Back to Africa Part 3 – The Felgenhauer’s in Zambia

This week’s post is written by Kathryn (nee Ulhorn) Felgenhauer, whose husband Stefan is the new Operations Manager for One Africa Team.

My husband and I visited the continent of Africa for the very first time 20 years ago. Four years later, we moved here for our first tour of duty.  Most of the missionary families currently living in Africa have lived there for more than two decades. They hardly consider their overseas service as “foreign” anymore.  Their lives tell the story of WELS mission work in Africa.

Our family has a unique perspective. We have transitioned back and forth between North American culture and African culture several times. We have a well-rounded view of both Developed Countries and Developing Countries. The readjustments we’ve made have been a trial, but they have also give us valuable insight into both worlds.

So now we’ve been here in Zambia for just over a week.  What are we thinking? What are we feeling? And how is the adjustment going this time?

The Felgenhauer family back in Africa (Zambia)

First impressions can be useful tools.  Stefan and I find it interesting that in our time of moving between cultures we have short-lived first impressions upon returning to a place we used to live.  It’s fascinating to take note of those first impressions, before our previous experience takes over and we settle into our routine once again.  I keenly remember my first impressions when we moved to Africa the second time. Even though we had lived six years in Africa and still had keen memories of that time stuck in our minds, we had forgotten about the challenges of day to day living in a developing country.

In general, the first impressions we have had this time are of moving to a somewhat familiar African country (Zambia) but also the added dimension of leaving our oldest child back “home” for schooling. Listen to what each member of our family has taken notice of thus far…

Anna (age 12 – born in Malawi):  I was looking forward to seeing the Seminary campus because we never lived close to any of those before.  It’s different than I thought but I was amazed at how big it was and happy to see the kids there.  I can’t wait to get my bike so I can ride it there.  A lot of things seem the same, like the gates on doors and the geckos and skinks on the walls, but I forgot how hot it is.  I’m looking forward to visiting Malawi and seeing some of my friends.  It’s fun to order Fanta at restaurants again and hopefully soon we can go swimming somewhere.

Benjamin and Anna

Benjamin (age 14 – born in Malawi, will return to the USA for school in 10 months):  Africa is like I remember it, but Zambia is a bit more modern (than Malawi) with a lot more shopping centers.  I was looking forward to being outside and barefoot and I am doing that again. It’s really dusty though.  Being in Africa feels like being back home.   It’s kinda hard getting used to slower Internet.  I look forward to finding soft drinks in glass bottles like I remember and visiting game parks to see the animals.  It seems weird to think that the next 10 months will be the longest amount of time I spend here.

Louisa (age 16 – born in Germany, attending high school stateside) – I am loving all the photos they’ve sent mostly of foods I remember, such as Blackcat peanut butter and Parmalat yoghurt and the mango juice. I was happy to see some jacaranda flowers. Finding time to facetime my family when it is still daylight so I can see outside has been tricky with a 7-hour time difference and I can’t talk to them during my evening because they are sleeping.  I can’t wait to visit at Christmas.

Kathy (not as young as I once was – born in the USA):  As the plane was descending I saw purple jacaranda trees, and exiting the plane we saw bright flame trees. That alone put a smile on my face.  Climbing into a car for the first time again was an odd feeling, sitting in the passenger seat on the left.  It actually made me feel a bit dizzy and I’m a bit nervous about driving again, with the deep ditches on the sides of the roads.  I had forgotten how dry and red the earth looks this time of year.  The streets seemed less congested on our drive, but the style of the house we are currently staying in was so familiar.  Tiled floors throughout, locked gates on doors, a limited water supply in the reserve tanks and candles at the ready for the electricity outages.  “I know how to do this”, I told myself.  The trill and song of the birds that first morning was unbelievable.  I knew I had been missing it.  It is a  new place with much that is familiar. I long to settle into our life, getting our own kitchen items, our own bed, and our own daily routine.  That’s going to take quite some time yet.  It’s already been 5 months of transition since Stefan was hired, and it could be several more.  I am praying for patience.  I keep checking the time to see what Louisa must be doing back in the US.  I am so thankful for the technology that lets us keep in touch.

Stefan (a little more grey – born in East Germany):  I’m so happy to be back in a warm climate again.  I did forget how warm it is this time of year and how dusty everything gets. I knew I was back in Africa when we stepped off the plane and I had to walk quite a ways on foot to get into the airport.  The wait to get through immigration tested my German patience.   The woodsmoke-filled air is strong too but I do know the rains are coming and that will bring relief.  I am enjoying the African scenery and it makes me excited to explore and learn this new area. Visiting the other countries where One Africa Team is active is a priority for me and one I look forward to.  In some ways Zambia is more modern than I would have thought but the Internet is still slower than I got used to in the US.  Overall, I am thankful for the opportunity to be here and to serve the Lord in this way. It’s the work I love to do. It’s good to be back.

The Felgenhauers lived in Malawi from 2002-2008 and from 2012-2015 and are currently based in Lusaka, Zambia.

Please pray for those working in fields that are ripe for harvest. Share their story, engage with future news and receive updates. Go to this link to learn more about our mission fields in Africa and how the Holy Spirit is working faith in people’s hearts  https://wels.net/serving-others/missions/africa




Growth Spurt in Nigerian Mission Fields

Christ the King Board of Governors meets in the “outgoing” classroom at Uruk Uso – discussing needed changesNext July (2019), our Nigerian Mission Fields will re-start their joint Seminary program.  This time we will work with 22 men who desire to become part of the full time called worker core that we have there.  Christ the King Lutheran Church of Nigeria (in Akwa Ibom State) hopes to more than double their ministerium of 9 pastors, bring 10 more to start the seminary program.  All Saints Lutheran Church of Nigeria is also hoping to make a sizeable jump from 11 current pastors to add 12 more to the program.

It’s the biggest class we’ve had in many years, maybe ever.  Big enough to push some WELS donors to put  financial resources together to pay for a new dormitory building and some refurbishing of the current classroom building to accommodate everybody.  Understand what I mean by “dormitory” (the new building) – in an effort to keep it simple (= inexpensive), we will have one large room with beds, dressers, and a small desk for each student.  With no walls between the “rooms” – the students will get to know each other very well!

Dormitory at All Saints doubles as a place for Bible class. Notice the mosquito nets (one over each bed) in the background

This will keep our Board of Governors very busy.  To make things even more interesting, that same Board of Governors, hand-in-hand with the Seminary director, has requested some revision to the seminary curriculum including an increase of classroom time by over 30%.  There is a lot of work to be done in the next 8 months from digging a foundation, putting up walls and a roof, beds as well as decisions about who will teach and what books they will use – your prayers are essential to this process!

Theological training campus at Uruk Uso (Christ the King), including football (soccer) field in the foreground, Martin Luther primary school (connected) to the right and the mission house (pink) on the left

Our two sister church bodies in Nigeria currently have a combined membership of over 3,900 members that worship in 57 congregations. Five centuries after Luther’s Reformation the message of God’s salvation by grace alone, through faith alone continues to produce a rich harvest of souls all over the world. God has graciously answered our prayers for more workers in Nigeria. May the Lord continue to shower his grace on our Nigerian brothers and sisters in Christ through a new generation of pastors who serve his people faithfully!

Dan Kroll serves our mission fields in West Africa, and is currently based in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Please pray for those working in fields that are ripe for harvest. Share their story, engage with future news and receive updates. Go to this link to learn more about our mission fields in Africa and how the Holy Spirit is working faith in people’s hearts  https://wels.net/serving-others/missions/africa




I Smell Rain

WELS world missionaries recently attended a conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Yesterday, I returned to Malawi from a week-long gathering of WELS missionaries that was held in the city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  Almost every WELS missionary from all their scattered posts throughout the world had assembled there, about 50 men in all.  While we were there, the missionaries shared story after story about how the sweet and fragrant message of the gospel was pouring out like summer rains on this sin-parched, unbelieving world.  From the continued success of our missions in Africa to the exciting new possibilities in the Far East, God is keeping his promise to spread his saving gospel to the farthest corners of the Earth.  Even now, souls from every tribe and nation are being won for eternal life in heaven.

L-R: Mike Hartman (Latin America), Dan Rautenberg (Apacheland), Glen Hieb (BWM World Board)

In Malawi, there are basically two seasons in the year: the rainy season and the dry.  During the dry season, it never rains at all… not even a little bit.  The ground is dry and hard and everything is dusty.  This lasts from May until November, and maybe even longer.  When I was living in the United States, a rainy day was considered to be a bad day.  But in Malawi, a rainy day is reason to rejoice.  After months of dusty dryness, God is pouring out his blessings.  The rain comes down from heaven and softens the dry ground.  Grass greens up.  Seeds begin to germinate.  Fields begin to grow and to produce their precious crops.  As they say in Malawi, “madzi ndi moyo” (water is life).

Yesterday, when I stepped off the plane in Malawi after one week at our missionary conference in Malaysia, I noticed immediately that something was very different.  “I smell rain,” I said out loud – even though I was travelling alone and spoke those words to no one.  A Malawian lady standing next to me turned to me and smiled.  The first rain of the season had come while we were away, and the evidence of it was unmistakable.  The rains had come and washed the dust off of the eucalyptus trees.  The whole country was filled with their sweet and fragrant eucalyptus scent.  I almost felt a little sad that I had missed it.  Malawi was rejoicing.

L-R: Nathan Schulte (Equador), Luke Wolfgramm (Russia)

As I stood in line at the airport waiting to pass through immigration, it occurred to me that maybe this had been my ‘takeaway’ from our entire missionary conference: “I smell rain.”  The gospel shower of God’s grace is falling gently on the world.  The effects of it are powerful, and the fragrant evidence of it is unmistakable.  Jesus Christ is the Living Water that gives life to our thirsty souls.  By his sinless life and his innocent death on the cross, he has redeemed all the people of the world.  By the preaching of his saving gospel and by the power of his Spirit, he gathers men and women from every nation under heaven.  By that same shower of the gospel, he washes away their sins.  He empowers them and makes their lives to be a fragrant offering to God.  He gives them the life that will never end, even eternal life in heaven.  I wish you could have heard the stories that I heard in Malaysia!  God’s grace is pouring down from heaven.  From the Apaches to the Zambians and at all points in between, God’s people are rejoicing.

Dr. Glen Thompson teaches at Asia Lutheran Seminary in Hong Kong

You are the witnesses of Christ throughout the world, as much as any missionary.  Thank you to everyone who has supported the work of WELS World Missions!  Your faithful prayers and generous offerings have enabled and empowered Gospel messengers to share the good news of Jesus Christ all around the globe.  Your efforts in this work have not been without effect, and they will never be without effect.  God himself has promised: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10, 11).

The world in which we live may be a desert of sin and death.  But God is good and gracious, and I smell rain.

Mark Panning lives in Malawi and teaches at the Lutheran Bible Institute, where future pastors of the LCCA are trained.

Please pray for those working in fields that are ripe for harvest. Share their story, engage with future news and receive updates. Go to this link to learn more about our mission fields in Africa and how the Holy Spirit is working faith in people’s hearts  https://wels.net/serving-others/missions/africa