NALS Seminarians On Mission
Rebecka V. Andrӕ Frontz
Administrative Coordinator
North American Lutheran Seminary
Pastors Heidi and Dieter Punt along with their Carolinas Mission Region group had a mission trip planned in 2020, then the COVID-19 pandemic made its global impact known, restricting travel and putting the mission trip on hold. Fast forward to 2023 and the group completed its mission trip to San Juan the final week of June with two NALS seminarians in attendance.
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Troutman, NC, invited the NALS to send two seminarians to participate in the mission trip. Ethan Zimmerman, M.Div. candidate (NALS Seminary Center), and Luke Ratke, M.Div. candidate (NALS Seminary Center), volunteered and went off to join the group in North Carolina. Holy Trinity covered the seminarians’ expenses (travel, lodging, food, etc.), so all Luke and Ethan had to do was get themselves to Greensboro, NC, to join the group for the flight to San Juan. The multi-generational group consisted of two pastors, four families, two single adults, and two seminarians.
In San Juan, the group partnered with a local Methodist church. Half of the group completed maintenance in the church building and the other half conducted a Vacation Bible School (VBS) for the children. Ethan got busy painting and Luke delved into crafts and games with the children in VBS.
While in San Juan, the group participated in an inner-city homeless ministry which included bringing meals and proclaiming the Gospel through devotions. Luke and Ethan provided a message one day on John 4:1-15, the story of the woman at the well, discussing the Living Water that is Christ and providing personal testimonies. Although they adjusted quickly, working with an interpreter was a new experience for these young men.
Group members also conducted prayer walks, making their way through the slums and praying, through translators, with people they met. Stray cats and chickens wandered aimlessly, looking for their own crumbs to eat. One woman invited them into her home for prayer. Her husband had been murdered by a gang just one week earlier.
After sleeping on the floor of a local Christian school, dodging chickens, praying with a newly widowed woman, witnessing a Baptism, painting walls, leading Christ-focused devotions, working with children in the VBS program on the theme of “God’s Creation in Us,” these two seminarians had seen the hand of God at work.
Group members also conducted prayer walks, making their way through the slums and praying, through translators, with people they met. Stray cats and chickens wandered aimlessly, looking for their own crumbs to eat. One woman invited them into her home for prayer. Her husband had been murdered by a gang just one week earlier.
After sleeping on the floor of a local Christian school, dodging chickens, praying with a newly widowed woman, witnessing a Baptism, painting walls, leading Christ-focused devotions, working with children in the VBS program on the theme of “God’s Creation in Us,” these two seminarians had seen the hand of God at work.
As Luke reflected on his time in San Juan, he said, “This trip and these experiences reminded me how big God is; He is moving everywhere in every corner of the world and on every island. I felt His warmth through His community of people. As a seminarian, it was so valuable for me to see Christianity in a different culture.”
“Preaching to the homeless was a highlight for me,” said Ethan. “We don’t see the impact; we just have to trust that the seed is planted. It was a 1 Corinthians 1:3–9 moment. I could feel the Holy Spirit palpable in the humidity. I felt ready to sob but I handed it to Him.”
Both seminarians are deeply grateful to Pastors Deiter and Heidi Punt, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Troutman, NC, and the Carolinas Mission Region for this wonderful opportunity to share and to experience the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the people in San Juan. Cementing their bond as brothers in Christ, the trip’s impact remains with them as they continue their pastoral formation.
