WELS Friends of Africa

July 28, 2026July 24, 2026

Karibu Kenya

Recently my wife and I journeyed to Kenya with three students enrolled at Martin Luther College, the WELS college of Ministry, and ten students from Wisconsin Lutheran High School. This was our first trip to Kenya, and the first group of teens to be received by the WELS’ sister synod, the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC Kenya).

While every new venture brings some anxiousness and concerns, our group could not have been welcomed more warmly. Whether it was at church on Sunday, visiting local schools, or shopping at local markets, everyone was happy to greet us by saying, “Karibu” (meaning, “Welcome”), a big smile, and often a warm embrace.

June 16, 2026June 16, 2026

Preach With Patience

“Preach the word,” Paul told Timothy.

Paul was in prison in Rome, facing execution for Jesus.

“Preach the word,” Paul emphasized. “Be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2).

May 26, 2026May 22, 2026

First Contact

Last March, Missionary Howard Molhke and I made our first visit to a church in the Republic of Congo. The ROC, which is commonly referred to as Congo-Brazzaville, neighbors the Democratic Republic of Congo to the northwest. This is the first time ever that WELS missionaries have traveled to this country. The Eglise Evangélique Luthérienne du Congo-Brazzaville (EELCB) reached out to WELS and the One Africa Team because they wanted to remain a confessional Lutheran Church.