This month begins our time of home service. It is a time designed by Synod for missionaries to come off the field and reconnect with family, friends, and supporters. All missionaries are required to do this every two to three years. It is challenging because so much of our work is connected to the school year, and with Carter also in school, we don’t want him to miss any more class time than is necessary.
We are so excited to return to the States and see many of you. Two years ago, when we began our time doing network building, we traveled a significant distance and covered a good portion of the western US. We are incredibly grateful to our supporters who are further West, especially since that is where I spent most of my parish ministry. However, because our time is constrained in the US by needing to get back on the field before school starts again, we must concentrate our time in the Midwest states of Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa, with a few stops in Illinois and Missouri.
We are looking forward to the Sunday engagements that we have already. Still, we would be delighted to stop by your congregation if you have a weekday Bible study or even to connect with you personally. Please reach out to us to let us know if that is something you would like to do. Sometimes, it can feel difficult to invite a missionary if your Bible study group is only a small group, but please know that we would be happy to come! The work going on here in Europe is so important, and we look forward to sharing this with as many people in the States as possible.
God is truly at work and blesses the work of his Church because, through faithful Word and Sacrament ministry, Christ calls and gathers his people to himself, and he nourishes and feeds them. Missionaries see this on a daily basis, and we look forward to coming to tell you all about it!
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Cundiff
The Cundiffs celebrate Carter’s confirmation on June 2nd at St. John Lutheran Church in Rīga, Latvia.
Here is the list of dates we have so far for Home Service. More will be added as the time draws near and we receive confirmations!
June 16: Shelbyville, IL (Holy Cross)
June 18: St. Louis, MO (International Center)
June 23: Oberlin, KS (St. John)
June 30: Kearney, NE (Holy Cross)
July 6: Mapleton, IA (Mission Central)
July 14: Des Moines, IA (Trinity)
July 21: Beemer, NE (Immanuel)
July 28: Lake City, IA (Pilgrim)
The Cundiffs show the Heiss family around town.
So what happened in May?
We had a very busy May! Quintin successfully completed his second year of teaching at Lutera Acadēmija but continues on with many administrative tasks, including interviews for new candidates to the English stream of the program. He is also collaborating with the Latvian stream administrators to combine the curricula into a more cohesive program – a huge task! Quintin was recently asked to assist with a Latvian service at Old St. Gertrude for a special feast day. He also presented a paper at a recent Latvian theological conference.
Lindsay had a great Mother’s Day. We even tried to see the Northern Lights by getting on a 45-minute train ride to a nearby beach in Jūrmala around 10:00 pm local time, but in an effort to catch the last train back to Rīga, we missed out on the Lights by about one hour! Otherwise, Lindsay’s been working to keep the end of the Acadēmija’s semester as smooth as possible for the instructors and the students. She’s also been working hard to prepare all the lodging and other details for Home Service. Lindsay will begin her BSN studies in August but has lots of admission steps to complete before then!
We joined another missionary family and other local families for a joint birthday party for Carter (now 13) and Pax (now 8). It was so refreshing to meet together with these Christ-loving families for companionship and revitalization! We all bid farewell to the Rajek family, who is moving back to the United States in June. Finally, we had our supporters, the Heiss family, visit us from Boise, Idaho! We got to know them when we were traveling the States before we even deployed nearly two years ago. It was a blast to show them around town and tell them about the history of the area.
Carter’s Corner
Sveiki (hello)! In May, I turned 13 and celebrated with having my friend here for a sleepover. I also had a school field trip to Turaida, a castle, and we hiked in the forest, too. On another day at school, we had Sports Day, so we played volleyball, flag football, dodgeball, soccer, and other games for half the day, then had a party the rest of the day. On June 2nd, I was so excited to get confirmed during our English service at St. John in Riga!
– Carter (age 13)
PLEASE PRAY FOR:
Safe travels for the Cundiffs during their period of Home Service.
Our faculty and students as they complete all Spring Semester work and look forward to June’s Intensive Study Weeks in Wittenberg, Germany, and the Fall Semester in August.
Good health and well-being for the family and friends of all missionaries.
PRAISE GOD FOR:
YOU – our generous donors and prayer warriors, along with the steadfast workers of Mission Central and Mission Advancement, without whom this mission would be impossible.
Prayerfully continue or consider partnering with the LCMS to support the work of Quintin Cundiff and his family.
Make checks payable to: The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod PO Box 66861 St. Louis, MO 63166-6861
-OR-
Mission Central 40718 Highway E 16 Mapleton, IA 51034
CUNDIFF_Latvia_May2024.pdf
