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 you’re short on time, don’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, you’ll learn a lot. Not only about the where and the what but especially about the how and the why.

Isn’t it encouraging to learn from any brother and sister in Christ about their journeys of faith as they have followed the Lord’s call? Isn’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 they’ve already spanned countries and continents, God wasn’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. I’ll let Missionary Wagenknecht explain his new call:

I’ll be coordinating outreach to the Native American tribes in the Four Corners area of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. I’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 children’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 didn’t say, playing hopscotch.

Playing with Hopscotch.

Hopscotch is the Wagenknecht’s beloved family pet.

Very photogenic, too, don’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 wasn’t the Wagenknechts adopting Hopscotch… 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 Natalia’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. It’s no wonder, then, that one of Julie’s favorite “go-to” Bible verses is Psalm 27:14,

“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”

With the Farmington move, the LORD didn’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 here’s another blessing: Missionary Nathan Wagenknecht’s father, Pastor Myrl Wagenknecht, preached the sermon for his son’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. They’ll be thrilled to share with you how God has equipped them with “everything good” for their various ministries in Mexico, Japan, Malawi, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Brazil, Alaska… well, I’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.