May 2009

Africa to Asia
An insight into the ministry of LCMS Long-term missionary
Megan Birney serving Christ on the international mission field

Home Sweet Home For Now...

I’m back in the USA! After over 30 hours
of traveling, I made it home on May
16th. May has been an exciting month,
especially since I spent the first half pre-
paring to come home and the second
half adjusting to actually being here. My
last week in West Africa as we finished
up school we also made one last trip to
Ghana. Angela Bell, another MK
teacher, adopted my cats so it was
happy trip and I was glad to find them a
home! It was hard to say goodbye to so
many people I have grown close to but
especially the Fluegge family. My travel
home went very smoothly and I am so
thankful for your prayers as I traveled!
My homecoming has been bittersweet. I
am overjoyed to be near family and fa-
miliar friends but knowing I might not
see my home in Togo ever again makes
my heart ache. I thought that having air-
conditioning, television, grocery stores
and all these other American amenities
would make adjusting easier but in most
ways it makes it harder. While they
make life easier, I realize now that I
lived happily for ten months without
them. God is so good and I praise Him
for His strength and joy during my time
in West Africa. Along with readjusting to
life in America, I am also switching
gears to prepare for my ministry in Hong
Kong. I am very encouraged to serve in
a different capacity and in a new minis-
try beginning in August. Similar relation-
ship building English as a Foreign Lan-
guage (EFL) programs have been started
by LCMS World Mission in Jiangmen and
Macau. Along with myself, Andrea Bo-
lognini will also be working in Hong Kong
with the EFL program. Read more about
Andrea online at : www.lcms.org?14884.
We will be working through the Lutheran
Church — Hong Kong Synod (LCHKS) at
different synodical schools and English
centers. Since the program will have it’s
start when we arrive in August, I’ll have
more information as the program begins to “But because of His
come together these next few months and great love for us,
more so when I get to Hong Kong. Thank God, who is rich in
you for your prayers as I adjust and prepare mercy, made us
these next three months. Missionary orien-
alive in Christ even
tation begins this Sunday, May 31st how-
when we were dead
ever since I attended the first week last
in our transgres-
year I am only traveling to Chicago for the
EFL portion of the training beginning June sions — it is by
6th. I am excited to learn new techniques grace you have
for teaching English and also to meet my been saved.”
new teammates that are headed to Asia! Ephesians 2:4,5
 May 2009
LCMS World Mission
Africa would not have been possible without your commitments to heed the Lord’s call
800-433-3954
www.lcmsworldmission.com
mission.info@lcms.org
this upcoming year. With only 18 individuals or families making a commitment to give
Learn more about the work of
LCMS World Mission in Asia by
visiting:
www.lcmsworldmission.org/asia
Contact Info
Megan Birney
megan.birney@lcms.org
Check out my blog:
acrossanoceansizedlove.blogspot.com
Visit my project page:
www.lcms.org?13343
Download my prayer card:
www.lcmsworldmission.org/
prayercards
Access my photo albums:
picasaweb.google.com/
megaroonski
If you would like to receive this newsletter electronically, please e-mail me at megan.birney@lcms.org!
Partner with me in my new ministry!
I want to thank all you for supporting me this last year in Togo. My ministry in West
to pray for me and support me financially. As I make preparations for Hong Kong, I
am once again called to raise funds for my service. The cost for my year of service in
Hong Kong is approximately $21,417; almost double the cost for my ten months in
Togo. I am asking you to begin praying about supporting me financially and in prayer
$100 a month would put me over the mark. Thanks for your prayers!
To support my work financially, you may send a taxdeductible gift to:
LCMS World Mission
1333 South Kirkwood Road,
St. Louis, Missouri 63122-7295.
Please make checks payable to LCMS World Mission.
Mark checks on the memo line “Support of Megan Birney”
Gifts can also be given securely online at my webpage:
www.lcms.org?13343
Prayer Requests
• Pray that God would begin to open eyes and ears and pave the way for the
new EFL ministry beginning in Hong Kong this fall.
• Pray for me as I adjust back to living in the States and begin raising support
for my upcoming service in Hong Kong.
• Pray that the Lord would continue to be prevalent in the lives of the Fluegge
family and for a smooth transition from the ministry of the CLET in Togo to
the USA and then to South Africa as Glenn begins serving at the Lutheran
Theological Seminary in Pretoria this November.
• The students at the CLET; that God would steady their hearts to pursue their
calls to leadership training in serving the Lutheran Church in West Africa.
• The CLET professors that guide the students journeys; give them strength
and affirmation in their calls to teaching and strength to lead the CLET.
• The ministries of all FES families especially as they are finishing the last
term in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; ministries include translation, church
planting, medical, and leadership/theological training.
• Pray for LCMS WM missionary orientation 5/31—6/5 and EFL orientation
6/6—6/11 at Concordia University Chicago.
• Praise for my home congregation, Shepherd of the Coast LCMS celebrating
it’s 20th anniversary this summer!
• My fellow LCMS long-term missionaries serving this year, for the opportunity
& strength to live out Christ’s love on the mission field.
• For the hearts of those needing to know the grace of our great God