LCMS World Mission in Russia - Career Missionaries

(We continue to have short-term volunteers serving on a two-weeks to six-months basis, see Short-Term Volunteer Missionaries. Also refer to news updates and archived news on our Home Page to read about their work and see their photos).

Rev. Brent and Jennie Smith serve the Lord and the LCMS as missionaries residing in Frankfurt, Germany. Brent serves as the regional director for Eurasia, an area that includes Europe and the former Soviet Union. In this role, Brent provides leadership and support to the missionaries in the region, facilitates work and partnerships with national churches, and explores new possibilities for work among people who do not yet know the Lord Jesus.

Born in Imperial, Neb., Brent and his family are members of Zion Lutheran Church. A graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, he began service with LCMS World Mission as the business manager for the Kazakhstan field in 1995. After two years of service, he entered Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo., and during the 1999-2000 school year, served his vicarage in Moscow, Russia. Brent then received his first call in 2001 to serve as evangelist missionary to Moscow. Brent is currently enrolled in a Doctor of Ministry program with a concentration in Missions and Evangelism at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Ill.

Jennie is a native of Broken Bow, Neb., and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in business administration. She previously worked in the field of human resources and for the United States Embassy in Moscow. She enjoys exercising, reading, and making scrapbooks. The Smiths have a son, Zachary, and two daughters, Katelyn and Sophia.

Please pray for the entire Eurasia mission team, that they would be blessed with excellent working relationships and a clear vision of God's work. Also ask God to help the Smith family adjust to living in Germany. Pray for their health and safety, especially as Brent's position requires extensive travel. They also ask, "Pray that the people will trust in Christ alone and, in turn, share Christ with others. Please ask also for God to continually fill us with the Holy Spirit's power, wisdom and gifts." Prayer Card. For more news, read their Newsletters. (top)

Robert and Laine Rosin serve the Lord and the LCMS in Eurasia, as Bob serves in a shared-time arrangement with Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo. Besides teaching in the region, Bob is looking for opportunities for other LCMS educators to teach. He also works in developing relationships with Lutheran institutions and serving as a consultant for LCMS theological education programs in Eurasia.

Bob has served as a professor at Concordia Seminary since 1981. He graduated from Concordia Teachers College in River Forest, Ill., from Concordia Seminary, and has a doctorate in Renaissance/Reformation history from Stanford University. At Concordia Seminary, his primary focus has been on Reformation studies, but he has taught courses in both European and American intellectual history.

Bob and Laine come with a good deal of cross-cultural experience. Before joining the seminary faculty in St. Louis, they lived in Germany for three years, first at Tübingen University and then two years in Mainz, where Bob was a fellow at the Institute for European History. He has done long-term teaching stints in Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Brazil, Croatia, and Ethiopia.

Laine grew up in Monett, Mo., graduated from Saint Paul's College in Concordia, Mo., and from Concordia Teachers College, River Forest. She has a master's degree from Concordia Seminary in Systematic Theology. She has taught second grade in the St. Louis area and in Germany, and has been a copy editor at Concordia Publishing House for almost 17 years.

Bob and Laine ask you to pray that God would bless efforts to connect teaching opportunities with ready servants from LCMS schools, in that people and pastors in Eurasia might grow in His Word. Prayer Card. For more news, read their Newsletters. (top)

Larry and Priscilla Ogg serve the Lord in Frankfurt, Germany, where Larry is the regional business manager for LCMS World Mission in Eurasia. In this position, Larry provides support for the budget and financial needs of the missionaries and LCMS World Mission projects in Eurasia.

Larry was born in Houston, Texas. He attended Concordia University, Austin. In his spare time, he enjoys genealogy, golf, and reading. Priscilla (Puffer) was born in Newport, R. I. She and Larry attend Trinity Lutheran Church in Rosenberg, Texas. Like her husband, Priscilla's hobbies include reading and she loves to travel. Larry and Priscilla have two daughters.

Please pray for Larry and Priscilla as they serve cross-culturally and are separated from their family and friends. Pray for God's guidance, strength, and perseverance as they overcome language barriers, and adjust to the culture(s) they serve in. Ask that God provide Larry wisdom in his decisions as business manager. Prayer Card. (top)

Rev. Timothy and Marguerite Nickel serve God as missionaries in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Tim is an evangelistic missionary and church planter and serves as the Central Asia field leader for Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Marguerite is a registered nurse who uses her nursing and education skills to teach women how to better care for themselves, their bodies, and their families.

Tim was born in Michigan and raised in Missouri. He graduated from St. Paul’s College in Concordia, Mo., Concordia Senior College in Fort Wayne, Ind., and Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Mo. He served as pastor of four different congregations in the Eastern District before accepting this call from LCMS World Mission. He describes himself as a lifelong learner who loves to read nonfiction.

Marguerite was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. Her bachelor’s degree in nursing is from Washington University, St. Louis, Mo. She also holds a master’s degree in community health education from State University of New York. Like her husband, she enjoys reading and studying medieval history.

The Nickels ask you to pray that God would plant a strong and vibrant church in Kyrgyzstan. Pray that God will raise up gifted leaders and that they will be well trained and motivated. Prayer Card. For more news, read their Newsletters. (top)

Rev. Robert and Sue Pfeil serve God as His missionaries in Kyrgyzstan. Bob is a theological educator who is preparing Kyrgyz nationals to become evangelists and future pastors. Sue is a registered nurse and director of the medical van supported by LCMS World Mission in partnership with Concordia Mission Society.

Bob graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Ind., in 1984. He served as pastor in Iowa City, Iowa, Riceville, Iowa, and Hayward, Wis., before accepting the call to the mission field. Bob enjoys teaching not only seminary students, but also Bible classes for members of Concordia Lutheran Church in Bishkek.

Sue (Mann) was born in Fond du Lac, Wis., and graduated from St. Mary’s Nursing School in Madison, Wis. She works with 20 national doctors, dentists, nurses, and optometric technicians on the medical van, which serves children, women, and men in the villages. Because of poverty, many people cannot afford health care and there are high incidences of illnesses such at tuberculosis.

The Pfeils ask you to pray that the doors continue to be open for all the people of Kyrgyzstan and they know the privilege of religious freedom. Pray also that the Holy Spirit makes their hearts burn with His passion for those whose hearts have not yet been changed by Him. Prayer Card. For more news, read their Newsletters. (top)

Missionary Matthew Heise serves as a theological educator in Russia and teaches at the seminary of LCMS partner church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria. He also conducts theological seminars throughout Russia, identifying future students for the ministry. He has long had a fascination with the land of Russia, being the grandson of Russian-German immigrants. In previous LCMS mission service from 1994 to 1996, Matthew served as a volunteer missionary in Moscow where he taught English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes and was the ESL coordinator.

Born in Dearborn, Mich., he is a lifelong member of Guardian Lutheran Church in Dearborn. Matthew holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, a master’s degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, Mich., and a master’s degree in divinity from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo. His hobbies include sports, traveling, and reading.

Please pray for safety for Matthew and all other missionaries and for “a boldness to witness to the hope that I have in Jesus Christ, with gentleness and respect,” (I Peter 3:15,16). Prayer Card. For more news, read his Newsletters. (top)

The Muhlys: Jon, Julie, David, and Nathaniel

Jon and Julie Muhly serve the Lord as LCMS missionaries in Russia. Having recently graduated from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Jon was then called to serve as the Area Facilitator in Russia. In this capacity, he is working with LCMS' official partner church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia (ELCIR). His main responsibilities are to enhance its ability to reach out to non-believers, to support the church's efforts to mature as a church body, and to provide theological resources for the church. These efforts are achieved through training, teaching, and coordinating our work with the leaders of our partner church. Jon and Julie previously served as LCMS volunteer missionaries in Cieszyn, Poland, from 2000 to 2002.

Born in Lodi, Calif., Jon graduated with a bachelor's degree in theology from Concordia University, Portland, Ore., and completed a master of divinity from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo. In his free time, Jon enjoys traveling and reading.

Julie (Goecker) was born in Seymour, Ind., and earned a bachelor's degree in education from Concordia University, River Forest, Ill. Julie enjoys painting in her free time.

Jon and Julie's oldest son, David, was born in 2005, with their second son, Nathaniel born in 2006. They consider both St. Peter Lutheran Church, Lodi, Calif., and Immanuel Lutheran Church, Seymour, Ind., their home congregations.

Please pray for the Muhlys in their language learning and cultural adaptation-that language and culture may not be hindrances in their ministry. Pray for wisdom and guidance for Jon as he works as the Area Facilitator. Pray for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia, that it would be bold and persistent in its witness to the Gospel. Pray also for the maturity of this young church, for its leaders, pastors, deacons, and deaconesses. Pray also for their sons, David and Nathaniel, that they would continue to grow healthy and strong. And finally, pray for the people of Russia who have yet to know Jesus, that God would soften their hearts and prepare them for the Gospel. Prayer Card. For more news, read their Newsletters. (top)

The Daniels: Pastor David and Slavka

Dr. David Daniel serves God at the Evangelical Theological Faculty of Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. As head of the department of church history and vice-dean for scholarship and international contacts, he develops instructional materials and helps prepare future workers for the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovakia and other countries of central and eastern Europe.

David was born in Bethlehem, Pa. and is a graduate of Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, Ill. He studied at the University in Vienna, Austria, prior to receiving his Ph.D. from the Pennsylvania State University, where he taught for nine years. He served as pastor or vacancy pastor in congregations in Penn., Mo., and Ill. From 1979 to 1988, he taught at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Mo. David has lived and worked in Bratislava since 1988. In 1997 he accepted a call from LCMS World Mission to serve full-time as a theological educator at the Theological Faculty in Bratislava.

David is married to Slavka, a native of Slovakia, who serves as the head of the department of religion and chaplain at the Evangelical Lyceum in Bratislava.

They ask you to pray that the Spirit would energize and strengthen teachers as they prepare students to serve church and society. Pray that believers will grow in faith and that the members and workers of the churches in central Europe may be effective witnesses to Christ so that those who are not Christians may be brought to faith. Prayer Card. (top)

The Lindseys: Wallace (Rob) and Gerlinde

Wallace (Rob) and Gerlinde Lindsey are currently serving as LCMS missionaries in Slovakia. Rob works as the volunteer coordinator for Eurasia, supervising LCMS World Mission long-term volunteer missionary teachers in Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary. He advises the teachers, coordinates retreats, sets up and carries out training and supports their spiritual lives. He also serves as a logistical coordinator and supervisor for short-term mission teams from the United States. The Lindseys previous mission service includes long-term volunteer mission service from 1994 to 1996 in Hungary.

Rob was born in Alexandria, Virginia and later attended the United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., and earned a bachelor's degree in general engineering. In 2000, he earned a master's in education. Gerlinde was born and raised in Germany. The Lindseys have five children: Catharina, Wallace III, Douglas, Frederick and Benjamin. The family lived in Germany for a number of years, and they recently relocated to Slovakia.

Please pray for the family as they adjust to the new culture and language. Also pray for safe travels as Rob visits the long-term missionaries in Eurasia. Prayer Card. (top)