Seeking and strengthening synods in Uganda

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What do you get when you add together three Ugandan synods, two missionaries from the One Africa Team, and one representative from our WELS Commission on Inter-Church Relations (CICR)? A spiritually uplifting and productive cross-country journey!

At the beginning of April, Missionaries Foxen and Mohlke traveled to Uganda, rented a car, and struck out on unfamiliar roads to meet with representatives of two church bodies, or synods, who were seeking a relationship with WELS.

A synod in western Uganda

The first of these was the Confessional Lutheran Synod of Uganda (CLSU), headquartered in Ibanda in the hilly regions of western Uganda. The area was extremely pastoral, with beautifully green pasturelands and lots of cows. The leaders of the CLSU proved to be equally pastoralā€”very attentive to the spiritual needs of their people and eager to meet those needs to the best of their ability.

We visited a number of the local congregations and also got to see the site of their functioning seminaryā€”a simple two rooms that housed a small library and a number of crowded bunks for students. A nearby church hall serves as their classroom.

The CLSU serves about 3,000 members with the gospel. Their seminary program has 7 students who will be graduating this December, with another 12 students ready to join the next intake.

A synod in central Uganda

After our time in Ibanda, we set out on the road again and headed east for eight hours to arrive in Jinja in central Uganda, on the north banks of Lake Victoria, one of the sources for the Nile River. Here, we met with representatives from another synod, the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Uganda (ECACU). Though smaller than the CLSU (it serves about 950 members), we found them to be no less eager to share the truth of Godā€™s Word with others in their communities.

A large focus of their strategy for reaching out is schools, which they organize in communities that lack them. They then organize congregations out of the people making use of the schools. Their largest school serves about 300 children.

Our visits with the leaders of both ECACU and CLSU were very encouraging when it came to discussing our respective beliefs about Scripture and their focus on gospel ministry. We are looking forward to continuing discussions to see if fellowship with these synods will be possible.

The Obadiah Lutheran Synod

After our time was done with ECACU, we drove back to the airport, where I dropped off Missionary Mohlke and picked up MLC Professor Nicholas Schmoller, who also serves on the WELS CICR. The two of us then drove farther east, past Jinja to Bugiri, where our brothers in the Obadiah Lutheran Synod (OLS) are located.

We were meeting with them to help them organize a written confession of faith, which would be used as they apply for membership in the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC), the worldwide fellowship of churches of which WELS is a part. We spent three days with Pastor Musa and other leaders of the OLS, studying Scripture and putting on paper articles of faith especially important to them for their churches, communities, and context. The Lord blessed our work and allowed us to accomplish everything in the time we had available.

So, after 16 days on the road and about 1,300 kilometers driven, what did we have to show for it? New friendships established, old friendships reaffirmed, and more opportunities to marvel at the grace of our Lord Jesus, who makes us his coworkers in the ministry of his gospel! May he continue to bless our work with these three Ugandan synods!

Written by Ben Foxen, missionary on the One Africa Team




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Two Pastoral Studies Institute students graduate

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Mark Jiang and David Shang have graduated from the Pastoral Studies Institute (PSI) and will be continuing their current Chinese outreach in North America.

Mark Jiang serves Apostles in San Jose, Calif., as outreach pastor to the Chinese community. A growing Chinese fellowship and Bible study already meets every Sunday afternoon. In addition, Mark will continue teaching international high school students at Apostles Lutheran High School, offering classes like Bible Information Class and Intro to Christianity. David Shang will continue serving in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where he is helping grow a local Chinese ministry supported by Hope Lutheran Church and another active PSI student. Additional details regarding his ministry are still in the works. Both of these efforts are currently supported by the Joint Mission Committee.

The Pastoral Studies Institute provides pre-seminary and seminary training to students from a variety of countries and cultures. As WELS congregations reach out to immigrants with the gospel, the PSI team equips future spiritual leadersā€”often right where they live and serve. In many cases, this training leads to international gospel connections as well.

Please keep Mark and David in your prayers continue to share the gospel and serve their communities. We thank God for raising up leaders through the PSI to bring Christā€™s love to the nations!

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Still building on an age-old tradition

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For more than 100 years, WELS congregations have been operating Christian elementary and secondary schools. Many WELS members grew up learning Bible history and the teachings of Martin Lutherā€™s Small Catechism right along with reading, writing, and arithmetic as well as social studies and science. In the 21st century, more than 400 WELS congregations operate early childhood educational centers to foster our childrenā€™s relationship with their Savior.

While understanding the world around us is important, the understanding of eternal life supersedes it all. We understand that life-learning starts early, and the earlier the better. The age of 2 or 3 is not too soon to introduce our children to the teaching of salvation.

The One Africa Team is working with a group of Christians in Buchanan, Liberia, that understands the importance of educating children in the truths of Scripture. Lamb of God Lutheran Church is hoping to start with ABC Kindergarten. Their hope is that the kindergarten will quickly grow into a primary school and even a secondary school within just a few years. Pastor Toye Barnard, Lamb of Godā€™s leader, expresses confidence that the program will grow fast.

Pastor Barnard

Lamb of God Lutheran Church broke away from another group the One Africa Team had studied with for several years. That group had decided to hold to the Pentecostal teachings of its leaders, which included a refusal to baptize infants, among other misunderstandings. Pastor Barnard and his members endured many false accusations from that other group when Lamb of God agreed to hold to the truth of Scripture and to continue studying with the One Africa Team. A benevolent group of WELS Christians in California continues to support this budding ministry, which is focusing much attention on building a school as a foundation for their congregation.

Currently, 44 adults and 22 children worship at Lamb of God. The congregation owns three quarters of an acre on which to build a small school near the edge of town. Pastor Barnard, together with several members who are also teachers, is confident they will be able to build a large school and even a church building. They will need more land and more funds to actualize the plan. They will also need the Lord of the Church to put his hand of blessing on this effort, so that his church may grow in Liberia. Your prayers and support are hugely appreciated!

Written by Rev. Dan Kroll, world missionary on the One Africa Team




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Moments with Missionaries – Erik Landwehr

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Missionary Erik Landwehr shares and update from Peridot Lutheran School on the San Carlos Reservation. Rev. Landwehr shares some goals the Native American mission team has for the mission field and the work being done to train Native American leaders through the Apache Christian Training School (ACTS) program. Hear more from Missionary Landwehr and save the date for this year’s Taste of Missions on June 14, 2025, at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, Wis.

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

CAMM May 2025 Newsletter

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Last December the clinic lost one of our members of staff, a nurse/midwife by the name of Mayase Banda. Mrs. Banda had worked at the clinic for 13 years. On Sundays, she would attend Martin Luther Church, which is on the grounds of the clinic. Pastor Titus Mbele conducted her funeral service. Is there anything one can talk about that happens without God being involved? I am not sure of anything, but one thing is that God exists everywhere and, at the end of the day, there is nothing that happens for no reason. She was one of the senior nurses, and we appreciate her work and time spent at the clinic.

Working as a member of the administrative staff at the Lutheran Mission Rural Health Centre, I am grateful for Godā€™s grace. The facility has seen people come to the health center from as far as 15 kilometers to seek medical services, and we have heard people say, ā€œWe came this far because the medicines in this facility are prayed for and we trust that we shall find the help.ā€ Others still say because of the name of God they trust they will be healed.

Appreciating God is acknowledging that while we were lost in sin, God did everything according to his plan to save us from the powers of Satan and power of death and indeed purchased us with his blood. Jesus Christ suffered death for the whole world to be saved. It’s a gift worth appreciating. Maybe a question would be this: How do we show appreciation for what God has done in our lives? How do we as individuals, parents, children, families show this appreciation? When you are alone and look around at how far God has brought you, do you pause for a moment and appreciate him?

Appreciating God comes in many ways. I would rather raise a generation that will have fear for the Lord at all times. There are times when I see children who do not always live as God and their parents have taught them to live.

Finally, it would be a great thing if children would be encouraged to maintain the legacy of a Christian family, so that even when the parents are gone the faith will remain. As people, we discuss how well-mannered the children are, but sometimes I find it difficult to help families realize that they could do more to help their children to be faithful, truthful, honest.

I ask that you continue to pray for families and children and encourage them to grow strong in their faith.

Written by Alisad Banda, clinic administrator in Zambia




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Moments with Missionaries – Mike Hartman

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Missionary Mike Hartman shares and update from the mission in London! London’s international population brings together a diverse range of religious beliefs and cultural backgrounds. Rev. Mike Hartman shares how his ministry is reaching communities across England and beyond, and and save the date for this year’s Taste of Missions on June 14, 2025 at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary.

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

From learners to leaders: the global impact of TELL

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Welcome
“Hello, Arase. Hello, Ayorinde. Hi there, Effiong.”

“Welcome, Tawose! Glad you are here. Hi, Rwakilembe. Hello, Wangaya. Welcome.”

Learning to pronounce foreign names correctly is a small challengeā€”one of many faced in global ministry. But as I greet each student signing in for our third TELL Student Recognition Celebration, Iā€™m reminded of something greater: the diverse, determined students who are stepping up to lead others to Christ.

Maybe I could have welcomed them with “good morning,” but for many, it was already evening where they live. Maybe I should have said, ā€œHowdy,ā€ ā€œHiya,ā€ ā€œYo,ā€ or ā€œSup.ā€

Maybe not.

Itā€™s a small challenge to personally greet so many students. One hundred and fifty of them, to be exact!

But each student signing in represents a bigger challenge theyā€™ve embracedā€”the challenge of learning to lead. Thatā€™s why weā€™re here today: to recognize students who have completed more than eight TELL courses and are stepping forward as Christian leaders in their communities.

What does it mean to learn to lead?
It means becoming part of a movementā€”one that equips believers to share the gospel and plant churches worldwide.

TELL, a program of Multi-Language Productions, follows the TELL method: Think, Evaluate, Learn, and Lead others to Christ. The curriculum includes 20 online courses designed to equip students to share the gospel and start churches in their communities. In short, TELL is a church multiplication program. More than 1,500 students have enrolled in TELL so far. Of those, 149 have gone beyond the basics, dedicating themselves to deeper learning and leadership. Thatā€™s a reason for celebration!

These students join TELL classes online from their homes and offices in places like Africa, the United Kingdom, parts of Asia, India, and Trinidad. But TELLā€™s reach extends even furtherā€”into countries where WELS missionaries cannot safely go, like Pakistan and Nigeria.

Stories of impact
Binyameen, a TELL student from Pakistan, shares: ā€œTELL has given me knowledge to share with others. We go to villages and teach women and children. TELL has made me brave.ā€

TELL prepares students to gather and lead groups through a curriculum that begins with 13 Discipleship courses followed by seven Multiplication courses. Students committed to the program are assigned a TELL counselor who, in turn, is committed to themā€”encouraging them to gather groups and share the saving message of the gospel with people in their communities.

Effiong from Nigeria says: “I really appreciate the invaluable work TELL is doing for Nigerian students of the TELL Bible teaching method in Nigeria. Your commitment to raising Christian leaders in Nigeria through this program is commendable. The TELL USA initiative is truly empowering individuals like me to spread the Word of God effectively.ā€

WELS does not have on-the-ground missionaries in Nigeria. Thatā€™s where TELL provides essential training and support through our online curriculum, preparing Nigerian men to learn and spread the gospel on their own. Watch a short video featuring some of our accomplished Nigerian students here.

TELL students from around the world are sharing Godā€™s Word even in challenging places!

Kurapati, a TELL student from India, describes the social pressure as a Christian in his country: ā€œIt is not popular being a Christian in India. I profess my faith through witnessing, friendship evangelism, and through my deeds. We are carefully watched by Hindu extremists. But TELL changed my life in an effective way. It changed my understanding about Scriptures in a wonderful way. Thanks to all of you for giving me this opportunity.ā€

Overcoming challenges together
TELL does not come without its own challenges. Keeping up with the growing demand for teachers and instructors is toughā€”but what an incredible challenge to face! Every day, I feel blessed to be working with TELL students, sharing Godā€™s Word, to help them overcome their own challenges.

Emmanuel from the United Kingdom shares: ā€œTELL has increased my confidence, helping me achieve milestones and overcome earlier challenges. I now have greater self-assurance in my abilities.ā€

Congratulations
“Congratulations, Percy! Great job, Pierre! So proud of you, Ransford!”

As I recognize each student one by one, Iā€™m amazed at how God is working in ways I had never imagined. As these students go forward, carrying the torch of faith into their communities, we celebrate not just what they have achieved but the lives they will impact for Christ.

Written by Rev. Nate Seiltz, director of Multi-Language Productions




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New chairman for SALEM

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Originally appears in the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC) newsletter. Subscribe to future updates from the CELC at celc.info/signup.

In the 1960s, WELS missionaries were sent to Hong Kong to assist local Chinese Christians. In 1977, a Lutheran church body named SALEM (South Asian Lutheran Evangelical Mission) was established.

In 1997, Rev. Titus Tse (pictured left) from Hong Kong was called and installed as the first chairman of SALEM. By Godā€™s grace, under Rev. Tseā€™s leadership, the SALEM church body grew and matured into a stable, developing, and faithful community of believers.

After many years of faithful service, Rev. Tse has now entered a new chapter. Having ā€œretiredā€ from his pastoral ministry at the congregation in accordance with SALEMā€™s policies, he was immediately commissioned as a missionary to establish a Chinese Lutheran church under SALEMā€™s mission work in Auckland, New Zealand.

The mantle of leadership in Hong Kong has now been passed to another capable leader, for God always provides the right people at the right time. Rev. Alex Wong (pictured right) officially assumed the role of chairman of SALEM on January 1, 2025, with the installation ceremony taking place on March 2. He now steps into this new role with over a decade of pastoral experience and a shepherdā€™s heart.

When Rev. Tse assumed leadership in 1997, Hong Kong was undergoing historic transitions. Now, as Rev. Wong takes office, the city once again faces new challenges amid shifting times. Through these eras of change, God continues to expand his kingdom and raise up fitting leaders for each season. These pivotal moments create unique opportunities for his people, and we rejoice in his unfailing wisdom and grace.

Rev. Wongā€™s leadership is a gift to the church. By Godā€™s power, SALEM is poised to embrace this new chapter, strengthen believers, and seek the lost. We praise God for all he has accomplished through his people in Hong Kong and pray that he grants Rev. Wong and all church leaders strength and wisdom equal to their calling.

Written by Missionary Tony Barthels, WELS’ liaison to SALEM

 




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A partnership for the gospel

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When I was a girl, I remember learning about church fellowship. It was always something negative. ā€œDonā€™t commune with them,ā€ or ā€œI canā€™t worship with her.ā€ Now, on the Europe Team, I am blessed to see the positive, warm, happy side of church fellowship. And I see it every day! The Europe Team partners with about a dozen sister churchesā€”churches with whom we share fellowship. What does that actually mean? Does it mean that when I visit Berlin, or Tirana, or Stockholm, there is a worship service that I can gladly join? Yes, absolutely, and much, much more!

In Philippians 1:4,5, St. Paul gives thanks for believers with whom he shares a ā€œpartnership in the gospel.ā€ Fellowship means working together to proclaim Jesusā€™ good news. None of our churches is large, or has all the ideas, or has all the gifts. Fellowship means partnering to share experiences, ideas, resources, and gifts.

Meet Benni (Benjamin Hugk)ā€”a seminary student at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary from the Evangelical Lutheran Free Churchā€”Germany (ELFK), our sister church in Germany.

Let me give you a concrete example.

Meet Benni. Benjamin (Benni) Hugk is a seminary student from the Evangelical Lutheran Free Churchā€”Germany (ELFK), our sister church in Germany. For a while, Benni was the only student in the ELFK seminary. Benni loves people, so studying alone was not so easy. Benni applied to study for a year at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, Wis. He wanted to meet and study with many brothers as well as have the opportunity to get to know WELS better.

Benni arrived in Mequon in August 2024, eager to make the most of his year in the United States.

Benniā€™s love for people goes hand-in-hand with his special gift for evangelism. He finds it easy to talk with people and naturally directs their conversation to Christ. Benni set the goal for himself to develop his evangelism skills even more at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. Here are a few examples:

  • Heā€™s taking as many evangelism courses as possible. For one course, he and a partner set up a donut stand at Marquette University in Milwaukee. The price of a donut? Asking Benni a spiritual question and discussing it.
  • During Winterim, he joined Prof. Allen Sorum on an evangelism trip to Houston for canvassing and a food drive. There he learned to ā€œbe comfortable with the uncomfortable.ā€
  • At Wisconsin Lutheran Seminaryā€™s Mission and Ministry event in February, he listened to presentations about encouraging and motivating others in our congregations to do personal evangelism. He loved the mission mindset throughout the event: ā€œI want to keep that mindset and bring it home to Germany.ā€

Benni appreciates that Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary holds the students to high standards but also provides great support. ā€œThe professors are real people who care about the students and understand struggles. They provide support and encouragement so that no one falls through the cracks.ā€

When I spoke with Benni, he had just returned from a ten-day tour singing with the Seminary Chorus at churches in Wisconsin, Nebraska, Colorado, South Dakota, and Minnesota. The first concert of the tour at St. Johnā€™s on the Hillside in Milwaukee drew more than 1,100 listeners! Almost every night, the choir stayed with host families. ā€œI got to know very different families and how they live, their view on church and things in the world. Itā€™s nice to have this point of view.ā€

So far Benniā€™s favorite experience has been spending Christmas vacation with a host family in Connecticut. ā€œStaying with a family 24/7 gives you a chance to get beyond the usual questions and have a chance to open up.ā€

Throughout the tour Benni saw that WELS is a ā€œlarge and strong synod across the ocean who recognizes and supports us. We share the same faith with them.ā€ Being part of a large fellowship is very encouraging, and itā€™s even more amazing when you are blessed to see this large fellowship with your own eyes!

But Benni isnā€™t the only one who has been blessed by the year at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. Prof. Sorum says, ā€œBenni has been a wonderful addition to our seminary family. He brings an important perspective to our classroom discussions. He brings a special charm to every interaction with his American cohorts. Benni’s visit has expanded our grasp and appreciation of an international Lutheran fellowship.ā€

ā€œIn all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.ā€ When you think of fellowship, remember Benniā€”the German seminary student with a heart for peopleā€”having conversations about Christ from Leipzig to Mequon to Connecticut to Houston to Denver.

Written by Jennifer Wolfgramm, wife of a world missionary on the Europe mission team




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CAMM April 2025 Newsletter

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Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are in the season of Lent, where we reflect on the suffering and death of our Lord. Isaiah 53:4,5 says, “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.ā€ This passage reminds us that the punishment and suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ brought us everlasting life and forgiveness of our sins.

This monthā€™s newsletter tells the story of Smith Patulani, an under-5 child who is a patient at our Msambo clinic. Smith was born in October 2023 at Daeyang Luke Hospital in Lilongwe. According to Smithā€™s mother, Modester Patulani, Smith was born through a normal spontaneous vertex delivery, and there were no complications during birth and throughout the postpartum period. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Patulani hails from Kabula village, Traditional/Authority Chimutu in Lilongwe District. The village is not far from our Msambo clinic.

In February 2025, Smith got sick. He was presenting with fever, vomiting, and general body weakness. Upon seeing this, his parents took him to a local hospital, the Chankhungu Health Center. Chankhungu Health Center is one of the government health centers close to Smithā€™s village. At Chankhungu, Smith was tested for malaria, and the result came out positive. He was given a first line malaria treatment (lumefantrine artemether), which he took for three days at home, and he got well.

One Monday morning in early March, Smithā€™s father discovered that Smithā€™s lower limbs were not functional. He informed the mother, and they were both shocked, knowing that the child was fine after completing his malaria treatment in February. They then visited the Lutheran Mobile Clinic at Msambo on 17th March 2025, where they met one of our clinical officers, Davie Khumula.

At the clinic, Davie asked the mother some questions, including the medical history of the child. The mother explained everything and of course the malaria that he had in February. Davie also asked if the child received the polio vaccine, and the mother said the child completed all the vaccines, including the polio vaccine. The child was then examined for any possible signs of malaria, and there were none. Davie then examined the childā€™s legs for muscle strength, reflexes, and muscle tone.

He found that the muscle strength and reflexes were absent, and there was decreased muscle tone. Davie then explained more about the childā€™s condition to the parents, his plan of referring him to a hospital, and its importance. Smith was then referred to Kamuzu Central Hospital for further investigation for the possible cause of the paralysis, management, and initiation of physiotherapy treatment. We look forward to hearing more from Smithā€™s parents and how he is coping with physiotherapy treatment.

Lastly, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the people who think about us. Your prayers keep us going. Your various donations have been of great impact to us, and that is why we keep running. May the good Lord continue blessing you and all that you do. As we journey through this season of Lent, may we embrace reflection and renewal, fostering a spirit of compassion and gratitude in our hearts.

Written by Violet Chikwatu, nurse in charge




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CAMM March 2025 Newsletter

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

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

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

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

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

Written by Jackson Kalekwa, clinical officer in charge




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Continuing education workshop in Thailand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




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Blessed be the tongue that ties

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Written by John Roebke, missionary on the One Africa Team




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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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Moments with Missionaries – Lucas Bitter

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

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

The gospel takes root in Nicaragua

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

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

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

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

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




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Photo gallery – One Latin America Team

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We thank God that he continues to build his church.

Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder

 

 

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Godā€™s plan flourishes in Vietnam

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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Together Video – March 18, 2025

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

 

 

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Volunteers help share the gospel in Kenya

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




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Moments with Missionaries – Mark Zondag

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

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

One Latin America Team – Winter 2025 Quarterly Update

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A snapshot of blessings during the past quarter:

1. Academia Cristo General Assembly

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

2. Sister synod calls new missionary

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

3. Additional church planters called

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

4. Progress on seminary program

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

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

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

6. Abuse conferences

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

Trips from the past quarter

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

Fast Facts

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




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Moments with Missionaries – Jake Vilhauer

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

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

From the classroom to Christ

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

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

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

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

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




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Becoming a One Africa Team missionary

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

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

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

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

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

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




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CAMM February 2025 Newsletter

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

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

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

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

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

Written by Jackson Kalekwa, clinical officer in charge




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CAMM January 2025 Newsletter

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Greetings in the Name of Christ!

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

Climate Changes Impacting Farmers

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

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

Gratitude for Support

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

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

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

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

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

Written by Lusungu Mwambeye, Clinic AdministratorĀ 




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Faces of Faith – Albert Szeto

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




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Tanzanian Treasures

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

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

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