“It’s cold, go outside and warm up!”  Anyone growing up in the USA Midwest should find that a little strange.  Mom would say, “It’s cold outside, come in and warm up.”  Inside is warm.  Outside is cold in the winter.  It’s the opposite here in the middle of Malawian winter.

Temperatures get as low as 45°F at night.  All our buildings and houses here are brick and concrete fridges that hold in the cold.  But in the dry, sunny winter it’s 70°F and above during the day.  So, what do you do?  After shivering for a while in my office with my feet on icy concrete, I go out and stand in the warm sun.  Everyone here does it.

I could give a dozen other examples of things that seem upside down to this Midwesterner, even after 25 years living here.  Some of those things are much more important than the strangeness of going outside to warm up.

One example is our different cultural views of what is righteousness.

Imagine the eulogy of an American businessman.  This is a bit of a caricature, but I could imagine a eulogy going something like this, “Mr. Hard-Worker was a really, really hard worker.  He provided well for his family.  He built up his business from nothing.  He was gruff and rude, but hey, that’s Fred.”  I think we Americans view hard work as a very high cultural value or righteousness.  Being rude is bad, but not too bad if it means you get work done.

Now, again this is sort of a caricature, but I could imagine this eulogy in these parts, “Mr. Get-Along was a very peaceful man.  He never got angry and was always polite and hospitable.  Of course, he couldn’t hold down a job and was unsuccessful at his farming, but what an admirable man he was.”  Getting along and being polite is a very high cultural value here.  Failing to work very hard is bad, but not too bad if you have managed to get along with everyone.

These big differences in culture can be all at once fascinating, frustrating, enlightening, and depressing for us pastors working in a culture that is very different from our own.   Let me share a more profound difference we’ve been studying that really falls on the side of fascinating and enlightening.

Recently, we have been studying the different views that people groups have on what God requires and what he gives.   Most Westerners like we Americans view things according to a Western law-based view– guilt and innocence.  We talk about the Word that way, too.  God has an unchangeable and unnegotiable demands of us.  We fail to obey but Jesus obeyed for us and put his innocence on us.   The Bible certainly speaks to us in those terms, but it also portrays God’s demands and promises in other ways, ways that probably connect better with people around here.

One way is to think in terms of honor and shame.  We are unworthy and shameful because of who we are and how we are.  But through Christ, our honor in the eyes of the Father is restored.  We are his sons, valued and loved.

Another way to view things is in terms of fear and power.  We are harassed and frightened by the evil powers of Satan, sin, and death.  But through Christ’s power, we have overcome those fears and have confidence before the Father.  God’s Word speaks in all three ways: guilt/innocence, honor/shame, and fear/power.  To me, this is fascinating stuff and gives me new insight as I learn about God and his Word.

If you come to Malawi in the winter, you might have to think upside down.  Go outside when you’re cold.  As you share the Word with others in the USA, consider some ways that might seem upside down.  Who do you know who suffers from shame?  He or she has honor in Christ.  If someone is stressed and fearful, let them know they have power and confidence to even stand before God, in Christ.

Missionary Paul Nitz lives in Malawi and is the Principal of the Lutheran Bible Institute

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

“Give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”  (Luke 6:38)

A group of 9 Secondary Students, their Campus Pastor Phil Huebner and his wife Becky are visiting the Lutheran Church of Central Africa in Zambia.  They are from WISCO (Wisconsin Lutheran High School) in Milwaukee, WI.  Their Student Council took on a project to raise money to help purchase motorcycles for Pastors serving in rural congregations in Zambia.

The group arrived in Zambia on the 5^th of July.  The Seminary guest House has been their home away from home.  They came to present their gift to the LCCA.  There was also the hope that they could have the opportunity to interact with members of the LCCA, especially those in their peer group.

There was a day visit to Martin Luther School at Mwembeshi, next to our Clinic.  This school had been started by the Mission in 1960 but was taken over by the Government in 1964.  It is still referred to as Martin Luther School.  The group visited each classroom starting with pre-K all the way to grade 12.  They visited, sang songs together, shared their stories, and especially their faith in Jesus.  At the end of the day the USA group from the Student Council of WISCO met with the Martin Luther Student Council .

The WISCO students also had a gift for the School.  They wanted to know what the students themselves thought was the greatest need for their school.  The Student Council of Martin Luther told them how they could help.  It was decided that the students from WISCO could help finish the kitchen where the government provides a feeding program for the children of the Primary School.  It needed a roof!

Day two was a VBS program at the Sunday School class at Malakata Lutheran Church.  The group presented lessons, games and songs to the Sunday School, but they come away with new games and songs that the Sunday School shared with them.

On Sunday there was a worship service deep in the bush at Lifwambula.  The gift of a motorcycle was presented to the Pastor serving there.  The group worshiped in a simple thatched shelter.  Even though the service was in a language they could not understand, they were still filled with joy and awe as they knew the liturgy was the same and the message was true.   Following the service, the Youth Choir sat with the WISCO group and re-sang all their songs in the local language, and translated for the group.  The WISCO youth taught the choir a song in English—”Father I Adore You.”

I think it is safe to say the group accomplished their goals.   The presented their gifts and had the opportunity to interact with different groups.   There is a Proverb used in Zambia that speaks to what the group accomplished.  “Kupata Ndi Kuika”; It means that when you give you are actually putting things in the bank for a time when you will receive back again.

The WISCO group came with gifts for the LCCA and Martin Luther School.  They gave but they were given more in return.  They are returning to the USA with a deeper understanding of another culture.  They learned how you can be very happy and content even when you are not as well off.  They have a zeal and passion for mission outreach.  One student said; “I never thought I would be confident enough to share the Bible Stories and lesson I had learned in grade school, but here in Zambia I could, and I did! …..now I have more confidence to do the same thing back home!”

Missionary Daniel Sargent lives in 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

Recently four WELS members visited Malawi on a short-term mission trip, coordinated by Kingdom Workers. One of them summarized her experience in the following prayer:

This was an incredible experience! Thank you for the opportunity to witness your love in action among our brothers and sisters in Malawi, Africa. I praise you, God, for your amazing love that reaches across all generations, all languages, every geographical barrier, and every disability.

I didn’t know what to expect when I first came to Malawi. Nothing prepared me, however, for the magnificent smiles that greeted us and the complete joy, and I mean JOY, that we saw and felt in the worship services with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Our first worship experience was in Zomba. We met so many wonderful people and many pastors, like Pastor Chaponda and Pastor Paul Mkowasenga. The choirs, O Lord, the choirs were amazing! Our new friends danced and sang with such beauty and grace! Even though we did not understand the words they were singing, we understood that they were singing to you, O God! The joy on their faces and in their voices drew us in and we worshiped right along with them.

And when they invited us to commune with them, O Father, what a taste of heaven it was! You know our hearts. You were there, Lord. You saw our tears and felt our joy. To experience your very body and blood, given for us, given for them… it was almost overwhelming. God, I just can’t wait to be with you and all believers in heaven. If we were able to experience this much unity and fellowship and love this side of heaven for that brief moment in time, what will heaven be like? O my heart longs to be with you now, but we are here on earth for now, for a purpose.

In this service we were also able to witness our friends bringing their harvest offerings to you. This was humbling to watch as I confess, Lord, I do not always give you my firstfruits or my best. O Father, forgive me! Our Malawian friends gave from what they had and many bags full of maize were gathered. Thank you, Lord, for blessing our friends with food and with generous hearts to give back to you. Please, Lord, help our friends make a good profit from selling this maize so the money may be used to grow your Kingdom in this area of Malawi. May even more souls be saved through your precious Word.

Father, we praise you for the souls that have been saved, like the nine beautiful babies that were baptized in this service. God, your Word IS living and active. Your Spirit is moving and changing hearts and lives here. You are amazing, God!

O, Lord, you know I could go on and on in my prayers. I haven’t even begun to thank and praise you for the wonderful volunteers who willingly give of their love and time every week to help those with disabilities. God, bless these volunteers with strong faith and zeal to share that faith with families who are hurting. Show these families that you love them dearly. They are precious in your sight and their children are beautiful, valuable, and loveable. Father, you gave your dear Son as a sacrifice for each one of them because you love them that much.

Thank you, God, for the Kingdom Workers, the pastors, the Sunday School teachers, and the volunteers who helped reach over 300 children at VBS in Phalombe.

The smiling faces of those children will be forever imprinted on our hearts.

O Father, what can we do? How can we help? Move us to pray for the pastors and workers in Malawi. We do pray for them, God, that you would increase their faith, keep them rooted in your Word, and help them to resist the devil and temptations in their personal lives. Keep them strong and eager to serve you faithfully, Lord God. Fill us with the desire to look beyond our own needs. Help us to be good stewards of our time, our talents, and our treasures that we may use the blessings you have given us to be blessings to others.

We learned so much from our new friends in Malawi, but what I learned most is that we are all lost and in need of a Savior. Jesus, you died and rose for every one of us. Every single soul is precious and lovable in your sight. O, my God, forgive me for my selfishness. Open my eyes and heart to love others as you love me, whether they live across the globe or under my own roof. Father, empower me by your Spirit, to love, for the sake of your Son, Jesus. In his Name I pray. Amen- let it be so.

Kristen Miller lives in Franklin, Wisconsin and teaches Spanish at several WELS Elementary Schools in the Milwaukee area.

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