God’s Work in Latvia

Dear Mission Friends,

Thank you for your continued interest in God’s work in Latvia. We hope and pray these updates encourage you as much as you are an encouragement to us.

Why is the work important?

Luther Academy provides the education necessary to form pastors who will preach Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins. This work is being done across multiple continents through the use of technology. Today’s students will become tomorrow’s pastors who will be able to faithfully preach the Gospel in their local language and cultural setting.

As we have internalized our appointment with the LCMS to Latvia, it has become clear to us the incredible value of this work and why it is important. Without this online program offered through Luther Academy, these pastors would not be able to receive the quality education they need to preach the Gospel in their countries. Many of these students come from areas where Christianity simply does not exist, where there are no seminaries for them to attend. Many of these students are also unable to uproot themselves and their families to move to Latvia to attend the seminary in person. Attending Luther Academy online quickly becomes their only option. Here’s where the technology comes in and is leveraged to overcome many of these logistical and financial obstacles. Luther Academy is able to meet the needs of the church in lands where there is a great need for pastors so that “the Gospel is rightly taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered” (Augsburg Confession, Article VII).

I (Cody) am privileged to offer my technical background to support the technology that runs Luther Academy’s online program so that the theological educators can focus on what they do best—teaching others to preach Christ and Him crucified for the sins of the world.

Your prayers and partnership are vital for this effort. Thank you for your prayers and partnership and please continue to pray for the use of technology to help spread the Gospel into dark places.

Did You Know?

The logo for Luther Academy consists of Luther’s Rose in the center along with two crossed keys and a rooster. The keys symbolize the city of Riga and the rooster is a symbol of the reformation in Latvia and many other European countries.

Please Pray

• Continued prayer for our visas and much thanks to the LCMS Office of International Mission (OIM) staff for their hard work to obtain our visas.
• Thanksgiving for all the wonderful visits we have had with congregations in the Midwest.
• That we would be able to get all our ducks in a row before departure (proper documentation, housing, etc).

Mock Family Update

March was an encouraging month of not only visiting churches to raise awareness of God’s work in Latvia, but also of visiting family and friends. Our travels took us far from our current home (a good test of our future international travel!).

Some highlights from the trip: we visited the church Aurélie and I were married in, the church Aurélie and I were catechized in, and we were able to see friends and family—the girls especially enjoyed seeing their cousins! We traveled many miles, but it was well worth it. Thank you for all your continued prayers as we begin to say our final goodbyes before we leave for Latvia.

Thank you for all your care and support!

— Cody, Aurélie, Eva and Moriah

Will you prayerfully consider or continue partnering with the LCMS to support the work of Cody and Aurélie Mock?
Make checks payable to:

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
P.O. Box 66861
St. Louis, MO 63166-6861

OR

Mission Central
40718 Highway E 16
Mapleton, IA 51034

On the memo include Mock-Latvia

Give securely from any device: lcms.org/givenow/mock
Call a donor care representative: 888-930-4438

God’s Work in Latvia by The Mocks