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Friday, April 11, 2014 at 5:48PM "Papa? Papa?" “Yes, Josiah?” “After I eat my noodles I want to eat your birthday cake. Because I love you a lot. But just the frosting - I don’t want the inside.”
Friday, March 14, 2014 at 2:52PM One of our dear missionaries on the Kenya field is Miss Britt Anderson ( http://www.lcms.org/britt.anderson ), who is currently working with a primary school in Kibera. The Lutheran Hour Ministries program recently featured this school, Karama Academy - Kibera, in a video series they produced as part of the Online Mission Trip programming. See a little bit of Britt in action:
Karama Academy from Lutheran Hour Ministries on Vimeo.
Friday, March 14, 2014 at 2:14PM In February, The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod's (LCMS) East Africa Field Office hosted a team from St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. This congregation is in a long-term partnership with the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCK) in Kenya's Pwani Parish through the LCMS's Congregation Connect program. Every time they visit, St. Andrew's comes in response to a specific request from the ELCK parish. This time, the parish requested a medical clinic at two locations where they have recent church plants. These medical clinics open opportunities for people from the community to learn more about the church and Jesus Christ. Here's a 30-minute report of the visit presented by Vicar John Dehne of St. Andrews.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014 at 10:05AM People often ask what The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) is doing in East Africa. Here’s a snip from our catalogue of projects in Africa, one of the ongoing grants that the LCMS awards to our partner church in this area:
Scholarships to Matongo: The church in East Africa is vibrant and growing. New congregations are being planted across the region and the church is struggling to provide pastors for those congregations. Often, the lay leader of a newly planted congregation is willing to study at a regional seminary in Matongo, Kenya, but doesn’t have the resources to pay for the tuition, room, and board. The churches of East Africa are eager to access resources that will enable them to send candidates to the seminary. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is perfectly poised to collaborate with our partner churches in the region and Neema Lutheran Theological Seminary in Matongo to provide scholarships for those the church is calling and sending. Praise the Lord for the ways He calls His people and His pastors into service.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014 at 10:01AM People often ask what The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) is doing in East Africa. Here’s a snip from our catalogue of projects in Africa, one of the ongoing grants that the LCMS awards to our partner church in Uganda, The Lutheran Church Mission in Uganda (LCMU):
Lay Leadership Training (Uganda): The Lutheran Church Mission in Uganda is a young but rapidly growing church body. Because of God’s calling to the people of Uganda, the pastors of the church are each overseeing about ten congregations, sometimes quite distant from each other, which together form a parish. Those congregations are led by lay leaders who serve the church faithfully each Sunday, leading worship, praying, and preaching. The pastors and his lay leaders are crying out for a deeper and richer understanding of God’s Word and His ways among His people. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has a program for just this need, which we call the Mission Training Center Program. The Mission Training Center Program provides resources to gather those lay leaders once a month for four or five days for their parish pastor to explore, teach, and prepare them for the work God has put before them in the church. The two-year Mission Training Center curriculum enables the parish pastor to confidently entrust his congregations to his lay leaders and enables the lay leaders to confidently preach and teach in the congregation under the guidance and direction of their pastor.
Thursday, February 6, 2014 at 1:31PM This is a cross-post from the February 2014 (Volume 9 Issue 2) newsletter of Dan and Patty Schmelzer of Capstone Ministries in Kisumu, Kenya. You can learn more about the work God is doing through Capstone at: http://www.CapstoneMinistries.org/
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God, Poverty, Mercy "When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord...and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: a pair of doves or two young pigeons." Luke 2:22,24
What is the best way to respond to poverty? Is mission work the same as poverty alleviation? Why did the Lord send Jesus to live in a family beset by poverty?
The purification laws of Leviticus 12 required a Jewish couple to bring a burnt offering and a sin offering 40 days after the birth of a boy. A lamb was to be presented as the burnt offering and a dove or a pigeon as a sin offering. As devout Jews Mary and Joseph knew this and came to Jerusalem to present the required sacrifices. However we are only told that they brought pigeons or doves. Leviticus allowed for a poor family to present one dove or one pigeon for a burnt offering in the place of the lamb and the other for a sin offering. This is what Mary and Joseph did. This detail tells us much about the economic status of the holy family.
God the Father could have ordained that his only Son take on flesh and blood within a family with the means to support Him with all that he might require: a comfortable house, a good school, plenty of food and clothing. These are all things that every parent prioritizes for his children. But these things did not seem to be on the top of the Father's list for his Son. Instead he selected a poor couple with little in material goods to offer his Son. Joseph, his adoptive father was a common laborer. He does however show himself to be a man of integrity and sensitivity. When Mary is found to be pregnant, we are told "Joseph, her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly." His human mother was a young, devout good girl. Mary's Magnificat recorded in Luke 1 shows her to be spiritually mature despite her young age. She knew her Lord well and links Gabriel's description with her words "my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." Mary and Joseph were poor but Godly people.
So it is obvious that the Lord choose the spiritual over material. A loving and faith filled home was more important than a better house, more food or better economic opportunities. Even the message of the Prince of Peace prioritized the spiritual things of life over the material. He doesn't say in his Sermon on the Mount: "blessed are those who hunger and thirst for more stuff" but rather "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." Mt. 5:6
Capstone Ministries works with the poorest of the poor. Most are lucky to have one good meal a day, much less three. When we reconcile families with their sons from the street, the family is hard pressed to care for another mouth to feed. Most are challenged to provide the basics. Few can offer their prodigal son even a mattress to sleep on. The physical needs are obvious when our staff visit the families.
Even though we do, at times, help families with their physical needs, it is not our priority. Even as the Father wanted stable, righteous and God-fearing parents for the King of Kings as he grew and developed in Nazareth so Capstone works with families to establish the same for these reconciled boys. Parents who love God more than the trappings of life will also love their children more than anything else. This is why our budget plan focuses on home visits by staff. Encouragement, correction, reconciliation, Bible studies, and counseling all necessitate travel of our staff to the homes of reconciled boys. Sharing the Gospel is always best done face to face. People grow and develop in their faith when a trusted friend, pastor or counselor takes the time to visit with you, cry a few tears, laugh a little and talk over the important things of God.
There is a growing trend even in churches and religious circles to prioritize the physical needs of the poor. Some even call this "mission work." While caring for those in need certainly should be part of "loving our neighbor as ourselves", Jesus reminds us that "man does not live on bread alone." An empty stomach is a sad thing but an empty heart is even sadder. St. Francis was quoted as saying, "Preach the Gospel, and if necessary, use words." I say "Preach the Gospel, and because it is necessary, use words."
Friday, January 31, 2014 at 9:58PM Field Notes for January 2014 has been published. This issue of Field Notes included the following articles:
Our prayer requests this month include:
In Praise
Tuesday, January 28, 2014 at 1:17PM This month's LCMS magazine "Lutherans Engage the World" features a full-page photo of Shauen! Thank you to our Facebook friends for letting us know!
;)
Thursday, January 23, 2014 at 3:34PM The following post is provided by Rev. Dr. Albert Collver III, LCMS Director for Church Relations, as found on the LCMS Witness, Mercy, Life Together Blog. The original is posted here.
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Africa Trip: Kenya
Dr. Al Collver, Archbishop Walter Obare, and President Harrison in Nairobi Kenya.
On 22 January 2014, President Harrison visited the headquarters of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Kenya (ELCK), in altar and pulpit fellowship with the LCMS and a member of the International Lutheran Council (ILC), to celebrate a decade of LCMS work with the ELCK. President Harrison, then executive director of World Relief and Human Care, visited Kenya in December 2003 at the request of then Bishop Walter Obare.
Former street children from Nakuru now under the care of the ELCK demonstrated gymnastics for the LCMS delegation.
A choir sings gospel songs.
Archbishop Obare and Rev. Shauen Trump discuss how the LCMS and the ELCK can better cooperate.
View of Children’s Traffic park on Uhuru Road from the headquarters of the ELCK.
President Harrison, Dr. Collver, and Rev. Shauen Trump spent the day with Archbishop Obare and the bishops and bishops elect from each region of the ELCK. Remembrance of the past and hope for the future occupied the day.
President Harrison and Dr. Collver departed Kenya for Ethiopia.
- Posted on 23 January 2014 by Dr. Albert Collver using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, January 21, 2014 at 8:45PM Me [reading]: Goodnight little house, and goodnight mouse.
Elijah: [sneeze]
Josiah: Elijah blessted on me!
Me: Elijah sneezed on you.
Josiah: No, Elijah blessted on me!
Me: No, Elijah sneezed on you. "Bless you" is what we say after someone sneezes.
Josiah: Elijah blessted on me.
Me: Okay. Bless you, Elijah... Goodnight clocks and goodnight socks...
Wednesday, January 15, 2014 at 8:47PM Josiah's first day of school is today at West Nairobi School, an American school here in Karen on the outskirts of Nairobi. I think we're more nervous than he is!
Thursday, January 2, 2014 at 8:50PM ;)
Sledding in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin (northern hemisphere);)
Playing at home in Nairobi, Kenya (southern hemisphere)
Tuesday, December 31, 2013 at 3:08PM Our time in the States is over. Now we're heading back to our wonderful home in Kenya. With three boys now, we've got lots of luggage and an interesting trip ahead of us. Krista is sitting by herself the first flight in the bulkhead with a baby cot. The second flight she's sitting across the aisle from us. So both flights I get to care for the two older boys by myself again. Krista will take care of Isaiah, bless her heart. Pray for journey mercies for us all!
Shauen & Krista
We have all arrived safely back at our home in Nairobi - praise the Lord! Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and support. God is good, all the time.
;)
;)
;)
Saturday, December 28, 2013 at 3:03PM While it has been CONSIDERABLY easier to manage insurance and paperwork here in the USA, we still do need to go a few extra steps to get Isaiah home to Kenya with us. We couldn't rush anything so we just had to wait... A few weeks after the birth we received the notification that his birth certificate could be picked up at the county records office. Check. Then a couple weeks later we received his Social Security Card in the mail. Check. Now to set an appointment to apply in-person in Chicago for a rush passport for the child who is already booked to fly back to Kenya on Tuesday, December 31st... First available appointment in Chicago? Friday, December 27th. Remarkably enough, this is still only a fraction as stressful as every single other passport process we've gone through for our boys. So we were off to Chicago a few days before we fly, apply in person for a rush passport (turns out we didn't need the appointment anyway), wait a few hours, pick up the passport, and drive back up to Wisconsin. Check. Looks like we'll all get to go home after all!
Tuesday, December 24, 2013 at 2:45PM My good friend Rev. Billy Brath (http://www.revcreative.org/) shared this with me. I'm pretty emotional on Holy Days, and this made me cry several times. It's very, very good. I'm sorry I can't embed it:
http://skitguys.com/videos/item/social-network-christmas
Merry Christmas to you from the Trump Family.
-Shauen
Sunday, November 24, 2013 at 2:56PM Today a miracle was worked on my heathen, fallen, and sinful child. He was rescued by the saving waters of baptism, faith was worked in him, and he was claimed by Christ for salvation. I had the joy of baptizing Isaiah myself - as I have my other two children as well. Isaiah's sponsors are Rev. Billy Brath of Orlando, Florida and LCMS Missionary Shara Cunningham of Nairobi, Kenya. Praise the Lord for Isaiah's baptism and pray with me that he abides in his baptismal grace throughout his life.
;)
Our family with one of Isaiah's sponsors, Rev. Billy Brath, holding him
Saturday, November 16, 2013 at 2:51PM - Shauen, Krista, Josiah, Elijah, and Isaiah, your LCMS Missionaries to East Africa
Wednesday, November 6, 2013 at 8:17PM I was recently asked what I like most about my life in Kenya and the ministry God has put before me...
The rich cultures of Kenya place a high value on relationships which contributes to a welcoming hospitality and a deemphasis on hurry, haste, and busyness. Many cultures are built around traditional conservatives values with minimal influence from materialism or the inherent frustrations of an entertainment/leisure-based culture. Kenya is a wonderful place to raise a family and we feel fortunate despite cross-cultural frustrations to be called here. My favorite task as a missionary in Kenya is to visit, encourage, and walk alongside God’s people here in their own context. I love to be in the bush, worshiping with a small congregation under a tree or in a mud church and joining them in their songs of exuberance and joy, to receive their warm hospitality and tea or a meal, to walk with them in their community, to share with them our own joys and challenges and to hear theirs. This ministry of presence, a focus on relationship and fellowship in Christ, both fulfills and encourages us all as fellow believers for the glory of His name and for the sake of reaching the lost. These are the joys of my life and work. Thanks be to God!
-Shauen
Monday, November 4, 2013 at 6:38PM Field Notes for October 2013 has been published. This issue of Field Notes included the following articles:
Our prayer requests this month include:
In Praise