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Wednesday, September 24, 2014 at 11:14AM How many missionaries does the LCMS have? As of September 2014:
Saturday, September 20, 2014 at 9:49AM The church in many places is plagued by "members" who slander, divide, sue, and attempt to pull missionaries into the conflict. It is not difficult to see what the Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions say about these matters.
The Bible illustrates, explains, and offers solutions for interpersonal conflict. Among the more notable instances of interpersonal conflict recorded in the Bible are the hostilities between Cain and Abel (Gen. 4:1–16), Abram and Lot (Gen. 13:8–18), Jacob and Esau (Gen. 25–27; 32–33), Jacob and Laban (Gen. 29–31), Saul and David (1 Sam. 18–31), Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38–42), Jesus’ disciples (Mark 9:33–37; Luke 22:24–27), Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:36–41), and the Corinthian believers (1 Cor. 1:10–12; 3:2–4; 11:18).
The root cause of interpersonal conflict is sin (Gal. 5:19–20). James explains that fighting is the result of uncontrolled passions and desires (James 4:1–3). The book of Proverbs characterizes those who stir up conflict as persons given to anger (Prov. 15:18; 29:22), greed (Prov. 28:25), hate (Prov. 10:12), gossip (Prov. 16:28), and worthless perversions (Prov. 6:12–15). Such conflicts inevitably result in personal destruction (Prov. 6:15), discord (Prov. 6:14), and strife (Prov. 10:12; 16:28). It is no wonder that “the Lord hates … who stirs up trouble among brothers” (Prov. 6:16, 19 HCSB).
The Bible places great value on the ability to live at peace with one another (Ps. 34:14; Mark 9:50; Rom. 14:19; 1 Thess. 5:13; Heb. 12:14; 1 Pet. 3:11), in unity (Ps. 133:1), and harmony (Rom. 15:5–6). At the same time, the Bible declares unequivocally that such peace is given only by God (Num. 6:26; John 14:27; 16:33; 2 Cor. 13:11; 2 Thess. 3:16) and lived out only as believers pattern their lifestyles after that of Jesus (Phil. 2:3–8).
Above text from Chad Brand et al., eds., “Conflict, Interpersonal,” Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), 330.
This citation found on the LCMS Missouri District website page on Conflict Management & Reconciliation at https://mo.lcms.org/conflict-management-reconciliation/
Given the references above, our confessions have - as we expect - firm footing in the places where they address conflict, ecclesiastical structures, good order, and lawsuits.
I. The 8th Commandment
When any Christian is approached for the purpose of discussing another, he must cloak himself in his relation to his neighbors with the mind God appoints in the 8th Commandment, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”
In furtherance of this commandment, Luther in our Small Catechism explains, “We should fear and love God that we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, nor defame our neighbor, but defend him, speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.”
Luther in his Large Catechism (LC) expounds again:
No one shall use the tongue to harm a neighbor, whether friend or foe. No one shall say anything evil of a neighbor, whether true or false, unless it is done with proper authority or for that person’s improvement. Rather, we should use our tongue to speak only the best about all people, to cover the sins and infirmities of our neighbors, to justify their actions, and to cloak and veil them with our own honor. (LC 285)
Thus it is clear that in all conversation we are to put the best construction on everything, defend, and speak well of our neighbor, and even to cover their infirmities with our own honor. This must be our attitude in any discussion about a brother. As faithful pastors and missionaries, we strive to not only abide by the commandment but to remind all who approach us of the same.
II. The Divine Appointment of Leaders, Bishops, and Overseers
God Himself has appointed for us pastors, bishops, and overseers, whether through election by the people, appointment by one or a committee, or otherwise. In all matters of dealing with authority in the church, Scripture is direct and clear: “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden” (Hebrews 13:17). Even of the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, Christ said, “You must obey them and do everything they tell you” (Matthew 23:3).
A Christian must cloak himself in his relation to authorities with the mind God appoints in the 4th Commandment, “Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother, that it may be well with thee and thou mayest live long on the earth.”
In furtherance of this commandment, Luther in our Small Catechism explains, “We should fear and love God that we may not despise our parents and masters, nor provoke them to anger, but give them honor, serve and obey them, and hold them in love and esteem.”
Luther in his Large Catechism expounds again upon this first and greatest of the commandments relating to our neighbor (LC.103) clearly identifying the four kinds of fathers in this commandment: fathers by blood, fathers of a household, fathers of the nation, and spiritual fathers. In reference to 1 Tim 5:17, Luther writes, “They who would bear the name of Christian owe it to God to show ‘double honor’ to those who watch over their souls and to treat them well and make provision for them” (LC.161). The honor due to our spiritual fathers clearly extends beyond service, obedience, love, and esteem, to even “deference, humility, and modesty directed (so to speak) toward a majesty concealed within them” (LC.106).
Beyond direct Scripture and the Catechisms, our Lutheran Symbols speak considerably on our deference to our bishops in the Augsburg Confession (CA):
According to divine right it is the office of the bishop to preach the gospel, to forgive sin, to judge doctrine and reject doctrine that is contrary to the gospel, and to exclude from the Christian community the ungodly whose ungodly life is manifest – not with human power but with God’s Word alone. That is why parishioners and churches owe obedience to bishops according to this saying of Christ (Luke 10[:16]): ‘Whoever listens to you listens to me.’. (CA XXVIII.21)
For the sake of God’s command, everyone should honor and esteem with all reverence both authorities and powers as the two highest gifts of God on earth. (CA XXVII.4)
Again, if Paul mandates (Romans 13:1-7) to the church in Rome that they must submit to the governing civil authorities, who are doubtless pagans, how much more must we submit to the spiritual authorities who we can be assured “have been established by God.”
Even in the face of offensive personal conduct on the part of those in the church, Lutherans are prohibited from being advocates or participants in schism: “Christ has also warned us in his parables on the church that when offended by the personal conduct of either priests or people, we should not incite schisms as the Donatists wickedly did” Ap VIII.49.
III. Good Order in the Church – for the Sake of Love and Peace
Beyond the commandment to defend our neighbor, speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything, and beyond the commandment to obey our leaders and submit to their authority, both of which are fully supported and applicable as expounded in our Lutheran Symbols, we also confidently hold that God has established in His church good order, and this for our own benefit – for the sake of love and peace.
Concerning church regulations made by human beings, it is taught to keep those that may be kept without sin and that serve to maintain peace and good order in the church. (CA XV.1)
Regulation belongs rightfully in the Christian assembly for the sake of love and peace, to be obedient to bishops and pastors in such cases, and to keep such order to the extent that no one offends another – so that there may not be disorder or unruly conduct in the church. (CA XXVIII.55)
In all families and communities harmony needs to be nurtured by mutual responsibilities, and it is not possible to preserve tranquility unless people overlook and forgive certain mistakes among themselves. In the same way, Paul urges that there be love in the church to preserve harmony, to bear with (if need be) the crude behavior of the brothers [and sisters], and to overlook certain minor offenses, lest the church disintegrate into various schisms and lest enmities, factions, and heresies arise from such schisms. (Ap IV.232)
Therefore again we as Christians keep church regulations, obedience to bishops and pastors, and overlook and forgive mistakes, all for the sake of peace and unity and to preserve the church without schism as the bearer of nothing less than salvation.
IV. About Lawsuits
For these reasons and more, it is the mandate of Paul that the church self-regulate, operate, address conflicts or schism within its own confines, and propagate peace and unity for the sake of the Gospel message. This the church does within the bounds of regulations and good order and under the guidance of her bishops and pastors. To this end, Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 6 is clear:
When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!
Paul suffered all for the sake of the Gospel – and he suffered much less than Christ Himself suffered. The clear proclamation of the Gospel must not have impediments placed before it at the conscious decision of man. To file a lawsuit against a Christian, and by extension against an officer of the church or, deplorable as it is to consider, against the church itself, is to risk the faith of believers and unbelievers alike. For if there can be no peace or reconciliation in the church which Christ Himself rules, how can that church bring a message of peace and reconciliation to heathens and unbelievers?
The Apostle Paul clearly says to a Christian who dares to file a lawsuit in the secular courts against another Christian, “Shame!” You have shamed yourself, the church, and Christ in your action. A lawsuit is no easy matter to bring, requiring extensive forethought, decision, and resources. We must therefore assert that any one who files a lawsuit against a Christian has consciously repeatedly elected to break this command, has risked his own salvation, or is no Christian at all. Those in such conflict elect to openly violate Scripture, ignore the commands of Moses and Christ to love one another, prevent themselves from approaching the altar to receive the Sacrament, and in fact distance themselves from the whole of the body of Christ and from God Himself. Let us be clear: When a Christian files a lawsuit against another Christian, he removes himself from the church, the Word, and the Sacraments, and in fact cannot be called a Christian at all!
V. Conclusion and Exhortation
Conflicts, schism, factions, enmity, and division risk the right and proper call of the church and open the church to heresy which risks nothing less than the salvation of God’s own people. This, then, is our call to schismatics, faction-builders, proponents of enmity and division, those in conflict, and those “Christians” who file lawsuits: Heed the 8th and 4th Commandments. Support the leaders God Himself has appointed over you. Submit yourselves and defer to your bishops. Release your public fights in the secular courts. Seek redress through the church in its own regulations and orders. Should your redress fail, humble yourselves in love and permit the Lord and Master of the Church to judge in His own time. For the church is greater than you, your offense, and your desire for affirmation, wealth, or justice. If you yourself should lose your faith it is an important matter, yes, but even more important is the public witness of the church where she is known to be – in the teaching and proclamation of the pure Gospel and the right administration of the Sacraments.
[updated August 14, 2023]
Monday, September 15, 2014 at 10:45AM We frequently receive questions from students who are working on class assignments that include contacting missionaries. These are our answers to questions we just received from a student in North Carolina:
What is life like in the country you serve in? My family and I live in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. Nairobi is a big city of about 3 million people. Nairobi is the most developed city in this part of the continent and is home to many embassies, non government organization headquarters, and the United Nations headquarters for Africa. A lot of expatriates live in Nairobi and grocery stores and markets cater to us so we can get things like ketchup, mayonnaise, hot dogs, and even occasionally tortillas and tortilla chips. Unfortunately, though, there are many people in Nairobi out of work and desperate so there is also a lot of crime. Every home has to protect itself from robbery. Our house, for example, has bars on the windows and metal gates over the doors with panic buttons throughout the house. We have bright security lights at night that light up our whole yard and an electric fence and a thorn-bush fence. We also have a guard 24-hours and two security dogs. We usually aren't out after dark. But despite these precautions, we feel privileged to live in Nairobi. We have a few movie theaters here and even a few shopping malls where you can use credit cards. Our son Josiah goes to a good Christian school that uses the American curriculum and the American school calendar. We are reasonably close to an airport that serves most countries in Africa and has many connections to Europe. We have fairly reliable electricity and clean water. Fuel shortages are rare. We have a nice home with a big yard and trees that keep things a little cooler in the hot months.
What missions organization are you a part of? I am a missionary of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, serving the Office of International Mission as the Area Director for Eastern and Southern Africa.
What is unique about being a missionary in your country or in the specific area of the country where you minister? The relationships we have with the national Lutheran churches in this part of Africa set us apart from most other missionary assignments. Here in Kenya we work with a church that is in Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with the LCMS. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya has about 80,000 members in 600 congregations. To the south we have the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, a church body of over 5 million members. To the north we have the Ethiopian Evangelical Church of Mekane Yesus, a Lutheran church body of over 6 million members. To the east we have the Lutheran Church Mission in Uganda, a small and young church body of just 20,000 members. And just off the coast of Africa we have the Malagasy Lutheran Church in Madagascar, a church body of over 4 million members. All of these partners in mission have very different needs and approaches to partnership with the LCMS. Kenya in particular is very popular with the LCMS so we receive a lot of visitors to Kenya and there are a lot of projects here that are supported by the LCMS and its congregations and individuals. This means a lot of my work is in facilitating these partnerships, acting as a cultural interpreter for each side, and helping our visitors get the most out of their experience in Kenya. I spend a lot of time communicating, on the phone, by email, and in person to keep all the relationships together and keep the projects moving forward in healthy ways. My favorite thing to do, though, is to travel up-country into the bush to remote places where small congregations don't receive many visitors. It is a joy to be with the hospitable and welcoming people who are eager to spend time together and joyfully share their lives as we gather around God's Word. On those trips into the bush we rely on God to help us safely navigate the "roads" and get us to our destination where we are often cut off completely from the rest of the world - no cell phone service, no TV, no newspapers or magazines. We are simply Christians gathered around the fellowship we share in Christ and eager to share His Gospel message with others in the community who may not have heard it.
What are some of your prayer needs? Every time we publish a newsletter, we add prayer requests. These are our requests from our most recent newsletter: For wisdom and discernment for Shauen as he walks alongside friends and partners in Eastern and Southern Africa. / For Krista as she bears the burden of night feedings for Isaiah. / For peace in Kenya and this part of the world. / For the battle against ebola in West Africa. / In praise for Carlotta, our dear friend who is spending six months with us between high school and college. / In praise for Shauen’s visits to Ethiopia and Madagascar.
Thursday, September 11, 2014 at 3:49PM 
In the cool of the evening a young pastor in Tanzania named Joseph struggles in the glow of the candle to find a way to address those in his community who practice the African Traditional Religion, especially concerned with some under his own care who call themselves Christians on Sunday but Monday are at the witchdoctor’s home. Joseph knows the fundamental violation is against the first commandment but creativity is not a value fostered in his culture so he searches for some direct reference to explain the depths of meaning behind those few words, “You shall have no other Gods before me.” Turning to the English Book of Concord he borrowed from his bishop, Joseph struggles to find the passages he thought he remembered hearing translated in seminary. But English is his fourth language and seldom finds use, and our brother ends up frustrated as his candle burns down and mandates an end to the night’s struggles. Had he access to the Book of Concord in one of his primary languages – like Swahili – he doubtless would have found the text for which he searched, clearly laid out in the Large Catechism, “Idolatry… is primarily a matter of the heart, which fixes its gaze upon other things and seeks help and consolation from creatures, saints, or devils. It neither cares for God nor expects good things from him sufficiently to trust that he wants to help, nor does it believe that whatever good it encounters comes from God.” Until a pastor can skim the Confessions in his own language to locate those expansive written words, the Pastor’s arsenal aside from Scripture and prayer consists of faint recollections of seminary lectures, virtual rumors of what the Lutheran Church believes and teaches, his hymnal, and a worn copy of Luther’s Small Catechism. Access to the Book of Concord in his own language, to those Confessions a pastor pledges himself to in ordination as a right interpretation of God’s Word, could well be the trigger that calls these learned servants, our brothers, to a new and revitalized campaign of Gospel proclamation among those who have yet to clearly hear God’s message of reconciliation through Christ. Praise the Lord for the clarity, opportunities, and hope that lie in these pages! This is why we translate works like the Book of Concord.
The Swahili Book of Concord was published by The Lutheran Heritage Foundation and was dedicated on October 22nd, 2011 in Moshi, Tanzania:
Thursday, September 11, 2014 at 11:42AM We were recently asked by a Sunday School class in Idaho what we do in Africa. The answer changes often enough that we always have to think it through - what are we doing these days? Here’s our answer:
The Trump family is based in Nairobi, Kenya, which is in East Africa. Pastor Trump and Krista have three children: Josiah (4 years old - in pre-kindergarten), Elijah (2 years old), and Isaiah (10 months old). Pastor Trump supports the LCMS programs, projects, partnerships, and personnel in all of Eastern and Southern Africa - from Eritrea to the country of South Africa, including the very large island of Madagascar. I was most recently in Madagascar with my whole family, visiting and talking about some of God’s work there. In Madagascar, the LCMS is supporting a very large project to put roofs on over 100 churches that currently have thatch or grass roofs. We also support local doctors and nurses by bringing a team of doctors and nurses from the United States to do a medical outreach in a community that doesn’t have a clinic or doctor’s office. Sometimes when the team of doctors and nurses comes to a village, they will see hundreds of patients in one day. The Lutheran Church in Madagascar is twice as large as the LCMS. I have also recently traveled to the country of Ethiopia where we support their main seminary in the capital city. We have professors from LCMS schools travel to Ethiopia to teach. We recently helped the church there dig three very deep wells by hand to provide clean water to villages. The Lutheran Church in Ethiopia is three times larger than the LCMS. In Kenya where we live, I also support the local Lutheran church. This weekend, for example, I will be preaching in the village and visiting students at the seminary who are studying on LCMS scholarships. A lot of our work here in this part of God’s world is about spending time together, visiting, encouraging each other, teaching and learning, and celebrating how God makes us the same even though we are so different. God is good - all the time.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at 10:30PM This is New Year’s Eve in the Ethiopian calendar, the last day of 2006. Tomorrow is the first day of the year 2007! Don’t you feel about seven years younger just knowing that you ARE seven years younger in Ethiopia? Happy New Year’s Eve!
Sunday, August 24, 2014 at 8:47AM (Shauen is sitting on the couch with his feet up on the coffee table. Josiah is next to him quietly reading to himself with his Tigger. Elijah comes over and crawls up on Shauen’s legs, making a “truck” which he begins to drive.)
Josiah: I want to drive the truck!
Shauen: Josiah, you’re reading a book very nicely - you were just fine. Elijah is driving now.
Josiah: But I want to drive the truck!
Shauen: Okay, then you say to Elijah, “Elijah, when you’re done driving the truck, may I please have a turn?”
Josiah: Elijah, when you’re done driving my truck, you should give it to me.
Shauen: *sigh* Josiah, it's not your truck. It's my truck. You should say to Elijah, “Elijah, when you’re done driving the truck, may I please have a turn?”
Josiah: Elijah, when you’re done driving my truck, may I please have a turn?
Elijah: Nope!
Shauen: *sigh*
Wednesday, August 20, 2014 at 3:26PM 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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Ethiopia: MYS
(Left to Right: Dr Albert Collver, Deaconess Sandra Rhein, Emily German, Rev. Shauen Trump, Dr. Belay — meet at Mekane Yesus Seminary)
A group from the LCMS met with leaders at the Mekane Yesus Seminary (MYS) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to discuss how the EECMY and the LCMS can work together on theological education to train future pastors. The EECMY curre you has about 3,000 pastors, and has a goal of having one pastor per congregation or 10,000 pastors over the next five years. The LCMS has committed to providing assistance in curriculum development and to provide theological educators to teach courses. For the part year the LCMS have had theological educators at MYS to assist in their programs.
These books from CPH are some of the materials used by students in the graduate study lounge at MYS. Obtaining theological study materials is one of the greatest challenges in providing theological education in not only Ethiopia but through out Africa and Latin America. The challenge lay not only in the cost of the materials but also in shipping, transport, and storage. Although the rise of electronic books and Internet resources is common place in North America and Europe, electronic resources are generally impractical or entirely unusable in Africa and other parts of the world. (The hotel where we are staying only had Internet access for a few hours yesterday.) It is not uncommon for electricity to be shut off for parts of the day. Printed books are a necessity despite the rise of electronic resources. The question in many cases is which resources to provide and how to get the materials where they are needed — a challenge that the Chemnitz Library Initiative is trying to address.
A letter of greeting from Concordia Seminary, St Louis is presented to Dr. Belay at MYS. With now 7 regional seminaries and 40 Bible colleges in the EECMY, there is tremendous opportunity for theological education. The EECMY requested that representatives from both Concordia Seminary St Louis and Concordia Theological Seminary come to Ethiopia to discuss face to face how further collaboration could be made.
Construction on the dinning hall at Mekane Yesus Seminary continues and nears completion. Approximately, one year ago the LCMS became involved to assist in its completion.
In Ethiopia, every meeting takes place over coffee, where it was first created.
Deaconess Sandra Rhein, Beza Tefera, and Church Musician Emily German tour the MYS campus. Deaconess Sandra and Emily are visiting to explore the possibility of assisting in the development of worship materials particularly for the youth and for mission outreach. Part of the project will include the gathering of indigenous Ethiopian hymns and songs, as well as working with traditional Lutheran hymns that have been translated. Dr. Berhanu, EECMY General Secretary, stated that this project is one of the most needful items now for the EECMY.
Today we meet with other leaders of the EECMY. The next several days will be packed with activities.
– Posted on 19 July 2014 by Dr. Albert Collver
Location:Addis Ababa,Ethiopia
Tuesday, August 12, 2014 at 11:26AM Below are some questions and answers in regards to the recent LCMS Mercy Medical Team visit to Kenya. The questions were posed to fellow LCMS career missionary Ms. Shara Cunningham, who works closely with us here in the LCMS East Africa Field Office as our Area Volunteer Coordinator. Praise the Lord for Shara’s good work and for the opportunities opened up in the midst of the Mercy Medical Team clinic here in Kenya!
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(Interviewer) How were the gifts of both lay people (medical professionals) and pastors/missionaries vital to the mercy work accomplished by the MMT in Kenya?
(Cunningham) The pastors/missionaries in the field are able to help guide the lay people and serve as a liaison between the two cultures. The Kenya field staff does an orientation with the MMT when they arrive and serve alongside the team to be able to answer questions and give guidance during the clinic. Lay people come with an eagerness to serve, a willingness to learn and a desire to share the love of Christ with all of the people that they meet and provide medical treatment to. The gifts of the lay people and pastors/missionaries allow for support of our partner church, that we can help them with outreach and proclamation of the Gospel.
(Interviewer) How great are the medical needs where the MMT served in Kenya? How rare is the opportunity for the kind of medical care provided by the MMT?
(Cunningham) The medical needs are great. Some areas are so remote that people walk for days to the nearest dispensary. Sometimes the dispensary don’t have the medications or provide certain services. We have hosted three MMTs and have seen between 1200 and 1900 people. People walk for for hours and days and stand in line for hours to be treated. In the locations that we have hosted a clinic it was the first time and fairly remote so I would say that it can be quite rare in some places. The MMT provides a service that is desperately needed and unavailable.
(Interviewer) What were the Kenyans’ responses to this care? Do any comments or reactions from Kenyans who were served stand out in your mind?
(Cunningham) The Kenyans are extremely happy with the care from the MMT. People receive treatment and medications right away. They are often amazed that the clinic is free. Many people respond with hugs, smiles, God bless you and thank you to the team. The clinics are very well received and we are often asked if we can stay longer or come back again.
After the recent MMT in June a former village chief said that in all his life he had never seen anything like a MMT and that it was wonderful to have such a service to the community. He wanted the team to stay longer.
During the first MMT, there was a mother whose child was very sick and after being examined by the doctor we found out that there was nothing that could be done and that they child would die. The team was heartbroken but we gathered around the mother and child and prayed for her. She came back again for the next two days and was embraced with prayers and hugs and love. She was very happy to be around people who cared about her and her child.
There was an extremely malnourished child that came to the clinic and he was immediately taken to the hospital. He was admitted and received care for several months. We also found out that his brother was malnourished and we took him and the dad to the hospital where he was also examined and treated for a much shorter time. We followed up with the family until the first child was released. The father was very thankful and started going to the local Lutheran church.
(Interviewer) What do you consider this team’s main accomplishments in Kenya?
(Cunningham)
(Interviewer) You are a career missionary serving in Kenya, correct? How long have you served as a career missionary? How long have you served in Kenya?
(Cunningham) Yes, I am a career missionary. I started my service with the LCMS as a GEO serving in South Africa from July 2009 to April 2012. I transitioned to a career missionary in June of 2012 and have served in Kenya for 2 years now.
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Learn more about the work God does through Shara's hands and explore ways to support her on the LCMS website: Ms. Shara Cunningham
Friday, June 13, 2014 at 11:39AM I insisted when they made our gate that the bars be very, very close together. Even though it would cost more. And yes, even though it would be a lot of work. Today Josiah came running inside to get both Mama and Papa because Elijah needed help. Our little escape artist tested my gate design. I wouldn't call it a glaring success but it kept him in the yard! Took a few minutes to figure out how he got on the other side and then got his head stuck until we told him to get out - I was about to go get the cooking oil and grease him up when he calmly just got himself out. Well played, little child.
Friday, June 13, 2014 at 11:16AM Oh, Nakumatt Blue Label (generic store-brand)... You make me laugh. You've got all the right words and I think they sound better the way you've put them with the nice alliteration and all but I'm just not sure it works that way.
;)
;)
Friday, June 13, 2014 at 11:07AM We see a lot of kitchen stuff imported from South Africa. Some of it is awesome - like the little ramekins that have been on Krista's wish list for years but we've never had the space or weight to bring from the Statse. Other stuff is comical and outrageously priced. It's often worth the premium in price to let someone else ship it into Kenya and incur their own loss to breakage. Then we can pick from the ones that aren't broken - and gladly pay the high price. Today's cases in point (and yes, those are authentic Heinz and Campbell's products next to that Russell Hobbs Electric Can Opener - all equally exotic):
;)
~ Countertop Electric Can Opener for 4,150 Shillings - $46.52 ~ ;)
~ Corningware Ramekins at 995 Shillings - $11.15 for two ~
Friday, June 13, 2014 at 10:54AM We are privileged to live in Nairobi where we have access to a considerable amount of American food. Nairobi even has two American restaurants now: KFC and Subway! Some American foods are available pretty much all the time with only rare moments when they disappear completely for weeks or months. Other American foods appear only a few times a year and are rapidly sold-out. The price always reflects the privilege of a truly American treat! I found these in the supermarket today... and bought out their stock of Dr. Pepper.
;)
~ Dr. Pepper at 90 Shillings/can - $1 and worth it! ~ ;)
~ Pop Tarts at 540 Shillings - $6.05 ~
Thursday, June 12, 2014 at 8:37PM Shauen was featured on Lutheran Hour Ministries' 2014 Online Mission Trip to Kenya. He was interviewed in his office at the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod's (LCMS) East Africa Field Office in Karen/Nairobi, Kenya, about the partnership between the LCMS and Lutheran Hour Ministries's project in Kenya which is called Nuru. Shauen talks about short-term mission teams who are joined in mission by Nuru specialists to amplify the impact for the Gospel. The host is Eric Gates of Lutheran Hour Ministries. See excerpts of the 2014 LHM Online Mission Trip to Kenya through their website at http://www.lhm.org/onlinemissiontrips/kenya2014.asp or the recording of the live presentation which featured Shauen's interview on Day 1 of the Online Mission Trip at http://vimeo.com/85298367 .
Monday, May 26, 2014 at 8:27PM Our first completed upholstering project- headboards for the boy's beds. Simple, rectangular, "easy", and most importantly, largely ignored and unappreciated by our boys although Josiah did thank God for the headboards in his prayers tonight. But Krista and I are a bit proud of ourselves! -Shauen
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Wednesday, April 23, 2014 at 11:12AM An excellent article if you want to learn more about God's people in the majority world and the resources He has given them. One step towards true understanding and appropriate action is to stop being manipulated in the West by the objectification of His people. After you read this article you'll recognize the objectification of the poor in virtually every humanitarian aid and social agency advertisement, regardless of medium or intent. Read more at http://www.one.org/us/2014/04/09/5-reasons-poverty-porn-empowers-the-wrong-person/. -Shauen
Wednesday, April 23, 2014 at 11:00AM An excellent article appeared this month on Al-Jazeera America's website addressing a problem with mission tourism from a non-Western viewpoint. The article is titled "The White Tourist's Burden: Growing Western demand for altruistic vacations is feeding the white-savior industrial complex." It's available at http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2014/4/volunter-tourismwhitevoluntouristsafricaaidsorphans.html or the shortcut link at http://alj.am/1iCv4zS . -Shauen
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.”
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