LEA Report two

Lutheran Education Association (LEA) hosts the world's largest gathering for the professional development of Lutheran Educators and Lutheran Administrators. Attendees (3800) from all over the world are attending this convocation.

Papua New Guinea is being represented by Executives of LUPNG and Governor Luther Wenge of the Morobe Province.

This delegation is in attendance is by invitation from Dr. Jonathan Laabs The Executive Director of the Lutheran Education Association to develop contacts and to source resource support.

The Lutheran University of Papua New Guinea Delegation was invited to do a presentation at the International Lutheran Education Association Symposium at the Hyatt Hotel Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA on Wednesday April 23. The PNG delegation was warmly welcomed and introduced by Dr. Jonathan Laabs, Executive Director of LEA, and Rev. David Birner a top level Executive of LCMS world missions. Rev. Birner opened the symposium with a devotion that encouraged the group to look at their roots and their interconnections. He encouraged the delegation and the other Lutheran International educational institutions to go out and tell their story.

Presentations were made by the Committee Chairman Mr. Rimbink Pato, Honourable Governor Luther Wenge (MP) and Dr. Lee Schluckebier. Governor Wenge and Mr. Rimbink Pato spoke of developments taking place toward the opening of the Lutheran University in 2010 the Morobe Province and informed those faithful gathered of the uniqueness and the overwhelming demand for such a university the Morobe Province. Governor Wenge made a polite and firm promise that he would deliver this University to his electorate, as the majority of his electorate is Lutheran. LUPNG is the first University in the 180 years of ministry of the Lutheran Church in PNG. Governor Wenge advised the symposium of significant financial support from the PNG Government for the Lutheran University. Governor Wenge and Mr. Pato called upon the Lutheran Churches, the established Lutheran Universities of the USA, and those associated with them to pray for and to participate in this new exciting ministry.

Tremendous interest was demonstrated immediately. Various people have offered to lodge their Curriculum Vitae to answer this special call to lecture or assist at LUPNG. Others are willing to visit in the near future including Dr. R. Bimler and Mr. Herb Brokring (in spirit and prayer).

Dr. Richard Bimler is the Ambassador of Health, Hope, and Aging for a corporation called Luther Life Communities (photo below). This corporation promotes Lutherans to be carriers of hope as they live in the Lord tell the story of Jesus and his life.

Mr. Herb Brokring, now a man of age, expressed after the symposium of an important completion of a life-long assignment. He stated it in this way:

He had met the late Pastor Mufuanuc Buti who was the first president of the Kote district of ELC-PNG and at age seven was given a picture of Dr. John Flierl and had heard of his great mission in New Guinea. To this day Herb treasured that special picture and had always hoped that someday he himself would serve as a missionary in Papua New Guinea. After meeting, seeing, and learning about the exciting developments of the Lutheran University and with tear-filled eyes he stated that his mission to PNG was now completed. He sensed this completion as he could now see that PNG citizens by themselves were taking full responsibility for God’s call in the ministry to provide quality Lutheran Education and to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Papua New Guinea.