and strengthened existing ministries.

                5.            Missionary Gatherings

Monthly missionary gatherings have fostered community and encouragement. What began in 2023 has grown to nine gatherings in 2024, now hosted not only in homes but also by churches like St. Paul’s, Community San Marcos, and Grace San Diego.

                6.            Missionary Training

Missionaries like Gustavo Valderrama (enrolled at the Center for Hispanic Studies at Concordia Seminary) and Alex Parker (Cross-Cultural Mission Center at Concordia Irvine) have begun training to become church workers, equipping them for even greater ministry impact.

                7.            Equipping and Fellowship

Missionaries participated in events such as Best Practices, the All Workers Conference, the Lay Leaders Workshop, and Exponential West, equipping them for ministry and fostering fellowship.

                8.            New Ministry Opportunities

Exciting initiatives such as the motorcycle ministry and Taiwanese ministry reflect God’s creativity in opening new doors for outreach.

                9.            Unity Across Borders

Missionaries and leaders on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border are collaborating, sharing resources, and working together in a shared mission for Christ.

                10.          Generosity of Supporters

We give thanks for the generosity of our supporters, including individual donors and churches like Hope, Christ, Grace, and St. Paul’s, who included us in their budgets or blessed us with special offerings.

                11.          Organizational Growth

Our organization took major steps forward by completing strategic planning, building healthy systems, and laying the groundwork for the continuation and multiplication of our ministries.

                12.          Faithfulness of Board Members

Our dedicated board members completed two years of volunteer service, providing invaluable leadership and guidance to the mission.

We praise God for these abundant blessings and look forward to witnessing His continued work in the coming year!