Casting Nets—Saving Lives: Lutheran Malaria Initiative Begins Here

Minneapolis Area Synod congregations have an exciting opportunity to “cast nets and save lives” through the Lutheran Malaria Initiative (LMI) pilot project. LMI is an unprecedented collaborative effort that unites the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and Lutheran World Relief in an effort to mobilize eight million Lutherans in the United States to fight against malaria. The initiative’s goals are “to educate U.S. Lutherans about malaria, advocate for global health initiatives, and raise funds to help combat malaria.”

Malaria is a major world health issue. Today, one child under the age of five dies from malaria every 30 seconds! More than one million people die each year from malaria. This is particularly tragic because malaria is preventable. For as little as $10, we can cast a net over a child protecting him or her from the deadly bite of malaria-carrying mosquitoes. The offering from the Synod Assembly Opening Worship on April 23 will go to support LMI. 

Malaria is a disease of poverty. It thrives in unsanitary conditions. People living in poverty cannot afford nets to protect themselves from malaria-carrying mosquitoes. Malaria exacerbates poverty when people are too ill to work. Finally, for many people, poverty is an insurmountable barrier that prevents them from purchasing medications that can readily treat and cure malaria.

LMI is a significant opportunity for us to do God’s work with our hands. By sharing God’s love through prayer, education, giving, and advocacy, we can join in the UN Millennium Development Goal to “Halt and begin to reverse the incidence of malaria and other diseases.” Our unique and urgent call is to raise money to purchase insecticide-treated bed nets for distribution throughout the world, including in our companion synod of Nigeria. Please make plans to participate in and generously support LMI in Casting Nets—Saving Lives.

For further information and/or to join the synod’s LMI Team, contact Mary Simonson Clark at 952-933-8836 or marysimonsonclark@gmail.com.