Chin Up

“Chin up, Daniel.” I didn’t see the person encouraging me. The voice from the crowd lifted my spirits.

I was nearing the end of a long race in Cape Town, South Africa. So sore. So weary.

But the person who spied my name on my running bib gave me new energy. He or she used my name.

It was hearing Daniel. That spurred me on. Likewise, I want to encourage you to run with perseverance the race marked out for you and to encourage others in Christ.

Can you hear me calling out your name? Across the ocean, a voice urges you, “Chin up, ___________.” Insert your name. I am praying God re-energizes you by the Spirit of his risen Son.

So how does it work these days to be a missionary on the WELS One Africa Team? You never know. Here are a few recent stories.

Joseph

First, picture Joseph, a black South African. He was my Uber driver the day before the race. Besides driving people around Cape Town, South Africa, he is an administrator and evangelist at his church.

I asked Joseph, “Would you like free training in God’s Word so that you can teach others better?”

“Yes!” he said.

I shared a few details about the TELL network. While in the car I sent him a quick WhatsApp message: “Tellnetwork.org … Free Bible teaching classes.”

(In the States, you may text friends. Your One Africa Team missionaries usually WhatsApp others. About 2.5 billion people use WhatsApp worldwide. It is Africa’s main messaging platform.)

Ten hours later, Joseph replied back on WhatsApp about TELL, “I communicated to these people and am busy answering some questions.”

“Is really very nice teachings.”

Lovemore

Next comes Lovemore. Not joking. That’s his name. He’s my barber in Lusaka, Zambia.

When I was in Pretoria, South Africa after the race, trying to get a visa to Cameroon, Lovemore wrote me on WhatsApp.

“Hi Sir good morning. I saw the link you sent me but am having difficulty to login.”

He meant the link I had sent him on his phone to start TELL Network classes before I left for South Africa.

TELL starts with self-guided courses. It goes on to live Zoom-based classes. It’s about learning God’s Word so you or a friend can teach it to others.

You can tell friends about TELL too. Tell the person who cuts your hair about TELL. Who knows where it will lead?

(By God’s Spirit: Love. More!)

Anonymous

That same Monday morning I also entered the High Commission of the Republic of Cameroon in Pretoria. There another man encouraged me. I wish I asked him his name.

Here is what happened. I found out at the consular services window that I had not brought enough Rand, the South African currency. I had R2500, per a recent email from the High Commission.

The fee, though, had just gone up to R2750. They do not take card payments.

I apologized to the official at the window. I promised I would come back with the needed money the same morning. My plan was to walk to an ATM 20 minutes away.

Then a tall Cameroonian man who never met me before took a second look at me and my clerical collar. He paid the difference (about $14).

“Merci beaucoup,” I said over and over. “Thank you very much.”

*Embassy of Cameroon in Pretoria, South Africa*

Mike

That night I had supper at a local pizza restaurant. The waiter recognized me from the previous time I had been there in 2022.

Was it my clerical collar again? Mike said, “Oh, yeah, you told me about those TELL classes.”

“Did you try them?”

“Yes, I took several.”

Mike is outgoing, so I took a chance to probe. “Can I ask you a question?” I said. “Do you have a suggestion how to make TELL classes better?”

He thought hard. “No,” he said, “I can’t think of anything. They’re just perfect for me.”

Joseph, Lovemore, the anonymous man at the embassy, and Mike: All four encouraged me in the Lord so much.

“Chin up, Daniel!”

Innocent and Happy

As I got to the airport for the last leg of the trip, my waitress at the coffee shop had her name on a tag: Innocent.

The flight back was on a small plane with one attendant. Her name was Happy. She took the time to ask me about which church I’m from. (Was it the collar, a third time?) She told me her grandmother goes to a Lutheran church I visit now and then in Lusaka.

“Chin up, Daniel!”

Jesus is Innocent, and he took your place on the cross, so your name is Innocent too.

Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, and he was happy to tell women that his scared disciples were his brothers.

Happy? In Jesus, you will be so delighted when he reappears and judges you innocent by his blood. You will reign with him on the new earth. Our joy in Him and in all who love Him will only grow.

Joseph, Lovemore, the anonymous donor, Mike, Innocent, Happy. Do you hear what they are saying to you from far away?

Don’t quit now. The finish line is close. Keep witnessing, keep encouraging, and keep praying. Jesus is coming soon. “Chin up, ______________.”

Missionary Dan Witte lives 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. Learn more about our mission fields in Africa and how the Holy Spirit is working faith in people’s hearts at https://wels.net/serving-others/missions/africa

Church Begins in the Home

I was both humbled and amazed when I showed up at his home. Joseph is a young man living in Nairobi, Kenya. His daily routine includes milking a cow and goats as well as tending a garden on an estate. He invited me and the local pastor from Nairobi into his home: a one-window, concrete-walled room no bigger than a box truck. Sitting knee to knee he offered us tea and told us his story. He is the eighth of eight children, raised by his oldest sister. His parents passed away before he knew them. As a child, he learned how to work and paid for his own schooling through grade twelve.

“Did you go to church as a child?” I asked. “No,” he said, “We did not go to church. A friend invited me to the Mormon Church. I went for a while. But they taught from books that were not the Bible. Another friend invited me to a Seventh-Day Adventist church, but they did not teach much about Jesus.”

church begins in the home — *Joseph and TELL Missionary Dan Laitinen*

“Are you going to church now?” I asked. “I am,” he replied, “with you and the teachers at TELL Network.” Over a year ago Joseph stumbled across a Facebook ad for TELL and had to see what it was all about. After completing the three self-study courses he began live group classes with a pastor, studying the Bible and Lutheran catechism on Zoom. He formed friendships with students thousands of miles away. His best friend is from Trinidad. They make TELL t-shirts and share what they’re learning with others. For over a year Joseph grew in knowledge and confidence to share his faith in an online classroom.

Today we finally had a Bible study together in the flesh. We read, asked questions, and discussed. Joseph could identify that sin was the problem and God’s grace was the solution. He has learned how to read the Bible and express his faith to others. Throughout our visit, we encouraged Joseph in his studies, introduced him to the local church, and presented the next steps for him to gather in a Bible study group.

As our time came to an end my pastor friend had to share his own story with Joseph. He too was orphaned as a young child. Raised by his grandmother, he stumbled across a Lutheran church when he heard music from inside. He had to see what it was all about. There he found Jesus. Today he is pastoring and planting many churches in Kenya. He encouraged Joseph: “Continue learning with TELL. Follow their path and gather a Bible study group. I can tell you from my experience: it starts right here,” he said pointing to the floor. “Church begins in the home.”

I feel I took away more from that visit than I contributed. God meets us with his Word in rooms no bigger than a box truck. Jesus calls, gathers, and grows his church within our communities: online and in-person. How humbling, amazing and true: Church begins in the home.

TELL Missionary Dan Laitinen is based in Austin, TX

TELL-ing the World About Jesus

WELS Multi-Language Publications sponsors the TELL Network which offers online Bible courses to students around the world. One Africa Team missionaries are involved in teaching some of the courses, as well as pastors living in the United States. This week’s post features testimonials from two WELS pastors who are volunteering their time to teach students, due to a large number of new students.

Awakened Interest

Rev. Paul Spaude serves St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Niles, IL.

Recently Elizabeth joined my Zoom TELL class and asked for a prayer request: sleep. For whatever reason, it had evaded her. We prayed and God quickly answered. I asked Elizabeth a question; we heard deafening silence. Hours later WhatsApp dinged, “Pastor! I’m so sorry! I fell asleep in class!” Sleep may have found Elizabeth because she had been awake for over thirty hours – or her teacher was a bit boring. I am not going to seek out an answer. Regardless, Elizabeth has been back for more lessons because she loves studying the Bible with TELL.

Pastor Paul Spaude teaches TELL classes online

Each class that I teach with TELL follows a logical pattern. To study the Bible, we Think about an interesting topic or question. We Evaluate a Bible story to bring more meaning and context to the lesson. Then we Learn that sin is the problem and only God has the answer. We Lead our brothers and sisters in Christ by telling what we have studied.

Elizabeth (from Trinidad) attempted to fight sleep to study the Bible with TELL. Enno (from South Africa) found time while driving to study the Bible with TELL. Farooq (from Pakistan) postponed an anniversary date with his wife to study the Bible with TELL. Benard (from Kenya) fought a poor network connection to study the Bible with TELL. They keep coming back because they love studying the Bible with TELL.

Despite obstacles, these students gather with me to study the TELL course, “The Work of the Savior.” In eight lessons, we are learning about Jesus’ work around the sea of Galilee and in Jerusalem. This is the beginning of their TELL instruction. God willing, they will enroll in more TELL courses. They might even go to their own communities to think, evaluate, learn, and lead their way through a Bible story with friends and neighbors. I hope they do; they are energizing people. I doubt they will put anyone to sleep.

TELL-ing Legacy

Rev. Paul Kolander serves The Springs Lutheran Church in Sparks, Nevada.

When I was young, I wanted to be an African Missionary. My great-grandfather was one. I remember watching slideshows narrated with exciting stories. There were pictures and tales about driving a caravan throughout Africa to tell Africans about the Love of Jesus. Bumpy roads, exotic wildlife, and adventure around every turn gripped my attention. Then, the awesomeness of God’s power and blessings held it for years. The commission to go and make disciples by baptizing and teaching in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit stuck with me.

mechanical breakdown in Africa, ca. 1949 — *A scene from the film, “Africa Still Calls”*

I serve as a missionary in my own community by baptizing and teaching Nevadans. I have never been to Africa. But now through a WELS program called TELL, I get to share the message of the one true God to the same countries that my great grandfather did. I don’t have to travel by barge for weeks on end, nor do I have to navigate across hippo-infested rivers. I just need to connect online with people in Africa and worldwide who want to learn more about the God of the Bible.

God asks his prophet Jeremiah, “ ‘Am I only a God nearby,’ declares the Lord, ‘and not a God far away? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?’ declares the Lord. ‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord. “

I am truly blessed to have this opportunity to share God’s love with those who are both near and far away. I get to serve as a missionary. There is one God and one way to heaven. Thanks belong to Him alone for these and all other blessings.

Visit www.tellnetwork.org or download the TELL app to enroll in free online courses and share on your favorite social media channel! If you are interested in teaching courses use this form to submit information about yourself.