welsfriendsofafrica.com, Author at WELS Friends of Africa

May 20, 2020May 6, 2020

What do you do in Malawi?

When I tell others that I live in Malawi one of the first questions they ask me is, “What do you do there? What is your job? How do you spend your time?”

For many years my answer was, “I’m a housewife.” Taking care of the kids, husband and home took up most of my time (and still does, minus the kids). In spite of our “exotic” location living in Africa, the laundry, grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning has to be done here as anywhere else in the world. I get the impression that some people imagine that my life is very interesting. Perhaps it felt like that a little bit when we first moved to Africa 22 years ago. But the novelty has long since worn off…

March 18, 2020March 18, 2020

Four Hours in Church

Choirs from five different congregations performed at a joint worship service in Chilembwe, Malawi

I had a choice between sitting through four hours of church and a voters’ meeting or attending a four hour long worship service. Since moving to Malawi’s capital city of Lilongwe nine months ago I regularly attend the English language worship services held at Crown of Life Lutheran Church on the campus of the Lutheran Bible Institute. I am thankful for the the opportunity to gather weekly with my fellow missionaries and the members of the congregation to hear encouraging messages from God’s Word. The style of worship is familiar to any member of the Wisconsin Synod. We use the
WELS hymnal Christian Worship to sing hymns and psalms, accompanied by an electronic organ. The student choir of the Lutheran Bible Institute performs 3-4 glorious anthems in the Chichewa and Chitumbuka languages. The congregation also holds separate Chichewa language services that starts later in the morning. Once a month Crown of Life holds a joint English and Chichewa language service that can last up to two and a half hours. And just like many WELS congregations, Crown of Life also has (long) voters’ meetings.

March 4, 2020April 23, 2020

Howzit goin’?

“Howzit goin’?” I used to hear in the States.

Now: “Muli bwanji?” (“How are you”?)

My wife Debbie, my son Drew, and I moved from Minnesota to Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, in early December 2019.

My future role: Theological Educator for the One Africa Team of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, concentrating especially on formal continuing education for African pastors in our fellowship.

My current role: Newbie. Learner. OAT called me to spend at least the first 6 months here learning as much language and culture as possible.

How is that going? There is too much to tell.