Hand in Hand Global Mission Support Blog Digest

This "blog digest" is brought to you by the ELCA Global Mission Support team. Here you will find posts and re-posts by ELCA missionaries, ELCA Global Mission churchwide staff, and other friends.

Missionaries reflecting on mission service – Marv Kananen and Jean Wahlstrom

Posted on October 25, 2010 by Franklin Ishida

Marv and Jean arrived in Arusha, Tanzania July of 1998. By invitation of the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, Arusha Diocese, Marv and Jean were called to serve at the Maasae Girl’s Lutheran Secondary School. During Marv and Jean’s 12 years at the school, they served as Teacher and Education Developer and Pastoral Counselor. Prior to heading to Tanzania they resided in Bellevue, Washington.

Welcome!

Posted on October 13, 2010 by Hand In Hand

The Konkol family

Kristen and I are overjoyed to announce the birth of our son, Khaya Tews Konkol, at Parklands Hospital in Westville (Durban), South Africa, on Wednesday evening of October 13, 2010. He weighs 3.38 kg (7.5 pounds) and is 53 ct (21 inches) tall.

“Khaya” is a an isiZulu word translated into English as “home”. Among other things, we believed choosing this name would not only honor the place of his birth and wonderful people who have accompanied us here in South Africa, but also serve as a daily reminder of the connections and “home” he also shares with our family and friends in North America. “Tews” is Kristen’s maiden name, as we wished to honor her incredibly loving and supportive family legacy, in addition to carrying forward the “Konkol” family surname which we also deeply cherish.

All together, “Khaya Tews Konkol” is a reminder of the gift of life and the “home” we find each day through our identity as recipients of God’s incredible love. And so, I thank God for the safe delivery, the excellent medical care, the wonderful compassion of friends and family, and perhaps most of all, for Kristen. My admiration and love for Kristen continues to grow, as her courage and faith put forward during the delivery was nothing short of remarkable. I could not be more proud of my partner, best friend, and love of my life. Khaya is incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful mother.

As you can imagine, there is much more I could say! At this point I will simply close with: Thank God, thank you, and please continue to remember us in your thoughts and prayers.

With peace and love, Brian Konkol

The Rev. Brian and Kristen Konkol are ELCA missionaries serving in South Africa.  Congratulations!

Tough times

Posted on October 12, 2010 by Hand In Hand

Posted by viking in west africa on October 12, 2010

Bad news came yesterday.  We can look to see the good in it, but not yet.   Maybe we will see pie in the sky not too long from now, but not today.  Corporate cutbacks can be praised for making organizations leaner and meaner, but now is not the time to laugh or to dance.  

“ELCA Presiding Bishop Announces New Churchwide Organization Design for 2011” read the ELCA News Service article yesterday, October 11.  Such a headline hopes to construct the best possible meaning out of the changes the ELCA is undergoing.   But the article is peppered with bad news:

  • “the 358-member churchwide staff — including 270 here at the churchwide office — will decrease by approximately 65 employees or 60 full-time equivalents”
  • “unit reductions will affect up to five mission personnel currently in service”
  • “In 2008 after adjusting for inflation, the value of mission support income had declined by half since the founding of this church in 1988″
  • “From 2008 to 2011, estimated churchwide mission support dropped from $65.3 million to $48 million.”

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, said in the news release that “This new design positions the churchwide organization to make a vital and vibrant contribution to the ministries of this church and the work of partners throughout the world,”  and “The new design also assumes that financial support will continue for these vital ministries — and enable us to engage in these ministries in a more flexible and forward way.”

Hanson’s positive statements were the right things to say as a leader and they will, I don’t doubt it, be true, eventually.  But for right now, ELCA members are praying for and with those who have lost their employment.     “The time to build” will have to come tomorrow.

–ELCA missionary the Rev. Viking Dietrich serves as West African Regional Representative.  He and his family are based in Ghana.

News Service features Willie Langdji

Posted on October 4, 2010 by Hand In Hand
Willie Langdji

ELCA NEWS SERVICE
October 4, 2010

ELCA Representative in West Africa Crosses Faith With Community Building
10-260-MRC

CHICAGO (ELCA) — Williboard “Willie” Langdji embodies ecumenism. He is Catholic working on behalf of Lutherans among large Muslim communities. As a regional representative of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in West Africa, Langdji is comfortable talking about and strengthening faith, while helping to support communities in unique ways.

From 2000 to 2009 Langdji was based in Linguere, Senegal, working among the Fulani people — a large, traditional Muslim community in West Africa. Langdji’s work involved projects in agriculture and milk production.

“We crossed the local cow with American, European Holstein cows or Jersey bulls,” said Langdji. “Our results were very good. The cross-breed yields more milk than the local breed.”

“A family went from producing a few liters of milk a day, maybe one liter a day in the dry season, to as much as 10 liters of milk a day. You can see the impact this has from a nutritional point of view, as well as economic — families have more milk to eat and surplus to sell,” he said.

The project is also very good ministry, said Langdji. “It helps provide for the basic needs of people and offers an opportunity to engage with people in their daily lives. We were dealing with people’s culture, life, health and whole family. It is a good starting point to engage people in conversation, which can move into theology, personal beliefs and more.” For Langdji, holistic ministry and witness in word and deed go together.

When the opportunity surfaced, Langdji said he asked many questions among the Fulani people about their work and faith life. “I asked, ‘Why are you doing this?’ The response was simple. ‘We are called to do this work.’ One thing to understand about the Fulani is that they are traditional Muslim people. Our work was an example of Christians and Muslims working together, an important aspect of ministry.”

The engagement between Lutherans and the Fulani people, particularly in Linguere, has existed for some time and continues, said Langdji. “We now have an ELCA pastor working here,” he said.

“I’ve had contact with Muslims and people of other faiths since I was a kid,” said Langdji, who grew up in Cameroon. “In my childhood village there was a sizeable Muslim community. I grew up with Muslim kids, but I never had the opportunity to share my faith with them.”

Serving as an ELCA missionary in Central African Republic and Senegal, and now as an ELCA regional representative, has been “good for me. It has given me opportunities to understand my faith more, grow in my faith and get to a point where I feel comfortable talking about Jesus and (sharing) something that I trust and believe. That has had a positive impact on my faith. And I hope this will be helpful to others,” he said.

Langdji works with his wife, Anne Ruedisili Langdji, and the Rev. Viking E. Dietrich, an ELCA pastor. All three serve as ELCA regional representatives in West Africa — Dietrich’s work focuses on theological education, evangelism and interfaith relationships. Anne Langdji’s work focuses on health ministries, and Willie Langdji’s work centers on development and capacity building. Together they work to foster church-to-church relationships between and among the ELCA and Lutheran churches in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone.

The three ELCA regional representatives also work with other religious organizations, such as with the Joint Christian Ministry in West Africa and the Good News Theological College and Seminary in Ghana.

Since July 2009, Willie and Anne Langdji have been based in Cameroon. They will continue to travel across West Africa to learn more about Lutheran churches and ministries, and interpret their learning to ELCA constituencies.

The ELCA has more than 225 mission personnel in 50 countries and 13 regional representatives serving around the world.

Missionary Moment: Ally Streed

Posted on October 1, 2010 by Hand In Hand
 Consider sponsoring an ELCA missionary like Ally Streed.  To facilitate the possibility of a missionary visit,  sponsors are matched with missionaries with a geographic connection.  Ally Streed, for example, is recommended to sponsors from the Southwestern and Southeastern Minnesota synods.  To be matched with a missionary in need of sponsorship, e-mail globalmissionsupport@elca.org or call 800-638-3522, ext. 2969. –Sue Edison-Swift 

Ally Streed is an ELCA missionary serving in Japan.

September 1, 2010

“Inscribe our hearts with justice; your way–the path untried;
your truth–the heart of stranger; your life–the crucified.”
(from the hymn, “Let Streams of Living Justice,” Evangelical Lutheran Worship, 710)

Greetings from Owatonna, Minnesota!
My name is Ally and I’m a 23-year-old Owl City fan.  In May 2009, I graduated from Augsburg College with a double major in Spanish and Youth and Family Ministry.  I also played violin in the orchestra and participated in various Campus Ministry activities both on and off campus. Why Japan?  Well, despite my familiarity with the Spanish language, I felt called to apply for the ELCA’s 3-year program in Japan. This probably came from the deep fascination that I have had with the culture and people of Japan since I was in junior high school.  I’m very excited and thankful for the opportunity to work for and with the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church and to learn and grow together in faith and love.  Now all I have to do is pack. 

*October 1st, 2010*

“…it is no longer I who live, it is Christ who lives in me” (Galations 2:20).

Greetings from Hatogaya City, Japan!
I’m still Ally, but now I’m a 24-year-old living in an apartment in a suburb of Tokyo. Two other women and I arrived in Japan on September 28th, and have been spending the week unpacking our few belongings, exploring Tokyo via the trains, and meeting all the nice Lutherans that work at the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church headquarters and at the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Association.  It’s been a great week with a lot of discoveries and learning experiences. Tonight at the seminary in Tokyo, we’ll be worshiping using the Holden Evening Prayer (it’s my favorite!) and I’m really excited that such a wonderful worship tool is being used abroad.  Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart, for this wonderful opportunity.

P.S. I’m starting my first-ever blog ( http://ally-amerikajin.blogspot.com/), come visit!