The Day of "Small" Things

“Who dares despise the day of small things?"

Zechariah 4:10

When the Jewish exiles returned from their 70-year captivity in Babylon, they were few in number and often in dire straits. Under their governor, Zerubbabel, they struggled to rebuild the temple of the LORD which had been destroyed decades earlier. At the dedication of the new temple, many people openly wept because the building was only a shadow of its former glory. But the LORD promised a future glory that would eclipse even Solomon's temple. When it is the LORD who is at work, no one should despise the day of "small" things! 

In the eyes of the world, the events that are taking place among our churches and contacts in Uganda are "small" indeed. But it is the LORD's work, and his promises of future glory for those who proclaim His true word will certainly prevail! 

The first portion of my 2-week trip was to visit the pastors and congregations of the "Confessional Lutheran Synod of Uganda." Their website is HERE. This is an independent group of 21 churches, served by 8 ordained pastors and 8 seminary students, who also serve as evangelists. They were formerly part of the Lutheran Church of Uganda, an affiliate of the Missouri Synod in the USA. They first made contact with a CLC layman in California, and have been corresponding with me for some months. Pastor Mugeni (of the CCRU in eastern Uganda) and I spent several days with them in Ibanda. It was an opportunity to get acquainted, and to begin a process of finding out if we share the same scriptural doctrine. We found ourselves to be in agreement in every area we discussed, although of course future meetings will be needed. It was a very positive experience for all concerned!

Pictures from south-western Uganda (click to enlarge):

Pastor Nicholas, Dr. Enoch, Missionary Naumann, Pastor Daniel Mugeni, Pastor Obed

Bethel Lutheran Church, where Pastor Nicholas serves

A side trip to beautiful Lake George

Our Savior's Lutheran, served by seminary student Conrad

Sunday church service at New Jerusalem Lutheran, served by Bishop Benson Barahuka

Members of New Jerusalem after church

Monday's conference, exploring and understanding the teachings of the CLC and the CLSU

Conference attendees

On the way to Kampala - a photo stop at the equator

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The second portion of the trip was in Iganga, in eastern Uganda, for the constituting convention of the Confessional Church of the Reformation in Uganda (CCRU). The CLC Board of Missions and Kinship have been working with Pastor Daniel Mugeni in Uganda for a number of years. He has successfully completed his colloquy (doctrinal examination). This summer our CLC Convention in Eau Claire will, God willing, confirm our President's declaration of fellowship with the CCRU. There are five pastors and their congregations who are prepared to be a part of the newly-formed CCRU, although one was absent from the conference due to illness. We also had three visiting pastors who are expressing interest, though at present they still serve congregations in the Lutheran Church of Uganda. We had a 2-day conference, reaffirming our confessional agreement on all of the Bible's teachings. The founding clergy and congregations adopted a constitution, and are very much looking forward to the CLC's official declaration of fellowship at the June Convention in Eau Claire. You may see a video greeting from President Mugeni and the other CCRU officers HERE.

Photos from the visit to Iganga and the CCRU conference (click to enlarge):

Grace Lutheran, Iganga, served by Pastor Daniel Mugeni. Their temporary building is inside the ongoing church building project

Discussing church doctrine and a CCRU Constitution

Signing the Constitution

The newly-elected officers of the CCRU: President Daniel Mugeni, Vice President Tana Wangira, Secretary/Treasurer Milton Wanyama - also Pastor Norman Oyara

Visiting with the orphan children at the home of Pastor and Ida Mugeni

See a video clip of a wonderful song by the children HERE.

The "Jesus Film," presented to more than 100 at Pastor Mugeni's rural church

We rejoice in the fellowship that we now share with the CCRU in eastern Uganda, and the prospects for further possible fellowship with the CLSU in western Uganda!

I am spending the last couple of days in Kampala, with Pastor Milton's two churches there. Then, God willing, I will fly to Arusha to finish up two weeks of seminary classes before the June break. 

Walking through the poverty-stricken village of Kasokoso, near Kampala 

Christ's Bride Lutheran Church, Kasokoso

An impromptu Sunday school in front of the church with neighborhood children, prior to showing the "Jesus Film"

Are all these matters happening in Uganda, as well as in our many other foreign fields, "small things"?  Yes, that is, to the outward eye. Yet it is the power of God the Holy Spirit, working through His Word, that is doing glorious things in the hearts of men, women, and children! 

This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel:

"Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts." Zechariah 4:4

Pray for the Swift Word

Paula Naumann keeps a personal Tanzania Journal;
her entry for April is HERE.

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Classes at Wittenberg Seminary continue, as I am preparing for a "swift" journey to Uganda in early May. Paula will leave for the USA on May 2. While I am in East Africa by myself for a month I will be visiting our churches and contacts in Uganda. This means a flight from Arusha to Kampala, and then long bus rides to two main destinations. Here is the map:

The first leg will be a visit to the "Confessional Lutheran Church in Uganda." This will be an introductory visit to this group of 17 independent congregations, which are served by 8 pastors. They are located near Ibanda and Buhweju, in the western part of the country. There has been encouraging correspondence with this group. We will need to find out whether we share the same scriptural teachings, with a view to possible future fellowship. Here is a photo of the group in Ibanda, whom we have not yet met (click to enlarge):

The second leg of the trip will be by bus to eastern Uganda, where we will have a pastoral conference of the Ugandan Church of the Lutheran Confession - UCLC. We have been working with Pastor Daniel Mugeni in Uganda for a number of years, and he has successfully completed his colloquy (doctrinal examination). This summer our CLC Convention in Eau Claire will, God willing, confirm our President's declaration of fellowship with the UCLC. At this meeting we will be working on a UCLC Constitution, with special attention given to the statement of faith, which is the same confession as the CLC. Here are a few photos from our previous trip to Iganga this past February:

Pastoral Conference in Iganga, Uganda, February 2024

Pastor Daniel and Ida Mugeni, at their home and orphanage in Iganga

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In other news: Paula and I recently hosted the students and faculty of Wittenberg Seminary to our home for dinner. It was a wonderful time of food and Christian fellowship. Here are a few photos of the event, along with other recent seminary activities:

Our hostess and some guests on our front porch

Seminary faculty, students, and "Mama Nuele," the seminary mom

We "charged" the students for the dinner by having them sing us a song. Click for the video HERE. 

Student Jasper Musacali, preaching a practice sermon to the other students. 

Student Elinajah Bayo, preaching for Sunday worship at Ambureni Parish. 

(Easter banner by Paula)

Mrs. Loskira (mother of teacher Robert) has been in poor health. We went next door to Robert's home one morning for a devotion, hymn and prayer in her native Maasai language.

Our students put in a lot of effort at Wittenberg Seminary, but just to show that it's not ALL hard work, see the video clip HERE.

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Once I've returned from Uganda, it will be a short time until my flight to the U.S., where we'll see family and friends, and I'll be attending the CLC Convention in Eau Claire. 

We appreciate very much the support and prayers of our fellow believers in the U.S., so that, as Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, "the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you."

"He shall give His angels charge over you...

...to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone." Psalm 91:11

Paula Naumann keeps a personal Tanzania Journal - her entry for March is HERE.

On a two-lane Tanzanian road north of Dar es Salaam we patiently crawled along behind a ponderous 18-wheeler. I waited for a nice clear stretch of road before I punched the gas on the Rav4 to pass. Out of nowhere, a smaller truck shot out into our passing lane from a side road. A jerk of the wheel pulled us in front of the big rig, with only centimeters to spare. Whew! This type of incident on the roads is all too common, and I'm certain the LORD’s angels kept us safe throughout our travels! 

No doubt God's angels were also helping us to have a fruitful journey. During our 2-week Easter break from seminary classes, Pastor Jeremia, Paula and I travelled to Tanga and Zanzibar to visit TCLC pastors and churches. It was about 900 miles round trip, and my first experience with driving that kind of distance and terrain in Tanzania. We met with pastors and members in Tanga, Korogwe, and Zanibar:

One feature of the trip was an outreach event at Pastor Kimemele's church in Korogwe. We had an outdoor viewing of the "Jesus Film," based on Luke's Gospel, and in the Swahili language. We had about 30 attending at the start, and more than 100 by the end. Pastor Kimemele preached a devotion after the film. He was also provided with a Teacher's Guide for a Bible study on Luke, for a follow-up class. Here are some photos from the trip (click to enlarge):

With Pastor Julius (left), inspecting site for proposed church.

We paid a visit to the widow of a TCLC pastor who recently died; this is the church where he served.

In Tanga, LtoR: church member, myself, Samuel (a seminary candidate for next year), Pastor Jeremia, Pastor Kimemele.

Setting up for the "Jesus Film" in Korogwe

More than 100 church and community members were present for the film.

Jeremia, Paula and me on the ferry from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar

With Pastor Peter Msifune on Zanzibar

We met with some of Pastor Msifune's members, including these Maasai men.

We had very little time for sightseeing on Zanzibar, but we did walk down to the Indian Ocean early one morning.

Don't pass yet! (though lots of reckless people were blindly passing up 4-5 vehicles at a time)

A beautiful reminder of God's covenant of peace on the way home! 

It is by God's grace, with the help of his protecting angels, that we returned to Arusha safely after our 5-day journey. Classes at Wittenberg Seminary resume this week, following our 2-week Easter break. We thank God for these opportunities to bear witness to the crucified and risen Lord Jesus, and to train a future generation to proclaim His saving Gospel!

All Aboard!

For some personal insights into missionary life in Tanzania, see the latest installment of Paula Naumann's journal HERE.

February 28 marks the first day that all of our 10 students are present together at Wittenberg Lutheran Seminary in Arusha, Tanzania. We have four Evangelism students (1-year program) and six seminary students (3-year program). One of our evangelism students began classes quite late, and is working overtime to get caught up. Also, sometimes our other students have been absent for a time, for a family funeral or other necessary responsibilities at home. Here is the entire group; we are thankful to our LORD that our students are finally "All aboard"! 

L-R: Pastor Jeremia Issangya, Pastor Robert Loskira, Emanuel Boniphace, Dennis Musakali, Eubank Elijah, Marko Sapuro, Jacob Masya, Elinaja Bayo, Godfrey Mzoo, Jasper Musakali, Raphael Kinyaga, Missionary Bruce Naumann, Brian Mtika

The purpose of our seminary is to train men to call out "All aboard!" with the Gospel of Christ crucified for sinners. We are also developing an evangelism tool for that purpose with the "Jesus Film" outreach project. This is a 2-hour movie about the life of Jesus, with the script taken entirely from the Gospel of Luke. Versions are available in more than 2,000 languages, including Swahili and Maasai. 

On Saturday evening, February 24, we used a battery-powered projector and outdoor screen to present the "Jesus Film" to about 100 people in the Maasai village of Mbuyuni, some of whom were Muslims. This provided a good welcome to the community, with a Gospel sermon by Pastor Robert Loskira after the film and an invitation to find out more about Jesus through our sister church there. We hope to offer this same program to many congregations in the TCLC, and also perhaps in Kenya and Uganda. We are developing a follow-up Bible study on the Gospel of Luke in both English and Swahili. This would be an aid for local pastors to begin a weekly Bible study after showing the film. Paula and I spent the night in the village, in the guest room of one of Pastor Loskira's neighbors. The next morning I was the guest speaker for the worship service in Mbuyuni. Here are some photos (click to enlarge), and links to some video clips:

Arrival - Pastor Loskira and daughter Angel outside the partially-completed church.

Waiting for sundown - Paula and some local children

Learning about the life of Christ during the "Jesus Film"

Sunday worship, with a sermon on "The Poor Man and RICH Lazarus"

Video Clips:

• Pastor Robert leading the Saturday gathering in song following the Jesus film, click HERE
• The Mbuyuni ladies' choir at Sunday worship, click HERE
• The Mbuyuni children's choir at Sunday worship, click HERE
• Close of the Sunday sermon - TLH #429 vs 3 with Swahili translation, click HERE
• Mrs. Rachel Loskira demonstrates how Africans carry water, click HERE
• Pastor Robert's son Onesimus, our junior seminary student, singing "Listen! God is Calling" in Swahili, click HERE

It's a great blessing from our LORD to be able to train men for a lifetime of service in proclaiming all of God's true Word. It's also very exciting to be able to assist the pastors in our fellowship, with creative outreach tools, in their work of calling out "All aboard!" to the people in their communities. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to effectively call many hearts to Christ through these efforts!

 "I will also make You a light for the nations, to bring My salvation to the ends of the earth." Isaiah 49:6

One Door Closes, Another Opens

Acts 16:6-10 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

It may well have been perplexing for Paul and his companions to make plans for spreading the Gospel in Asia and Bithynia, only to be overruled by God's Holy Spirit. But when these doors were closed to them, they later saw that God had opened an important door to Macedonia instead. It was an open door that proved to be very fruitful for Jesus' kingdom! 

Our recent trip to Kenya and Uganda, January 26 to February 5, was met with many doors that seemed closed to us. Todd Ohlmann and Joel Krafft had to cancel portions of their trip due to visa holdups at the Liberian embassy. Teacher Ted Quade couldn't make the trip at all due to a very bad knee. Pastor Jeremia Issangya had to cancel because he was recovering from an illness. Even our driver had to leave us because his mother was hospitalized (though he provided an excellent substitute). Mission Board Chairman Joel Krafft injured his knee and hobbled through the week.  But God also opened many great doors during our visits, in spite of numerous setbacks. 

The two travelers

After meeting up in Nairobi, our travels first took us to Moi's Bridge, Kenya. There we were met by the headmistress of Emmaus School, Mary Sagala. On Sunday we joined in worship with Holy Cross Lutheran Church, which is on the campus of Emmaus School. [click to enlarge photos]:

Worship at Holy Cross in Moi's Bridge, Kenya

Joel Krafft addresses the children at Holy Cross

A video clip of a service hymn is HERE.

On Monday we were able to meet with Mary and the school staff, and we enjoyed presentations by the school children. We discussed a number of items of interest to the CLC Kinship Committee, which coordinates support for the school.

The children of Emmaus School in Moi's Bridge, Kenya

You may see video clips from their presentation HERE and HERE.

The staff of Emmaus School in Moi's Bridge, Kenya

Also on Monday we were the guests of Pastor Calvin Luvisha at his home in nearby Kitale. A number of the members of his church, St. Peter's Lutheran, were also present. We made plans for St. Peter's future cooperation with the leadership of the CLCK in Etago.

Pastor Calvin Luvisha (center) and some members of St. Peter's in Kitale

Tuesday was a travel day to Iganga, Uganda. We were met by Pastor Daniel Mugeni. We had a day-long pastoral conference at Pastor Mugeni's church on Wednesday, with eight in attendance including Joel Krafft and myself. This was in important gathering, since the formation of the Church of the Lutheran Confession in Uganda is still in its early stages. There was lively discussion, and all agreed that the next conference should be longer than a single day.

L to R: Absolom, Norman, J. Krafft, Milton, Wilberforce, Tanas, B. Naumann, Daniel Mugeni

Our day-long conference at Pastor Mugeni's church in Iganga, Uganda

We were given a tour of the Mugeni home, which is also the location of the "Hope Centre Uganda" orphanage which they operate. Besides the children of Pastor Daniel and his wife, Ida, they feed and house 20 orphaned children, while also raising them in the nurture and admonition of the LORD. 

The children of the "Hope Centre" Orphanage at the Mugeni home in Iganga

You may see a clip of the children singing HERE.
Pastor and Mrs. Mugeni with a message of thanks is HERE.

After another travel day on Thursday, we arrived in Kisii, Kenya which is near the small village of Etago. Friday found us at St. David's academy in Etago, which has an enrollment of 147 students in PreK though grade 6. We conferred with the headmaster and teachers about the operation of the school, and its religious curriculum in particular. 

The children of St. David's Academy - see a video clip HERE.

The teaching staff of St. David's Academy

Elder Pius, Pastor Fred, Pastor Enosh, B.N. and J.K.

On Saturday we met again with the CLCK leadership, Pastors Fred and Enosh, and Elder Joshua. Our focus was on the current activities and future opportunities for the churches of the CLCK. We also met with a new contact, Pastor Peter Ombogo, who leads an independent Lutheran church in Kisii. It was good for him to meet the pastors of the CLCK.

We traveled about an hour to reach the countryside CLCK church in Chotororo and to join them for worship. After a lunch at the home of Pastor Fred, we got back on the road for the long ride to Nairobi.

Worship at the Chotororo church - about 20 were present

Pastor Francis was the liturgist, and I preached on "The Poor Man and Rich Lazarus"

Pastor Fred, his wife Eunice, and their daughter. Their son Eubank (not pictured) is
a student at Wittenberg Seminary in Arusha, Tanzania. 

I am grateful for the opportunity to get to know our Kenyan and Ugandan brothers and sisters better, and to encourage them in their work for our Lord's kingdom. It was also very beneficial to have Pastor Paul Nolting of Valentine, NE in Arusha during my absence. He taught at the seminary, which was much appreciated by the students. See their brief note of thanks in the video clip HERE.

In short, there were many things about this trip that did NOT go as planned, that is, according to OUR plans. We are confident that everything did, in fact, go according to the plans of our gracious God, and we pray for His continued guidance and blessing for all our endeavors!

"A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9