Another trip I canāt tell you about
We boarded the plane from our Asia-Oceania Team (AOT) base in Chiang Mai, Thailand. After two transfers, an overnight stay, and 36 hours of travel, we arrived. Unfortunately, I canāt tell you where we went. I canāt tell you who we met with either. Donāt worry, we were in a safe place, but sharing this information would be dangerous for the people with whom we spent time.
I canāt tell you where they came from. I canāt share the road they took on their difficult tripātwo days on the bus over bumpy roads, past guarded checkpoints, waiting for mudslides to be cleared. I canāt show you the pictures or videos of them that I took. I wish I could. You wonāt be able to see their weary faces as they reflect on their war-torn country. You wonāt see and hear their joy, either, as they sang praises together. I canāt show you their smiling faces as we discussed the teachings of Godās Word.
Iād love to show you a video of one elder who asked, āWhat do you believe about Baptism and the Lordās Supper?ā When he heard the answer, he jumped out of his seat in joy and reached out his hand for a handshake. An excited thumbs up said it all: our teaching was exactly what they believed as well. As we parted ways, he shared, āWe are very, very happy and grateful that you are confirming what we believe in the sacraments of the Lordās Supper and Baptism.ā
The WELS Asia-Oceania Team is bringing grace to all in Asia and Oceania. āAllā is a big group. Thatās something like 4.6 billion peopleāover 60 percent of the worldās population.
Why would we include āallā when we canāt possibly carry that out?
We include āallā because it reminds us that Godās mission includes men and women like those I canāt tell you about today. Godās commission doesnāt recognize the line between safe and unsafe areas, between those who will be persecuted for their faith and those where faith is openly accepted. It doesnāt separate war-torn places from those of peace.
And so we set out on yet another trip to another place I canāt tell you about.
I so wish that I could tell you about this small Lutheran church body with whom we are carefully studying Godās Word as we work toward declaring church fellowship. They want to know us and our beliefsāand we theirs. They want to walk together with us one dayāand we with them. They want to know about you, too: about your faith, your family, and your church. And they long to pray for you in your struggles.
When it came time to leave, I wish you could have been there to see the handshakes and hugs. I wish you could have felt their embrace, their appreciation, and their love. I wish I could show you all of that. Our trip home was a bit shorter than our trip thereāonly 24 hours of travel. When we left, they didnāt know yet how long theirs would take.
This will have to remain one more trip that I canāt tell you about. Iāll add the pictures to a folder I canāt ever share. My notes about their lives will be added to a growing pile of stories untold.
One day, though, the wars will cease. The threats will end. The trips will stop. Christ will returnājust as he promised. Then, when weāre in heaven, come find me. Remind me about the trip I couldnāt tell you about. Together, we can go find themātheyāll be there, standing around the throne.
Then they can tell you all about this trip. Theyāll tell you how the Lamb of God brought his salvation to the ends of the earth. And together, weāll join our voices in praise!
Written by Jon Bare, president of Asia Lutheran Seminary
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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.
With the generosity of faithful donors, we built a sturdy buildingācomplete with classrooms, sleeping quarters, and a kitchenāmeant to house 60 students at a time and train pastors for Christās 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 Scriptureāinsisting 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, theyāve 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 Godās 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. 
What made this visit especially interesting was the report this group shared about a new mission effort in New Zealand. Since 2020, about two dozen members of SALEM moved from Hong Kong to New Zealand. With the help of SALEM, they formed a new mission congregation called SALEM New Zealand Lutheran Church. In the three years since, their group has grown to about 40 Chinese-speaking members. They joyfully described the blessings of their fellowship in this new land, and they were very excited to be sharing the gospel with other Chinese-speaking people there. SALEM will be continuing its support of SALEM New Zealand in the coming years.
