In April, the First Lutheran Church in Duluth, linked with the community of San Antonio Los Ranchos in El Salvador for 20 years, organized a forum on immigration.

That day, the pastor’s sermon related to the passage, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me”.

At the forum, the group reflected on Bible verses related to the theme of welcoming the stranger.  The group heard from Danilo Martinez, who had been invited to speak and share his story of immigrating from Central America, as well as his current knowledge about the factors influencing migration from Central America today.  The group closed with time for questions and comments from the audience.

First Lutheran’s partner community in El Salvador, founded by returning refugees near the end of the war, has been heavily impacted by migration in the past few decades.