South Dakota Lutheran Laymen's League
NEWS
Spotlight on Mariana Mastrontono and the Lutheran Hour Ministries Uruguay
Mariana Mastrontono is the Director of the Lutheran Hour Ministries Uruguay office, a position that she has held since June 2003. Uruguay is the prayer and support partner of the SD District LLL.
You may recall that Mariana is the young lady that visited several congregations a couple of years ago, presenting her ministry program.
She has a passion for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, using words and actions. She loves making a difference in peoples’ lives by working with an organization such as LHM that is sharing God’s Word around the world to make Christ real and bring His joy into the hearts of the unchurched.
The following are some of the projects that she and her staff intend to use to get this job done:
· Develop contact with children and various institutions, offering evangelistic programs with Christian values through different activities like puppets, games, movies, and presentations.
· Working with three Bible studies, in different neighborhoods, offering support, resources and materials.
· Including the choir, which they have already started, they want to add other creative group activities such as theatre and handicrafts.
· Open new study and Bible study groups for women and children in the office.
· Secure their own, larger office facilities, so that they would have adequate space to develop and carry on these activities.
While visiting with Mariana at the recent Int’l LLL Convention in Omaha in July, she indicated that they have a need for the following items, to assist in their immediate ministry programs:
1. Hand puppets, to continue using theatre to bring the message of Christ to the people, especially the children.
2. Backpacks and school supplies to hand out to children. (They can purchase the supplies, there in Uruguay, at a cost of about $15.00 American – thus saving the shipping costs of both backpacks and supplies to Uruguay)
Since LHM Uruguay is the prayer and support partner of the SD District LLL and to show Mariana and her staff that we appreciate their work and what they are doing to tell people about Jesus Christ, here is what we propose:
1. We, in the SD District LLL, have secured 123 backpacks (leftover from the Global Care Package program) that we can send to her.
2. We need Hand Puppets. If you have, or can assemble a puppet, that we can send to Uruguay for use in their ministry, send it/them to: Zion Lutheran Church, 1400 So. Duluth Ave., Sioux Falls, SD 57105; Attn. Bob/Judy Portice.
3. If you wish to send a donation to Mariana, for her use in purchasing supplies for the backpacks, make your checks payable to the SD District LLL; earmark the donation for Uruguay, and send them to: Gene Stegeman, LLL Treas., 1334 Westminster Dr., Brookings, SD 57006.
Rest assured, there will be no administrative costs involved with this project. The SD District LLL will pay for getting the backpacks and puppets to Uruguay. Any donations that are made will be sent in total to Mariana for her use in purchasing the supplies to fill the backpacks.
If you are unable to help with either Item #2 or #3 at this time, please keep this young woman and her staff in your prayers. They are working against great odds to proclaim CHRIST in an unbelieving environment.
May GOD richly bless each and every one of you, for whatever you choose to do, to assist in this endeavor.
Clowns With A Message
Clowns with a Message is a relatively new ministry started by Joe & Shelly Simonson at Zion Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls, S.D. Their mission: To show, share & spread the joy of the Good News of Jesus Christ; to show the happiness of being a part of Christ’s family; & to help people smile, laugh & enjoy the life God has given us.
They started off just entertaining local parishioners at their Friendship Ablaze carnivals every year. Now they travel with the LLL Sausage Dinner Team doing illusions, tricks, balloon twisting, jokes & skits. They give away LHM trinkets & toys for children & adults alike. They also are branching out to volunteer for the general public to proclaim the Gospel & inform people about Lutheran Hour Ministries. Pamphlets & general information are left so people can read about everything LHM does & how they could possibly help or get involved. Such venues include Children’s Inn, VA Hospital, local hospitals, retirement communities, etc.
If you have an event coming up where you would like Humble the Clown & Happy Harmony to come & entertain, please contact Joe or Shelly at (605)334-0201 or www.clownswamessage@aol.com
Clowns with a message:
Jokingly making God’s Word serious
.