Castillo Fuerte

By: Izaak Wendorf


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On October 15, we had a visit from Missionary Mike Hartman. He had a message that the world is a battlefield and not a playground
and we appropriately sung the hymn, “A Mighty Fortress.” He also explained the work that he and four other missionaries are doing in Mexico. In a nutshell, our offerings are being used as scholarships for those training to become pastors in the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Church (CELC – the church body in Mexico that is in fellowship with WELS).

                As you may recall, 89% of Mexicans claim to be Catholics, but are too distracted by traditional teachings to confess the resurrection of Christ. This was the primary reason why work in Mexico began. Since then, thousands have been touched by the CELC. Currently, this church body consists of roughly 1,200 members and 9 pastors – eight of which are Mexican.

                In order to gain some more insight, I e-mailed MVL graduate and Mike Hartman’s wife, Rachel Hartman about the seminary in Mexico. It runs very similar to the WELS seminary, but on a much smaller scale. There are four current students who study Greek, Hebrew, and classes related to sermons, pastoral duties, church history, etc. Our offerings primarily go toward financially supporting their basic living costs so they can study fulltime.

                I also asked for a picture of “Castillo Fuerte” – or as we commonly know it: “A Mighty Fortress.” We can be sure that on Reformation Sunday, we weren’t the only country singing it. Rachel also says that MVL can help by praying for the people in Mexico to hear about Jesus’ death AND resurrection.

                Rachel keeps a blog at www.lutheransinmexico.com that is full of exciting stories. I’d encourage you guys to take a look at it and stay updated to how God’s Kingdom is being extended.