History

Friends of Madagascar Mission (FOMM) began as an idea of David P. Lerseth in 2009.  He served as Director for Global Mission Support for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for 12 years.  After leaving that position in the fall of 2007 he began to reflect upon the diminishing resources for global mission around the globe.  He felt led to respond to this crisis need.

After much prayerful thought and reflection, he felt led to commit his expertise in raising funds for mission to the people of Madagascar.  Why Madagascar?  As a young child, he developed a love for the mission work and the missionaries who served in Madagascar.  Missionaries would return to the United States for a yearlong furlough to visit with congregations and tell the story of mission.  One of these missionaries was Lyla Sivesind.  She was from his father’s home congregation, Roseni Lutheran Church, rural Beresford, South Dakota.  She would often visit their home and stay for several days as she shared the story of mission work in Madagascar with his father's congregations.  As a young child he was touched by her stories and they left an indelible mark upon him about mission and the people of Madagascar.  

Friends of Madagascar Mission (FOMM) is an organization with deep roots in the mission work of Madagascar.  We are an exciting organization with some new approaches and commitments to how mission is accomplished in the 21st Century.