January 2026 Newsletter 

- Outreach and Training in Texas and Arizona

Daily Reports

- Outreach and Training in Africa 2026

12 January, 2026 Ghana Update 

Pastors Palmer and Reinke landed in Atlanta about 7PM on Sunday, 11 January (Pastor Reinke's Birthday) and then traveled on to their respective homes.  Both arrived home in the early hours of Monday, 12 January.  

Thank God for their safe return and for a very successful training mission in Ghana

11 January, 2026 Ghana Update 

Pastors Palmer and Reinke are on their way back to the US.  Please continue to pray for safe travels.

2026 Jan 11 Ghana Report – Flying home

Rev Dr Reinke

3rd year celebrating my (Reinke) birthday on airplane from Africa!

(Waiting in airport eating Coffee and Soydogs:)

This has been one of the best trainings!

The online resources for training are working GREAT!

The students are working together.

They are studying and learning - MOST IMPORTANT - They are learning how to teach and mentor other deaf people.

Working with Rev Akorful for 29 years – (Our family live 97-98 in Ghana)

(We were much younger when we started this journey!)

In the past all the training with paper copies – now (Thank God) we are able to make things available online - I am praying hard we will be able to expand the training exponentially. 

I am praying, asking God, we will soon be able to have 10-20-more!! Deaf trained as Deaf Outreach Disciple Makers then as Pastors and Deaconesses!

Rev Palmer

Things are great here in Ghana working with the deaf “disciple-maker” group and with the Liberian Deaf too! We really “Up’d” our technology with the deaf. Remember, if you have old smart phones, and tablets (and newer laptops), we can use them. We have our online curriculum they can access and use to learn the Bible and good theology when we are not here. We hope to get some future deaf Ghanaian and Liberian pastors/deaconesses out this group of students! Please continue to pray for us and send donations; $50 or $100 goes a very long way in Ghana ($1 USA = $10 Ghana). Wise men (people) still seek Jesus! Happy 2026!

THANK YOU to everyone praying for us and supporting Deaf Outreach!  It continues to amaze us what God is doing.  We pray He will continue to bless His Word spreading around the world. 

God’s Blessings to you as we serve Jesus Together!

I hope you are enjoying the pictures from Dacia Reinke on here Facebook and posted on the www.DeafOutreach.org website.   

Jan 7, 2026 Ghana Update

2026 Jan 7 Ghana Report

Rev Dr Reinke

Thank God for electricity!!  We lost power for most of the afternoon.  It was all good – we worked outside in groups.  Then we cleaned up the compound.  Normally we do that on the last day but…

Today we started preparing all of the students for their work when they go back home.  We have:

List of students training – 12 Ghanaians and 13 Liberians

Weekly class schedule for the next 3 years. 

Pass/fail report spreadsheet for each student.

While doing in-depth studies, we worked with students on technology.  Making sure everyone has materials downloaded, opens good, and can do the testing.  97% was very good.

THE BEST PART FOR ME is see our Deaf (Pastor, Disciple Makers, etc.…) helping with the teaching.  They led the testing and worked together with the other students practicing the materials!

Sometimes you wonder if Deaf Outreach will continue – seeing the Deaf working together gives me GREAT HOPE (promise).  God is working in the hearts and lives of these Deaf.  Giving up income for almost 2 weeks to come and learn God’s Word.  Then to go back home and share with their people.

I thank God for ALL He is doing!

I pray God will continue to guide His people and give us His strength!

Serving Jesus Together!!

I hope you are enjoying the pictures from Dacia Reinke on her Facebook and posted on the www.DeafOutreach.org website.   

Jan 5, 2026 Ghana Update

2026 Jan 5 Ghana Report

WOW!  Already 1 week has passed!

Rev Dr Reinke

1st Thank you for all your prayers and support!!

2nd Thanking God for the awesome work He is doing with the students as they study together and grow together.  Please pray for the plans for training more students to become Disciple Makers!!

3rd Pray for God to bless the student with wisdom and strength.  We are starting with questions by 7:30am (before breakfast) and finishing after 8 pm.

Yesterday different day: we took all the students to the Village Adomrobe.  In the past this village had a high percentage of Deaf people.  That means many people in the village knew more sign language.  Also the village has it’s own unique sign language.  It is VERY different from Ghanian Sign Language.  Today this village is growing and becoming a town, more people moving to Adomrobe and less people signing. 

We went to help the Deaf to clear some property and do repairs on building.  We met with hearing family of the Deaf come to join us.  It was a good day working together.  The Deaf students ask what about Worship?  I explained we had Worship for 6 days (studying) now on the 7th day we are working! (We did have Worship too:) Everyone came back to the seminary exhausted. 

New Notes:

Needing to kill snakes (poisonous) before we could begin working on the village property.

Women like to use the men’s urinal because it is cleaner than the toilet seat.

(Editor's note:  There are several videos of the man working to kill the poisonous snake and many pictures of the property which the Pastors and student cleared - in the Google Photos file.  (Button at the top))

Rev. Palmer

Wow! The LORD has blessed our trip to Ghana in so many ways, as HE does every time, but each time is different and wonderful. The students are growing and learning. It is great to see how they have changed from the beginning until now. We pray often that the discipleships created here will birth “disciple-makers.” We are ever prayerful that Almighty God will continue to develop the “seeds” we have helped to plant here long after we are dead and gone. As you know, some planted, others watered, pulled weeds, but God is the one who gives the increase. We are attempting to follow Jesus’s pattern of make disciples who make other disciples which leads to an ongoing discipling mission. Jesus picked 12 disciples (students), who picked 6 each (or Jesus did) which made 72, so on and so forth. We are all Christians today because of this work in Word and Sacrament ministry from the time of our Savior Jesus

Jan 1, 2026 Ghana Update

Highlights for last 2 days:

Rev. Reinke

Rained!  Which is very not normal for this time of year.  Helped to make things cooler.  (We were waiting for the power to go off, that normally happens when it rains, BUT it did not!) 

Getting everyone connected to online classes is VERY good.  Most of the students have all the classrooms located on their phones.  They follow along with us as we teach the classes.  Preparing them to use the same materials to teach when they are at home.

Ghana and Liberia Deaf are working good together.  They are helping each other and supporting each other.  (it was rough the first year getting to know and trust each other)

Our two main Deaf leaders are showing great maturity.  I THANK GOD for their eagerness to serve and help the other Deaf leaders.

Food is great Ghanaian food.  Love our cooks! – Hope you see pictures

• Pray for Pastor Palmer – he was very tired today.

• Pray for us as 1/3 of our time here is already past. 

• Pray for our classes tomorrow and our planning on Saturday.  We will be working with Deaf in each area to develop plans for Outreach and training in their area.   

• Pray for our meetings with church and seminary leaders - God will continue to open their hearts for Deaf Outreach.

THANK YOU for your prayers and support!  I am always amazed at what God does and how He makes things possible! 

If you want to know more, please go to www.DeafOutreach.org

If you would like to support the training, you can give on the website or send donations to:

Deaf Outreach

PO Box 283

St. Charles, MO  63302

God Blesses to you and your family!

Dec 30, 2025 Ghana update

Rev. Palmer

I am tired, exhausted, and pooped! I think mainly from the travel and 6-hour time difference in Accra, Ghana. It was a great trip, but things always change even though they stay the same. The entrance road to the seminary is all torn up even by Ghana standards and that is saying something! So, after about an hour and a half trip with and extra couple of miles we arrived in Sasaabi. We quickly unpacked and went off to the classrooms at the seminary. 5 deaf from Liberia were already there and happy to see us. Especially, they liked seeing the Rev. Dr. Reinke. There were also a few Ghana deaf there too.

We arrived about 2 pm.  Catch up on all the news from Deaf, then had a Bible study for an hour and a half. After supper we answered many Bible questions, then we left and walked back to the seminary house and called it a night. The next day, Tuesday, we ate breakfast around 7 AM and started our daily class. We got back to the house around 9 PM. What a day! I hope we made a dent for God’s kingdom.

We will be back tomorrow bright and early.

Rev. Reinke

Great day!  At the end of day we have 20+ Deaf joining us for training!

We taught all morning and after lunch until 3 pm – Tea time. 

While the students did homework, we worked with the main leaders preparing them with advance materials. 

Then we talked about plans we need to finish this week:  preparing for the training when they go home, resources they need, updating their report forms for the Ghana and Liberia Lutheran Churches. 

We also met with the hearing church leaders to see what we need to finish for them before next week.

We make plans for doing work at the Deaf church in Adomrobe on Sunday.

Dinner break with more questions.

Evening was answering questions, continuing homework, helping get connected to the new ABC Deaf online classes.

(If you would like to see and study with us go to https://www.deafoutreach.org/abc-deaf).  I thank God for all the people helping to develop the classes, help put them online, and for ALL the students taking the classes!!

Finally came back to seminary house and working on reports and catching up with emails and online questions.  10:45 and heading to bed soon.

Deaf want to meet at 7 am with more questions

New experiences today – eating meat hotdogs? Beef hotdogs?  No – soya hotdogs made from soybeans

Thank you for your prayers!  We appreciate your prayers and financial support to make this training possible!

Pray for Deaf!  Pray for church leaders as we work together spread His Word.  Pray for us God will keep us healthy and rested.  God please help us!! 

God things happen today at St. Louis airport.

1.     Airlines reduced fee for extra weight by 50% because I am brining Bible for Deaf!!

2.     Because I cannot hear with the noise, plexiglass, masks, etc…  I sign going through check points so they know I can’t hear.  WEELLLL when going through TSA screening I put bags for scanning, then a TSA agent came and started signing with me!!  He helped me through all the rules, etc…  After going through he shared his wife became Deaf 25 years ago.  Cochlear implants did not work.  He learned to sign to communicate with his wife!!  They live in East St. Louis.  I shared about Deaf Outreach and gave him my card.  Praying to see how God guides.

3.    Waiting in line a lady asked me about my shirt and what I do.  I shared about Deaf Outreach and she shared she and her husband work in Kenya with a mission started by her father-in-law – a Methodist Pastor.  They have schools and clinic to work with children and families.  NOW happens many of their workers are Deaf!  But they have no outreach with the Deaf.  I shared our resources and we exchanged information – see where God leads!!

Then other fun thing – saw dad wheeling his luggage bag with small child holding on.  I thought child only holding onto the bag – but NO.  The bag had hand grips and foot peddles like a motorcycle.  Kids riding “motorcycle” through the airport

You never know what will happen and where God leads!  Praying as He continues to guide us and lead. 

Please pray for all the people working with us, the training in Africa, safe travels, etc.  We thank God for His love, forgiveness, strength, and being with us!! 

Late is afternoon Pastor Palmer (and Pastor Reinke) sent a video thanking everyone who donated funds to make this year's trip possible.  They were on board their international flight and just getting ready to taxi for takeoff.

Received Text from Pastor Reinke (3:17 AM Central Time) - "Arrived Ghana"  

Deaf Outreach in Pittsburg Area

Oct 29 - Nov 12  Pittsburg PA Training and Outreach

Monday 3 November:  Continued to meet with Pastor Schmidt to talk about needs and opportunities in the McMurry area.  Peace Lutheran Church will be a Deaf Outreach East center.  Mrs. Schmidt serves on the board of Deaf Outreach East and teaches in the local area. 

Wednesday 5 November:  Pastors Reinke and Mroz visited Mt Calvary Lutheran Church in Murrysville which is about 20-25 min East of Pittsburg near where the Reinke’s were staying.  They met with Pastor Josh Oberman and learned of several opportunities to serve that congregation.  Then they led the Wednesday night ABC Deaf Zoom classes from the church’s community center. 

Thursday 6 November:  On Thursday morning Pastors Rinke and Mroz were searching for a suitable TV stand to use while teaching/traveling.  A store manager that they met works with a Deaf Blind student with cochlear implants.  He is also a school board member and identified that one of the students at that school has deaf parents. In addition, the man’s sister is head principal of Virginia Deaf School.  God provided 5 different outreach contacts from this one man.

Then they went to Concordia Monroeville which is an LCMS nursing home.  Although they do not currently have any Deaf residents, the two chaplains agreed to have Pastor Mroz sign at an upcoming service. Chaplain Adam Silinas is also a vacancy pastor at Good Shepherd South Hills and agreed to host a Deaf Mission Festival in the future. 

Then they did the Thursday night ABC Deaf Zoom classes from that location.

Friday 7 November:  Signed a chapel service at Redeemer Lutheran School in Verona.  Pastors Reinke and Mroz joined Mrs. Schmidt (Pastor Schmidt’s wife) for several classes.  Discovered that one of the first grader’s parents are Deaf – another great outreach opportunity.  The principal invited Pastor Mroz back for future chapel services.  

Saturday 9 November:  Pastors Reinke and Mroz met with Rev Ben Jansen at First Trinity Lutheran Church in central Pittsburg.  Identified opportunities for interpreting for their Sunday service.  

Sunday 10 November:  Pastors Reinke and Mroz went to the Deaf Bible Study and then Signed the 11AM service at Trinity Lutheran.  During fellowship, they saw a number of people that they had met earlier in the week.  

Pastors Reinke and Mroz then went to Concordia Lutheran Ministries annual meeting where Pastor Reinke signed for Pastor Mroz.  Afterwards, several ladies came up and talked with them and later signed up for our on-line ASL courses.  

God blessed all of the activities in the Pittsburg area last week and the Reinke's are expected to complete their travel back to St Louis on or about 12 November.

These are some of the pictures of what I’ve been doing in AZ. God is good!  

Texas & Arizona Deaf Training

2/14/2025

Pastor Reinke and Dacia are traveling and conducting Deaf training.   They headed to Texas on 4 February and will also be in the Phoenix area for 3 weeks before returning to St Charles. Pray for success and safe travels. 

Packing up and heading home

1/9/2025

Pastor Reinke texted that they spent most of the day today at the hospital helping to get things done for Rev. Amos before leaving tomorrow for home.  We compared the 100 degree temperature there with the 7 degree temperature in St Charles/St Peters.  

Pastor texted that they were waiting for "one more thing" and then they could leave the Seminary and head to Accra overnight so that they could catch an early morning flight to start the journey home. 

Two hours later the ASL-2 class at Lutheran High School was able to video call with Pastor as the entire group was leaving for Accra.  Pastor narrated as the van with ?? 22 people weaved in and out of local traffic.  It was quite a phone call and the LHS kids LOVED it.  

Pastor told the kids that he would see them in class on Monday.  We sure hope so. 

Thank God for this very wonderful and fruitful outreach trip!!

Please also pray for Rev Amos and for safe travel home for everyone who participated in the training this year 

MANY more pictures added, click on the

"Ghana Trip Jan 2025"

on Travel Pictures page