WELS Missions » Nigeria

Continue to Pray for Motorbike Blessings

dweiser — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:58:50 +0000

Three teeth! A severe problem in America. A near tragedy in Nigeria, where health insurance and dental care are very rare.

Rev. Mathias Odey, President of All Saints Lutheran Church of Nigeria, wrote in an August 14 email, “Pastor Ento fell on a motor bike and loss three of teeth, though he has improved markly.” This is bad news, especially for Pastor Anthony Ento, ordained just this past April. Ento suffered serious health problems in his last year at the seminary, but was able to finish his courses by the grace of God. Now, just three months into his ministry, this accident.

Funny, sometimes when I show video of the April 20 ordination service, some viewers laugh a bit nervously when we come to my dedication and blessing of the new pastors’ new motorbikes. I guess blessing motorbikes is unusual practice in WELS (though strangely enough, blessing church organs is commonly accepted).

I claim we need God’s blessings on the pastors riding their motorbikes over the bush trails of Nigeria. For one, so that they devote the use of their bikes to get from place to place to serve their people. And for another, because of the safety factor (a safety factor not shared by church organs). We need God’s blessing to keep our brothers and their families safe on their motorbikes.

So continue to pray for motorbike blessings. And pray for Pastor Ento, that his bruises are healed, his teeth are repaired, and his motorbike is back into service for the kingdom of our Lord.

Sisters Take Nigeria to Tucson

dweiser — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:00:43 +0000

They sang. They danced. They spoke. They showed many pictures. They opened their hearts about their sisters in Nigeria. They showed off their women’s fellowship uniforms. They wept a few tears of joy. “Sisters Serving Jesus” – the LWMS women’s visiting team took their Nigeria experience to Tucson, reporting to the 45^th annual Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society convention on the fourth weekend of June. They shared their message of sisterly love from Nigeria to the LWMS. The Christian love was mutual.

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Sarah Malchow (Wisconsin) shared the places and the events of their April visit in word and colorful slides. Carol Egelseer (Wisconsin) showed her list of ten favorite sights and events in Nigeria. Michelle Markgraf (South Dakota) spoke of the six women’s conferences in Nigeria, sharing sights, celebration dance, and the unofficial theme song of the visit, “Lord, I Thank You for Making Me a Woman.” Ima Udofia (Virginia) spoke of the way our Nigerian sisters were moved to plan fellowship meetings of their own, bringing women of both synods together. This final mission presentation of the annual convention ended with Ima Udofia presenting an irregular block of salt to LWMS President Lynnette Hupman. This carried out the wishes of the women of Yala (All Saints), who sent that salt as their gift to the LWMS for sharing the “Sisters Serving Jesus” team with them in April 2008.

Keep ‘Em Rolling

dweiser — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:00:49 +0000

Ezekiel saw living spirits in service to God moving on wheels. Somehow this translates into our desire to have our pastors in Nigeria on wheels too. Nothing so complicated as Ezekiel’s vision for our pastors however. Motorbike wheels are far more practical for them. Especially as they navigate the sand trails or muddy ravines in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States of Nigeria.

Special gifts from members of WELS have provided the first motorbikes to our Nigeria pastors since 1998. This year, we were privileged to graduate ten pastoral candidates from Christ the King Lutheran Seminary. Seven of them were ordained and assigned to their congregations of All Saints Lutheran Church of Nigeria in late April. Those seven were also given the cash to secure their motorbikes. These were presented at their ordination and blessed for service in God’s kingdom. The three remaining candidates will be ordained by Christ the King Lutheran Church of Nigeria in December. In January, they too will be equipped to buy their motorbikes. The object is to keep ‘em rollin’ in making contact with their people.

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Ordination of New Pastors

dweiser — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:42:32 +0000

They turned around to face the assembly in full celebration mode. Seven new pastors of All Saints Lutheran Church of Nigeria, resplendent in their new white gowns, purple stoles and starch-white clergy collars, managed broad smiles. A rousing cheer of joy rose from two hundred church members packed inside the Ishibori church, joined by another 200 outside under sun-drenched canopies. The All Saints Lutheran clergy roster had just jumped from two pastors serving 5000 people to nine pastors. It was a milestone, this first ordination conducted entirely by All Saints LCN on 20 April, 2008.

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Safe at Home, but Hearts in Nigeria

dweiser — Fri, 02 May 2008 23:50:16 +0000

The LWMS visiting team has come home to the USA. Michelle Markgraf, Carol Egelseer, Sarah Malchow and Pastor Weiser arrived home on 26 April. Ima Udofia landed two days later, along with her husband Ikpe and son Anieti. They made a family trip of it, by flying along with Ima. And yes, it was great to get home again to the embrace of family and WELS friends.

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In Africa at Last

dweiser — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:23:01 +0000

He was more than a little excited. His dream had been to serve as missionary in Africa. The Lord seemed to point him that way three times before in the last 20 years. Each time, the Lord led him to the answer “not yet.”

Meanwhile, a brother pastor was spearheading WELS assistance to Christ the King Lutheran Seminary in Nigeria. The team of volunteer WELS pastors was lacking a man to teach in the last WELS session at the Nigerian seminary. The WELS Liaison then remembered a brother pastor. “Paul Lemke, will you go to Nigeria to teach a session at the seminary?” “Let me check with my church and family. But for me the answer is absolutely, yes.” On 4 January 2008 Pastor Paul Lemke landed in Africa at last. He worked hard, teaching his course plus a make-up course.

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LWMS Women’s Visit to Nigeria Continues

dweiser — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:44:08 +0000

Our LWMS visitors decided they like the bush churches. Like yesterday in Yala area SW of Ogoja. Rural village, small church, short walls, tin roof not far overhead, over 200 eager women plus a few men and lots of children crowded into every space. About 100 degrees indoors.

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Where There Are Children, There’s Carol

dweiser — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:21:29 +0000

She seeks them out. She draws them out. Nigerian kids of all ages love to flock to Carol Egelseer on the LWMS April visit. This morning we worshiped at Christ the King Lutheran in Calabar. This congregation has children in the worship service instead of closeted away for Sunday School. You could hear their voices piping up loud “Halleluias” at all the appropriate times. Carol had pretty much made eye contact with every child in that church by service end.

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LWMS Women Visit Nigeria

dweiser — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 19:10:20 +0000

Greetings from Calabar, Nigeria! Carol, Ima, Michelle, and Sarah are half way through their women’s conferences. Three so far, ending in Calabar today. 220 and 160 at the first two, and about 40 today.

What fellowship, what love sister to sister! Our four presenters are just great! What they are learning from the Lutheran women of Nigeria is eye-opening and life-changing.
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About Africa Missions

missions — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:00:00 +0000

WELS largest mission field is Africa, where it is working in partnership with five independent national synods that are currently ministering to about 64,000 souls with God’s Word.

In Zambia, in the south-central region of the continent, WELS missionaries have been operating since the early 1950s. 7 expatriate missionaries and 19 national pastors serve 32 established congregations of the Lutheran Church of Central Africa (LCCA)—Zambia Synod, plus over 100 preaching stations numbering nearly 13,000 souls. A residential Seminary, located in the capital of (more…)