One thing leads to another – in this case, an online Bible school has led to new contacts in Gambella, Ethiopia.

WELS’ Multi-Language Productions offers an online Bible school called TELL.  A large majority of the school’s students are located in Africa. However, people all around the world find TELL very encouraging and use it as their primary source of spiritual growth.  One of our participants is moving into a new and fairly untested level that requires him to confess doctrine agreement with the WELS.

Meet the Students

Opiew Adiew Okugn is from Gambella, Ethiopia. He has been faithful in the TELL program for roughly two years.  He is ready for a TELL Counsellor to work with him at the Multiplication Level of the TELL program. This is challenging Opiew to make use of the knowledge he learned from the TELL program.  The first step, again, is for him to make a statement of agreement with WELS teachings.

When I met with Opiew at Addis Ababa I was reminded about how “one thing leads to another.” Opiew came with three of his brothers from the Gambella Lutheran Church to discuss some essential points of doctrine.  Alfred comes with a degree in teaching. He had been in another church until he saw the false teaching there.  Both Ochalla Omod and Otong Omod have training in another Lutheran Seminary. They also found false teaching and a lot of church politics that they wanted to get away from.  These four men actually started their own congregation in 2015, and have been looking for an international Lutheran group to join for several years.

Looking to the Next Thing

We studied together for four days.  We built good relationships in our study of the truth of Scripture. Those studies were enough to move Opiew into the Multiplication Level.  I was happy to get to know all four of these men personally and especially to hear their doctrinal stand on some important issues.  We will have a good group to study with for the coming years to confirm and build up their ministry.  We might even have the opportunity to bring them close to our brothers and sisters in the Lutheran Church of Ethiopia.  Sometimes things get tangled, but God uses those entanglements to lead from one thing to another. 

Dan Kroll lives in Malawi and is the One Africa Team 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

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.” 

“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

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

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.

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. 

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.

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