Board of Missions Chairman Joel Krafft and I will meet in Chicago later today (November 14) to catch an evening flight to Brussels. From there, we will travel to Monrovia, Liberia, for a short visit with Pastor Joseph Kwiwalazu and our brothers and sisters in Christ from the Liberia Church of the Lutheran Confession (LCLC).
Originally, we had planned to make this visit in January, but our visas were not issued in time due to unknown problems at the Liberian Embassy in Washington, DC that had something to do with the transition to the newly elected Liberian president and staffing at the embassy. Our visas were eventually issued but they expire in early 2025, so we decided to squeeze in a visit before the end of the year.
We had all hoped and prayed that Pastor John Hein would be able to join us on this trip, but his cancer treatments and current health situation are preventing him from traveling internationally. We continue to pray for the Lord's healing so that he can return to his close friends and assist in spreading the Gospel in Liberia!
This will be Joel and my first visit to Liberia. After hearing about the opportunities and the wonderful people at the LCLC, we are very much looking forward to getting to know the many pastors and church workers we have only read about in reports. I had the privilege of meeting Pastors Joseph and Samuel at the West Africa CLC Pastoral Conference in Lomé, Togo a couple of years ago. I look forward to seeing them again and working with them among the sheep of our Savior's LCLC flock.
Pastor Joseph has a busy schedule planned for our brief ten-day visit. We will spend much of our time traveling between locations to attend a four-day pastoral conference and to meet with the leaders of a group of independent pastors who have recently withdrawn from the United Methodist Church of Liberia. They have formed an independent church body and have met with Pastor Hein and Pastor Kwiwalazu several times.
Your prayers for safe and uneventful travels are requested and much appreciated.
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