Leaving the comforts of the city, staff from Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM)—Ethiopia recently traveled to the remote village of Mesmes, 170 miles south of Addis Ababa. It was an arduous journey, as a lack of decent roads makes it difficult to reach the primarily rural Ethiopian population.

There are no all-weather roads to Mesmes, and LHM—Ethiopia staff frequently had to get out along the rough dirt road and walk. Near their destination, they reached a wooden bridge that could not support their vehicle. Thankfully, some eager teenagers in the area helped to carry their luggage and equipment, including a generator and an amplifier, to the village.

Staff members came prepared to take full advantage of their limited time in Mesmes. They held an Equipping the Saints evangelism workshop at Mekane Yesus Church, where 156 people were commissioned as volunteers. They also held evangelism rallies and showed Christian films, which brought more than 1,000 people out to hear about Christ.

On Sunday morning, staff and members of the Mekane Yesus congregation gathered in an open field for an outdoor worship service. During the service, LHM—Ethiopia's director recognized 121 Bible Correspondence Course graduates. Members of the congregation were impressed with the course and the graduates, who were proudly wearing their new LHM t-shirts, and 53 people enrolled in the Bible courses. The congregation also collected a free will offering benefiting LHM—Ethiopia, and many people made small donations, even though they did not have much to give.

As Jesus points out in Matthew 9, the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. LHM—Ethiopia's staff may not be able to return to Mesmes for a long time. However, LHM—Ethiopia is thankful to have had this opportunity to share Christ in Mesmes and strengthen members of Mekane Yesus Church.

To learn more about the LHM—Ethiopia ministry center and its work, visit the center's blog. To learn how to support LHM's ministry efforts in Ethiopia and elsewhere, visit our giving site or call 1-877-333-1963.

On February 27th, a magnitude 8.8 earthquake, one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded, struck Chile. According to reports, more than 1.5 million homes have been destroyed, displacing more than 2 million people. The number of dead or missing continues to climb, with the latest reports putting it at more than 800 people.

Earlier in the week, the Lutheran Hour Ministries director in Chile, Marianela Bravo, met with local leaders and pastors of the Lutheran churches in Valparaiso to decide on a plan of action to deliver much-needed material support to those affected. Specific necessities were identified such as food, beds, blankets, water pumps, and construction materials. LHM will also begin to immediately assist in the rebuilding efforts for low-income families in La Granja, La Florida, Ñuñoa, Paine, and Puente Alto, which are towns near the LHM—Chile ministry center in Santiago.

Lutheran Hour Ministries is already printing 10,000 brochures entitled "Strength During Difficult Times," which will be distributed by volunteers at health centers and other places around the city.

"More than anything, we want to deliver hope to these people, and give them consolation through the message of our Savior, Jesus Christ," said Bravo, whose home also suffered damage.

Though the worst of the magnitude 8.8 earthquake is past, areas continue to tremble with powerful aftershocks. A tsunami triggered by the earthquake has also caused damage along the coastal region. The Chilean government estimates the cost of repairing the damage to be approximately $30 billion, and that it will take 3-4 years to rebuild affected places.

In the days, weeks, and months ahead, LHM will continue to work through our ministry center in Santiago, along with its church partners, to provide assistance to those affected. Please visit the LHM—Chile Blog at http://lhmchile.wordpress.com for news updates.

Please pray for the people of Chile and for our staff and volunteers working there. We are asking for monetary donations for our ministry efforts in Chile. If you would like to help support our ministry in Chile and in other countries around the world, please send your contributions via the LHM International Ministries Web site at www.lhmint.org or mail them to:

Lutheran Hour Ministries
Chile Relief
660 Mason Ridge Center Drive
St. Louis, MO 63141
Telephone: 1 800-944-3450

Semi-fresh off the ministerial cleaver of Pastor Ken Klaus are the first 15 episodes of The Baloney Shop. On the chopping block are both the ludicrous and the lamentable: whether it's the purported visage of Jesus in a grilled cheese sandwich or the terrifying spectacle of the Fort Hood shootings, Klaus offers insight and counterpoint to many ideas in popular circulation today.

Great for use on the big screen between church services or as fodder to discuss some popular or peculiar cultural event, these snappy video vignettes are great conversation-starters. Capturing the Speaker in a manner different than most people know him, they shed light on the man best known for his Sunday sermons and Daily Devotions.

Available at www.lhmmen.com for $15, this DVD resource is one of many available at the Men's NetWork—a Web site designed to provide Christ-centered resources to men, men's groups, and men's ministry. While you're there, check out Pastor Klaus' latest swipe at Hollywood—2012.

Recently, LHM—Lebanon had the opportunity to further the Gospel's advance into Iraq by partnering with Christian radio station New Life. In late 2009, New Life began broadcasting in Erbil, the largest city in Iraq's Kurdish area, thanks to equipment and training provided by a U.S. mission. After a three-month trial period, they were ready to begin transmitting a full lineup of Christian programming. Unfortunately, they did not have enough Arabic-language material to fill their airtime.

That's when God brought New Life Radio and LHM—Lebanon together in order to effectively share His message with Muslims. LHM provided New Life with Bible-based Arabic-language radio programs that are suitable for all audiences. Evangelism is still very dangerous in Iraq, so New Life must be careful to avoid sensitive topics that might offend their Muslim listeners, such as messages that insult Islam or encourage Muslims to leave their faith. Instead, LHM programs concentrate on powerfully proclaiming the Gospel, with the knowledge that the Holy Spirit will work in listeners' hearts.

Christian groups in Egypt and Jordan have also lent their programs to New Life, filling out their schedule with radio dramas, children's stories, Bible readings, hymns, and programs on social topics. The station will broadcast 65 percent of their programming in Arabic, 25 percent in Kurdish, and 10 percent in other languages, such as Chaldean, Armenian, and English.

New Life is very thankful for the support they have received from other Christian friends in the Middle East, and LHM—Lebanon is amazed at this sudden and wonderful opportunity to share their programming with Muslims 500 miles away. Radio continues to be an effective way to share Christ in dangerous areas because it reaches directly into people's homes.

Please keep LHM—Lebanon in your prayers. To learn more about the outreach of LHM—Lebanon, visit the center's blog at lhmint.org.

You can support the ministry monthly or quarterly through Lutheran Hour Ministries' automatic giving program. It's easy! And automatic giving allows your gift to go to work for the ministry immediately, without the delays of writing and cashing checks. You'll save time and money because you're not writing checks or buying stamps as often, and you'll receive less mail from LHM!

Here's how it works: you can make your gifts quarterly or monthly, using automatic withdrawal from your checking or savings account or using a credit or debit card. Call 1-800-944-3450, extension 4130 to enroll by phone or visit www.lhmgift.org/gme.htm to enroll online.