From Rev. Claude and Rhoda Houge in Tanzania and Uganda
We spent time in Kampala with the missionaries-Jake and Michelle Gillard and their daughters, Amelia and Evangeline, and Shauen Trump (Shauen’s wife Krista was in the United States at the time). They are doing well and working hard with the Lutheran Church Mission in Uganda (LCMU). We also met with LCMU leadership. We are always impressed at how this young church is growing because the leaders are so focused on outreach. We also met three short-term volunteers from the U.S. who were finishing up two months of hard work in Uganda, but they were still smiling and enjoyed their time there. We’re hoping to request more people to help in the future.
“While in Kampala, we were joined by interim Assistant Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sudan, Rev. Jacob Bisi. Pastor Jacob wanted to get to know the LCMU leadership. These two fairly young churches have much in common, and they can be supportive of one another. The overwhelming request from both churches is help with training! It’s hard to plant new churches without enough pastors or trained lay leaders. LCMS is funding several projects to help with this big need. As missionaries working together in East Africa, we enjoyed a special meal together after the Sunday worship service.
“While in western Kenya, we visited Bishop Obare of the ELCK, whom we had not seen since our return from the U.S. We also discussed plans for Kenyan Mission Training Centers with Rev. Titus Okoda, Mission Training Center coordinator in Kenya. As a result of that meeting, we’ll be stopping in Kisii on our way back to Nairobi to conduct a two-day workshop for the MTC managers so they are more familiar with the upcoming courses that they will be teaching. We also met with Bishop Andrew Gulle, and he shared how effective the MTC program is working in the East of Lake of Victoria Diocese. Thousands of Sukuma people have been reached with the Gospel because the MTC students each find a village with no church and begin one there. Lay leadership is important in a diocese with 72 parishes (between three and eight congregations each) and only 45 pastors.
“Bishop Gulle took us to two MTCs so that we could see the work first hand. In both of these places, dormitories were begun a few years ago so that the students would have a place to sleep when they come for training each month. Funds ran out before the buildings were completed, and the students have slept on the floor in the church or pastor’s house. We are requesting some short-term teams to take on these projects-to help fund the completion of the dorms and then to come and work alongside the local church people to do the actual building. If you are interested in serving, contact Jennifer Mustard at LCMS World Mission for more information.”
(800) 433-3954
Thu, Sep 3, 2009
Africa, Good News from the Field, International