Imagine you go to church.  You know it is time for the Psalm, but in the bulletin you see the heading: Salimo 1. Under it, you try to solve the new puzzle of a new language.

Ngwodala munthu wosatsata uphungu wa anthu oipa,
wosatsanzira mayendedwe a anthu ochimwa,
wosakhala nawo m’gulu la anthu onyoza Mulungu,
koma wokondwerera kumvera malamulo a Chauta,
nkumasinkhasinkha za malamulowo usana ndi usiku.
Munthuyo ali ngati mtengo wobzalidŵa m’mbali mwa mtsinje wa madzi,
ngati mtengo wobereka zipatso pa nthaŵi yake,
umene masamba ake safota konse.
Zochita zake zonse zimamuyendera bwino.

As a person thirsty for knowledge, these words challenge you on many levels. Questions without easy answers swirl in your mind: How can I deal with not knowing the language I see in front of me?  I see everyone else seems to take it in easily…Do I feel intrigued by this situation?  Or frustrated by it?  Or overwhelmed by it? Or curious how to pronounce the letters which are also used for English? How in the world do people say “wobzalidŵa“ without breaking out into a sweat?  Why is there a little arrow on top of one “ŵ” but not the other?  

Also how can I spit out “nkumasinkhasinkha“?  What can such an unusual word (to me anyway) even mean?  Why does “malomulo” remind me of the word “marshmallow”?  How many words start with Mm: “munthu, mayendedwe, m’gulu, Mulungu, malomulo, malomulowo, munthuyu, mtengo, m’mbali, mwa, mtsinje, madzi, mtengo, masamba“? And then that last line all starts with Zz:  “Zochita zake zonse zimamuyendera bwino.” (Why not “zbwino” too?  Why does this all of a sudden seem all “zithery bwithery” like a great Dr. Seuss book?)

Am I just tired and ready to give up without a fight that learning these words would require me as an adult?  I must have done this to learn English but as a kid it didn’t seem so embarrassing to not know! Beyond just looking at the forms of the words on the page, maybe I should wonder about the message?  How can I learn more about what God has to say when His Word is comprised of words that baffle me?

But then you realize that the Bible has been translated into many languages including English.  The Chichewa language is spoken by millions in Malawi where you have just moved.  You see that it is from the part of the Bible called “Masalimo.”  Someone leans over to show you “Masalimo” means really does mean “Psalms.”  Now you have a key to understanding quickly because you can open up your English Bible to find the correct Bible book and verse so you can glean what the letter combinations mean. Oh…Now you can see it in English immediately.   With time and study, you can learn to connect word-to-word or phrase-to-phrase these first three verses of Psalm 1 in Chichewa.

“Blessed is the man (munthu) who does not walk (mayendewe) in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners (m’gulu la anthu onyoza Mulungu).  

But his delight is in the law (malomulo) of the LORD, and on his law (malomulowo) he meditates (nkusinkhasinkha) day and night.

He (munthuyo) is like a tree (mtengo) planted (wobzalidŵa) by (m’mbali mwa) streams (mtsinje) of water (madzi), which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf (masamba) does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers. (Zochita zake zonse zimayendera bwino)”

So through reading English even while hearing Chichewa you get the gist of the sounds.  Your ears hear the tongue-twisters that give you hardly any clues.   You hear the vowels as “ah,” “eh,” “ee,” “oh,” and “oo.”  No sounds connect to a word you can recognize, except for one…the last one “bwino” sounds a little like “bueno” from Spanish class.  Maybe that means “good” – you hope?!!

But only your eyes can help your mind connect these new words to images or experiences you already know.  You need to read it in English to understand what is happening in this part of the worship service.

Just as you picture the image of a beautiful tree that is deeply rooted next to streams of water and produces fruit, this moment is over!  So much to practice in order to master a new language!  

How can you worship God when you do not understand the language that is spoken or read during the service? That was my situation just over half a year ago. I was hearing the whole service in Chichewa but not really comprehending much. I am better at it now than I was then.  I use a bilingual approach to understand the messages in God’s Word.  My husband and I mark the Scripture lessons in our Chichewa Bibles ahead of time and we consult our English Bibles to prepare for Chichewa worship services.

On Sundays we attend an English service at 8:30 AM and the Chichewa service at 10:30.  Knowing the Bible and also knowing where to find the verses is the key to following the service.  Because we know the names of the books of the Bible in both language, we can understand what is happening around us. We add to our understanding one word at a time.  We need to repeat words again and again so that we don’t forget them.

A few months after we arrived in Malawi, a new group of students began their studies for the ministry at the Lutheran Bible Institute in Lilongwe, Malawi. They brought their families with them, and it became apparent to me that the wives were also adapting to a new language.  Many of Malawian students’ wives only know how to speak Chichewa or Chitumbuka (another language used in Malawi).  Some of the Zambian students’ wives puzzle over written Chichewa, since in their country the schools teach with English much more than with local languages.  Many of the wives feel overwhelmed by the English worship service.  

My hope is that all of us will be like a tree (mtengo) planted (wobzalidŵa) by (m’mbali mwa) streams (mtsinje) of water (madzi), which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf (masamba) does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers (Zochita zake zonse zimayendera bwino). A little practice will go a long way to help us appreciate God’s word in either language.

That’s why the student wives and I have begun meeting every Monday to study the Psalm which we all will sing in English the following Sunday.  I want to help them study with each other during the week.  They know each other well because they live on the same campus, their children play together, and they go to choir practice together. They sing enthusiastically in Chichewa, but not much in English.  So we play learning games together to connect the unknown with what is known. Every week we try to master singing the Psalm refrain from memory, without looking at the words.  But my desire for them is what I also desire, namely that we learn God’s Word in a new language using the language which we already know.  

We encourage each other in our roles as Christians and (future) called worker spouses. We learn how to use the hymnal and to recognize its distinct parts: “Liturgy,” “Psalm,” and “Hymn.” Instead of rote repetition, we use interactive ways of learning and teaching. This will help these young mothers teach their own children, and help these future pastors’ wives teach other women in their churches someday. We see that learning is important for adults. As I want to master a new language, so also they can improve how they express themselves.

Images in the Bible are reinforced in our minds here in Malawi every day. We see many beautiful trees here, but they need water to bear fruit at the appropriate time. So also we believers need to be rooted in God’s Word so that we give him thankful service at every stage in our life’s journey.  “Blessed are they who hope, who hope in the Lord!” echoes through the church, promising us blessings from God’s Word as Lutheran women here in Malawi.

I have seen orange papayas in July, purple Jacarandas and black mulberries in September, yellow bananas in November, and green mangos in December.  During the next few months I am looking forward to lemons, oranges, and guavas. So too, I look forward to seeing the fruits of faith that are now developing in these future pastors and their wives. Their lives will be a great blessing to both current and future believers as they continue to grow, deeply rooted in the Word of God.

Nancy Roebke lives 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

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is…teaching, then teach” (Romans 12:6-7)

The Lutheran Church of Cameroon in West Africa has 31 congregations served by only 8 pastors. No new pastors have graduated since 1999. In 2014, Missionary Dan Kroll arrived in the town of Kumba as the lone WELS missionary in the country. In the Fall of 2016, Missionary Kroll and one other Cameroonian Pastor began training a new class of 11 pre-seminary students. Their work is challenging for sure, but is greatly enhanced by WELS volunteers who come to Cameroon for short-term teaching trips. Could you be a future volunteer teacher? Read Missionary Kroll’s post and find out more.

A single missionary family posted in an outlying town with no major industry or tourism is a challenging circumstance.  That was Missionary Dan Kroll and his wife Karen until October 2017, when Missionary Jeff and Stephanie Heitsch moved to the town of Bamenda, Cameroon (about four hours’ drive from Kumba). Add to that the challenges of curriculum development and guidance of a sister synod, and one realizes quickly that even two teachers at Kumba are not enough to do the work.

Enter EAGER VOLUNTEERS!!  “…each according to his own ability.” (Matthew 25:15)

Our first volunteer teacher was Mr. Werner Lemke, a retired WELS teacher with African mission experience. Lemke taught at the Lutheran Bible Institute in Malawi from 1998-2006.  As we were starting our Bible Institute here in Cameroon, we asked Mr. Lemke to kick off our science program.  Since his wife Judy could not accompany him, Werner was only able to stay for three weeks.  The textbooks arrived late, so he had little opportunity to outline a full science curriculum for us. Perhaps we were a bit ambitious there! However, he introduced the Earth Sciences and helped our students understand that we study science to know the design of God’s creation.  It was a blessing to have him here.

Our first experience with a guest teacher was so successful that we decided to pursue others.

After much prayer, the Spirit brought Mr. Harry Mears and his wife Johanna into our focus in the Spring of 2017. (read more at https://welsfriendsofafrica.com/cameroon-connection/) As retired LES teachers, the two of them could teach Biology and World History as well as English Grammar and Music, respectively. When Harry experienced a heart attack in June 2017, he used the trip to Cameroon as a reason to work hard in therapy – and it worked!

“Papa” Harry and “Mama” Johanna arrived on the 23^rd of October and they formed great relationships in their teaching.  That also left missionary Kroll free to make a trip to Nigeria and to provide continuing education for pastors throughout the Lutheran Church of Cameroon.   An extra benefit of the Mears’ presence was the opportunity for our Cameroonian men to see another example of Christian marriage at work, a great blessing indeed. Watch a video of the students sending off the Mears:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zIyW8iwChM]

Three weeks after the Mears’ departure, our biology follow-up arrived. Nurse Kathie Wendland came to teach Health class. Being experienced in a variety of cultural settings, Kathie has been able to help our people (including some “frank talk” with the wives for one of the weeks) understand the health challenges they face and the false treatments that are sometimes proposed.  She was a blessing to push our work forward.

All of these volunteers have had a profound impact on our mission field in Cameroon. They have modeled authentic Christian life for our students. They have brought their expertise to the classroom in areas of study that we pastors do not have. They have helped people in the United States understand what their mission dollars are doing for peoples’ needs now, and how they are helping them for eternity

We give thanks to our Administrative Committee as well as the Board for World Missions for making it possible for those volunteers to come to Cameroon. They are our partners in our gospel work here for the glory of God!  We invite you to also partner with us in this exciting ministry, as you support us with your prayers and your offerings. And if you have the gift of teaching, may you use your gift for God’s glory no matter where you are.

Missionary Dan Kroll lives with his wife Karen in Cameroon

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 planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.” (1 Cor. 3:6)

To me, everything was business as usual.  Nothing stood out as extraordinary.  It was just another meeting.

Two weeks ago, the leaders of the Lutheran Church of Central Africa-Malawi Synod (LCCA-MS) met with the leaders of the WELS mission in Malawi.  Five Malawians represented the local synod.  Three missionaries represented WELS. We gathered at a rustic little lodge on the southern shores of Lake Malawi in a region called Mangochi. 

The scenery was stunning, but the meeting felt routine to me.  In the past 10 or 12 years, I have participated in dozens and dozens of such meetings.  So when we gathered in Mangochi, I didn’t think much of it.  It took the fresh perspective of a newly-arrived missionary to recognize what was extraordinary.

Let me explain.  The LCCA-MS is almost 55 years old.  In 1963, two WELS missionaries from the neighboring country of Zambia moved to the densely-populated southern region of Malawi.  Back then, WELS missionaries did 100% of the ministry in Malawi.  They preached all the sermons in the local languages, baptized all the babies and taught the confirmation classes.  Yes, there were a few dedicated laymen and church elders who could help with this, but the LCCA-MS did not have even a single Malawian pastor until 1976.

In fact, the missionaries weren’t just doing the preaching and baptizing.  Back in the early days, missionaries also served as the elected officers of the local synod.  A missionary served as synod president, another as vice president, as secretary, treasurer and so on.  The missionaries ran the meetings of the church.  The missionaries made the plans and controlled all of the funding.

Think about that for a minute.  Back in 1975, all the members of the Lutheran Church of Central Africa-Malawi Synod were native Africans, and all of the pastors and leaders of their synod were foreign missionaries.

How strange!  How very, very strange.

Things are much different today.  Today there are about 35 Malawian pastors and vicars who serve the LCCA-MS. No congregation of the LCCA-MS is regularly served by an American.  Malawian pastors do virtually all of the preaching, all of the baptizing, all of the confirmations and the funerals.  All of these pastors are paid and supported by the congregations that they serve.  Today, the executive committee of the LCCA-MS is a five man board, and every one of them is a Malawian.  They stand at the head of a Synod that numbers more than 45,000 baptized souls.

Two weeks ago I sat beneath a large Kachere tree on the shores of Lake Malawi.  As a warm breeze blew across the lake and monkeys bounded through the branches of the tree, three WELS missionaries met with the leaders of the local Malawian synod.  All five of those LCCA leaders had names that might sound strange to you – names like Rev. Riphat Matope (mah-TOE-pay), the Synod Chairman, or Rev. Alfred Kumchulesi (KOOH-mtchoo-lay-see), the Synod secretary – but they are not strange to me.  They are my friends, my brothers in God’s family, my fellow workers in Christ’s vineyard.  So we sat and talked like brothers, easily and openly, about the gospel ministry we share.   

There was a time not too long ago when the LCCA-MS had very few members and not even a single pastor.  Now they have 45,000 baptized members and better than three dozen pastors.  There was a time when foreign missionaries completely controlled the operation and administration of the synod.  But now we take the fact for granted: It is a Malawian synod, and Malawians will lead it.

And perhaps the most amazing thing is this… No one bats an eyelash anymore.  It’s business as usual.  It’s our standard practice over here.

Amazing growth. Amazing grace. God’s business – as usual.

Missionary Mark Panning teaches at the Lutheran Bible Institute 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