Moments with Missionaries – Matt Behmer

Missionary Matt Behmer shares an update of the work being done by the One Latin America Team. The team works with a ministry called Academia Cristo that connects with people online and trains them in God’s Word. Additional training and in-person visits are conducted by the team guiding the students towards the Church Planting Level, where the student is leading their own group. Learn more about the work of the One Latin America Team at wels.net/latinamerica and 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!

TELLestrations

If youā€™ve never played Telestrations, you can think of its counterpart, Telephone. You have a sentence; you pass it on to someone, who in turn passes it on to someone else. You just hope that in the end, it turns out the same! The difference? In Telestrations, you alternate between writing sentences and drawing pictures. What can be lost in translation, even within your own family, is incredible!

Asia Lutheran Seminaryā€™s new roll-out of TELL sometimes reminds me of Telestrations. TELL doesnā€™t just teach the Bible; it trains people how to share it. We have a message, and weā€™re trying to pass it down like Paul. ā€œAnd the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.ā€ (2 Tim 2:2). If Paul were the first one to draw on his Telestrations sheet, there would have been four people involved in that game! We are teaching others, to teach others, to teach others.

This doesnā€™t come without difficulty! Challenge #1: Even though our studentā€™s English levels put any of my second languages to shame, it is still not their heart language. Challenge #2: The sheer diversity in our classes. This game has players throughout Asia. One is trying to gather a small collection of house churches in a predominately Muslim country in South Asia, and another is a police officer in the Philippines. Yet another is a chieftain of an indigenous tribe. Another is a cancer survivor turned Christian from India who has read through the book of Romans over 500 times without formal training. Everyone comes from different cultures and backgrounds, so you better believe they will draw different pictures!

And thatā€™s a good thing.

While language and culture barriers occasionally cause misunderstandings in the classroom, these are precisely where the TELL program shines. Each culture has its own picture of what things like love, honor, and forgiveness look like. One of the most beautiful things about TELL is that we train and entrust ā€œlocal artistsā€ to draw the message more clearly.

What is our message? The Word came down to Earth and gives us the words of eternal life (Jn 1; Jn 6:68). Scripture perfectly draws that message for us. The Message (the Word) became flesh to explain and live out our salvation. Christ, the Word made flesh, is the message we hold and want to hand down.

With a message that important, we want to make sure itā€™s handed down well. We work hard to ensure that the message remains the same despite the picture looking different. We give feedback between ā€œeach roundā€ as students submit the Bible study they have created. Sometimes, we receive videos of students using their final project to teach others. This has been one of the most remarkable moments as a teacher! Also, after completing eight courses (1ā€“2 years), students may work with a counselor to deepen their training and work towards fellowship.

Weā€™ve only started working with TELL in Asia in the past few months. Still, itā€™s humbling to see how eager students are to refine their understanding and improve their ā€œcomprehendingā€ and ā€œdrawing skillsā€ for sharing the gospel. I am humbled to be able to teach the students who join our classes.

Please pray for TELL in Asia. Pray for the handing down of the Word from culture to culture and from generation to generation. Pray that this handing down and drawing of the message would bring a lot of joy, not because the picture looks different, but because it matches the face of our Lord when he comes again.

Written by Rev. Justin Steinke, world missionary for the Asia Oceania Team based in Manila, Philippines.





Communicate the gospel!

Finding the best ways to communicate well is always something WELS missionaries are thinking about. Thatā€™s why, in mid-October, my family landed in Arusha, Tanzania. We planned to spend about two months in the country to learn to communicate in Swahili.

Old and young learners communicate
I enrolled in two courses at MS-TCDC, a college focused on teaching Swahili to foreigners, for five weeks. Outside of class, there were plenty of opportunities to practice Swahili with people. We bought groceries, asked for directions, flagged down bijajis (three-wheeled taxis), and just said: ā€œjamboā€ (hello)! The official languages of Tanzania are both Swahili and English. However, much more emphasis is placed on Swahili in Tanzania. Itā€™s common to find people who speak very little or no English. This made using the language a must in day-to-day interactions.

My wife, Becky, and two youngest children, Katya (9) and Leia (6) joined me for the experience. Becky homeschools the girls, so temporarily relocating from our home in Lusaka, Zambia, to Arusha didnā€™t interrupt their learning. Becky integrated quickly into the local homeschooling scene, and she and the girls made new friends quickly.

Connecting with local Christians
I also interacted with Africa Mission Evangelism Church (AMEC), a Lutheran church body based in Tanzania. After carefully working through One Africa Teamā€™s Four Stage Process, WELS will declare fellowship with AMEC at this summerā€™s synod convention, God-willing.

Our normal practice is to visit one of our mission partners for about two weeks. After two months in Tanzania, we visited many churches on Sundays and deepened our relationships with church leaders. I also met with leaders from the Community of Evangelical Lutheran Churches of Central Africa (CEELAC). CEELAC is a new partner based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We have been meeting in Tanzania due to security concerns in the DRC.

Both AMEC and CEELAC use Swahili in their worship services. Attending worship was a great opportunity to put into practice what I had learned in my classes. Two months isnā€™t enough time to communicate like a native Swahili speaker. I was excited to see that I could understand much more and even teach a little in their language. Iā€™m thankful for the opportunity to communicate the gospel no matter where I live!

Listen to Leia Foxen communicate in her way about what she saw in Tanzania in this video posted on the One Africa Teamā€™s YouTube Channel.

Please pray for those working in fields that are ripe for harvest. Share their story, engage with future news, and receive updates.

Written by Missionary Ben Foxen, world missionary on the One Africa Team.





Merry Christmas from WELS Missions

Dear Family of Believers,

Are you one of those people who waits impatiently to see that first Christmas card in your mailbox? Many of us cherish this festive season, which allows us to exclaim the great news of Jesusā€™ birth to family members and loved ones through warm holiday letters and greeting cards.

ā€œThe Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.ā€ – John 1:14

On behalf of Home, World, and Joint Missions, we want to thank you for your prayers and support. We hope this Christmas season will bring joy to many and will inspire hearts to share the priceless message of Godā€™s love with others. We are truly grateful for your encouragement and offerings. Thank you! Together with you, we pray for the Lordā€™s continued blessing as we keep reaching out to the lost and hurting people in our communities and all around the world.

We have already been given the most precious gift that could ever be given. Our heavenly Father delights in our excitement as we declare this great news to others during the Advent and Christmas seasons and all throughout the year. Joyfully, we proclaim, ā€œwe have seen his glory. . . full of grace and truth!ā€

May Godā€™s peace be with you and your family today and in the year to come.

WELS Home, World, and Joint Missions

P.S. – Want to learn more about WELS mission work? Follow us on Facebook or Instagram @WELSMissions or subscribe to Missions Blogs and Update Newsletters at wels.net/subscribe.

May God equip you for your calling

Originally appears in the Native American Missions (NAM) News from December 2024

The list is long.

Very long.

So, if youā€™re short on time, donā€™t ask Nathan and Julie Wagenknecht to tell you about all the places in the world they have been and how they have served the Lord in various ministries.

But if you ask, and I hope you do, youā€™ll learn a lot. Not only about the where and the what but especially about the how and the why.

Isnā€™t it encouraging to learn from any brother and sister in Christ about their journeys of faith as they have followed the Lordā€™s call? Isnā€™t it inspiring to hear from the Abrahams and Sarahs of our day who have ventured into the unknown, sharing how God has been with them every step, every move, every location.

Oh, the stories and the surprises along the way.

And for the Wagenknechts, even though theyā€™ve already spanned countries and continents, God wasnā€™t done with them yet. He moved them yet again.

Now we find them in Farmington, N.M.

WELS Board for World Missions called Rev. Wagenknecht to be the Native Christians Counselor for Outreach.

What does that entail?

Great question. Iā€™ll let Missionary Wagenknecht explain his new call:

Iā€™ll be coordinating outreach to the Native American tribes in the Four Corners area of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. Iā€™ll also be developing a new model for Native American outreach, working closely with Apache and Navajo members who want to reach out to friends and family with the pure gospel message.

With all that on his mission plate, Nathan humbly requests your prayers.

Please pray for me personally that I may carry out a proper balance of time between family, office, and building personal relationships outside of the office.

Please pray for my family, too. We ask the Lord to help us settle in as we establish the services we need in a new city (doctors, dentists, etc.), find friends, and build relationships in our childrenā€™s school and our community.

And one more. Please pray for my ministry. I would love insight into this new culture so that our mission work meets people where they are, provides help where they have real needs, and connects people to their very real Savior.

Meanwhile, as Nathan settles into his new role, Julie and the kids (and one adorable pet bunny) have things to do of their own.

When Mateo (10 years old) is not in school, you will probably find him riding his bike, kicking a soccer ball, playing board games, or playing with Hopscotch.

Notice I didnā€™t say, playing hopscotch.

Playing with Hopscotch.

Hopscotch is the Wagenknechtā€™s beloved family pet.

Very photogenic, too, donā€™t you think? All three!

Natalia (10 years old) gave him that name as soon as he hopped into their Alaskan backyard. In this case, it wasnā€™t the Wagenknechts adopting Hopscotchā€¦ it was Hopscotch who adopted them!

Natalia loves it that Hopscotch made the move with them and is right there in their Farmington family room. When Nataliaā€™s not cuddling up with Hopscotch, she enjoys art and reading.

Julie has her hands full with the kiddos, setting up the house and adjusting to life in Farmington.

Ah, yes, adjusting one more time. Each major move not only means adjustment, but also waiting. Waiting for shipments, waiting for paperwork, waiting for new friendships, waiting to fill a niche, waiting for who knows what. Itā€™s no wonder, then, that one of Julieā€™s favorite ā€œgo-toā€ Bible verses is Psalm 27:14,

ā€œWait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.ā€

With the Farmington move, the LORD didnā€™t make them wait at all for a much-desired blessing: a home church. Christ the Rock Lutheran Church is conveniently located in Farmington. It immediately became their church home and family. Ever since the Wagenknechts rolled into Farmington, Pastor Jon Brohn, his wife Kay, and the members of Christ the Rock Church have welcomed the Wagenknechts with open arms and lots of help.

On Sunday, Nov.24, Pastor Brohn installed Missionary Wagenknecht at Christ the Rock Lutheran Church.

And hereā€™s another blessing: Missionary Nathan Wagenknechtā€™s father, Pastor Myrl Wagenknecht, preached the sermon for his sonā€™s installation!

Pastor Myrl Wagenknecht speaks a blessing upon his son Nathan.

The list goes on. And on. And on.

The list is long.

Very long.

If you have time, just ask the Wagenknechts about it. Theyā€™ll be thrilled to share with you how God has equipped them with ā€œeverything goodā€ for their various ministries in Mexico, Japan, Malawi, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Brazil, Alaskaā€¦ well, Iā€™ll let them tell you.

Welcome to the team, Nathan, Julie, Mateo, and Natalia!

Written by Missionary John Holtz, Native Christians counselor on the Native American mission team.Ā 





CAMM December 2024 Newsletter

Partnerships are everywhere in our Christian faith: partnerships with our fellow believers, partnerships with our home churches, partnerships with the pastors that guide us, and most ultimately our partnership with God. In Philippians 1: 3-6 we are reminded by God that partnerships are necessary to share the good news of the gospel.

The Central Africa Medical Mission (CAMM) started as a partnership; the Lutheran missionaries used the Central Africa Medical Mission to provide healthcare to the local community and because the communityā€™s physical needs were being taken care of, doors were opened for the missionaries to share Godā€™s spiritual love and healing with those visiting the clinic.

Today, CAMM operates with many partnerships. We partner with the missionaries through the Board of World Missions and the One Africa Team, with local national staff, with local African pastors, and with supporters all across the United States and abroad.

The Board of World Missions and the One Africa Team help support CAMM by providing spiritual support, marketing support, and help to lead CAMMā€™s mission. WELS Christian Aid & Relief (CAR) provides CAMM with financial grant support. CAMM has been extremely blessed by CAR with their grants to purchase medicine, fuel, and vaccinations. They are a key financial supporter for the short-term medical camps that were held in Kenya in 2024 and the camp that is planned for February of 2025.

While today we have all national staff at our clinics, originally CAMM employed an American nurse-in-charge and an American clinic administrator in both Zambia and Malawi. The individuals who held these positions moved far away from their families and lived in Malawi and Zambia for three years or more. They helped lead the national staff and relayed communication on clinic operations back to the CAMM stateside committee, even though communication was slow due to limitations in phone and mail service, especially from our start in 1961 through the late 1990ā€™s. CAMM relied on the leadership and professional background of the American nurse-in-charge and American clinic administrator at each clinic to ensure the clinics ran smoothly, and their partnership was essential to the success of CAMM, especially in those early years.

In 1994, the Lutheran Rural Health Centre in Zambia was turned over to national staff to run the clinic. The same followed for the Malawi staff in 2022. Where would CAMM be now without the knowledge, commitment, and integrity of the Malawian and Zambian staff? CAMM relies on them to ensure devotions are held each morning and to treat each patient that arrives at our clinics with empathy and professionalism. The staff is the face of our clinics and through the love and compassion they share with each patient, they are reflections of Godā€™s compassion to them. The local pastors of the Lutheran Church of Central Africa are also key partners with CAMM, as they have an important role to further develop the spiritual welfare of each staff member and patient.

Finally, all of our supporters are key partners with CAMM. Schools, churches, and womenā€™s groups, including LWMS, help spread the word about the work of CAMM with even more individuals across the country. And this in turn has caused an outpouring of support, in the form of prayers, monetary donations, assembling and mailing parcels to the clinics, and special projects such as a CAMM baby shower, chili potlucks, special mission Sundays, and school mission projects, which help fund building projects and new vehicles. The CAMM stateside committee members are filled with gratitude when we see photos of these activities or learn of all the assistance that is being provided. Since CAMM is supported solely by donations, we would not be able to carry out our work without the partnership of all of you, our supporters.

God has truly blessed the work of the Central Africa Medical Mission for over 60 years, beyond what we ever could have imagined. May he continue to use all of these partnerships to guide and bless our work in the future to provide Christ-centered health care and to share the gospel with all those who come to the clinics.

Have a blessed Christmas season as we celebrate the joyous birth of our Savior!

Written by Angela Sievert, Central Africa Medical Mission chair





Congo-reka!

Just to date myself, Iā€™m a fan of Oklahoma rock group Flaming Lips. One time they released an albumā€”actually four discs (dated again!)ā€”meant to be played simultaneouslyā€”called ā€œZaireka.ā€ They wanted a name that evoked chaos and joy . . . and Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC) was the ultimate byword for chaos.

Not so, on the One Africa Team’s travels to Lubumbashi, a busy, thriving mining city in the southeast of the DRC. We need the governmentā€™s permission to go there and offer workshops to the confessional Lutheran church groupā€”the Evangelical Lutheran Mission to The Congo (MELC) ā€”with whom we are exploring the possibility of fellowship. The intelligence officers monitor One Africa Team missionariesā€™ visits closely, both for their good and for ours. We have heard that they are happy to have us visit, so that we can spread the word that Lubumbashi is safe, orderly, and open for business.

But weā€™ve also heard that they like what weā€™ve been teaching. As theyā€™ve read reports of our pastoral training workshops, theyā€™ve mentioned that they think the contentā€”which has been the small Catechism of Luther, so farā€”is wonderful. The gospel Word is spread, sometimes in surprising ways.

In November, One Africa Team Adjunct, Pastor Joel Seifert, and I presented a second training workshop for the pastors and evangelists of theĀ  MELC who came to Lubumbashi from as far away as Kinshasa in the west and Manono to the north. On Wednesday evenings, I continue to hold French-language doctrinal studies on Zoom with the leaders of MELC.

Thank you for whatever ways youā€™ve been supporting this new mission field! Congo-reka! And soli deo gloria. Peace.

Written by Missionary Keegan Dowling, world missionary on the One Africa Team.





The Christian Church

As I closed my laptop for the night, I found myself sitting in awe of what had just happened. Students from across Latin America had gatheredā€”virtuallyā€”for the final session of The Christian Church, a month-long journey through the book of Acts. Faces lit with joy, hearts filled with gratitude, and words of thanks filled the digital space. It was more than a class; it was a glimpse of Godā€™s work unfolding before my eyes.

And as I reflected on the experience, I couldnā€™t help but wonder: Who is more thankfulā€”the students, or me? How many people get to study Godā€™s Word with students from 13 different countries? How many people get to share the love of Christ as their job? The truth is, though, itā€™s not my job just because I was called to be a missionaryā€”itā€™s my job because God called me, and all Christians, throughout the world, to go and be witnesses, to make disciples, to share Christā€™s love.

Thatā€™s really the point of the course The Christian Church, which I had the privilege of guiding over 50 students through this last month. We are all commissioned to ā€œgo.ā€ You donā€™t need to be a pastor to share Godā€™s Word; you donā€™t need to have a church building to worship; you donā€™t need to be an Israelite to be a part of Godā€™s family. The Christian Church is made up of believers across the world, and Jesusā€™ command to us all is to keep on sharing the gospel message!

This course also serves as a beautiful summary of our work within Academia Cristo. In the course, we study the book of Acts, where we see Paul working alongside believers throughout the ancient worldā€”sharing both the law and the gospel, and encouraging them in their study of Scripture. He wasnā€™t aloneā€”leaders in the cities he visited and fellow missionaries traveling with him were doing the same. Our work as a team of missionaries serving Latin America follows this same pattern. We have the privilege of sharing the teachings of the Bible with students throughout Latin America and encouraging them in their study of Scripture. We also get to support leaders living in a variety of countries to do the same. What a privilege! What a joy!

Over the next two weeks, Iā€™ll be receiving final projects from about 50 believers, each one commissioned by God to share his Word with others. Some will begin immediately, eager to share everything theyā€™ve learned. Others will gain more confidence with each passing course. Some may continue their ministry within their own church, but now equipped with a deeper understanding of the truth of Scripture. And, God willing, some will join us in planting new confessional Lutheran churches in their neighborhoodsā€”becoming vital partners in the gospel.

We are the Christian Church, called by God to carry his message of salvation to the world. What a privilege and responsibility we all share! May we all find joy and purpose in the special work that God has entrusted to each of us, wherever he has placed us in this world.

JosĆ© MarĆ­a, one of my students, messaged me after the last class, asking if I thought he could be a missionary. My answer for JosĆ© is really Godā€™s answer. And itā€™s Godā€™s answer not just for JosĆ© MarĆ­a, but for each of us: Yes! Go, tell your family about Jesus. Go, share the gospel with your neighbors. Go, into all the world and be Christā€™s witness.

Acts 1:8 – ā€œYou will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.ā€

Written by Missionary Luke Beilke, world missionary and Dean of Students for Academia Cristo.





ā€œNight of house musicā€ in Leipzig, Germany

On Sat., Nov. 23, 2024, our sister congregation in Leipzig, Germany, participated in an annual citywide event sponsored by a cultural group called the Leipzig Music Trail Association. Lu Hirsch, a member of Holy Trinity Congregation, organized the event. Read Luā€™s description:

Every year the Leipzig Music Trail Association organizes a ā€œNight of House Music.ā€ Hosts open their homes, stores, rooms, and museums to enjoy music together. The event always takes place the evening before the last Sunday of the church year at 7:00 p.m.

Those who wish to host a concert register with the association. They tell how many musicians and which instruments will be featured. The association posts all the concerts on its website, and people can sign up to attend concerts throughout the city.

This year, our congregation, Holy Trinity, hosted a concert for the second time.

Fifteen amateur musicians from our congregation play many different instruments: piano, organ, violin, flute, trumpet, bass clarinet, cello, and double bass. We were able to perform very different pieces from baroque to classical to klezmer.

During a short intermission, we had opportunity to talk to our guests. A woman who also attended last year particularly enjoyed the many young musicians and the variety of music. She was also interested in our congregation, church services, and other events we might host.

Other than a large cross on the outside, our church building looks much like a regular house, so it is always important to make people aware of the congregation here.

The Night of House Music is a good opportunity to invite music lovers and interested people into our worship space to talk about our faith and our hope.

I was honored to attend the Night of House Music at our Leipzig congregation and play a small part. These were my five favorite takeaways:

1. An outreach opportunity especially suited to Leipzig! Leipzig has long celebrated music and musicians. Bach and Mendelssohn spent significant portions of their careers in Leipzig.Ā Mendelssohn founded Germanyā€™s first music conservatory in Leipzig. Here he trained musicians for the cityā€™s orchestra, which he conducted. Leipzigā€™s prominence as a book and music publishing center from the 18th to the 20th centuries drew composers to the city as well. The love of music lives on! Every weekend the old cathedrals downtown are filled for nearly free concerts by local choirs and instrumentalists. The opera and symphony hold places of honor. Friends gather in their homes to play music and sing together. Leipzigers love music and appreciate musicians! What could be better than a concert to invite the neighborhood into church?

2. A lay-led evangelism effort. The musicians of our Leipzig congregation took the initiative and conducted the event from start to finish, freeing their pastor for other important work. The musicians acted as hosts for the concert, not only introducing the pieces being played, but describing how we gather in this same room every Sunday morning to listen to Godā€™s Word in the Bible, sing hymns, pray, and grow in our faith.

3. More than a third of the musicians were kids! I loved listening to the children and teenagers of the congregation gladly sharing their musical gifts with the neighborhood.

4. More than intermission . . . halfway through the concert, the musicians and guests enjoyed fellowship and refreshments, a valuable time to talk together and make connections with the community.

5. A fun day for the musicians! The musicians came early in the day to rehearse and set up the church for the concert. We enjoyed the afternoon of visiting, decorating, coffee-drinking, and eating together before the guests arrived for the concert. Growing together as a congregation was the icing on the cake!

Written by Jennifer Wolfgramm, wife of world missionary on the Europe One Team, and Lu Hirsch.

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CAMM November 2024 Newsletter

The Lutheran Mission Rural Health Centre (Mwembezhi) in Zambia has been providing both physical and spiritual help to both the clients and patients in its 63 years of existence. It is the hand of God that has brought us this far. God established this work through His missionaries and their wives who were serving this area at a time when it was most difficult to live in Africa. Today the clinic stands tall with its ever-increasing population which has grown significantly since the 1990ā€™s. The area has witnessed growth in both population and infrastructure since the area was declared a district in 2011 by the President at that time. There would have been even more growth in population and infrastructure had the President lived to see his vision through.

The clinic serves eight separate areas within our catchment and was seeing about eighteen thousand eight hundred people per year. In 2023 The Zambia government built two new health posts within our catchment area. These health posts were designed to provide people with a clinic closer to their homes rather than travel to Mwembezhi. The Mutombe health post is located about eight kilometres from our clinic and the Shikatende health post is about twelve Kilometres from Mwembezhi. Each health post was given a population of around five thousand people to serve thereby lowering the population served at Mwambezhi by around 10,000. However, it did not work out that way. People prefer coming to Mwembezhi over the health posts for reasons such as ā€œat the Mwembezhi clinic they pray to Godā€ and ā€œoffer Bible readingā€ (devotion), they have drugs and at the centre there are ā€œDoctorsā€ available (Doctors in this case meaning medical staff in white coats). True to the peoplesā€™ words, we are vessels of God sent for the sake of providing physical and spiritual help to our brothers and sisters in that area. As a team, we believe that the clinic is a Christ-centered facility. We treat, but Jesus Christ heals.

I am grateful to hear how people in the area praise God and mostly I hear them saying ā€œLeza alelekwe pakutupa chibadela cha Lutheranā€ meaning that ā€œMay the name of God be glorified for giving us the Lutheran clinicā€. Hearing of the nice comments reminds me of the favour of God in our lives and how we ought to be grateful to Him. We are grateful for everything that God allowed us to see and do this year and remain grateful to all who pray for and support the Clinic. Letā€™s encourage each other to live for God and be grateful to Him, especially around this time.

As children of God letā€™s remember what He has given us despite the many challenges we face. There is an example of two people travelling in a public bus, one passenger (a woman) accidently spilled something on a smartly dressed passenger (a man) who was seated next to her and his clothes became dirty. It was expected that this smartly dressed man would get angry at the woman. But to the surprise of everyone the man smiled and said, ā€œItā€™s okay my sister, I will be dropping at the next station and home is near.ā€ The point is, let’s not
stress too much on the issues beyond our control, rather we hand over everything to God and be grateful for what He has given us.

With prayer and believing in God’s promises it was possible to establish the clinic that does His work now as it did 60 years ago. The God our forefathers served is the same God today. The clinic serves as a ready platform to extend Godā€™s grace to His people, showing the love of Jesus to all who come. Our hope is that more will praise God for his salvation through Jesus as well as being grateful for the medical care given at our clinic. Thank you for your time.

Written by Alisad Banda, CAMM Clinic Administrator in Zambia.





Happy Thanksgiving from WELS Missions!

Dear Friend of Missions,

ā€œ. . . because of your partnership in the gospel. . .ā€

ā€“ Philippians 1:3-5

This was Paulā€™s reason for giving thanks. He cherished his partnership with Godā€™s people, knowing he couldnā€™t do mission work without his brothers and sisters in Christ in the congregation at Philippi. So, he said this at the beginning of his letter: ā€œI thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel. . .ā€ (Philippians 1:3-5)

We, too, cherish our partnership with you in the gospel. Humanly speaking, we couldnā€™t do what we do in Home and World Missions without it. This is by Godā€™s design. The many parts of the body are meant to work in partnership with each other for the common good. Your partnership in the form of prayers, encouragement, and gifts enables us to enter new mission fields and provide ongoing support to missions throughout North America and across the globe. We thank God for this blessed partnership! Enjoy this video that shares a small taste of how God blessed our partnership in 2024.

We also join with you in giving thanks to our gracious God. We know where we would be without him. Yet, by his grace, we are children of God, bought with the blood of Jesus Christ and heirs of eternal life. By his grace, we are showered with an abundance of earthly blessings that provide for our daily needs and more! And by his grace, we are partners in gospel outreach ministry that has an eternal impact on souls around the world. Praise the Lord!

From all of us in WELS Missions, we thank God for you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

WELS Home, World, and Joint Missions

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

Unexpected ways to build connections

A little blonde haired boy is doing laps around a small play center in a mall near a Kmart. (Yeah, they still exist in Australia). He starts to play with a boy about his age. They chase each other and climb through the play centerā€™s obstacles to head for the slide. Each in turn, they inch down a slide that is inexplicably slow. And then they race back up to do it again. And at least for now, it doesnā€™t matter at all that they canā€™t speak the same language. After a while, the boysā€™ mothers connect and begin talking. Before they leave the moms exchange contact information for hopefully a play date for the newly formed friends zooming around mall.

Three and a half months into living in Australia, weā€™re just starting to get the hang of some new things. Thereā€™s a different vocabulary with a serious affection for shortening words and tacking on an O (servo, arvo, bottle-o, flanno, rego, smoko, garbo, to name a few), thereā€™s some exciting new food options (meat pies, TimTams, excellent coffee, and yes, Vegemiteā€”itā€™s excellent on toast with butter!), and there are a lot of different people groups here. We knew that having experience living in East Asia would be a benefit in making friends here and it has, but weā€™ve also met Filipinos, Japanese, Indonesians, Colombians, Malaysians, Taiwanese, and Mongolians. And the main person starting the connection with most of those people: my wife Alanna. And sometimes my son Marvin.

One of the most exciting aspects of ministry here in Australia is that weā€™re all working on it together. Yes, the WELS missionaries, Matt and Peter (me), but also Christine (Mattā€™s wife) and Alanna (my wife), and even unknowingly Marvin and Jonas. We’re exploring, trying out things like English programs, play groups, parks, library events, cultural nights, and running into all sorts of people and making friends with so many people. Hopefully, some of those connections turn into coffee, dinners, and conversations. Conversations about God. And all that feels very normal.

I would venture a guess that in your community, wherever you may be, thereā€™s probably someone new, learning a new culture, maybe learning a new language, figuring out how to do basic things, and could use some help. And I bet that person would appreciate a friend. Weā€™ve certainly appreciated all the help weā€™ve gotten from friends so far.

Thereā€™s something really fascinating in Psalm 86. Itā€™s a psalm that praises God for how he listens and delivers those who trust in him. And in the middle of the psalm, the position of emphasis, there is verse nine. “All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.” Itā€™s a beautiful cause and effect explanation. God I trust in you, you save me, you deliver me, you answer me, and you help me.

Written by Rev. Peter Janke, world missionary on the Asia One Team based in Australia.

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Finding the true cross

Meskel, or “cross” is the name of a holiday that the Ethiopian Orthodox Church celebrates. The full name of the festival is “The Finding of the True Cross.” According to their tradition, God spoke in a dream to a woman named Helena, who was the mother of Constantine, the first Christian Emperor of Rome. In the dream, God instructed Helena to light a fir tree on fire. The smoke from the burning tree miraculously led Helena and her friends to a certain place on the ground. When people dug into the ground at that place, they found the true cross on which Jesus died.

Itā€™s just a legend, not a true teaching of the Bible. But many people in Ethiopia celebrate this festival. When the day comes, thousands of men, women, and children stream out into the streets and public squares, dressed in colorfully embroidered white robes. They build a huge teepee-shaped bonfire that is intended to look like a fir tree. Everyone joins the celebration. Many of them are not members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and many of them are not even Christian at all. Many of them do not understand the true meaning of Jesus and his cross. They just want to have a party.

New Contacts from Sudan and Ethiopia
When WELS missionaries Dan Kroll, Howard Mohlke and I visited Ethiopia a few weeks ago, the Meskel celebration was underway. We had several exciting reasons to make that trip to Ethiopia. First, we wanted to meet with leaders of the Lutheran Church of Sudan (LCS). The LCS is an Arabic-speaking Sudanese group that claims to have 16,000 Lutheran members. Over the past year, we have been communicating with this group via the internet. We have shared some Arabic printed materials so they can study the Scriptures in their own language. But we have never been able to meet them in person. Sadly, our plan to meet them in Ethiopia was not successful. The leaders of the LCS were not able to get the proper passports and visas.

Thankfully, other goals were more successful. My colleague, Dan Kroll, focused on meeting with a group called the Gambella Evangelical Lutheran Church (GELC). (Gambella is a region in western Ethiopia). The members of this group number about 150 and most of them belong to the Anuak tribe. Together with Missionary Kroll, about 35 leaders of this group were blessed to study what the Bible says about the Church and its ministry.

South Sudanese Refugee Work
Meanwhile, Howard Mohlke and I were more focused on another group, the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ethiopia and South Sudan (CELCESS). This group ā€“ also located in the Gambella region of Ethiopia ā€“ claims to have 28 congregations and about 14,000 members. Many of the members belong to a tribe of people called Nuer.

Especially, we met with a man named Lam Nhial Luak. Lam himself has been very well trained in Lutheran teachings. He holds a Bachelor of Divinity degree given by our sister synod, the Lutheran Church of Ethiopia. WELS missionaries also participated in Lamā€™s training. Every month, WELS provides funding for Lam to teach a three-day workshop on Christian doctrine to 15 Nuer pastors. The pastors take what they have learned from the Bible and share it with their members. During our visit, we attended one of Lamā€™s workshops. On the following Sunday, we were privileged to observe Lamā€™s official installation into his teaching role and the ordination of four new pastors.

To be clear, WELS is not yet in fellowship with any of these groups ā€“ neither the LCS nor the GELC nor the CELCESS. I do not know what will happen with these groups in the future and if God will bring them to a full understanding of the Scriptures and into fellowship with WELS. But I do know this: These people love their savior Jesus Christ. They are eager and excited to receive instruction from Godā€™s Word. They know that God has saved us, not because of any good thing that we have done, but by the perfect life and innocent death of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Through their study of the Scriptures, they have found the true cross, and that is a reason for us to celebrate.

Learn more about our mission fields in Africa and how the Holy Spirit is working faith in peopleā€™s hearts at wels.net/africa.

Written by Missionary Mark Panning, world missionary in Malawi, Africa.





One Latin America Team – Fall 2024 Quarterly Update

A snapshot of blessings during the past quarter:

1.Ā  Annual meeting and new ten-year target
From October 11-14, 2024, the One Latin America team held its annual meeting at Divine Savior Academy in Doral, Fla. The meeting centered on establishing a ten-year target, a three-year picture, and one-year goals. At this meeting, the One Latin America Team set this new ten-year target:

  • 10,000 have finished at least one Discipleship Level course
  • 1,000 church plants (Grupos Sembrador) started
  • 100 church plants (Grupos Sembrador) have become congregations of Iglesia Cristo WELS Internacional

2. Baptisms in Argentina
Luis Bello and his wife, Karina, from Baradero, Argentina, joined the Lutheran faith through Academia Cristo. They began hosting a small group in their home, gathering 15-25 people regularly. One evening, after a lesson on Jesus’ baptism, a young couple asked if their daughters could be baptized, inspiring six others to request baptism as well. Over the next two weeks, Luis and another leader, Jorge, baptized a total of ten people, including adults and children.

3. Church planting in Ecuador
Henry Isidrio, a church planter from Guayaquil, Ecuador, continues leading three groups through a Bible information course to prepare members for confirmation in the Lutheran faith.

4. Church planting course implementation
The instruction team is leading the writing and implementation of new courses for the Church Planting Level of courses, This advanced level, following the Discipleship Level, is for students in doctrinal agreement who have committed to starting or supporting new groups.

5. Discipleship Level capstone course
Twenty students successfully gathered groups and taught them a brief course on sin, grace, faith, and works. This was the final project for the Discipleship Level capstone course that wrapped up in early Sept. Several of these students are in doctrinal agreement and will continue their studies in the Church Planting Level of courses. Another session of the capstone course started on Sept. 30, 2024.

Fast Facts

  • 1.75 million average weekly social media reach
  • 25,800 total cumulative students have enrolled in online Self-Study Level of courses
  • 3,791 students have finished the Self-Study Level of courses
  • 542 total cumulative students have enrolled in the online self-study level in the U.S.
  • 1,132 students have completed one Discipleship Level live course
  • 105 students have completed the Discipleship Level (13 live courses)
  • 45 students have completed the Church Planting Level (ten live courses)
  • 35 active church plantsĀ (Grupos Sembrador)





A prayer answered

ā€œThe harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.ā€ (Matthew 9:37,38)

Jesus spoke those words to his disciples after seeing crowds of people who were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.

What happens to flocks when no one cares for them? The same happens to people.

Rev. Dan Rautenberg, installed as pastor at Peridot and Grace.

And Jesus doesnā€™t like it.

And who would? Who likes being harassed? Who likes being helpless? Do you hear a pained sadness in Jesusā€™ voice when He compares the size of the harvest to the number of workers?
One is plentiful, the other is few. What was true then is still true today.

Considering the dire situation then and now, Jesus urged: ā€œAsk!ā€

So people asked. And He answered.

God answered a big ask by guiding Pastor Dan Rautenberg and Mr. David Thompson to accept their calls as pastor and pastoral assistant. Together they will be serving the dual parish union of Peridot Lutheran Church and Grace Lutheran Church, both on the San Carlos Reservation in Arizona.

What better way to thank God for this blessing than to hold a worship service and install the shepherds in front of a flock of Jesusā€™ sheep! Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, was indeed a joyous occasion!

The installation service was filled with the Word of God in every aspect. The late Rev. Kirk Massey, Jr. led the worship liturgy, Rev. Gary Lupe preached the sermon, the choir and congregation sang hymns and gifted musicians played their instruments. The area pastors and leaders participated in the laying on of hands, sharing of Scripture and words of encouragement. Not to mention all the amazing food prepared by congregation members. All done to the glory of God!

The sheep at the two congregations are very blessed to have these two shepherds. Like David of old, they are men ā€œafter Godā€™s own heart.ā€

Mr. David Thompson installed as pastoral assistant

Mr. David Thompson has been involved at Peridot Lutheran Church and Grace Lutheran Church as a confirmed member since 2013. He speaks Apache and shares the gospel in Apache! David and his wife, Samantha, have a family ā€œflockā€ of their own: five children and three foster children!

Rev. Dan Rautenberg began serving in Native American ministries 24 years ago. Except for serving three years in Grenada, his whole ministry has been on the reservations of Fort Apache and San Carlos. The people know him and he knows them. Pastor Dan and his wife, Katie, have four children, all born and raised on the reservation.

Join us, wonā€™t you, in thanking God for his big answer to a big ask.

Written by Rev. John Holtz, world missionary on the Native American mission team

 

Exactly a month after this installation service, God called home to his side Pastor Kirk Massey, Jr. ā€œI am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.ā€ (John 11: 25-26). ā€œDeath has been swallowed up in victory.ā€ (1 Corinthians 15:55)

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CAMM October 2024 Newsletter

I recently traveled to Malawi and Zambia and was looking forward to sharing some updated information and news about the field. My wife Beth and I recently gave a presentation about CAMM for the Grand Canyon Circuit of LWMS (Lutheran Womenā€™s Missionary Society) at a retreat at a camp outside of Prescott, Ariz. There were about 80 women attending and three Arizona pastors who helped with devotions and worship. We were glad to see our former Malawi Mission Liaison, Rev. John Holtz, and a former pastor in Zambia, Rev. John Hartman and his wife, Sharon.

At the retreat we had the opportunity to learn about the mission work to the Native American Mission, including the school in Peridot. We also heard about the mission to the children in Mexico and its Spanish ministry to Mexicans in Tucson.

We shared our slides about the Lutheran Mobile Clinic in Malawi, the Lutheran Rural Health Center in Zambia, and the medical camp that was run in Kenya last February. We enjoyed answering questions and feeling so much support for the ongoing work of CAMM. We knew these women would be praying for our African staff and supporting the mission with their prayers and offerings. It was apparent that many of them also had ministries in their churches and with other mission organizations. We give thanks for these brothers and sisters in Christ, who love Jesus and want to help spread the gospel around the world!

In other news, in Malawi we have recently completed the construction of two private consultation rooms at our clinic at Thunga Village. We have seen that outpatient numbers have been growing at this clinic, which has caused crowding and even less privacy. We decided that it was it about time that these patients were provided the same degree of privacy as the patients at our other clinics, hence the new consultation rooms were built. Now all outpatient consultations at all four of our clinics are conducted in private.

Also, in Malawi, after a few months of wondering why we have not received many parcels, we have just received 40 parcels of pill bottles and other supplies. Supplies were getting low and we were beginning to worry. But the Lord provided. We suspected that something was amiss either at the post office or customs, but only recently discovered that parcels were being held by the Malawi Revenue Agency (MRA) for possible customs duty. Lusungu Mwambeye ā€“ our administrator in Malawi ā€“ was able to work with the MRA and get the parcels released to us without duty. She also obtained a letter from MRA giving us customs clearance for three months. While our stocks are looking good today, it can take up to three months for a parcel to arrive, so please keep the parcels coming so that we always have a ready supply of pill bottles, blankets, hats, onesies, etc. for our patients.

Written by Mr. Gary Evans, CAMM Field Director.





Itā€™s better to have 100 friends than 100 rubles

“Itā€™s better to have 100 friends than 100 rubles!ā€

This bit of Russian folk wisdom comes from a time when 100 rubles was worth a lot of money. Having many talented friends who can help in different situations makes life a lot easier ā€“ especially for people living in a collective society.

God has blessed me with many friends.

From Siberia to Portugal, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, God has allowed me to develop deep, spiritual relationships with many dear brothers and sisters. The members of Jesusā€™ body are precious, blood-bought souls carefully gathered by the Lord of the Church and placed exactly where he wants for our mutual edification and his glory.

Recently God has blessed me with some new friends in the U.K. and back ā€œhomeā€ in the WELS. Let me explain.

Pete Myers served in the ministerium of the Church of England. He is a Hebrew scholar and worked for several years as a professor of Old Testament studies at a seminary in Ethiopia. Pete is a sincere man who wants to confess solid Biblical faith in Christ. To make a long story short, Pete became Lutheran through an independent study of classic Lutheran writings and began searching for a Lutheran church faithful to scripture. After moving back to London, he met Missionary Michael Hartman. The two of them spent hours discussing what we in WELS believe on the basis of Holy Scripture. God blessed those conversations. Several months ago, Pete and his family joined our fellowship. Since then, they have moved to Manchester (a major city about four hours north of London), where Pete is supporting himself with secular work as a math teacher. But his real passion is to plant a congregation in Manchester that enjoys fellowship with our hub church in London.

Weā€™re thankful for Pete and his family, and weā€™re excited about blessings God is giving to his people through them. But we also want Pete to deepen his understanding of confessional Lutheranism, and we want those in our broader Lutheran fellowship (CELC) to have confidence that we share a common faith. What should we do?

Let me introduce you to some partners in WELS who are helping us.

Professor Allen Sorum teaches at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. He is also part of the Pastoral Studies Institute (PSI). Professor Sorum has broad experience working with men who want to prepare for ministry not only in North America, but around the world. He serves as the PSI representative to our Europe team. This past June, he arranged for Pete to spend a couple weeks on our seminary campus in Mequon. Here Pete attended summer quarter classes and spoke with faculty members about a wide variety of doctrinal topics.

While in Mequon, Pete met another friend of mine, Professor Jim Danell. Professor Danell serves on the faculty of Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minn., where he helps prepare young men for ministry. He also serves as the chairman of WELS Commission on Inter-Church Relations (CICR). This commission works to ensure that we indeed share authentic doctrinal fellowship with our brothers and sisters around the world. He is the CICR representative to our Europe team.

Iā€™m so thankful that Professor Sorum and Professor Danell join our Europe team meetings every week. They understand the work that we are carrying out in Europe. Having PSI and CICR working together with World Missions has been a tremendous blessing. God richly blessed Peteā€™s time during summer quarter, and there are plans in place for continued doctrinal conversations with key representatives in WELS to ensure that we are all walking together and contending for Jesusā€™ truth.

Please join me in giving thanks for the gifted friends the Savior gives us in his Church. Letā€™s continue to work together to share Jesusā€™ good news with the world!

Written by Rev. Luke Wolfgramm, world missionary on the Europe One Team.Ā 

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10 years of Academia Cristo

Join us as we celebrate 10 incredible years of Academia Cristo, a ministry that has shared the gospel and touched the lives of thousands across Latin America! Over the past decade, we have witnessed transformations, blessings, and life-changing moments as the message of Christ has reached new hearts and homes.

We reflect on the journey, the countless stories of faith, and the mission to continue spreading the good news of Jesus. From the first days to where we are now, Academia Cristo remains dedicated to making disciples, sharing free biblical teachings, and empowering leaders in local communities.

Watch the inspiring stories of those who have been impacted by this ministry, and hear from those whose lives were forever changed by the power of the gospel. Join the celebration and help us keep spreading the message of hope and salvation!

Learn more about Academia Cristo and mission work throughout Latin America at wels.net/latinamerica.

WELS Connection – The impact of World Missions

By the grace of God and your generous support, WELS has been given countless opportunities to share the life-saving message of the gospel with souls all around the world. Sometimes that is done on a large scale with pre-existing, organized church bodies, other times it is on an individual level with one particular soul, and everywhere in between. These people may be in far away lands on the other side of the world. Yet they are our brothers and sisters in Christ, children of God, who now have the comfort and certainty of eternal life, knowing that their sins are forgiven. Camilo Herrera is one of those people.

“I have joy talking to the Lord. I have peace in him, no matter what happens.”

Hear more in this October 2024 WELS Connection video.

 

Learn more about WELS World Missions at wels.net/missions.

CAMM September 2024 Newsletter

As you read blogs, self-help books, and Facebook posts, they seem to have one common theme: How do you find your joy and happiness in life? You may look around and joy seems to be missing in so many areas of your life. There may seem to be less smiles and less laughter. Work is hard and tedious, relationships are difficult to maintain, and healthcare is expensive and time consuming. We go to church and surround ourselves with the gospel, but is the joy we feel truly displayed? In Romans 15:13, Paul wrote, ā€œMay the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.ā€ Are we overflowing with hope?

This past month, I traveled to Mwembezhi Lutheran Rural Health Centre in Zambia along with Gary Evans (Field Director) and Alisad Banda (Clinic Administrator). While all of us had been there many times in the past, we were not expecting to see the joy displayed as we drove past Martin Luther Church, which is adjacent to the clinic. Hundreds of people were camped out for a five-day Lutheran Church of Central Africa campout.

What a surprise! Kids were running and playing, adults were socializing and getting ready for the day and the singing. . . nothing can truly impact you like the sound of an African choir! The harmony, smiles, and joy that we saw and heard is my version of the singing I hope to hear when I arrive in my home in heaven. To hear a sample of the choir singing, visit our Facebook page. What a blessing to hear and see the fellowship as we ventured down the road to tour the clinic buildings and see the clinic at work.

The joy did not stop at the campout. You could see the smiling faces of the clinic staff, the moms as they weighed their babies, the village residents greeting us and thanking CAMM and clinic staff for being there. Some of you have experienced these sights first-hand, but for those that havenā€™t, I pray the videos and photos that CAMM shares help bring you joy and give you a sense of the joy that is displayed at the clinic.

Your support, whether through prayer, shipped donation boxes, monetary donations, or sharing the work CAMM does, brings me joy and helps us share your joy with the patients that visit the clinic in Zambia as well as the clinics in Malawi.

Whether it be from seeing the photos and videos CAMM posts, or the joy that surrounds you in your personal life, we pray that God continues to bless you and bring you joy. CAMM humbly thanks you for your continued support that helps to spread joy to so many within our organization.

Written by Angela Sievert, Central Africa Medical Mission (CAMM) chairwoman





One Latin America Team – Summer 2024 Quarterly Update

A snapshot of blessings during the past quarter:

1. Vicar program in Colombia: In August 2024, we welcomed new Vicar Matthew Rugen to the field. He will be serving his vicar year under Pastor Henry Herrera in MedellĆ­n, Colombia. Also in August, we said goodbye to Vicar Jacob Bitter and his wife Sofia Spiegelberg. They are returning to Mequon, Wis., for Jacob to finish his senior year at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary.

2. Continuing education in San Salvador: In May 2024, all missionaries traveled to San Salvador, El Savlador, where Pastoral Studies Institute (PSI) professors Allen Sorum and Skip Goetzinger led a workshop on Christian Counseling in the Mission Setting.

3. New admissions coordinator: Fabi GuamƔn from Ecuador has stepped in as the new Admissions Coordinator, replacing Jen Proeber, who has moved from Chile to teach at Arizona Lutheran Academy in Phoenix. We thank Jen for her outstanding work!

4. 1,000 new students enrolled: In the first eight months of 2024, 1,000 students enrolled in the Discipleship level of live courses after completing four self-study courses. Missionary Luke Beilke and the Student Services Team lead the charge in orienting and integrating new students. This quarter, 350 new students successfully finished their first Discipleship course.

5. Church planting classes launch: The second level of live classes, Discipleship Two, is being revamped as a Church Planting level to better prepare Confessional Lutheran church planters. Nine new courses are in development by the One Latin America Team in collaboration with Multi-Language Productions (MLP), with Missionary Nathan Schulte leading the project.

6. A diverse, team effort: We now have professors and support staff from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the United States, and Mexico working alongside missionaries to deliver Academia Cristoā€™s mission.

7. New Academia Cristo website: The Promotions & Productions team, with Multi-Language Productions (MLP), launched a new website for Academia Cristo, led by MLP Producer Jon Gross. The updated site better serves church planters and is easier to maintain. Check it out: academiacristo.com

8. New materials completed: The Promotions & Productions team completed all essential materials for church planters in the Academia Cristo program and is developing more resources to support church planting groups, including Bible history, doctrinal, and practical Bible studies.

9. Specialist plan for church planting course: A plan is in place for an existing missionary to specialize in providing one-on-one support to students taking the Discipleship capstone course on church planting. In this course, students are equipped to gather a group and teach them a course on sin, grace, faith, and works.

10. New church plant in Ecuador: Henry Isidro Chonillo (pictured left in the above photo), an Academia Cristo student, has planted three groups in the Guayaquil area of Ecuador. Missionary Nixon Vivar serves as his mission counselor.

11. Mission Counselor Residency Program: A new residency program will see Missionary Luis Acosta spend a month in Mexico, working closely with church planters on a weekly basis.

12. Iglesia Cristo WELS Internacional: Plans are set for Pastor Henry Herrera, president of Iglesia Cristo WELS Internacional, to visit church plants in Colombia, Mexico, and Argentina to discuss the process of becoming members of this international synod.

13. Diaspora Ministries: Team Leader Andrew Johnston is serving as the Diaspora Ministries Facilitator. Mr. Angel Otero, a WELS member from Deltona, Fla., and Academia Cristo graduate, has been hired to assist in this work.

Fast Facts

  • 1.7M average weekly social media reach (user looks at the material for over three seconds)
  • 23,693 total cumulative students enrolled in online self-study level
  • 3,619 students have finished the online self-study level of courses
  • 457 total cumulative students enrolled in the online self-study level in the U.S.
  • 1056 students have completed one Discipleship level live course
  • 104 students have completed the Discipleship level (13 live courses)
  • 40 students have completed the Church Planting level of coursesĀ  (Eight live courses)
  • 35 active church plants





CAMM August 2024 Newsletter

The Lutheran Mission Rural Health Centre-Mwembezhi has a come a long way since it began in 1961, and I can indeed say this far that the Lord has brought us. The Clinic that started as a drug dispensary is today one of the Zambia missionā€™s success stories, not by human efforts but, by God alone. One of the many positive changes that has happened over the years has been the extent to which the government has recognized the Lutheran Church in Zambia through the clinic.

The recognition of the health centre is attributed to the members of staff who have put in their best effort in the delivery of the health care in the Shibuyunji District. The big motivation comes from serving Christ our Savior. The Central Africa Medical Mission, through its leadership (CAMM) and its supporters, provides the means that enable success such as salaries, medications, maintenance and everything that requires monetary help for the facility. In the past five years, the clinic has seen a face lift in many areas of the centre and uplifted the status of Lumano village. The clinic leadership appreciates the Field Directorā€™s regular visits. The article cannot be complete without mentioning our supporters who have generously given the finances, material help and for some, even coming to visit the clinic. Every donation, in all forms is appreciated, even baby blankets, hats and clothes which are given to newborns and act as a motivation for expecting mothers to come and deliver at the facility.

As the clinic nears the end of the financial year, we can say yes, this far the Lord has brought us, but one thing is so loud to my ears and that is to stay faithful, as the clinic is founded on Christ-centered love and compassion. It is very important to remember that God has sustained the clinic. He has sent people to the centre for numerous reasons, for all it is to hear about the love of God, for many it is for healing and health maintenance, and for our staff who gain expertise and experience through the variety of patients they see.

Today, the clinic has twenty-six members of staff, sixteen are on the CAMM payroll and the rest from government and non-government organizations. A lot of them are young people and sometimes this age group comes with its own pressures. These are part of our Christian battles, but the call is to remain faithful to our God despite the situations that may come our way. This far, indeed the Lord has brought us. The clinic is a reliable source of healthcare and sometimes this can cause us (the members of staff including management) to forget that God has created the facility for His own purpose and that is to demonstrate Godā€™s love to humanity. This love must first be seen in the members of staff before it can be demonstrated to others. Indeed it is particularly important to remember that the clinic is not only a source of medical expertise and medications, but is primarily a place where Christ is the centre of all our activities.

In conclusion, the Lutheran Mission Rural Health Centre in Mwembezhi is a family, and by the grace of God, we continue planning as a family for the future and pray for each other. It is important to pray for our leadership at CAMM, well-wishers, and members of staff at the clinic.

Written by Alisad Banda, CAMM Clinic Administrator





God’s hand in Indonesia

ā€œI know the plans I have for you.ā€ Jeremiah 29:11. These words of the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah are a familiar theme at many Christian graduation ceremonies. Written originally to Godā€™s Old Testament people who were facing an uncertain future in exile from the promised land, this verse reminds believers today too that our God, the Lord Almighty, is still in control. No matter what today or tomorrow may bring, we too have a hope and a future because of Christ Jesus. The details of how we will get there, however, are known only to God.

Counting on Godā€™s promises to be with them, the faculty and staff of Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Lutheran (STTL), the seminary of our sister churchĀ in Indonesia, worked hard this last year toward the goal of official accreditation for their school. Accreditation would mean that the certificate the school offers after four years of classroom training would be nationally recognized. Graduates could then use that certificate to apply for part-time employment as religion instructors in government schools. And since children in Indonesia have the right to have religion class according to their own faith, there is often a need for Christian teachers. This would be ideal for many pastors who will need to have ā€œtent-makingā€ ministries.

After much work, and by Godā€™s grace, STTL was fully accredited earlier this year! This led to a momentous occasion this August, where the first of these government-recognized certificates could be awarded to 18 students who had recently completed the four-year course of study either this year or last. Besides family and friends, other guests and visitors included local government officials and representatives from other area institutions, as well as myself, happily representing Asia Lutheran Seminary and the WELS Asia One Team to congratulate our brothers in Christ for their hard work. The event gave much visibility to this young seminary, and the faculty and staff have much to be proud of and thankful for.

STTLā€™s pastoral training program includes two to three years of practical experience as vicars following the years in the classroom. So these 18 men were not yet ordained as pastors, but some of them received their first assignments as vicars in that same service. Others were reassigned to meet ministry needs in their church body. How will the Lord use these young men as his ministers in the coming years? What challenges will they face as they proclaim the gospel of Christ in a country that is officially secular but with a strong Muslim majority? Will the STTLā€™s plan of accreditation prove to be the boon that they think it will be? Will they be able to meet the need for pastors as the gospel spreads across the country?

The theme verse of the graduation service was Jeremiah 29:11. ā€œI know the plans I have for you,ā€ God says. The details of his plan are his own. But all of them are based on the work of Christ, the Savior of the nations. Please join me in praying for these young men, the churches they serve, and the work of the gospel in Indonesia.

Written by Rev. Guy Marquardt, world missionary for the Asia One Team.Ā 

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Heaven is the goal!

Marcelo grew up in Argentina but spent his entire adult life in his fatherā€™s home country of Costa Rica. An astute businessman, he worked in the insurance industry. In September 2020, he connected with Academia Cristoā€™s online classes. By September 2022, Marcelo had completed the first level of classes, and I began connecting with him one-on-one. Through these classes, Marcelo became a committed Lutheran. He also felt it was important to share what he had learned with others, so he started our second level of classes to train as a group planter.

L to R: Rev. Nathan Schulte, Alyssa Schulte, Flor, and Marcelo

I would visit Marcelo in Costa Rica and observe him leading his group. He was a confident leader, patient, and skilled at guiding discussions. Although Marcelo was a mature believer, leading his own Bible study group pushed him to grow even more. This past January, he called me to study the biblical support for why we can forgive someone elseā€™s sins. His group had asked about it, and he wanted to learn more Bible passages for the conversation. We scheduled a Zoom meeting and started going through a few stories and Bible verses that show we have the privilege of announcing Godā€™s forgiveness to people. One of the passages was from 2 Corinthians. ā€œWe are therefore Christā€™s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christā€™s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:20-21). When we read this passage, Marcelo teared up. ā€œWow,ā€ he said, ā€œwe really can give this gift to others. Thatā€™s so special.ā€

Over the past two years, Marcelo was not only working on group planting , but he was also suffering from bone cancer. The cancer was painful, and soon he couldnā€™t work as much or meet with his Bible study group as often. Then, July 2, 2024, the Lord took Marcelo home. I miss Marceloā€™s phone calls, his eagerness to learn more, and his correction of my Spanish when I made mistakes.

However, I am thankful to know that he is in heaven now. His passing is a powerful reminder of our purpose as missionaries. We want to bring people along to heaven with us. Heaven is the goal! Thank the Lord for the gospel.

Written by Rev. Nathan Schulte, world missionary on the Latin America mission team in Quito, Ecuador.

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CAMM July 2024 Newsletter

June was a sorrowful month in Malawi, as the country mourns the demise of its vice president, the Late Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima. The vice president along with eight other high-profile delegates, including the former first lady Shanil Muluzi, were killed in an aircraft crash in the Chikangawa forest while on their way to the burial ceremony of the Late Ralph Kasambala, the former Attorney General. According to reports, the late vice president’s jet flew off the radar shortly after takeoff and crashed in the Chikangawa forest due to bad weather. The Chikangawa Forest is in Malawi’s northern region and is about a 40-minute flight from Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe, the country’s capital.

We also mourn the demise of the Late Lucious Banda who was the country’s presidential advisor on youth and art. He was a legendary musician who started his career in the early 1990s and released 20 albums to date. He was dubbed ‘soldier’ due to his music genre, which advocates for the betterment of the poor and fights for their rights. In these terrifying storms, we rest our hope, peace, and comfort in Christ. Matthew 11:28-30 – “Come to me, all who labor and are heavily laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

On the same sad note, as reported in our May newsletter, the Lutheran Mobile Clinic supports children with disability to access physiotherapy treatments at Children of Blessings. Unfortunately we have lost one child, Tamara, who died following continuous convulsions and was also found with low blood sugar. She was admitted to Kamuzu Central Hospital and passed away a few days later. The remaining four kids who are still under Lutheran Mobile Clinic transport fund to get physiotherapy are progressing well with their sessions. We thank God!

As temperatures drop in Malawi and concerns rise relating to the impact of cold weather on communities, we have had our physicians educate our patients and guardians about pneumonia, cough, and colds throughout this cold season. The unprecedented surge in patient numbers strains resources but demonstrates the critical need for healthcare services in most areas. The last week of June, I had the opportunity to chat with some patients mostly to know why they would rather spend more on transport to come to our clinic when they can use the same funds to access private or government hospitals close to where they reside. One patient said, “In addition to the availability of medications at Lutheran Mobile Clinic, the staff treats the patient with respect and empathy, unlike the public or private hospital”. The other patient stated, “The physicians do not listen to all the concerns of patients but instead immediately send them to the pharmacy to get the medications or refer them to buy, whereas Lutheran Mobile Clinic physicians take their time with patient consultations”. Another patient stated that “when tested with malaria rapid diagnostic test, before the blood clots, the nurse/lab assistant at Lutheran Mobile Clinic provides cotton swabs to patients whilst at the public hospitals, sometimes they are advised to rub the blood in their hair and the blood will clot quickly which to a patient comes off as rude nurses”. These are some of the reasons why people prefer our healthcare provision to other hospitals/clinics on top of almost the free service provision and availability of medications.

Despite the rough roads that hurt the backs of our staff members from consistently driving in bad conditions, the Lutheran Mobile Clinic has been tirelessly serving the communities, providing critical medical assistance to those in need. I would like to applaud my team for always showing up for the clinic to serve the communities in need.

On behalf of the Lutheran Mobile Clinic staff team and the communities we serve, I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for your generous donation towards the purchase of our new ambulance. Your support and generosity have made a significant impact on our ability to provide critical emergency services to our community. The 2023 Toyota Landcruiser/Ambulance is admired by many as a new model but also its great off-road performance. Despite the bumpy roads, this new ambulance has great shock absorbers that make the effect of the bumpy roads less noticeable. Thank you once again for your generosity and commitment to the Lutheran Mobile Clinic’s cause. We are deeply appreciative of your support and donations; it makes our work possible and easy to manage. May God bless you all and give you good health. 1 Thessalonians 1:2, “We give thanks always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers”. Amen!

Written by Lusungu Mwambeye, Clinic Administrator for the Lutheran Mobile Clinic in Malawi

 





Go TELL it…

The hymn refrain harmonizes it best : “Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills, and EVERYWHERE!” This tremendous task from the Lord of the highest heights and the deepest depths is the privilege of every rescued soul, including yours and mine.

ā€œEverywhereā€ is one of those words that we know what it means but true comprehension eludes us ā€“ like the word “eternal”. We can define it ā€“ but do we truly grasp it? To be everywhere is to be with every zipping tuk tuk through every African town, with the lone woman in Nepal picking in the rice fields, child at her side; with the soldier standing guard on the frontlines of sinā€™s most devastating symptoms in our world; and with the grandmother in Jamaica prepping kids for school and heading to a dayā€™s work ā€“ at the same time. Johnny Cash once crooned, ā€œIā€™ve been everywhere, man,ā€ but that is entirely different than being everywhere, man.

Rev. Jim Douglas teaching a live course

We sing ā€œGo tell it . . . everywhere.” And, while it is impossible for us as humans to be everywhere at the same time, sometimes a lot of ā€œeverywhereā€ comes to us. Iā€™ve had the privilege of seeing this as a teacher in the TELL Network. TELL is an online learning program that teaches the simple truths from Godā€™s Word to people all over the world (everywhere) so that they can share the good news with others. In military parlance, TELL is a force multiplier for our global commission as believers to ā€œGo tell itā€¦everywhereā€! We tell students from around the globe and those students tell their neighbors, friends, family and even total strangers the good news. Iā€™ve never zipped along an African street in a tuk tuk, havenā€™t stood on any front lines, never picked a grain of rice and havenā€™t set foot in Jamaica (sadly). But I have had the privilege of sharing Godā€™s Word with people from almost all those places (and a few more) as a teacher in the TELL Network.

TELL gets its name from the method that teachers use to teach Bible truths to students. When we study a text we Think Evaluate Learn Lead with the text. The goal is to prepare students to seek situations where they can share the truths from the lesson with others. Yes, the truth is that we can share these truths with everyone and everywhere but each text can be especially beneficial to share with certain individuals in certain situations.

I have to say that the students are not the only ones learning. It sounds clichĆ© but as a teacher I find I do a lot of learning when the Lord graciously brings everywhere to me. Iā€™ve preached and taught about the three men in the fiery furnace, but nothing prepared me to teach that lesson and find out that one man sitting in the late-night quiet of his sewing shop in a predominantly Muslim country in South Asia was the death penalty simply for attending our class and confessing his faith that Jesus was the true God and Savior of humanity.

Then thereā€™s a man who tells us that he had visited a school to share the good news about Jesus. Some students sat and listened while others found an opening in the building above the man and began pouring hot water on him. Itā€™s good that we are able to connect them with the One who is indeed everywhere!

But even more than the stories are the questions – questions that display burning hearts that desire to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ so that they can go . . . go tell it on the mountain, over the hills, and everywhere.

Please continue to keep the students of the TELL Network, the administrator and staff, the teachers and their work in your prayers as we together with you “go tell it on the mountain, over the hills, and everywhere.”

Written by Rev. Jim Douglas, TELL Network teacher based in Monroe, N.C.Ā 

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Summer Quarter in Europe

Pastors and members of our European sister churches treasure their rare opportunities for in-person fellowship. Summer Quarters are a special chance for the brothers to gather and study, discuss, listen, encourage, and inspire. I was able to sit down with Benjamin for a little Q&A. Benjamin described this yearā€™s Summer Quarter and how a past Summer Quarter changed his life.

Benjamin: Immediately after the 95th Evangelical Lutheran Free Church (ELFK) Synod Convention, I was able to travel with some brothers to ā€˜Summer Quarterā€™ in Nerchau. These are theological courses that are organized for pastors and students from our European sister churches of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC) for training and further education and for interested people of all backgrounds. From June 10-21, 2024, up to 10 guests from Albania, Bulgaria, Sweden, and various parts of Germany came together.

The lectures were held in English. In the first week, WELS Missionary Luke Wolfgramm introduced us to the prophet Ezekiel and his message of hope in a world gone mad. We looked at his historical background, his ā€˜street performances,ā€™ his visions, and God’s amazing messages of judgment and forgiveness.

In the second week, Rector Holger WeiƟ took us on the three missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul. With Paul, we took a special look at his sermons, his difficulties, and persecutions in his missionary work. In doing so, we repeatedly discovered how skillfully Jesus builds the church through his powerful word and brings his salvation to the ends of the earth. We were able to draw parallels from both weeks for our service as ambassadors of God and our lives as Christians in our present day.

On the weekend between classes, we attended the 100th anniversary celebration of the Schƶnfeld congregation, visited the Reformation city of Torgau, and just spent time together. We were treated to the best of food with the help of hard-working women from the Leipzig congregation. Praise be given to the hosts, suppliers, and our triune God for this blessed time.

Jennifer: Most of our readers have heard of Wittenberg and Wartburg, but maybe not Torgau. Whatā€™s special about Torgau?

Benjamin: Torgau is only about an hour from Wittenberg. Martin Luther and other reformers met there to write the Torgau Articles, which were an important stepping stone to the Augsburg Confession. Also, the chapel of the Torgau castle is significant because it was designed according to Martin Lutherā€™s recommendations. I personally love Torgau because I spent two years working there before I began studying at the seminary.

Jennifer: What was your first profession, and how did you decide to study for ministry?

Benjamin: Ha, Jennifer, it was at a Summer Quarter that it happened, and it was Luke (Missionary Wolfgramm) who was the turning point!

Jennifer: What? My Luke? At a Summer Quarter? I didnā€™t know that!

Benjamin: I studied to be a chemist for work in a drug store. But I didnā€™t want to work in a drug store for the rest of my life. Occasionally I thought about studying theology, but I just kept it in the back of my head as one of many possibilities.

My pastor in Dresden had suggested a few times that I go to Summer Quarter. In 2019 my vacation time lined up with the Summer Quarter, which was in Sweden. I have lots of friends in that area, so I thought I could combine some Bible study with visiting friends. And it was at that 2019 Summer Quarter that the turning point for me happened.

Luke and I got to know each other at Summer Quarter that year. There he said to me, ā€˜Benni, I think youā€™d be a good fit for seminary. Maybe you should think about studying to be a pastor.ā€™

So I started thinking seriously about being a pastor. After that Summer Quarter, back home in Germany, various troubles were concerning me. I called up a friend who is an ELFK pastor, and he gave me good answers from the Bible about these everyday questions. I thought, if the Bible can give answers to all these questions even about everyday life, I want to share this with others too. Shortly after this, I started studying at our ELFK seminary in Leipzig.

Soon Benni is off for his next ministry adventure: in August he heads to Mequon, Wis., for a year of study at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. Please keep Benni in your prayers as he continues his studies and pray that many more brothers are blessed through Summer Quarter in the future!

Shared by Jennifer Wolfgramm, world missionary wife based in Leipzig, Germany

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Latin America Mission – Spring 2024 Quarterly Update

During the last quarter, Latin America missionaries engaged in several projects beyond their usual teaching duties and visits to church planters (sembradores) and the groups they are leading (Grupos Sembrador).

Plans were set in motion for mission counselor (consejero) residencies, a program designed for missionaries to work in-person with church planters over an extended period. The ā€œguĆ­a de metasā€, a resource that facilitates goal-setting sessions between mission counselors and church planters, underwent an update to align with the five habits of a church planting group. Concerted efforts were made to provide extra support to students taking the Discipleship One capstone course, including the introduction of a capstone course specialist role. Calls were extended to new church planters and Academia Cristo professors. A system was established to announce all acceptances via video to the student body. A pilot program was launched to provide weekly sermons to church planters. A proposed revision to the Discipleship Two curriculum has been drafted and is set for development. The team experimented with strategies to offer support and encouragement to non-group gatherers who do not have churches nearby.

Most importantly, Godā€™s Word was taught to thousands of students, students received training in church planting, and two new church plants were formed. Below, find a summary of key statistics and a snapshot of specific blessings from the quarter.

A Few Quick Stats:

  • 2.2M average weekly social media reach (user looks at the material for over three seconds)
  • 16,369 students are enrolled in self-study courses
  • 3,259 students have finished the four self-study courses
  • 232 students are enrolled in self-study courses in the U.S.
  • 911 students have completed one live course in Discipleship One with an Academia Cristo professor
  • 104 students have completed Discipleship One (13 live courses)
  • 39 students have completed Discipleship Two (8 live courses)
  • 34 church plants (Grupos Sembrador)

A snapshot of blessings during the past quarter:

1. New student orientation
Missionary Luke Beilke, in his role as Dean of Students, implemented a new student orientation program. All new students participate in a welcome session where they learn more about Academia Cristo. For their first course, they are enrolled in a course with other new students. This allows the instructor to ensure they have a positive experience. At the end of their first course, the students participate in a wrap up session which is intended to ensure clarity on how to continue their studies. Jenny Proeber, the Academia Cristo Admissions Coordinator, helps welcome the new students. She also helps coordinate and carry out these sessions. In the past quarter, three courses had over 60 finishers.

2. Teach n’ Go

New software called Teach nā€™ Go has been implemented to manage student records. It allows missionaries to track student progress, determine what courses a student has taken and needs to take, and has features to track which students are interested in doctrinal agreement and starting a group/planting a church. Lucho Herrera took the lead in setting up this software. He also helped all missionaries become trained in how to use it in instructional and multiplication work.

3. All-team, mid-quarter meetings

Last quarter, the Latin America mission team started having all-team, mid-quarter meetings. With expanded team size and multiple functions, several missionaries donā€™t interact with each other in a weekly L10 meeting. These all-team, mid-quarter meetings provide an opportunity for all missionaries to interact, share updates, review rocks, and discuss cross-functional issues.

4. 50th anniversary in Medellin, Colombia

The church in MedellĆ­n, Colombia, celebrated 50 years of worship services on Sunday, February 25. Retired Latin America Missionary Larry W. Schlomer and Latin America Missionaries Andrew Johnston and Matt Behmer attended the celebration, shared greetings, and participated in a question-and-answer session with the congregation. There was a worship service with record attendance, a meal, and fellowship time. There were also visitors from other congregations in Colombia.





An update from the Ukrainian Lutheran Church

God has not forgotten or forsaken his faithful in Ukraine in the midst of war. The work of the pastors of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church (ULC) is an inspiration to many. There are many new opportunities to pray with people, read portions of Scripture, have devotions, and even hold services in new mission stations. Since the beginning of the war, four new missions have begun. The Word of God comforts people in times of sadness and despair, and this is evidenced in large measure to the pastors and those lay people who have remained in their homes.

With support from WELS and WELS sister churches around the world, Ukrainian Lutheran Church (ULC) pastors have been able to buy and distribute needed food, medicines, fuel, and clothing to help those desperate for these daily needs. Many times these are distributed after a worship service. This way the people receive spiritual food as well as physical provisions. Bishop Horpynchuk, who serves Resurrection Lutheran Church in Kiev, said, ā€œWe thank the Lord for our brothers and sisters in WELS, and sister church bodies, for your aid that helps so many people to survive physically. Thousands of the needy around all of Ukraine have received and continue to receive food, clothes, and basic medicine. But you rescue not only bodies. All these people hear also the Word, the law and the gospel. And the Word does its work! Hundreds of people became communicant members of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church and attend the worship services faithfully.ā€

Resurrection Lutheran in Kiev has had many visitors and has now gone to two Sunday morning worship services, averaging nearly 150 worshipers each Sunday. On Pentecost Sunday in 2023, more than 70 people were confirmed in the Christian faith and now commune with their fellow members. Of those 70, nearly all of them continue to worship regularly each week.

Another example of how God can use even the worst of times to bring about wonderful blessings is told by Pastor Yuri Tytski who serves in Bereznehuvate. Due to the Russian invasion, Pastor Tytski relocated with his family to the city of Kremenets, about 500 miles away. While helping distribute aid in Kremenets, Pastor Tytski met two families who were from Snihurivka, a town very close to Bereznehuvate. He met with them, prayed with them, and began having devotions with them. After some time, when it was safe to return, Pastor Tytski went home to Bereznehuvate and the two families to their homes in Snihurivka. Pastor Tytski then continued to meet with them and have Bible studies; some of their neighbors even came. A few months ago, 30 of these people were instructed and are now members of a mission church where services are held once a month. How can one not see the hand of God at work? God caused these people to travel 500 miles where a pastor was led to them, and now they are redeemed children of God, through the blood of Jesus their Savior. Itā€™s safe to say that the war brought them together. We donā€™t always know how or why God allows the things that he does, but we rejoice in how God continues to grow his church here on earth during what we would consider the worst of times.

All the ULC Pastors are providing an invaluable service to the people of Ukraine by comforting those who they meet with Godā€™s Word and prayer. It reminds us that the kingdom often grows one person at a time. There continue to be so many people who are hurting; those who have lost loved ones, are not certain where their loved ones are, or if they are even alive. Prayers offered by pastors bring these hurting and grieving people true comfort and hope. It also reminds them that there are people who care about them, that they are not alone. Bishop summarized the attitude of the pastors and people of the ULC this way, ā€œThe war brought so much suffering, ruin, and death into our country; yet they cannot separate us from Christā€™s love and life eternal he has won for us by his holy suffering, death, and resurrection. He lives and we live in him.ā€

Thank you for your love and concern for the people of Ukraine, the pastors, and Bishop Horpynchuk, their spiritual leader and guide. Your prayers are being heard and God has been protecting his people. May God, in his mercy, bring this war to an end soon.

Written by Rev. Roger Neumann, WELS Liaison to the Ukrainian Lutheran Church





Native Strength Network

If you previously have not heard of Native Strength Network (NSN), well, itā€™s because it never was.

Now it is. Itā€™s a newborn nonprofit organization. The Native Christians Network is seeing an opportunity to reach Native American tribes across the country with the gospel and provide other help.

But isn’t our synod doing that already? Doesnā€™t the WELS Native American Mission already have a long history of bringing the good news of Jesus ā€“ and other help ā€“ to tribal lands?

Good question. Answer: Indeed, so. Currently, there are nine congregations, two elementary schools, and an Apache Christian Training School on two reservations, Fort Apache and San Carlos. There are worship services, Sunday Schools, youth groups, ladiesā€™ groups, menā€™s groups, Bible studies, and sermon studies already going on. Builders for Christ, Kingdom Workers, Lutheran Womenā€™s Mission Society, and so many others have contributed manpower, prayer support, and financial help in various ways at various times.

Then why are we partnering with the Native Strength Network?

Missionary Daniel Rautenberg explains:

ā€œOftentimes when weā€™re going through a difficult time someone will tell us, ‘Be strong.’ Thatā€™s not always comforting. The truth is we donā€™t have enough strength on our own. But God does. He is our strength. And when we connect to him and connect with each other in a network we are stronger together.ā€

Ah, yesā€¦connection. God connects with us through Word and sacrament. At that very same time ā€“ through those very same means ā€“ we connect with one another. Native Strength Network aspires to see more connections made as Native community members emerge as leaders, service providers, and helpers. Stronger together.

Through a generous grant, the vision of a nonprofit became a reality. In 2023, the Native Strength Network was able to hire an executive director, Andrea Semmann. With her enthusiasm, experience, and especially her love for the Lord driving her, she hit the ground running; sheā€™s been plowing the sticky ground of red tape to meet government requirements and obtain such things as an Employment Identification Number (EIN), a National Provider Identifier Standard (NPI), the Articles of Incorporation, a 501(c)3 tax exempt status, and a community service agency (CSA) status.

Whew.

But thatā€™s not all. The logo that they use? The name that it is? The board of directors? The website? All these things didnā€™t simply come into existence with a brief four-word command like, ā€œLet there be light.ā€ (Oh, that it could be that easy!) It has taken lots of work, teamwork, to brainstorm and ā€œcreateā€ Native Strength Network for what it is. And for what it will become.

And what is that?

Native Strength Network exists to serve Native American communities across the country in a holistic, peer-led approach to wellness, meeting an individualā€™s identified needs with love and compassion.

Andrea adds these thoughts:

ā€œEvery community has its own strengths that can be used to help and support fellow community members. The communities that Native Strength Network intends to serve are no different. With training and support, members of these communities can bring needed care in the areas of mental health, substance use, and overall wellness and resilience. Trained peers and mentors from the community offer support and help navigating the healthcare system to ensure that proper care is received for those struggling with a mental health or substance use disorder. By seeing every individual as a physical, emotional, and spiritual being, Native Strength Network will care for the whole person. This whole person approach is one that creates lasting change throughout a community that is caring for one another. I would love to talk to more community members about opportunities.ā€

What fuels her passion for Native Strength Network? Jesusā€™ words in John 13:34-35:

ā€œA new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.ā€

Ah, yes. Love. Easy to talk about it. Not always easy to show. Especially when it comes to challenging and complicated life situations. So itā€™s important to keep in mind Martin Lutherā€™s insightful comment:

God doesnā€™t need your good worksā€¦but your neighbor does.

What good works might our Native American brothers and sisters in Christ appreciate? Maybe these following statistics and information give us a hint as to what needs are there and how we, together, can reach out to love one another . . .

Native communities in the U.S. face challenges:

ā€¢ 300% higher drug addiction rate than the national average.
ā€¢ Suicide rate over 3.5 times higher, especially in youth aged 10-24.
ā€¢ 2.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than white adults.
ā€¢ The unemployment rate frequently exceeds 70%.
ā€¢ Numerous Native communities are situated in Health Provider Shortage Areas (HPSAs).
ā€¢ Most Native Americans do have access to healthcare but may need assistance to navigate benefits.

Wow. Where does one even begin?

Hmmmā€¦ How about on oneā€™s knees in prayer for Native Strength Network?

Written by Rev. John Holtz, world missionary on the Native American Mission.Ā 

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