1. ALLPHOTOS:LCMS
Thank you to the following organiza-
tions for partnering with the LCMS
in the Lutheran Malaria Initiative:
Concordia Lutheran Ministries, Cabot, Pa. (CLM)
Concordia Plan Services (CPS)
Concordia Publishing House (CPH)
Concordia University, Irvine, Calif.
Concordia University Chicago, River Forest, Ill.
Concordia University, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Concordia University, St. Paul, St. Paul, Minn.
Concordia University, Nebraska, Seward, Neb.
Concordia University Portland, Portland, Ore.
Concordia University Texas, Austin, Texas
Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon, Wis.
Concordia College—New York, Bronxville, N.Y.
Concordia College Alabama, Selma, Ala.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF)
Lutheran Education Association (LEA)
Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM)
Lutherans in Medical Missions (LIMM)
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML)
Lutheran World Relief (LWR)
Thrivent Financial
United Nations Foundation (UNF)
Lutheran Malaria Initiative:
Finishing Strong
Thank YouThank you for your generous support of the Lutheran Malaria
Initiative. You have helped to restore health and inspire hope
by reaching out with Christ's hand of witness and mercy here
in our lives together. Other opportunities to support the
mission and ministry of the LCMS exist through these special
ongoing initiatives:
• The Wittenberg Project: A project to convert the Old
Latin School into a Lutheran education and Gospel
outreach center in the heart of Wittenberg, Germany,
the birthplace of the Reformation. The center will
establish an orthodox Lutheran presence in Wittenberg
that will nurture the faith of Christians there and
introduce Christianity to non-Christians living in or
visiting the former East Germany.
thewittenbergproject.org
• “The First Rosa”: A documentary highlighting the
life of Lutheran educator and church planter Rosa J.
Young, known as the “mother of black Lutheranism in
central Alabama.” lcms.org/thefirstrosa
• Free to Be Faithful: An education and awareness
campaign that focuses on traditional values of
marriage, sanctity of life and religious freedom, and
aims to establish a permanent Lutheran presence in
Washington, D.C., to protect religious liberty.
lcms.org/freetobefaithful
Learn more by contacting Martha Mitkos at 314-996-1322
or martha.mitkos@lcms.org or Patty Mainer at 314-996-1661
or patty.mainer@lcms.org.
LMI Outreach Giving by District* % Congregations &
Schools Participatingthrough Oct. 15, 2014
*Graphic is based on best available information as of Oct. 15, 2014, and reflects gifts
to LMI from LCMS districts, congregations, schools and private donors, by known
district affiliation, as reported by LWR (Baltimore) and the LCMS (St. Louis).
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
Today is truly a day to pray, praise and give thanks! In 2010 you overwhelmingly passed — by a
98 percent margin — a resolution supporting The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s engage-
ment in the global fight to end malaria deaths in sub-Saharan Africa through the Lutheran
Malaria Initiative (LMI). The LCMS, in partnership with Lutheran World Relief and with the
support of the United Nations Foundation, began engaging districts, congregations and schools
in this unprecedented campaign in fall 2011. By July 2012, 100 percent of LCMS districts were
actively engaged in LMI, a first for any Synodwide initiative. By March 2013 participation of
LCMS congregations and schools reached 26 percent, just shy of our 30 percent participation
goal. Again, another first.
Now we can proudly say we exceeded our LMI participation goal with 33 percent of congrega-
tions and schools participating across the Synod. Together as Synod we have raised more than $7
million to allow our church partners to conduct quality malaria education, prevention and
treatment programming. And, most importantly, this is being done in close proximity to the
Gospel. None of this would have been possible without your prayers and support.
In 2010 a child died from malaria every 30 seconds. In just four years we (LMI as part of the
global fight to help end malaria deaths) have cut the number of deaths in half. Sadly, however,
one child still dies every 66.5 seconds (approximately 1,300 daily) from a disease that is
completely preventable and treatable! In June 2013, the World Health Organization announced
that we have made “huge, but fragile” progress in the fight to end malaria deaths. Active
fundraising for LMI officially ended April 25, 2014, World Malaria Day. Thank you for helping us
finish strong! The LCMS will still receive gifts for the LCMS malaria project until all program-
ming is complete or malaria deaths have ended. LMI programming will continue until all
funding is depleted.
LMI programming has reached Tanzania, Mali, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Liberia and Ethiopia.
Additionally, we have begun preliminary capacity-building discussions with partner churches in
Madagascar and Kenya. The potential exists to add more countries as districts and congregations
continue to send in their gifts. You are helping to restore health and inspire hope in the people of
sub-Saharan Africa. And you are providing the opportunity for them to hear about Christ’s life,
death and resurrection for our sins. Please continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ
who still suffer the devastating loss of a child every 66.5 seconds.
Finally, I would like to thank our partners at Lutheran World Relief and the United Nations
Foundation for their support, the LCMS Council of Presidents for their leadership and you …
our congregations, schools and faithful donors who have prayed for the Lutheran Malaria
Initiative, given gifts and helped our church partners reach out with Christ’s hand of witness and
mercy in our lives together.
In the name of Christ,
Martha Mitkos
Director, Lutheran Malaria Initiative
Atlantic District
California-Nevada-Hawaii District
Central Illnois District
Eastern District
English District
Florida-Georgia District
Indiana District
Iowa District East
Iowa District West
Kansas District
Michigan District
Mid-South District
Minnesota North District
Minnesota South District
Missouri District
Montana District
Nebraska District
New England District
New Jersey District
North Dakota District
North Wisconsin District
Northern Illinois District
Northwest District
Ohio District
Oklahoma District
Pacific Southwest District
Rocky Mountain District
SELC District
South Dakota District
South Wisconsin District
Southeastern District
Southern District
Southern Illinois District
Texas District
Wyoming District
Average Participation
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
$0
$100,000
$200,000
$300,000
$400,000
$500,000
$600,000
$700,000
$800,000

2. 60seconds
Dec. 2011 — WHO releases new
report: A child dies every 60 seconds
from malaria, half the rate from 2007.
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
30seconds
Mali
2009
Nigeria
2012
Kenya
2009
Ethiopia
2014
Tanzania
2007
Uganda
2007
Liberia
2014
Dec. 2007 — The World Health Organization
(WHO) releases report: A child dies every 30
seconds from malaria in sub-Saharan Africa.
Aug. 2009 — LCMS Board of Directors
“heartily endorses the Lutheran Malaria
Initiative as a priority of the Synod.” July 2010 — National LCMS Youth
Gathering participants in New Orleans
wear “I care about malaria” T-shirts to
highlight LMI.
July 2010 — LCMS convention in
Houston adopts by more than 98 percent
margin a resolution “to combat malaria.”
45seconds
Dec. 2010 — WHO releases new report:
A child dies every 45 seconds from malaria.
Oct. 2010 — Concordia Publishing
House (CPH) releases children’s book,
Little Things Make Big Differences: A
Story about Malaria. Authors John and
Monique Nunes donate proceeds to LMI.
Jan. 2011 — LWR names Kurt
Buchholz as vice-president for special
initiatives, a new position to lead LMI.
Jan. 2011 — LMI website
and Facebook pages launch.
March 2011 — CPH selects LMI as suggested
mission project of VBS 2011 curriculum, “Big
Jungle Adventure: A Faith Journey with Jesus.”
May 2011 — LCMS names Martha
Mitkos as LMI campaign director.
July 2011 — Lutheran Women’s Missionary
League (LWML) commits $100,000 for LMI pilot
in Kenya.
Aug. 2011 — LMI begins meeting with
LCMS district presidents to garner support.
Sept. 2011 — LCMS names Dionne
Lovstad-Jones as manager of congregation and
school outreach for LMI, launches district engage-
ment plan in first 13 districts, and sets 30 percent
participation goal for congregations and schools.
Sept. 2011 — LMI launches publicly
in congregations and schools. Special
events held in Missouri, Illinois, Ohio,
Texas, Pennsylvania and Washington.
Oct. 2011 — Mitkos presents LMI case to LCMS Council
of Presidents and LCMS Board for National Mission.
Nov. 2011 — Mitkos and Buchholz
travel to Tanzania to observe LMI progress.
Dec. 2011 — Mitkos presents the LMI
case to the LCMS Board of Directors. LMI
has engaged 19 LCMS districts.
Jan. 2012 — LMI begins presentations
at LCMS district conventions.
Jan. 2012 — “LMI in Our Life Together” is
published in The Lutheran Witness depicting
the current state of malaria programming in
Tanzania. LCMS President Harrison presents
case for LMI support in Reporter. April 2012 — LMI hosts a day of
prayer on April 25 in remembrance of the
children who die every day from malaria.
Nov. 2012 — Lovstad-Jones and members
of LMI programming staff travel to Kenya to
launch pilot in rural areas near Nairobi.
Sept. 2012 — LCMS Fifth Vice-President Rev.
Dr. Scott Murray, along with UNF staff, Congress and
Senate staffers, and LMI programming staff visit
local clinics in northern Tanzania.
July 2012 — One-hundred percent of all
LCMS districts are actively engaged in LMI
fundraising efforts, a first for any Synodwide
initiative. Concordia University LMI fellows travel
to Tanzania to observe LMI programming and
return to raise funds on university campuses.
66.5seconds
Dec. 2013 — WHO releases new
report: A child dies every 66.5
seconds from malaria. While it is a
decrease in the number of deaths,
the need for continued funding for
malaria programs is emphasized.
April 2013 — Thrivent Financial
sponsors a “like” and “share” Facebook
campaign to raise $10,000 for LMI.
June 2013 — LMI hosts a “light the
night” in remembrance for every child
who dies every 60 seconds from malaria
during the LWML block party at the 35th
biennial convention held in Pittsburgh.
July 2013 — Mitkos presents the status
of LMI fundraising and programming to the
Synod convention, meeting in St. Louis.
Participation reaches 26 percent toward the
30 percent participation goal. Delegates
unanimously resolve to “finish LMI strong.”
July 2013 — Youth Gathering 5K race
in San Antonio supports LMI.
Aug. 2013 — Concordia University
Nebraska, Seward, Neb., exceeds $50,000
in contributions for LMI, led by students
Rebecca Monnier and Louisa Mehl.
Sept. 2013 — The Lutheran Witness
publishes “The Last Mile,” a story about
an 8-year-old malaria survivor, Martin
Thuo, who grew up to become a Ph.D.
malaria researcher at Harvard.
Jan. 2014 — The LCMS’ Jacob Fiene and
Mitkos travel to Liberia to train volunteers and
LMI Liberia staff.
Sept. 2014 — LMI begins discussions
with Madagascar and Kenya about future LMI
programming. LMI official partnership
between the LCMS, LWR and UNF ends.
Programming continues.
© LCMS 2014
Nov. 2012
LMI staff, LCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, former Lutheran World
Relief President Rev. Dr. John Nunes and representatives from African partner
churches converge on Capitol Hill to advocate for continued malaria funding
and support from the U.S. government through programs like the U.S. Agency
for International Development, the President’s Malaria Initiative and The Global
Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.