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The Tenacious Missionary
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How God gave a girl from a small town in New Mexico a purpose in life
as a missionary to America
Melissa Martinez Salomon spent her early childhood near an Apache reservation in New Mexico with her Hispanic grandparents and her brother. Her grandparents owned a bar and did not have a lot of money, but they always helped people in need in their community. Melissa eventually moved to Long Beach, California to live with her mother, who was a single parent. She lived in a crime ridden neighborhood where a drive by shooting killed a neighbor. She excelled in school and received a scholarship to Occidental College and eventually received her law degree from Loyola Marymount in CA. After law school, Melissa worked as an intern for a California Senator, hoping to help the poor and Hispanic people, but became disillusioned with politics.
She became involved in the El Redentor Spanish Lutheran Church LWML. Melissa was asked to speak at the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) Conference due to the great work she had accomplished in her Spanish speaking church. This propelled her to more involvement in mission work through the LWML and finally as a missionary in Tijuana.
Melissa dedicated her life to helping and developing the skills and leadership of women in Tijuana and women of color in the LCMS and the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League. She dedicated her life to mission work among the Hispanic community in CA and across the Mexican border.
Listen:
Episode Description
Sarah sits down with Melissa Salomon to speak about her work on the US/Mexico border and the uniqueness of that region for ministry and outreach. Melissa shares her own story of discovering her faith on a deeper spiritual level, learning more through Scripture and embracing her personal relationship with God. Building the workers of the Church: Join the conversation on the dynamics of being connected to networks through the local church, but also the Church at large, providing more opportunity for diverse voices and women to be influential in the growth of the body of Christ
what people are saying...
God has been leading Melissa Salomón throughout her life which has been one of service and standing up for the less fortunate. She has used her background in law, in studying the gospel, and in community organization to serve people on both sides of the border. She's never been afraid to stand up for what is right and just, which has earned the respect of church and civic leaders on both sides of the border who recognize her as a tenacious, but loving leader. This book is a must-read.
Amazon Customer
Follow Melissa Salomón's tenacious desire to serve others from her childhood days in New Mexico to border ministry and her impact on the Lutheran Women Missionary League (LWML). Her work with One Thousand Generations, a ministry in Tijuana, Mexico, and Heart to Heart Sisters, an effort to encourage women from various ethno cultural groups to participate in the LWML community are remarkable. I enjoyed this inspirational and eye opening book
SJG