Background: One Africa Team missionaries had intended to make several trips to both Libera and Uganda to meet with local Christian fellowships that have expressed their desire to learn more about the teachings of the Lutheran Church and perhaps even enter into fellowship with the Wisconsin Synod. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the WELS has suspended all missionary travel to and from any country except the United States and the country where each missionary is based. The OAT Outreach Committee has begun long-distance teaching with these groups, in spite of several technological and social hurdles.

Some months ago the One Africa Team received a gift to assist with phones and internet expenses to bring the gospel message to new areas via online teaching.  Although it’s exciting to move into the COVID–techvirtual world, it is a bit scary for us who live in a culture that functions primarily with face-to-face communication.  In Africa, we rely much more heavily on non-verbal communication and other contextual cues to communicate than in the United States typically.

The Outreach Committee had a few decisions to make regarding the work in Uganda and Liberia, our two most active Outreach target areas:

Which phones to buy, including memory, battery strength, availability?

How to send the money for purchase of phones, to whom, banking details?

Who would buy the phones and take responsibility for their care?

What platform could we use to present material:  Zoom, WhatsApp or email?

I’m happy to say the Holy Spirit has made it possible for us to get started.  On 29^th October, I (virtually) sat with Pastors Morris, Darlos, Goffah, Kowan and Pajibo from Liberia to look at the material and determine what platform can work for them there. 

The first lesson of our fellowship studies is “God’s Great Exchange.” The Scriptural idea of absolute perfection necessary for eternal life, but freely provided for all people only through Jesus is the Gospel’s fundamental teaching. Because the material for that particular lesson is set up quite differently from the others, it was a good opportunity to try to send them a video.  The great thing about using video is that it allows our contacts to download it and watch it as many times as needed. They are also able to forward the video to others.

The only question that remains is, “how much internet data will our contacts need to carry out this program effectively?”  I’ll meet with them again via a WhatsApp video call to see how much data they used to meet with me online for one hour and to watch the video I sent.  Since there are other possibilities that we need to experiment with this will be a learning process for us all.  

We greatly appreciate your prayers and have confidence that the Lord will provide another way for his kingdom to grow here in Africa.  We remember the encouragement Paul offered to the Colossians (1:6): “In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.”

Missionary Dan Kroll lives in Malawi and serves as the OAT Liaison to West Africa

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

My wife and I are reading through the gospels in our devotions these days and marveling again at the miracles of our Savior.

I think I just experienced one this past Friday morning.

Let me back up, just a bit.  I am a missionary with the One Africa Team, currently helping out with the Multi-Language Productions program called TELL (tellnetwork.org).  As they are reaching people with their Bible studies in West Africa via Facebook, the TELL organizers received a few questions that I was able to answer for them. West Africa is an area where I have lived and worked.  I’m happy to be involved with TELL, working mostly with Pastor Dan Laitinen who coordinates the online materials. I have entered a bit more deeply into the program and I conduct online teaching and send videos to interested parties.

Last Friday morning, one of the men who has been receiving TELL videos learned that I live just a few hours away from him.  Arnold is a leader (“pastor”) in a full gospel church here in Malawi.  With permission, I sent Arnold’s contact details to Joseph, our member working in the area, and sent Joseph’s details also to Arnold.   I was stunned when, within an hour, I received the message that the two were in the same room!  Joseph regularly passes by Arnold’s house on his way to the HIV Counselling Center where he works as an HIV counselor – they actually live quite close to one another.  Joseph has some theological training with WELS’ partner in Malawi, the Lutheran Church of Central Africa, and is a strong and faithful member.

I got updates as they chatted with one another.  These are some comments from “Pastor” Arnold:

 “He had answered all the questions I had to him during our discussion and now I have full knowledge of Lutheran church and also bible course. Thanks so much for connecting me with Joseph.”

On Sunday afternoon, Arnold wrote to me again:

“ I had wonderful service. I was preaching about what breaks our relationship with God, others and ourselves from the spiritual healing lesson.” (“Spiritual Healing” is the name of the self-study course that Arnold is currently studying from the TELL program).

And finally (on Monday):

“I want to know more about the Lutheran church and if possible I want to learn more courses from you as well as being part of the Lutheran church. I have been inspired with the lesson you have been giving me. It is explaining very well the way to salvation.”

Who knows where the Lord will take this? We praise Him for the opportunity to be a part of his work and look forward to many more of these connections being made amongst our sister synods here in Africa.  I expect the Holy Spirit will do similar things also to open doors in new territories.  We thank those who are involved by prayer, financial support and development of materials for the assistance to operate our programs and we continue to rejoice at the results the Holy Spirit is providing, to his glory. For now, I gotta run – Arnold (and many others) is waiting for his next video.

Missionary Dan Kroll lives in Malawi

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

And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days (Rev. 11:3)

When you hear a foreign language that you don’t speak, you hear sounds that don’t mean anything to you. But what is meaningless noise to you conveys a concrete, intelligent message to a someone who understands that language.

The Gospel message of salvation by grace alone has the power to free enslaved hearts. The Gospel transforms irascible scoundrels into servants of God. And yet to a skeptic, this message of free forgiveness is utter foolishness. Only God’s Spirit can raise the spiritually dead to belief through the “foolishness of what is preached” (1 Cor 1:21).

There are many barriers to belief today. Satan’s “fake news” permeates the thinking of people everywhere. His lies throw their eternal fate into doubt and create fear of impending doom and destruction. Only the Gospel of Jesus can clear away the lies and pave the road for living life in the Spirit.

The Bible exists in over 1,300 languages today. But even when someone hears the Gospel in his mother tongue, the multiplicity of Satan’s deceptions obscure its meaning. Two new books have been recently published in the Chichewa language. These two “witnesses” will further clarify the Gospel message.

Chilangizo

The Chichewa word “chilangizo” means “advice.” This book’s purpose is to offer a Christian response to customs about puberty. People engage in these traditional practices because they don’t understand they contradict the teachings of the Bible.

The author of this book is Pastor Patrick Magombo. He is currently serving at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Salima which is located in the Central Region of Malawi. Pastor Magombo grew up in the Southern Region. There he observed customs that are similar to those in the Central Region. He spent about a decade researching and writing this book. It contains both Biblical admonitions and basic health information about the way that young people should treat their bodies.

This book gives local church leaders Bible-based teaching for adolescents about their future family responsibilities. It offers an alternative to the non-Biblical initiation of the tribal secret society Gule Wamkulu. The book contains talking points to discuss sensitive topics like sexual purity and relationships with members of the opposite sex. There is also guidance for local leaders to help young married couples deal with issues like infertility and in-laws.

Rates of STD’s, broken marriages and teen pregnancies in Malawi have increased since the introduction of multi-party government in 1993. Secular health organizations only address the physiological aspect of these issues. They pass over what the Bible says about the body being the “temple of the Lord” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Pastor Magombo encourages LCCA congregations to appoint mature “advisors” who will offer Christian guidance to local teens and young adults.

Basic Doctrines of the Bible

WELS Pastor Armin Schuetze wrote the book Basic Doctrines of the Bible in 1969. He also authored the Pastoral Theology textbook Shepherd Under Christ and the official statement of WELS doctrine This We Believe. Translations of Basic Doctrines of the Bible are available in Spanish, Portuguese, Ukrainian, and now Chichewa.

This book is an invaluable tool for pastors. It allows them to offer further instruction to their adult members in the teachings of Lutheranism. It follows the outline of doctrinal textbooks used to teach Seminarians but presents the material at layperson’s level of understanding. Each of the 16 chapters contains further questions for discussion.

Rev. Mitengo discovered the book in the library of the congregation he is currently serving. He translated it for members of his adult Bible class orally. The printed edition will give people direct access to this valuable resource. WELS Multi-Language Productions financed this publication. To learn more about this ministry visit https://wels.net/serving-others/multilanguageproductions/ 

May God use these “two witnesses” to bring Gospel light and joy to the people of Malawi.

Missionary John Roebke lives in Malawi and serves as the Communications Director of One Africa Team

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