January 28, 2010

I will be leaving Saturday, 1/30/10, at 8:15am to begin my second trip to the Concordia Lutheran Institute of the Holy Ministry in Yambio, Sudan. This is the seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sudan. I will be teaching two key doctrines while I am there: Christology (WHO Jesus is) and Justification (WHAT Jesus has done for us). Please pray that the Lord will bless the teaching and the learning, so that these two doctrines will guide and influence the ministry of these future pastors!
The travel time there is 5 days. On Saturday, I leave Phoenix to go to Minneapolis; then to Amsterdam; then to Kampala, Uganda. (If my time-change math is right, I will be landing during our 11:30 service --- which is the 9pm hour in Uganda.) I spend a day there to pick up a Sudan Visa (please pray that goes smoothly); then the next day I fly to Juba, Sudan; and finally, the next day, I fly into Yambio, Sudan. The Juba layover is different than last year, and it is adding an extra day of travel for me. I just figure the Lord has something planned for me while I am there.
My suitcases are packed! I have 110 pounds in 2 checked bags; and another 40 pounds in carry-on. The good thing is that just about all of it will stay in Africa! I will bring back only a lightly packed carry-on bag ---- it makes for easy travel, but it also flags me at the airports because I have no bags!
My hair is short! Kristen and Taryn had a fun time cutting my hair! They took a long time doing it --- making fun of me with crazy hair styles before they finally finished!
I want to thank Pastor Frusti (7:30) and Pastor Self (10:15) for the impromptu “send off prayer” at the end of the services. That was unexpected and very nice. Thank you for doing that! I appreciate all of your kind words and well wishes over this past week; and thank you for all of you who have given above and beyond financially to help make this happen! Whether we are the ones who send or the ones who go, we are all involved in world mission (Matthew 28:18-20)! THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP!
One note of clarification. I had someone ask if the “Evangelical” Lutheran Church in Sudan is part of the “Evangelical” Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The answer is a resounding “NO!” The word “Evangelical” is a word that means “Gospel/Good News”; and is used in many of the official names of even LCMS congregations. In the USA, the ELCA uses the name, but they have drifted quite far from scripture and Lutheran theology (in fact, the LCMS does not even recognize them as a Lutheran church body any longer.) My observation is that overseas, national church bodies use the name “Evangelical” exactly opposite: they use it to mark themselves as deeply committed to the Bible and Lutheran theology. If the churches in Sudan were associated with the ELCA, I would not be able to participate. I hope that clarifies it a little. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sudan is committed to Scripture and Lutheran theology.