“Going green” and being environmentally friendly is a topic on many people’s minds lately. Here in Malawi, Africa, ‘going green’ is a way of life. It could be said that they live a ‘green lifestyle’. Generally people do not have many material possessions. When they do acquire different materials the product will serve its intended use as long as possible, the person will find other uses for it and the item is discarded only after it has genuinely worn out. A few examples of resourcefulness are…

Plastic bags are: cut into strips and crocheted into handbags, stretched over wire to make a toy kite or decorative flowers, woven into doormats, gathered and rolled into a ball for a child’s toy.

Glass bottles are cut in half, sanded down and used for drinking cups.

Rubber tires are: cut into thin strips and used as strapping to secure loads on bikes and minibuses, cut into chunks and wired together to make doormats, used to make slingshots, fashioned into sandals, cut into thin strips and used to secure bamboo fences.

Soft drink bottle tops are strung together with wire to make musical instruments that you shake or strike, made into earrings, fashioned into baskets and wall decorations using wire.

Tin cans are: pounded out to make cooking pots or pans, used for bug proof food storage.

Scraps of wire are: used for assorted musical instruments such as a bass or guitar, made into a children’s toys such as a wire car, motorcycle or gecko, strung with beads and woven into baskets, used to make beaded flip flops thongs.[slideshow=69] Read more ›

David graduated from WLS in 2008 and was assigned as Missionary to Apache Missions of East Fork and Canyon Day.  His wife René graduated from MLC with a major in STEP (High School) Math.

David writes, “Because I grew up in a home mission congregation in Colorado, I have always had an interest in mission churches.  My desire to be a World Mission Missionary came from my grandfather who was a missionary to China with the LCMS. I have always enjoyed spending time in other cultures, countries, and with people from different backgrounds than myself.  It is so amazing already to see just how much the Lord as blessed the Apache people with a strong and courageous faith.

We’ve been watching the Olympics from our living room in Torreón, and thus have had a taste of the Beijing Summer Games from the Mexican media viewpoint. Last night the big highlights here were men’s diving and the men’s triathlon. Mexico had a participant in each, and the announcers cheered them on heartily. Unfortunately, neither of them won a medal.

Mexicans greatly support the handful of athletes from their country who attend the Summer Games every four years. Since the country started sending athletes in 1900, it has won a total of 10 gold medals. The last of these came back in 2000 at the Sydney games. So far this year, the only medal Mexico has won was a bronze in women’s synchronized diving (Go Paola Espinosa and Tatiana Ortiz! Read about it here).

Although Mexico did not win any medals in speed walking this year, it has often done well in the event in the past. I find it painful to watch, as it looks like the participants are straining to walk fast and not start sprinting. There are specific rules they must follow to make sure they do not actually run.

Watching the Olympics from Mexico has given us a different perspective on the games, and made us appreciate the meaning behind each medal. While it looks like Mexico will leave Beijing without a gold, there’s always hope for the 2012 Summer Games.

Three teeth! A severe problem in America. A near tragedy in Nigeria, where health insurance and dental care are very rare.

Rev. Mathias Odey, President of All Saints Lutheran Church of Nigeria, wrote in an August 14 email, “Pastor Ento fell on a motor bike and loss three of teeth, though he has improved markly.” This is bad news, especially for Pastor Anthony Ento, ordained just this past April. Ento suffered serious health problems in his last year at the seminary, but was able to finish his courses by the grace of God. Now, just three months into his ministry, this accident.

Funny, sometimes when I show video of the April 20 ordination service, some viewers laugh a bit nervously when we come to my dedication and blessing of the new pastors’ new motorbikes. I guess blessing motorbikes is unusual practice in WELS (though strangely enough, blessing church organs is commonly accepted).

I claim we need God’s blessings on the pastors riding their motorbikes over the bush trails of Nigeria. For one, so that they devote the use of their bikes to get from place to place to serve their people. And for another, because of the safety factor (a safety factor not shared by church organs). We need God’s blessing to keep our brothers and their families safe on their motorbikes.

So continue to pray for motorbike blessings. And pray for Pastor Ento, that his bruises are healed, his teeth are repaired, and his motorbike is back into service for the kingdom of our Lord.

Mentoring pastors. Training certified assistants. Developing the Lutheran Church of Cameroon by developing
programs. Training and equipping the Synod and congregations. Travelling to villages in Cameroon two weeks each month.  This is the daily work of Missionary Dan Myers in Cameroon.

This year, an emergency vicar will assist with teaching and training the laymen while Pastor Myers trains the pastors and certified assistants.  Peggy Myers trains the ladies.  Later, he will be responsible for training the next group of pastors from the current certified assistants in the second seminary session to be held here.