CAMM March 2025 Newsletter

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HYPERTENSION AT LUTHERAN MISSION RURAL HEALTH CENTER (MWEMBEZHI)
The hypertension program started when the clinic saw the need. Patients were traveling to hospitals in Lusaka (the capital of Zambia) for drugs refills. This is about 50 miles from the Mwembezhi area. Due to lack of funds, most of the patients were unable to travel to Lusaka. In 2004, we had seven patients who suffered strokes in our catchment area; of those, three of them died the same month because of hypertension. Seeing the need, we began the program for those who were not able to go to Lusaka for treatment and medications.

The program began with only ten patients. The number has kept on increasing so much that now we have 561 hypertensive patients. To make sure we attend to patients in line with the Ministry of Health policy, members of staff sat and started a special blood pressure clinic one Saturday per month. Since Saturday is not a working day, it helped members of staff to decongest patients on treatment days. On Blood Pressure day, all members of staff report for work at 8:00 a.m. Blood pressure check-ups are done. We have essential hypertension (the diastolic blood pressure between 90 to 99mmHg) and crisis hypertension (the diastolic blood pressure above 100mmHg). All patients with essential hypertension are given their monthly drugs refill. Patients with crisis hypertension are admitted for observations. They can only be discharged when their blood pressure stabilizes. If it fails to stabilize, we refer to the hospital for investigations and further management.

However, hypertension has no signs and is not painful. As a result, it is very difficult to convince patients to take drugs for life. Some older people still believe in witchcraft. In 2019, we lost one Village Headman who came to clinic because of an abscess. He was also found to have hypertension. He was given drugs for the abscess and hypertension, but when the abscess healed, he refused to take the hypertension drugs. He said he cannot continue taking drugs. After four months, he was brought to the clinic with a stroke. We referred him to the hospital, but the hospital could not help. After his death and burial, Mr. Kalekwa called for a meeting with the Village headmen to explain his death. Headmen who believed in witchcraft saw the need for taking hypertensive drugs. The senior headman told other headmen to stop believing in old beliefs. He said they should always work hand in hand with health personnel to avoid disease complications. All the headmen promised to educate their citizens.

Drugs for hypertension are purchased by our clinic administrator, Mr. Banda, through the help we get from CAMM. The clinic staff work hard to provide good quality health services to all hypertensive patients. We start every morning with devotion and a prayer, followed by health education. All hypertensive patients are happy with and appreciate the services we provide.

May the almighty God bless you all in helping the poor in Zambia.

Written by Jackson Kalekwa, clinical officer in charge




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Continuing education workshop in Thailand

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In late February this year, 14 church leaders from 9 church bodies throughout 8 Asian countries met in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for three days of intensive Bible study in one common language.

The workshop was a collaborative effort between Asia Lutheran Seminary (ALS) and the Pastoral Studies Institute (PSI) of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. The goal was to encourage church leaders from partner churches served by WELS in Asia to commit to a plan of continuing education by whetting their appetite for more. To that end, PSI Director Prof. Harland (Skip) Goetzinger taught a ten-hour mini-course on Christology, demoing the use of ā€œDialogue Education,ā€ an educational approach that emphasizes student participation.

While a primary focus of their time together was the review of the doctrine of the two natures of Christ, the participantsā€”almost all of them pastors and/or theological educators themselvesā€”also engaged in topical discussions, Bible studies, uplifting conversations, and devotions led by these same Asian church leaders. Representatives from both ALS and PSI also presented information on formal continuing education programs.

The workshop schedule was full but still left room for outings to see some local sights like elephants, temples, and marketsā€”and even an evening round of mini golf (which almost none of the men had ever played before). These casual outings (and the inevitable laughter while learning to putt in the dark) provided additional opportunities to cultivate cross-cultural relationships among the participants from a wide range of cultures and experiences.

One participant commented afterward, ā€œThe study portion was very valuable in that it not only refreshed and reinforced what I have already learned during my seminary study but added new insights and info. The time spent with the brothers was even greater; it gave me a lot of encouragement and inspiration.ā€

Organizing the workshop and the various visas, flights, and food preferences was challenging, but ALS staff worked hard to make it happen. As the director of ALSā€™ Regional Theological Education Program, I explained that the hope for that week was not only to cultivate a greater thirst for professional and spiritual growth in the Word but also to further enhance the bonds of fellowship between these confessional Lutheran leaders who have had limited face-to-face time together. We knew we were trying to do a lot, but by God’s grace, we feel like we knocked it out of the park in every area. Good connections were made between the participants, we have at least half a dozen signed up for a new masterā€™s program, and all expressed an eagerness to gather like this again.

This workshop served as an initial trial run for the new English masterā€™s degree programs (M.Div., M.A.R.) offered by Asia Lutheran Seminary. Since its founding in 2005, ALS has developed a strong theological education program aimed at preparing Christian leaders in East Asia. Now, however, the seminary is expanding to serve students from countries across the continent with courses taught in English, a common second language for many. God willing, this program and all the training provided through ALS will strengthen the church across East Asia and its leaders for generations to come.

Written by Guy Marquardt, world missionary on the Asia-Oceania Team.




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Blessed be the tongue that ties

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On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit gave each of Jesusā€™ disciples the ability to speak in a foreign tongue instantly. God tied three thousand people to himself in one day through the message they proclaimed in their listenersā€™ mother tongues. Would the results have been similar if the disciples had preached in Greek or Latin? On Pentecost, God did more than perform a miracle. He displayed his love for people of every tongue and tribe.

Speaking to someone in their heart language does more than convey information. If you speak three sentences to someone in his native tongue, you will instantly establish trustworthiness. You show that you are committed to your listenerā€™s culture and language. Your tongue ties you to his community.

Time to teach the tongue
More than three thousand languages are spoken in Africa. People speak some of them within their ethnic group. Other languages like English, French, Arabic, and Swahili cross tribal boundaries. Most people speak at least two or three languages. There are some similarities between languages of the same family (like Bantu, Nilotic, or Khoisan), but it still takes time to learn any language.

God has given me an aptitude for picking up foreign tongues. My experience speaking Chichewa for seven years in Malawi has helped me speak Swahili at a basic level. Swahili is spoken primarily in Tanzania and Kenya and in some parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

Before my last trip to Kenya and Tanzania, I found a Swahili-speaking Malawian who teaches at a local language school. My wife and I met with him in January. We have both studied some Swahili independently but made significant progress with our teacherā€™s instruction. And this helped us immensely the next month when we traveled to Kenya.

Home advantage
WELS Central Africa Medical Mission sponsored a rural health clinic near the town of Sagana in central Kenya. My wifeā€™s job was to weigh patients and calculate their body mass index. I sat with the local pastors who shared Jesus with visitors in both Swahili and Kikuyu, a Bantu language spoken by people in central Kenya.

I am thankful for my brothers in Christ who shared the gospel in their native tongue. At one point I was left alone, and I struggled to communicate with our camp visitors. Local Kenyans will always be able to connect with their fellow Africans more easily than I can. I am glad that God gave them the desire to share Jesusā€™ love with others.

The week after the medical camp, my wife and I traveled to western Kenya. We offered a preaching workshop near the town of Kisii. The participants were laymen who lead worship services and laywomen who are leaders of small group Bible studies. Few of them had received formal ministry training in an academic setting. These people serve congregations of the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ-Kenya (LCMC-Kenya). Due to a shortage of ordained pastors, the church relies on laymen to lead worship services in many of its congregations.

My class led members through the process of preparing a sermon from beginning to end. I presented my material in English, and they worked through various learning tasks in their local tongues. My prayer for these men and women is that they proclaim Christā€™s love to their fellow Kenyans no matter what tongue they are speaking.

Tongue twisters
At the end of our two weeks in Kenya, my wife flew back to Malawi. I continued to Tanzania to meet with pastors from theĀ Africa Mission Evangelism Church (AMEC). WELS and AMEC intend to tie themselves together in fellowship at this summerā€™s WELS synod convention. Along with my fellow Missionary Ben Foxen, we presented topics of special interest to AMEC pastors. As English is not used as widely in Tanzania as it is in Kenya, Ben and I did our best to teach our lessons in Swahili.

Ben held up his end of the communication well, partially as a result of the two months he spent studying Swahili in northern Tanzania. For my part, I communicated at a kindergarten level. It wasnā€™t pretty, but you do whatever you can and leave the rest to God.

On Sunday morning, our hosts asked both Ben and me to preach in their churches. It is an expression of the ties that bind our two church bodies together. We eagerly embraced the opportunity, even though I relied on Google to translate my sermon from English into Swahili. I know enough Swahili to recognize and change the mechanically-translated parts. I twisted my tongue around familiar and unfamiliar words as I read the sermon to my listeners. An occasionally-shouted ā€œAmen!ā€ indicated when they got my point.

Now back in Malawi, I have a plan to meet with my Swahili teacher. I hope to visit our friends in Kenya and Tanzania in the upcoming months. I want to move from being tongue-tied to having a tongue that ties others to Christ.

Written by John Roebke, missionary on the One Africa Team




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New WELS mission work in Australia brings the gospel to growing communities

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WELS has launched a new world mission effort in Australia. With a large focus on the countryā€™s growing immigrant communities, two WELS missionaries and their families relocated to Brisbane, Queensland, in the summer of 2024 to plant the seeds of the gospel in a region that has been described as largely post-Christian.Ā 

ā€œPeople in Australia have asked us for help,ā€ says Rev. Larry Schlomer, WELS World Missions administrator. ā€œWELS members who moved there, brothers and sisters from Hong Kong, and longtime partners in Brisbane reached out. It is a joy to meet these needs with WELS missionaries.ā€Ā 

Missionaries Rev. Dr. Matthew Doebler and Rev. Peter Janke, both members of the Asia-Oceania Team, are leading this effort. While they continue to work with contacts throughout Asia, their physical presence in Australia allows them to establish a firm foundation for ministry within local communities. They are collaborating with two existing churches in Australia: Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Brisbane and Fountain of Life in Maryborough. These congregations, members of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference, provide vital connections and a foundation for expanding ministry efforts. This partnership strengthens the mission by providing existing worship spaces, local insights, and a community of believers eager to spread the gospel.Ā 

Australia is highly diverse. ā€œNearly 30 percent of people here were born overseas,ā€ Doebler explains. ā€œLast year, over 500,000 new immigrants arrived. Many are searching for community and deeper meaning.ā€ The missionaries are focusing on relationship-building as the first step in sharing the gospel. Their families have immersed themselves in the local culture, engaging in neighborhood activities, visiting community centers, and forming friendships through English-language programs. Simple interactions, like two little boys playing together, lead to ongoing relationships and opportunities to share the gospel. These small connections are how ministry begins.Ā 

In addition to local work in the greater Brisbane area, WELSā€™ approach to ministry will model early Christianityā€”small gatherings of believers meeting in homes to study Godā€™s Word and share in fellowship. The missionariesā€™ goal is to train and mentor local leaders to establish and lead house churches. This grassroots approach is already bearing fruit. In Melbourne, a new group has formed, including believers from diverse backgrounds.Ā Ā 

Though still in its early stages, the mission in Australia is making an impact. Through everyday interactions and steadfast commitment, the gospel is taking root, one soul at a time. ā€œWherever the gospel is deployed, the Lord is at work,ā€ Schlomer notes. ā€œWe trust his Word will bear fruit.ā€Ā 

Look for this monthā€™s WELS Connection at your local congregation to learn more about mission work in Australia.

Christine Doebler, wife of Missionary Doebler, shares the importance of family ties when serving in a mission field in this month’s edition of Forward in Christ magazine.

 

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Campus Ministries participate in Mission Journeys to home mission churches

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Concordia University Campus Ministry to Illume Church
Students from Concordia University Wisconsin Campus Ministry in Mequon, Wis., took a Mission Journeys trip to Illume Church in Seattle, Wash. They spent their spring break supporting Illume Church with hands-on service projects, including painting, property beautification, outreach, and event setup. View more pictures of their Mission Journeys trip.

University of Wisconsin-Stout Campus Ministry to Tampa
Students from the University of Wisconsin-Stout Campus Ministry traveled to home mission Citrus Grove Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel, Fla. During their time there, these campus ministry students helped with outreach efforts like doing door-to-door canvassing and inviting people from the community to come to church.

Learn more about upcoming Mission Journeys opportunities to home and world missions and how you can serve at wels.net/missionjourneys.

 




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Visible and invisible blessings

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As we recently passed the six-year mark of worshiping as a new mission congregation in Lehi, Utah, I find myself talking to our gracious God about different things than I would have expected at this point in our ministry.

When we moved across the country to start a new church, we had hopes, dreams, and plans. We wouldnā€™t say they were overly lofty plansā€”they reflected what we thought made good sense with the information we had. We had a rapidly-growing community and a family happy to help. I talked to God about the visible blessings he gave us: riches poured out in a beautiful setting, a fast-growing school system for our young kids, and what was sure to be scores of people longing to hear the Good News.

Fast-forward to 2025, and now I talk to God about all the change our small mission church is going through. I ask for patience as we get plenty of visitors but not exactly scores of folks longing to join. I ask for humility as we reach out to those who arenā€™t able to reach back. I seek Godā€™s wisdom and assurance while as a congregation we look for different opportunities to share our space and rent with community partners on evenings and weekends.

I thank God for his invisible kingdom found in visitors who maybe come one time but leave with a message they had never heard before. I humbly give thanks for the dozens of people who return for special services but arenā€™t really looking for a new church.

I thank God for his visible kingdom: for the respite our church provides for those of us living in a hidden and unexplored culture in Utah County; for our established members and the new who come with questions and seek clarity; for the random texts, phone calls, or e-mails from long-time connections who have questions about something they heard at one of our services years ago. I thank God for his patience in my life as he continually helps us grow even in the face of what seems like frequent failures.

I thank God for unexpected days like Nov. 3, 2024, All Saints Sunday. For some reason, our worship space was full. It wasnā€™t all familiar faces. There were new families too who were joining us for the first time. Extra service folders were hastily printed. The service focused on Psalm 23 and the harsh reality of the valley of the shadow of death and the only answer found in our Good Shepherd. The sermon was plain talk about sin and grace, law and gospel. There were tears, more than in any other service.

Later conversations with one of the families would reveal why the message had seemed so personal but exactly what they needed from Godā€™s Word. On what seemed like an unlikely Sunday for outreach, the Holy Spirit worked through the Word as God has promised he would. Two new families who visited for the first time on All Saints Sunday have continued to come back. They have started taking Bible Basics classes and are well on their way to becoming members.

I talk to God about a lot of change, some expected, but most of it unexpected and completely undeserved. Just like his grace. Which thankfully never changes.

Written by Rev. Dan Heiderich, home missionary at Good News Lutheran Church in Lehi, Utah




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Moments with Missionaries – Lucas Bitter

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Rev. Lucas Bitter, home missionary at Intown Lutheran Church in Atlanta, Ga., shares an update from the South Atlantic region. Through the support of WELS Home Missions and by God’s grace, they found and purchased land near their current rental property to begin building a brand new church. Later this year, they hope to break ground and begin building a worship space where they can continue to share the gospel with those in their community. Hear more from Rev. Lucas Bitter about the work being done in Atlanta, Ga., and save the date for this year’s Taste of Missions on June 14, 2025 at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary.

P.S. – Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to watch even more videos from our missionaries in the upcoming weeks!

The gospel takes root in Nicaragua

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If you had to point out Nicaragua on a map, could you do it? For many people, this small Central American country isnā€™t well known. Its neighbors often get more attention. Its capital, Managua, doesnā€™t make headlines like other cities in Latin America. Nicaragua isnā€™t often in the global spotlight. But our Lord of the harvest hasnā€™t forgotten about this little nation. Instead, heā€™s putting it on the map in a way that truly matters.

In 2024, we saw a significant jump in the number of students from Nicaragua who began studying with Academia Cristo, a church planting training program facilitated by the WELS One Latin America Team. Eleven new students completed their first course last year. Multiple students are interested in recognizing doctrinal agreement with the teachings of the Lutheran church. Iā€™m currently teaching a live course on the Great Commission, and several Nicaraguans are participating.

However, the gospel is not only being learned in Nicaraguaā€”itā€™s also being shared. I recently had the opportunity to visit and see this firsthand. I watched an advanced student, who is called to serve as a church planter, preach a sermon to his group. His law and gospel message was shaped by a text study he had participated in earlier that week with an Academia Cristo professor. I also saw him lead the liturgyā€”assuring people that their sins were forgiven, leading them in the confession of our Christian faith, and pronouncing the closing blessing upon them. I stood in the home of a student as she showed me the space where she gathers children from her neighborhood each week to teach them about Jesus. She proudly shared how she painted the space so it would have a more welcoming environment, and she had printouts of Bible verses on the walls. I listened to another student talk about her desire to plant a group with her husband so their friends and family would have a place to hear the truths of Godā€™s Word.

What puts Nicaragua on the map? Itā€™s called the “land of lakes and volcanoes.” It has coasts on both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Itā€™s famous for its coffee, rum, and cigars. Yet despite these things, it often goes unnoticed. But not by our Lord. Perhaps Nicaragua will be best known as a place where the gospel is taking rootā€”where more and more people are being connected to Christ. And thatā€™s something truly worth putting on the map.

Written by Matt Behmer, world missionary on the One Latin America Team.




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Photo gallery – One Latin America Team

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Academia Cristo, the primary ministry of the One Latin America Team, seeks to make disciples in Latin America by sharing the message of Godā€™s grace with as many people as possible, identifying and training potential church planters, and encouraging those church planters to make disciples who plant even more churches. Read more in the One Latin America Team quarterly update.

There are 37 Academia Cristo students who have taken steps to plant a church (Grupos Sembrador) with support from an Academia Cristo mission counselor. Meet some of these church leaders, active students, and missionaries committed to spreading the gospel message throughout Latin America.

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A Lutheran church body in Tanzania is recommended for fellowship with WELS

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The WELS Commission on Inter-Church Relations (CICR) has the responsibility of overseeing our synodā€™s relationships with other Lutheran church bodies in the United States and around the world. The vast majority of the commissionā€™s time is spent strengthening the bonds of fellowship with our sister church bodies. But the commission also monitors what is going on in other Lutheran church bodies with which we are not in fellowship.

The CICR also communicates with Lutheran church bodies that are seeking fellowship with WELS. In recent years, discussions with such churches have led our synod to declare fellowship with Lutheran churches in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda.

This beautiful trend continues as the worldwide fellowship expands. After several years of detailed doctrinal discussions between WELS representatives and the Africa Mission Evangelism Church of Tanzania, the CICR is recommending that our synod publicly and officially declare fellowship with the Africa Mission Evangelism Church at this summerā€™s synod convention. Such celebrations of newly established fellowship are always one of the highlights of a synod convention.

The Africa Mission Evangelism Church is a growing Lutheran church body that separated from its previous affiliation because of doctrinal reasons. It consists of 12,000 members in 78 congregations and is served by approximately 65 pastors. The head of the Africa Mission Evangelism Church is Bishop Baltazar Kaaya. Bishop Kaaya will be attending our convention this summer to tell us more about our new partner in Africa.

We thank God that he continues to build his church.

Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder

 

 

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Godā€™s plan flourishes in Vietnam

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It has been 14 years since Hmong church leaders in Vietnam invited WELS to train their pastors in the truth of the gospel. It has been seven years since the communist government in Vietnam invited WELS to build a theological education center in the capital city of Hanoi. From the very beginning, we knew that the Lord had opened a door to reach the more than two million Hmong people who live in Vietnam and the surrounding countries. We also knew that this door could close at any time. Our WELS World Missions team worked quickly to ensure WELS took full advantage of the time the Lord had provided. And Godā€™s work moved forward in ways we could have never predicted.

With the generosity of faithful donors, we built a sturdy buildingā€”complete with classrooms, sleeping quarters, and a kitchenā€”meant to house 60 students at a time and train pastors for Christā€™s service. Almost two years ago at the dedication, it stood ready, a beacon of hope. But government regulations have kept us from using it for now. The paperwork continues, and the delay has a story of its own. A local church body that once supported us began demanding practices contrary to Scriptureā€”insisting we stop baptizing babies and allow non-Lutheran teachers to train our pastors. In a Martin Luther-esque stand, our partner church broke away, choosing faithfulness over compromise. Since then, theyā€™ve lost government recognition, which has slowed the process for gaining occupancy of the theological education center. Yet we trust that access could come any day, because Godā€™s timing is not ours.

Some might see this as a delay, a plan stalled. But God has provided paths we never expected. Since we began, our sister church has grown to over 160,000 souls, hungry for the Word. Fifty-five pastors have been trainedā€”not in that building but in rented spaces and internet classrooms where God gathered them to learn. Another 120 seminary-level students are studying now, their hearts set on preaching the gospel. Catechism classes, led by trained leaders, echo through every congregation in the rural training program that was developed by WELS missionaries and is now being supported by 12 fully trained Hmong pastors. This flock proudly calls themselves Lutheran, not because of a building but because of the truth theyā€™ve learned through WELS training.

Take a pastoral student and his brother, for example. When they feared funding had faltered, they sold their familyā€™s water buffaloā€”a sacrifice that cut deep in their rural lifeā€”so one could join the biblical training they feared might pass them by. Today, that student is a pastor, shepherding souls, his brotherā€™s faith beside him. What earthly hurdles could stop Godā€™s Spirit at work?

These twists and turns and extra red tape have given us more timeā€”time to train, time to grow, and time to stand firm without interference. We thought we needed that building. God knew we needed himā€”and him alone. In his hands, this work triumphs, brimming with hope for tomorrow.

In Christ,
Rev. Larry Schlomer
Administrator, WELS World Missions

 

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Together Video – March 18, 2025

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Elise Gross, a missionary on the One Latin America Team, describes her ministry serving women in Latin America. Learn how God is using Gross and her students to spread his Word.

 

 

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Volunteers help share the gospel in Kenya

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I recently accompanied six volunteers and the Central Africa Medical Mission (CAMM) field director, Gary Evans, to Kenya. The focus of our trip was to partner with Karima Lutheran Church to run a five-day short-term medical camp. The eight of us, along with Missionary John Roebke and his wife, Nancy, traveled to the village of Sagana, about 60 miles northeast of Nairobi. We met with church leaders to establish the roles we would each play throughout the week, and our volunteers were eager to get to work sorting supplies and medications right away.

On Sun., Feb. 9, we were able to join with the congregation to praise our Lord for his many blessings. We were reminded of Godā€™s great power when he healed King Hezekiah and reminded that he not only heals our bodies, but more importantly, he heals our souls.

The medical camp ran Feb. 11-15, and we jumped in to help in whatever ways we could. The volunteers assisted the local government healthcare workers in treating the physical needs of the nearly 2,000 patients who attended the camp by taking blood pressures, testing blood sugar levels, measuring height and weight, and re-stocking the pharmacy tent. However, that isn’t the only reason we traveled thousands of miles! We had the opportunity to work side-by-side with church leaders who used this outreach method to bring the gospel message to their community and to each and every patient that came to the camp.

The women of the congregation made delicious meals for us each day and expressed their gratitude on our last day, saying: ā€œWe are so happy for everything you have done for us. We are singing because our hearts are happy! Even the community, they are saying they are so happy.ā€

Volunteering in this way may be a lot of work and time away from families, but we make sure our volunteers have some fun also! Not only did the volunteersā€™ relationships with one another grow, but they also built connections with the many people we worked with throughout the camp. Additionally, a trip to Kenya wouldnā€™t be complete without a little sightseeing! An early-morning game drive in Nairobi National Park allowed the volunteers to marvel at Godā€™s creation as they saw rhinos, lions, giraffes, zebras, and ostriches up close and in the wild.

We thank God for allowing us the opportunity to work alongside fellow believers to share his love with those living near Sagana, Kenya.

Written by Kate Wood, secretary on the Central Africa Medical Mission Committee.




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Moments with Missionaries – Mark Zondag

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Missionary Mark Zondag shares an update on the Asia Oceania Team’s work. Based in Chiang Mai, Thailand, he supports local congregations in reaching the lost. He continues collaborating with the Confederation of Lutheran Churches in Thailand to expand gospel outreach. Hear more from Missionary Zondag as he shares upcoming plans to continue their mission of sharing the good news with those in Thailand, and save the date for this year’s Taste of Missions on June 14, 2025 at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary.

P.S. – Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to watch even more videos from our missionaries in the upcoming weeks!

One Latin America Team – Winter 2025 Quarterly Update

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A snapshot of blessings during the past quarter:

1. Academia Cristo General Assembly

The inaugural Academia Cristo General Assembly was held this past quarter with about 165 students attending. One Latin America Team Leader Andrew Johnston presented on the future of Academia Cristo, Missionary Nathan Schulte shared an overview of the changes to the Church Planting Level of the program, and Iglesia Cristo WELS Internacional President Henry Herrera presented on the benefits of being part of a synod. The event received favorable reviews in follow-up surveys, and almost all students expressed interest in attending similar events in the future.

2. Sister synod calls new missionary

Iglesia Cristo WELS Internacional called its president, Rev. Henry Herrera, to serve as a missionary for the church body. Herrera also serves as a pastor within the Lutheran Church of Colombia, which helped found Iglesia Cristo WELS Internacional in 2021, and is an active partner in Academia Cristo ministry. In this new role, he will work alongside Academia Cristo church planters as they continue their training and are welcomed into fellowship with Iglesia Cristo WELS Internacional.

3. Additional church planters called

On Oct. 29, 2024, Academia Cristo called six students from Guatemala, Mexico, and Ecuador to serve as church planters. On Jan. 27, 2025, an additional five students from Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, and Puerto Rico were also called to serve as church planters.

4. Progress on seminary program

Representatives from the Pastoral Studies Institute, the One Latin America Team, and WELSā€™ sister churches met in person in MedellĆ­n, Colombia, and had follow-up meetings via Zoom to formalize the curriculum for Seminario Cristo, the new Latin American seminary program. Plans are in place to develop and implement the program over the next two years.

5. New Church Planting Level courses and resources for church planters

Several new Church Planting Level courses have been developed and taught to equip church planters with essential skills for ministry. One course focused on creating Christian community within a church plant, while another emphasized the Christ-centered nature of ministry and the character required for all types of ministries. Additionally, a course was taught that helped church planters prepare basic sermon messages. Building on this, a system was established for missionaries and national partners to lead weekly text studies, providing ongoing support as they share the gospel with their groups. To further support church planters, a simple and replicable template was developed for use in various counseling situations that might arise.

6. Abuse conferences

In November 2024, Academia Cristo held four well-attended abuse conferences, sparking interest and follow-up among students. The conference videos will be shared annually in October, and the manuscript will serve as a resource for church planters. A support group, led by Christian Family Solutions Counselor Carolina Acosta and supported by Missionary Elise Gross, began in February 2025.

Trips from the past quarter

  • Andrew Johnston traveled to the Dominican Republic to visit church planters, students, and a church in our fellowship.
  • Andrew Johnston, Joel Sutton, and Jon Gross traveled to Argentina with Iglesia Cristo WELS Internacional President Henry Herrera to visit church planters and their groups, especially a group in Baradero led by church planter Luis Bello, whose group is on track to apply for membership in Iglesia Cristo WELS Internacional.
  • Luis Acosta spent a month in Mexico counseling church planters. Various One Latin America missionaries stopped in to assist. During this time, missionaries also attended the annual convention of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Church-Mexico, WELSā€™ sister church.
  • Nixon Vivar and Matt Behmer visited students and church planters in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
  • Nixon Vivar and Jon Gross visited church planters, their groups, and other students in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
  • Elise Gross visited church planters and students in Argentina. This included a visit to the first student in nearby Uruguay.

Fast Facts

  • Academia Cristo reaches an average of 1.78 millionĀ people weekly on social media
  • A total of 32,280Ā students have enrolled in the Self-Study Level of courses
  • 1,200+ students have completed one Discipleship Level live course
  • 120+ students have completed the Discipleship Level (13 live courses)
  • 49 students have completed the Church Planting Level (ten live courses)
  • 37Ā Academia Cristo students are actively leading church plantsĀ (Grupos Sembrador)




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An ordinary table, an extraordinary purpose

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I sent a picture of a kitchen table to Jan last fall. After a few decades in Colorado, Jan relocated last summer and reached out to me when she heard about the donations we were receiving to serve our community, especially furniture and household goods for migrants settling into apartments with their clothing, a few blankets, and not much else.

Jose and Paola had both their sons baptized

The table in the picture was part of the haul that we transported across the span of metro Denver to deliver to a new home. I remember Jan mentioning her own family moments and special memories that happened around that table while raising her kids, but as she was downsizing and moving across the country, it just couldn’t make the trip with her. She was glad to hear that the table would be a blessing to a family. I also remember it was a pain to take apart and, even in pieces, quite heavy, requiring two grown men to maneuver it up from the basement. Yes, it was in the basement, and the thought crossed my mind to decline the donation simply out of my own laziness.

However, that day I sat at that same table with Jose and Paola and not only enjoyed a delicious plate of food but also shared God’s Word with them and prayed with them. The conversation even turned to setting up a time to baptize their two small sons. During our conversation, Luis, a young man staying with them, stopped scrolling on his phone while on the couch nearby and took a seat at the table to join us with his own questions. Since then, more conversations and more Bible studies have taken place and several new faces have joined us around that table. The boys were baptized in our Spanish service in February. Jose and Paola want to keep studying to grow in their faith and knowledge and become members of the congregation.

God is blessing donations we have received in ways we couldn’t ever imagine. Jan was so happy to hear that another family is being fed with God’s Word around the same table where her own family held devotions and shared so many memories. As we continue to serve our neighbors by connecting them with clothing, food, diapers, English classes, and even used furniture, we remain excited to see how God will use that generosity to connect them to their Savior.

To God be the glory!

Written by Rev. Paul Biedenbender, home missionary at Christ Lutheran Church in Denver, Colo.




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Moments with Missionaries – Jake Vilhauer

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Missionary Jake Vilhauer shares an update from his first few months as a world missionary on the One Africa Team. He spent time in both France and Cameroon learning the French language with plans to use the language for outreach in french-speaking African countries. The Vilhauers will return to Zambia soon to settle into their home and begin work with the rest of the One Africa Team. Hear more about the work in Africa from Missionary Jake Vilhauer, and save the date for this yearā€™s Taste of Missions on June 14, 2025 at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary.

P.S. – Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to watch even more videos from our missionaries in the upcoming weeks!

Moments with Missionaries – C.J. Fury

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Rev. C.J. Fury gives an update from new mission start, Living Stone Lutheran Church in Conway, Ark. He shares updates just eight months following his commissioning at Taste of Missions. He shares what it has been like to work with a core group, select a church name, find a worship facility, and begin Bible information classes. Hear more from Rev. C.J. Fury about the work being done in Conway, Ark., and save the date for this yearā€™s Taste of Missions on June 14, 2025 at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary.

P.S. – Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to watch even more videos from our missionaries in the upcoming weeks!

Photo timeline – Anchor, Marquette, Mich.

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The new mission in Marquette, Mich., was approved as a new mission start in 2023, the first year of the 100 Missions in 10 Years initiative. Marquette serves as the hub of the Upper Peninsula (U.P.) of Michigan, and 52% of the people in and around Marquette do not have a home church or attend a church. It is also home to 7,000 students at Northern Michigan University. Click through the photos to see a timeline of Anchorā€™s ministry to date and learn more about planting new churches at wels100in10.net.

 

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From the classroom to Christ

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Christian schools have been part of WELS Native American mission work for over a century. Over the decades our schools have strived to train and build up children in Godā€™s Word while also teaching them how to flourish in Godā€™s world. Our churches have also benefited greatly from the schools, with many of our current church members and church leaders having received schooling at a ā€œmission school.ā€

However, the church and school connection does not happen automatically, nor can it be assumed. In previous generations, most of the students in our reservation schools came from Lutheran families. This is not necessarily the case today. State vouchers have allowed the schools to expand their student bodies, but this means that many of our students do not come from Lutheran backgrounds. Our teachers continue to boldly proclaim the Word on a daily basis, but the important question arises: ā€œHow can we connect more families to our churches?ā€ Answering this question takes much prayer, persistence, and patient endurance on the part of church members and called workers, but sometimes things come together in an amazing way.

Debbie Dietrich is the kindergarten teacher at Peridot-Our Saviorā€™s Lutheran School. She is very direct and encouraging with parents and students alike when it comes to spiritual matters. Earlier in the school year, Debbie taught a unit on the blessings of Baptism. Through this unit and follow-up discussions with students and parents, she found out that three of her students desired Baptism. Debbie reached out to the church staff, who met with the parents. These parents then brought even more children to be baptized. On Feb. 9, six young people were welcomed into Godā€™s family at Grace Lutheran in San Carlos, Ariz. The kindergarten students sang the baptism anthem, ā€œGodā€™s Own Child, I Gladly Say It.ā€ The church was packed, and God was certainly glorified that day.

This recent ā€œBaptism Sundayā€ is just one example of how churches and schools can work together to ā€œmake disciples of all nations.ā€ We know that the work is not done and that we will need to continue to be prayerful, persistent, and patient. However, it was a blessing to be able to celebrate with our church and school (not to mention the angels) as six more children were welcomed into Godā€™s family!

Written by Missionary Erik Landwehr, world missionary on the Native American Mission team.




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Becoming a One Africa Team missionary

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Coming out of Martin Luther College (MLC), I was initially planning on becoming a high school history teacher. In history teacher fashion, hereā€™s a crash course of the last eight months of my life: I was informed that I was being considered for an international call; I accepted that international call; I graduated from Martin Luther College; I announced my call to my family, who were shocked (understatement of the year); I got married to Maddie Hockenbery on June 1, 2024; and we shipped off to Zambia in August. Ten days after arriving in Zambia, my wife and I left for France to begin our French-speaking journey. We stayed in a town called Strasbourg and went to French school every day, starting from scratch. Quickly came Thanksgiving when we left France to meet with another missionary family in Douala, Cameroon, for more French and learning about West African culture. We are now soon to return to Zambia and settle down in our own place.

The work that I have been able to do as a missionary with the One Africa Team is awesome, to say the least. I have been able to work with and teach multiple outreach groups that may be potential partners in the future. Four seminary teachers from West Africa came to Douala, Cameroon, and I was able to teach and help with educational strategies for the future. I have also gotten to teach online TELL classes with people all over Africa who may be studying the Bible in-depth for the first time.

There have been some challenges with being away from family, learning a new language, and learning a new culture. However, it has led me to grow in my faith as well as work in a team. Although we are far away from our families in the States, we were instantly met with new families coming into World Missions. There has not been a lack of support from anyone, and for that I am truly grateful.

The past five months away from home have been a whirlwind. Never in a million years did I ever think I would be a missionary. I was so certain, in fact, that I would joke with Maddie for years before Call Day about going abroad to annoy her. It was so far off my radar because I had never heard of a World Missions call from Martin Luther College. People always say that God hears plans and laughs. Well, that was absolutely true in my case. Within a year God has allowed me to graduate from MLC, receive and accept a World Missions call, get married, learn a new language, and live on three different continents.

God truly blesses ministry, and I pray that he blesses my and the One Africa Teamā€™s work here in Africa.

Written by Missionary Jake Vilhauer, world missionary on the One Africa Team.Ā 




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CAMM February 2025 Newsletter

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HYPERTENSION AT LUTHERAN MISSION RURAL HEALTH CENTER (MWEMBEZHI)
The hypertension program started when the clinic saw the need. Patients were traveling to hospitals in Lusaka (the capital of Zambia) for drugs refills. This is about 50 miles from the Mwembezhi area. Due to lack of funds, most of the patients were unable to travel to Lusaka. In 2004, we had seven patients who suffered strokes in our catchment area; of those, three of them died the same month because of hypertension. Seeing the need, we began the program for those who were not able to go to Lusaka for treatment and medications.

The program began with only ten patients. The number has kept on increasing so much that now we have 561 hypertensive patients. To make sure we attend to patients in line with the Ministry of Health policy, members of staff sat and started a special blood pressure clinic one Saturday per month. Since Saturday is not a working day, it helped members of staff to decongest patients on treatment days. On Blood Pressure day, all members of staff report for work at 8:00 a.m. Blood pressure check-ups are done. We have essential hypertension (the diastolic blood pressure between 90 to 99mmHg) and crisis hypertension (the diastolic blood pressure above 100mmHg). All patients with essential hypertension are given their monthly drugs refill. Patients with crisis hypertension are admitted for observations. They can only be discharged when their blood pressure stabilizes. If it fails to stabilize, we refer to the hospital for investigations and further management.

However, hypertension has no signs and is not painful. As a result, it is very difficult to convince patients to take drugs for life. Some older people still believe in witchcraft. In 2019, we lost one Village Headman who came to clinic because of an abscess. He was also found to have hypertension. He was given drugs for the abscess and hypertension, but when the abscess healed, he refused to take the hypertension drugs. He said he cannot continue taking drugs. After four months, he was brought to the clinic with a stroke. We referred him to the hospital, but the hospital could not help. After his death and burial, Mr. Kalekwa called for a meeting with the Village headmen to explain his death. Headmen who believed in witchcraft saw the need for taking hypertensive drugs. The senior headman told other headmen to stop believing in old beliefs. He said they should always work hand in hand with health personnel to avoid disease complications. All the headmen promised to educate their citizens.

Drugs for hypertension are purchased by our clinic administrator, Mr. Banda, through the help we get from CAMM. The clinic staff work hard to provide good quality health services to all hypertensive patients. We start every morning with devotion and a prayer, followed by health education. All hypertensive patients are happy with and appreciate the services we provide.

May the almighty God bless you all in helping the poor in Zambia.

Written by Jackson Kalekwa, clinical officer in charge




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The first Bible you ever meet

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Do you remember your first Bible? Do you know where your first Bible is? Mine is an old study Bible that some relatives gifted to me at my confirmation. Throughout the years, the margins have accumulated helpful notes and comments, different dates of when I visited that same text, and other scribbles that have made this Bible mine. Itā€™s practically tethered to me and has logged thousands of miles crisscrossing different cities, states, and continents.

Have you ever thought that you might be the first Bible that someone meets? Not that you are the Way, Truth, or Life of Scripture, but that you might be the first look at what a justified, grace-filled Christian life looks like in the world? Why would that matter at all?

You may have seen some of the latest articles that tell us that more Americans arenā€™t going to church like they did even five years ago. Church shopping rates are down, but there are more people who are turning away because of what their churches in the past had done. They also feel happy and content to do what they are doing now. Whatā€™s more surprising is that more people are completely unexposed to what the gospel message actually is.

Itā€™s a real concern in my community. Trinity, Fla., is a place that was conceived under the idea that you could be ā€œborn, work, and dieā€ all in one place. As Iā€™ve learned, chatted, and had coffee with some of the people that live in our community, there is a growing resentment that ā€œthe people inside the church donā€™t act like Jesus would.ā€ To put a number on it: Trinity currently sees 71.6 percent of its community inactive in any faith community, up 10 percent in just five years. Or to put it another way: About three out of the ten people you see in your grocery aisle this coming weekend are connected to religion in some way. The other seven are unattached to the means of grace and the sacraments.

Something will fill that void. The spiritual needs today arenā€™t different than at any point in human history. There will always be a real need for relationships, forgiveness, justice, comfort, purpose, and salvation. Humanity needs to hear it. Godā€™s given us the message to speak to it.

As a home missionary in the United States, this excites me. We have a real opportunity to show Christian love to people who have no idea what it looks like. We are Christā€™s ambassadors, as though he is making an appeal through us!

With more people unexposed to what the gospel message is, we may have to be more proactive about going and showing what a redeemed life looks like rather than asking someone to come and see. One helpful pastor I know said, ā€œWhere is the most unlikely place you will find an unchurched person? Inside of a church.ā€

We often lament that this is a darkening and dimming world. That just means we need some lights to guide our way. That can happen through prayers for our worker training programs and for your pastors, but also for your brothers and sisters who are sitting in the seats of church along with you, that they may be bold in their witness of the gospel and unashamed of its message. Include yourself in that prayer too.

Because to someone youā€™ve never met or someone you know extremely well, you might be the first look of what living out the Scriptures actually is. So what are they reading?

Written by Rev. Ben Bitter, home missionary at Peace Lutheran Church in Trinity, Fla.




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Little wins

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ā€œTime!ā€ I called out. I glanced at my phone. It was 8:11 a.m. on a dark and grey January morning in Parrish, Fla. I smiled because we had just shattered our missionā€™s record for how quickly we wheeled all the tables out of the cafeteria and into the hallways at Parrish Charter Academy. They say, ā€œmany hands make light work,ā€ and that was proven true by eleven energetic Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary students who traveled all the way to Florida to help our mission achieve small but significant wins on the way to even bigger ones.

From there, the seminarians set up for Sunday worshipā€”placing chairs in neat rows, arranging the altar, setting up the speakers, rolling out the coffee cart, and preparing for our Mornings with Mommy program. Once the church setup was complete, they went outside to pick up trash around the campus. Just as they were finishing up, a familiar maintenance truck pulled in with a trailer attached.

A few weeks earlier, I had asked the schoolā€™s maintenance man, Kelvin, if there were any projects our church could help with around campus. He thought for a moment, glancing at the basketball courts, soccer fields, and playground. Then his eyes landed on a sad pile of rolled-up turf. Hurricane Miltonā€™s winds had ruined the turf around one of the playgrounds, and new turf had been installed in its place. The old turf still sat there, waiting to be removed.

ā€œWe can help with that,ā€ I had told him confidentlyā€”unaware of the muddy mess the recent rain would create or that Floridaā€™s infamous fire ants lay hidden beneath the turf.

That Saturday morning, the seminarians wrestled with the turf, mud clinging to their shoes and fire ants testing their patience. Meanwhile, inside, we welcomed families to our Mornings with Mommy session. By the time the seminarians finished, they were covered in mud and dotted with ant bites, yet still somehow eager to help with more.

After lunch, they helped us run a small sports camp for the community, where kids played football and basketball, leaving with Risen Savior water bottles and happy exhaustion. By the end of the day, we had connected with 17 familiesā€” families who, earlier, had likely never heard of our church.

One of the students asked me later how I thought the day went. I told him I was thrilled! As a brand-new church, itā€™s hard to measure success in the typical ways. For us, a win can mean simply meeting more people and letting them know weā€™re here. It can mean building relationships with families or showing Parrish Charter Academy that weā€™re not just tenants but partners, ready to serve and make a positive impact.

Of course, our ultimate goal is to see eternal winsā€”baptisms, confessions of faith, and a growing, thriving church. But those blessings often begin with smaller steps: a friendly conversation, a helpful hand, or an invitation to join us. Each of these little wins matters because they reflect Godā€™s love in action, planting seeds that he can grow in his perfect time.

Written by Rev. Benjamin Balge, home missionary at Risen Savior in Parrish, Fla.




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CAMM January 2025 Newsletter

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Greetings in the Name of Christ!

As we enter the beautiful season of Christmas, we reflect on the joy and hope that it brings to our hearts and communities. We are reminded of the words from Isaiah 9:6: ā€œFor to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.ā€ This verse serves as a reminder that we can find solace and direction in Christ. As we continue to celebrate His birth, let us reflect on the profound impact He has on our lives and strive to share His peace and love with others.

Climate Changes Impacting Farmers

December has traditionally been a rainy month, crucial for our local farmers in Malawi. However, this year, we are facing an unexpected heat wave that poses a serious threat to their livelihoods. Many farmers who have already planted their crops are now watching them wilt under the relentless sun, this has caused huge devastation with the current cost of agricultural supplies which has skyrocketed, making it even more challenging. Just two years ago, the price of fertilizer was around 20,000 Malawi Kwacha ($20), but now it has risen to an alarming 120,000 Malawi Kwacha ($70). This steep increase strains our farmersā€™ budgets and limits their ability to sustain their crops.

The implications are dire, if this heat wave continues, we may face a significant drop in yields, leading to potential food shortages and increased hunger in our communities. The combination of wilting crops and high input costs paints a troubling picture for the coming months for many Malawians.

Gratitude for Support

Despite these challenges, we find strength in our community. We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to CAMM and our generous donors who through your donations, made this year impactful in the communities Lutheran Mobile Clinic serves. As a token of thanks to

our dedicated staff we organized a wonderful early Christmas dinner for our general staff and a festive lunch for our professional staff just to appreciate them for their tireless work during 2024. The teamā€™s commitment and efforts on behalf of the Lutheran Mobile Clinic and CAMM are truly appreciated.

We also extend our thanks to our generous donors who have contributed various donations, including monetary gifts, baby clothes pill bottles etc. Your support plays a vital role in helping us serve those in need, bringing comfort and joy during this season of giving. Thank You to Our Donors.

Closing thoughts
As we celebrate this season of giving and joy, let us remember the true spirit of Christmas. May your days be filled with peace, hope, and love.

Thank you for being a part of our community. Wishing you all a blessed and joyous Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

Written by Lusungu Mwambeye, Clinic AdministratorĀ 




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Life after losing everything

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They lost everything. After years of effort and offerings to buy land and build and maintain a worship facility, they lost it all when their pastor began teaching false doctrine, leading a majority of members to side with him. The 27 remaining members were left without a church building. But in the midst of hurt and loss, they faithfully gathered in a home for worship just days later and were reminded that they still had everything. God was still with them. In Christ, they still had Godā€™s grace and peace and a heavenly homeā€”and no one could take that away from them. Even as wanderers, they still had the same mission of growing in Godā€™s Word and working together to share Godā€™s saving love.

Twelve years, a vacant house, and two leased facilities later, many of those who attended that first service can still be found worshiping and working together at Cross of Christ. And God has added even more. By God’s grace, and the generosity of his people, the congregation now owns a piece of property along a major road in the fastest-growing part of Las Cruces, N.M., and is working toward building a permanent facility. But that hasnā€™t come without its challenges either, including a prolonged property trade and months of waiting for a flood zoning redesignation.

As we now begin working with an architect, many questions weā€™ve been asking for months donā€™t have clear answers yet: Exactly what kind of a facility will we build? In what ways will we use our new facility to expand our gospel ministry and outreach? How will we fund our project with current increasing costs? When will we even be able to break ground?

Nevertheless, the reason for our project is clear: Weā€™ve been so blessed, and we want to use Godā€™s gifts to us to create more opportunities to share the saving message of Christ with more people, both now and in the future. We want to bring the good news of Jesus to those wandering through life without the certain hope and peace that we have. We want to reach more people who are at a loss as to who Jesus really is or are growing weary in their faith without a church family to build them up in Christā€”like Cat, our newest member, pictured above on her Confirmation day.

She lost everything. Her husbandā€™s stroke left him as a quadriplegic for six years before taking his life. Medical bills left her bankrupt. Lupus later damaged her strength and mobility. Then this summer, a wildfire destroyed her home and belongings. But through these losses, God led her to meet our member Hilda, who showed her the kindness of Christ, invited her to join us for worship, and even gave her a ride.

ā€œI was scared and alone and felt very far from God,ā€ Cat says. ā€œNow I see that God has used all these storms to bring me to the next step in his plan for me, bringing me closer to him than ever before and connecting me to my new church family. I have a deeper understanding of Scripture and of how God has used the challenges and tragedies in my life to bring me to a place to glorify him. His light can shine brightly through all my broken pieces.ā€

Despite the continuing questions and new hurdles that are sure to come for our congregation and in our building project, we remain both confident and excited. No matter what happens, God will be with us, and heā€™ll keep doing what he always doesā€”turning challenges into opportunities, tragedies into blessings, and loss into gain.

And in him, we have everything.

Written by Rev. Nathanael Jensen, home missionary at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in Las Cruces, N.M.

 




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Faces of Faith – Albert Szeto

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Albert Szeto spent the first years of his life living in a wooden shack atop a seven-story building in Hong Kong. Times were tough. Albert was the third of seven children. His two older siblings couldnā€™t go to high school, because the tuition of HK was $14 a month and was too much for the family to afford. When Albert was 12 years old, they moved to another part of Hong Kong where Albert would end up attending a WELS school in Hong Kong called Immanuel Lutheran English Middle School (ILEMS). He doesnā€™t recall why his parents chose for him to attend that school, but looking back it was clearly the guiding hand of a loving God. ā€œThat changed my life forever. Itā€™s where I came to know Jesus Christ and was baptized,ā€ Albert said.

Albert graduated from high school at Immanuel. Albert remembers toward the end of his time at Immanuel, ā€œMy father took me aside and said, ā€˜Thatā€™s it.ā€™ā€ Albertā€™s family didnā€™t have the money to fund his college education. Hong Kong schools had college entrance exams that every student took. Albert was so certain he would never go to college that he didnā€™t even bother returning to Immanuel to pick up the test results.

So, he went to work at a factory, in an office, and even teaching a little bit at ILEMS.

Until a WELS missionary asked him if he wanted to go to school in America. ā€œOf course I do! I canā€™t afford it though!ā€ Rev. Gary Kirschke and Rev. Gary Schroeder said they could help. ā€œI donā€™t know why [the missionaries] chose me.ā€ ā€œSo DMLC (Dr. Martin Luther College) in New Ulmā€¦ here I come!ā€ The plan was for Albert to go to DMLC and then return to Hong Kong to teach at ILEMS. He would be the first person in his family to go to high school and college.

Just before graduation, he remembers being taken out to a Chinese restaurant in Appleton, Wis., where missionary Rev. Gary Kirschke helped him plan what his ministry would look like in Hong Kong after graduation. Albert would be a teacher at ILEMS, but the missionary said that his job would include starting a church in the school as well.

ā€œWe started with just five or six people in the beginning. We just sat in a circle in one of the music rooms at the school.ā€ After a few years, the church grew to 60 people. Now Immanuel Lutheran Church is a congregation of hundreds.

A few years after his return from America, Albert got the itch to study law in the United Kingdom. So he went, got his degree, and returned to Hong Kong to work as an employee at a law firm. He recalls many times when there was something going on at church that he wanted to attend but couldnā€™t because he was constantly working. So in 2000, he quit and started his own law firm. This afforded him the time to serve, and God blessed it.

Albert had his 70th birthday party this month, and there were more than 150 people there celebrating a life that God had blessed, but also celebrating the lives that had been blessed by God through Albert.

Heā€™s served on the board at ILEMS, now called Immanuel Lutheran College (ILC), for almost three decades, on the board for SALEM, our sister synod in Hong Kong, and on the board for Asia Lutheran Seminary. He makes regular ministry trips to ā€œEast Asiaā€ to teach and to New Zealand to support the planting of a church SALEM has started there. He also has contacts with the WELS missionaries in London.

ā€œThis is just my response to Godā€™s love and salvation to me,ā€ he said. And itā€™s true. The light of God has shown in and through his heart to save Albert and countless others.

Written by Missionary Tony Barthel, world missionary on the Asia Oceania Team.Ā 




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Moments with Missionaries – Caleb King

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Rev. Caleb King shares an update of the work being done at Divine Savior Church in Celina, Tex.. The church launch public worship in September 2024. Along with continuing weekly worship, they have a kid’s ministry, confirmation, and membership classes. Learn more about the work of Divine Savior Church at divinesaviorchurch.com/dscncc and about WELS Home Missions at wels.net/homemissions. Save the date for our Taste of Missions event on June 14, 2025, in Mequon, Wis.

P.S. – Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to watch even more videos from our missionaries in the upcoming weeks!

Tanzanian Treasures

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Leia Foxen is six years old and lives in Africa. Listen to her firsthand account of moving to Tanzania with her parents, who serve as WELS World Missionaries. You can also read her dad’s blog at wels.net/communicate-the-gospel.

Learn more about WELS mission work in Africa at wels.net/africa.

Blessings through warā€”an update from Ukraine

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It has been nearly three years since Russia first invaded Ukraine in an attempt to take control of the country. Cities have been destroyed and infrastructure decimated. The number of casualties Ukraine has suffered is difficult to ascertain, but it is well into the tens of thousands.Ā 

Against this backdrop of devastation, destruction, and death, God is working. The power of his love and his Word can be seen clearly in the updates from the Ukrainian Lutheran Church (ULC), WELSā€™ sister synod in Ukraine.Ā 

From the beginning of the war, WELS provided financial assistance to the ULC so our brothers and sisters could help each other and their neighbors with basic needs, such as food, medicine, clothing, and fuel. In fact, Christā€™s love flowed so generously through WELS members that there is enough funding to cover current needs and anticipated future aid. The most important thing shared, however, has been the saving gospel message of Christ and the hope all Christians have through our risen Savior.Ā 

Pastor Vyacheslav Horpynchuk, bishop of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church, recently provided a detailed update. Here is a summary of the highlights:Ā Ā 

  • The ULC has 14 congregations, 12 pastors, and 5 deacons, serving 655 members.Ā 
  • Three congregations had to temporarily suspend worship services due to attacks in their areas.Ā 
  • While services in Bereznehuvate had to cease temporarily, once Russian forces were out of the area, the congregation not only resumed regular worship, but also started a mission in Snihurivka, with an average of 100 people attending each week.Ā 
  • The pastor for the congregation in Tokmak had to leave the city after Russians started arresting Protestant pastors. Many members left as well.Ā 
  • Thousands of people have received aid in the form of food, medicine, household supplies, clothes, and more through the ULC.Ā 

ā€œWe are grateful to WELS for helping us to buy electric generators, charging stations, electric inverters, and lots of firewood. During three war winters we have light in our churches, in most of our homes, and we are warm. Thank you also for the warm clothes and winter shoes!ā€ā€”HorpynchukĀ 

  • With the aid, ULC members have been able to help each other repair damage to homes after attacks.Ā 
  • In Kyiv, 90 people have joined the church and 30 more are taking catechism class. Ā 

ā€œPeople suffer and we continue to help them. We have about 150 new communicant members [throughout ULC churches] because of our humanitarian efforts, and about 100 more people are currently studying Luther’s Small Catechism. In addition,ā€Æseveral hundred new people attend the church every Sunday without enrolling in catechism classes. We hope and pray the Word will not return empty in their case as well.ā€ā€”HorpynchukĀ 

ā€œGodā€™s Word provided us comfort and strength to live, resist the Russian invasion, and help thousands of suffering people around us,ā€ concluded Horpynchuk. ā€œPlease continue to pray for us and help us in time of our dire need. We are grateful to all WELS members and to the United States of America. God bless WELS! God bless America! Please pray that this war is finished soon!ā€Ā 

Read the entire, unedited update from Pastor Vyacheslav Horpynchuk.Ā 

 

 

 

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