Serving the Lord with gladness is one of LWML’s greatest joys, so joy abounds in the fact that the 2015–2017 LWML National Mission Grants have been paid with Mite offerings of over $2,000,000! The story below is a special message from LWML about having reached this impressive goal.

We continue to fill our Mite Boxes with love offerings in support of our LWML Rocky Mountain District grants that are still not completely funded. If you would like to support these Mission Grants, ask one of the LWML members for a Mite Box.

After the Grants Have Been Paid

There is an old World War I song called “After the War is Over.” It was composed by Harry Andrieu, with lyrics written by Joseph Woodruff, E.J. Pourmon and Andrew B. Sterling. The intent of the song has nothing to do with the paying of our 2015–2017 Mission Grants, but the song melody kept lilting through my head. But instead of the title, the words “After the grants have been paid” is what I kept hearing. I kept singing these words and thinking, “The LWML National Mission Grants have been paid! Now what are we supposed to do?”

The first and foremost action we should carry out is to give all praise and glory to God for the tremendous favor He bestowed on us allowing us to fulfill our pledge to the nineteen grant recipients with full payments to them. Through the mission offerings we have faithfully given, many people have been blessed, in various ways, with material goods, comfort and support, scholarships, safety and hope. More importantly, the Word of God has been demonstrated and shared with each and every one of these grant recipients and, in turn, with those they are striving to help.

Now that the grants have been paid, we have the awesome privilege to continue giving our mite offerings. The mites we collect in our meetings and church are sent to our respective LWML districts. 75% of the mites sent to each district will stay in that district to help support the district mission grants, while 25% are sent on to LWML for support of the national mission goal.

The opportunities we are given to assist in the spread of God’s Word and His love are boundless. Please continue to be generous in your mite giving and prayerful support of all the grant recipients, both on our national LWML level and through the district in which you are a member. Let us remember that the voice of Jesus is crying, asking us, “Who will go and work today?” Let our answer be, “Here am I, send me, send me!” Your mite offerings are putting you in the midst of the harvest fields that are white with the harvest waiting—waiting for the love of Jesus to be shared with all. With your prayers and with your bounties, you can do what God commands. (Paraphrased from “Hark, the Voice of Jesus Calling,” Lutheran Service Book #826)

The Mission Guild is Saint John’s branch of the national Lutheran Women’s Missionary League organization that participates in mission projects both at home and abroad.