“For as the earth brings forth its shoots
 and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to spring up before all the nations.” – Isaiah 61:11 NRSVue

Dear friend of LPGM,

This past year marked 30 years since LPGM became a registered non-profit. Our year-end campaign honored our foundation, deeply rooted in love and nurtured by the prayers, service, and financial investment of many friends.

Throughout 2025, LPGM experienced transformative developments that position us for deeper impact than ever before.

Returning to Our Roots: A New Season at Bethlehem Lutheran

In December, LPGM U.S. offices returned to the Minneapolis campus of Bethlehem Lutheran Church Twin Cities — our original home — marking a meaningful full-circle moment in our journey. What began as a small, faithful effort within this congregation, scarred by the tragic loss of one family’s son, has grown into a global ministry. Returning to these roots is already opening new doors for connection, collaboration, and renewed energy.

Being back at Bethlehem reconnects us with a strong foundation of faith and community while creating fresh opportunities to engage with supporters, share our story, and expand our reach. Like seeds planted long ago, the relationships and vision that began here are springing up in new and unexpected ways.

Expanding Safety and Hope: Eripoto Safe House

The expansion of the Eripoto Safe House, funded with support from LPGM friends, marks a critical milestone in protecting girls at risk of gender-based violence, including early marriage and female genital mutilation. With increased capacity, Eripoto can now welcome and care for more girls—offering not just refuge, but a pathway to healing, education, and restored dignity. Each girl who enters Eripoto is given the chance to grow, learn, and envision a future beyond harm.

Deepening Relationships with Global Partners

Relationships that transform boundaries are at the heart of LPGM's ministry, and one way to strengthen relationships is by crossing the world to visit one another. These special opportunities provide critical space to engage in cross-cultural dialogue - and to share time and meals together - which fosters trust and contributes to deeper partnerships.

In 2025, our staff traveled to India and Tanzania to visit our partners, bear witness to their impact, and strengthen our relationships. 

We were also pleased to host a delegation from the Arcot Lutheran Church in Minnesota in the fall. Three travelers from Tamil Nadu, India made the long journey to Minneapolis to meet with LPGM staff, visit with long-time supporters, and experience Twin Cities highlights. The delegation included the Bishop Rt. Rev. Dr. Peter Paul Thomas, Rev. Theophilus Vinodkumar, and Rev. D. Thangadurai. It was a great opportunity to have face-to-face discussions about how we can best ensure access to quality education for boarding home students.

Welcoming New Staff

In February, Laura Feile, began her role as international program manager. She brings her passion for “helping people help people.” She started her professional career as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer serving a rural farming community in Jamaica for two years. She has worked both internationally and domestically, including arranging individual and group overseas trips for technical and cultural exchanges.

Laura also has experience in both direct care in the field of mental health and in indirect care managing programs for supportive services. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, running, baking, doing yoga, traveling, and walking her dog.

In May, John Anthony joined our team as the finance & office administrator. John brings a passion for seeing women and girls around the world receive as many educational opportunities as possible.

With 30 years of experience running a small business, John is excited to make sure things continue to run smoothly behind the scenes at LPGM.

John lives in south Minneapolis with his wife, Connie, and dog, Finley. They have 2 grown children, Maylen who lives in Minneapolis and Espen who lives in Moorhead.

Responding to Emergency Needs

In late October, we shared that concerns over election violence in Tanzania had prompted three days of country-wide protests, resulting in hundreds of reported deaths. We can now share that we responded to pressing in-country needs by providing an emergency grant to our two Tanzanian partners.

These emergency funds were sent with the understanding that our partners would use them as they saw fit during these unprecedented times. With your support, LPGM provides access to quality education for people at the margins. Sometimes access to quality education looks like school supplies, teacher salaries, safe housing, or scholarships.

In times of crisis, it can look like access to food, water, clothing, and mental health care. Basic needs must be met before anything else. Hungry students can't learn. Traumatized students can't focus. Unsafe students can't thrive in school. Our commitment to listening, responding, and bearing witness to local needs and priorities means trusting that our partners know what they need to survive. Thank you for your prayers for—and support of—our partners in Tanzania.

Thank You for Cultivating Change in 2025

Just as seeds require care, water, and time to grow, the work of LPGM depends on faithful partnership. In 2025, you helped ensure that children stay in school, girls remain safe, and communities continue to rise with strength and resilience.

Communities equipped to sustain their own growth and transformation. Together, we are witnessing lives transformed—hope taking root, dignity restored, and possibility blooming.

Thank you for partnering with us during this season of growth, renewal, and bold expansion.

Rooted in the promise of Isaiah 61:11, our work continues to “spring up” across communities—bringing hope, safety, education, and opportunity to people who need it most.

You are planting with us and growing with us. We couldn't do this without you. 

In God's Love,

The Rev. Dan Ruth

Executive Director, LPGM

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