WELS Missions » The Bios

Bio: Eric Duwe

missions — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 19:28:09 +0000

My role in the WELS Thailand Mission is as a mission assistant. I teach English classes to students who attend the Bible Institute in Chiang Mai, and also live in the guys’ dorm as a resource for the guys there. Some evenings I teach English as an outreach tool for the church. I assist the mission with some administrative tasks, such as bookkeeping for the craft program, publicity work, and picking up supplies for the mission and the dorm when needed. There are many little things that come up from day to day; the more that I can do as a mission assistant the better, because it frees up time for the missionaries to be doing gospel work.

I’ve had a great deal of interest serving the Lord through Kingdom Workers for quite some time. In my last semester of college, I got in contact with Kingdom Workers to see what possibilities were out there. Although my academic focus in the university was Latin American studies, the job responsibilities for the Thailand mission assistant seemed to be the best match for my skills and interests.

Bio: Katie Lehman

Katie Lehman — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 02:43:20 +0000

Everyone in the Thailand Mission fills many different roles. As a Kingdom Worker, some of my jobs are to teach English to the Bible Institute students, to help run the handicraft program and weekly craft times, to teach English outreach classes a few days a week, and to be a support to the mission with other general needs. I also live with the girls who are studying at the Bible Institute. Overall, I see the purpose of my job being to encourage the national Christians who are studying here who will go on to be Christian leaders in their communities.

As I was looking into what to do after graduation, I kept seeing WELS World Mission updates on my church bulletin board. I was interested in doing something where I could actually live with national people in a different culture, see the church from a global perspective, and be in a place where I could encourage Christians and non-Christians. Many Kingdom Worker positions are geared toward teaching English, but the Thailand role has a variety of other responsibilities which have been a good fit for me.

Bio: David Bivens

dbivens — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:23:34 +0000

Missionary David Bivens was assigned as a missionary to Brazil where he and his wife would carry out ministry in the Portuguese language in and around the city of Gravataí located in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. Please pray for them as they seek to bring the Gospel message to another country and culture!

Bio: Guy Marquardt

gmarquardt — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:22:48 +0000

Missionary Guy Marquardt has served on the Brazil field since his assignment from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 1994. The Marquardt family lives in Gravataí, in the southern-most state in Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul. Missionary Marquardt’s current duties include serving as Field Coordinator for the Brazil mission and director of the seminary, and modeling ministry in the mission congregation in Gravataí.

Bio: Amanda Paltzer

apaltzer — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:22:04 +0000

Amanda serves the mission in Zambia in her role as Support Manager and Nutrition Consultant in the new Lutheran Health and Development Program. She was born and raised in the US’s Midwest. While attending the University of Minnesota, she met her husband, Jason, through True North Campus Ministries. Amanda has lived in Zambia since 2005 when she and Jason were married.

Bio: Doug Weiser

dweiser — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:20:18 +0000

Pastor Douglas Weiser serves a congregation in Bellevue, WA. In addition to his full-time service there he also serves as the WELS liaison to our sister synod’s in Nigeria. Doug has served in Louisiana, South Dakota and Zambia, Africa. He makes several trips to Nigeria each year to assist the sister synods.

Bio: Bill Meier

bmeier — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:17:42 +0000

Lay Missionary Meier and his wife Cathy lived and served in Malawi from 2001 through 2007. The family is currently in Portugal learning to speak Portuguese. After one year in Portugal they will move to Nampula, Mozambique to begin urban outreach efforts. Much detailed survey work will need to be finished before the ministry can be established. However, the current vision is to use a Christian Information Center (CIC) along with radio ministry to start the efforts. The CIC may be used to offer Bible Storying type classes and possibly ESL.

Bio: Rachel Hartman

rhartman — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:16:47 +0000

Rachel first came to Mexico in 2000 to teach English. There she met Missionary Mike Hartman, and, as the story goes, never returned home. The couple was blessed with their first child, Trinity Rose, in February 2007.

Bio: Brad Wordell

bwordell — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:12:02 +0000

Brad Wordell began serving in Japan in 1999. After two years of Japanese language training began serving at Aganai (Redemption) Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tokyo. Brad is now also serving on the Lutheran Evangelical Christian Church’s (LECC in Japan) governing board. Brad and Andrea have five children all of who live in Japan.

Bio: Dan Myers

dmyers — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:11:34 +0000

Missionary Myers graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 1980. Dan has served in Barre, Vermont and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada and Great Plains Lutheran High School in Watertown, South Dakota.

Dan, his wife, Peggy and daughter Kara arrived in Cameroon in 2007.