How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach UNLESS THEY ARE SENT? ...So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:14–15a, 17
Later this morning, I will head to the airport for a month-long trip to Southeast Asia. I'll be accompanied by Pastor Tim Daub for the first week in Pakistan, and Board of Missions Chairman, Joel Krafft, will join me for the last week in the Philippines.
Pastor Daub and I will meet up in Dubai. After a 12-hour layover, we will fly to Faisalabad, Pakistan. We will spend about a week meeting with a local Pastor, leading Bible studies in the evening, and attending worship on Sunday morning. After Pastor Daub returns to the U.S., I will spend another week in Faisalabad, meeting with the pastor and other potential contacts, and leading Bible studies in the evenings.
Pastor Daub has been corresponding with this local pastor and conducting online video Bible studies with two different groups in Faisalabad for about four years. The group has formed a Lutheran congregation. They meet weekly for Sunday worship and continue to attend online Bible studies with Pastor Daub. This will be the first face-to-face meeting with CLC representatives. This visit is the third step in the protocol our CLC Board of Missions follows to establish fellowship with foreign church bodies and ministries. The first two steps include 1-3 years of correspondence. If all goes well with this third step, Pastor Daub and I will recommend to the CLC president that the official colloquy process begin. If President Wilke accepts our recommendation, he will appoint a CLC representative (typically a member of the CLC Board of Doctrine) to conduct the colloquy. The colloquy will be conducted via email and online video chats over the next year. If all goes well, a second face-to-face meeting will be scheduled to complete the final step of the colloquy process. If this goes well and a true unity of doctrine and faith is revealed, a recommendation for a declaration will be forwarded to President Wilke for action. It's a very thorough process to follow our Lord's will to spread the Gospel throughout the world in a God-pleasing way, as we seek fellowship grounded in the truth of His saving word! This is the process that the Board of Missions and our CLC missionaries have been following for the past several years. Through this process, the CLC has established fellowship with several ministries in countries such as Bangladesh, the Philippines, Nepal, Myanmar, DR Congo, Uganda, Liberia, and others. Praise the Lord for the privilege of partnering with faithful preachers and teachers of God's saving word to assist with the spread of the Gospel!
Until just a few weeks ago, I was scheduled to fly from Pakistan to Bangladesh to spend a couple of weeks with Pastor Monotosh and the Bangladesh Lutheran Church Mission (BLCM) conducting Gospel outreach, conducting a week-long Pastor Training seminar with fourteen pastors, evangelists, and church leaders, and we were also going to dedicate the new BLCM church headquarters and Bible Institute building. But things have changed, and now this visit is postponed, Lord willing, until later in the year.
Bangladesh has been experiencing significant political unrest over the past couple of years. Protests in Dhaka turned violent in December, resulting in the death of a popular opposition leader. With national elections scheduled for February 12, the whole country is tense. The government has imposed travel restrictions between districts and curfews, and many expect martial law to be implemented in some places. I was scheduled to be there the two weeks prior to election day. With all the government travel restrictions in place, it would be impossible for me to travel freely for evangelism, and those scheduled to attend the pastor training conference will not be able to travel either. Because of all of this, Pastor Monotosh asked me to postpone my visit until later in the year.
I was able to change my airfare so I can spend an extra week in Pakistan and then arrive in the Philippines a few days early. Fortunately, the cost of this new itinerary, even with cancellation fees, was about $250 less. Thank you, Lord!
If all goes as planned, I will depart Faisalabad, Pakistan, on February 6th. After a two-day layover in Dubai, I'll arrive in Manila a few days ahead of Joel Krafft. Since Pastor Palangyos and the Lutheran Autonomous Mission of the Philippines (LAMP) are located about 8 hours north of Manila, I will just hang out in Manila until Joel arrives, so I can meet him at the airport, and we can travel together by bus from Manila to Baguio.
Joel and I will spend a week with Pastor Palangyos visiting the two LAMP congregations in the Cordillera Mountains. We will also visit Kapangan. This is the village where Pastor Palangyos' parents live and where his recently deceased sister donated a building to the LAMP. With a small MDF grant, this building has been cleaned up, and chairs, desks, and other furnishings have been purchased with plans to begin pastor and church leader training. Currently, this is also the location of a LAMP preaching station. An outreach seminar will be conducted while Joel and I are visiting, with the hope and prayer of bringing the truth of God's saving word to many in this village.
Please keep these trips and the meetings we have in your prayers, asking for the Lord's blessings on everything we need for travel, the work, and our return home to our families. And thank the Lord for His faithfulness in His promised effectiveness of the preaching and teaching of His saving word to accomplish His will!
The last several trips and visits I have made have not gone as I planned. And yet, despite the hiccups, delays, and last-minute changes, the Lord has brought blessings, and His work has been accomplished for His glory and His kingdom.
This morning, as I read through Missionary Bruce Naumann's blog post titled Kazi, Kazi, Kazi, I was reminded of that same Swahili word I learned several years ago from Pastor Yumba in the DR Congo. Kazi means "work." Pastor Yumba used it in a different context in the phrase "Kazi ya Mungu." Which translates to "It's God's work." Pastor Yumba utters this phrase a lot when speaking of Kingdom work. It's a reminder that everything we do is God's work. If something goes well and according to plan... "Kazi ya Mungu"...God gets the glory. If our plan seemingly goes off the rails... "Kazi ya Mungu"...God has a better plan! "Kazi ya Mungu" does away with all boasting and helps to put grumbling away. This Swahili phrase comes to mind often as I am traveling and working for Him around the world, and things oftentimes (most of the time, it seems) don't go as I had planned...reminding me that His ways and thoughts are so much higher (and better) than mine.
Things did not go exactly as planned during this visit to the Philippines. Yet in His faithfulness, the Lord brought His blessings according to His plans as He directed our steps.
It all started on the day I arrived. Pastor Jordan was involved in a minor traffic accident. This happened as I was riding the bus from Manila to Baguio City (where Jordan and his family live and work). Fortunately, no one was injured. We had been exchanging texts and making our plans before the accident, and everything was on schedule. But the accident changed everything because the next day's plans had to be canceled so Jordan could spend most of the day getting his car to the repair shop. I got a rest day. Jordan was optimistic that the damage to his vehicle would be limited to the surface, so driving would be safe. That was not the case. There was damage to the frame that needed to be repaired before it could be used again. So, day one of our schedule was canceled, and Jordan scrambled to make alternate transportation plans. The next several days were spent traveling to the places we would visit via public transportation, which isn't the most efficient use of time, but it gets the job done. We traveled on public buses, jeepneys, tricycles, and taxis. It was frustratingly slow and not the most comfortable way of getting from place to place, but we got where we needed to go, and we were able to bring God's word to most of the places Jordan had planned.
To further complicate things, Jordan tripped and fell while we were walking the narrow footpaths to the first congregation we were to visit and severely sprained his ankle. But he soldiered through with a very swollen and painful ankle and foot for the next several days. He was still limping when we parted ways at the bus station. Hopefully, with me gone, he and his ankle will be able to get some much-needed rest and recovery! Keep him in your prayers!
We visited and stayed overnight at the Lutheran Autonomous Mission in the Philippines (LAMP) congregation in Delles in the Cordillera Mountain region in the northern part of Luzon island. The two established LAMP congregations are relatively close, but the roads that connect them take quite a while to navigate. The congregation members can walk via footpaths quicker than you can drive.
While in Delles, several members of the two congregations and a few visitors attended a seminar on the doctrine of Justification. On Sunday, we studied the proper distinction between God's Law and Gospel in Bible Study and worshipped with about 30 in attendance. It was a wonderful weekend of fellowship and growth in our understanding of God's word as we focused on His grace and mercy.
We also made two more trips up into the Cordillera foothills during this visit. The first visit was to the barangay or barrio (village) where Jordan's parents live (both in their 80s) to see the house where they live. This three-story house was built by and belongs to Jordan's sister, but the upper level of the building has been gifted to the LAMP for use as a Pastor/Missionary training classroom and worship sanctuary. The LAMP is also working to establish a preaching station that will become a LAMP congregation according to God's plans.
The upper level of the building is still unfinished, but they plan to begin working on it soon. Once it has been cleaned up and a few minor improvements have been made, they plan to schedule the first, hopefully of many, church leadership training seminars and worship services. The second story of the building has four bedrooms that will work well to lodge the students when they come for training.
Our fourth and final trip up and into the Cordilleras was spent visiting a barangay where the LAMP has a preaching station. We had hoped to conduct a seminar but, as mentioned before, plans changed. Instead, we took the opportunity to visit and bring the comfort of God's word to a woman and her family in the area. The woman is the wife of Jordan's second cousin, who is being treated for breast cancer. In addition to bringing comfort and hope to this family, it was a good opportunity for Jordan to touch base with and encourage this family. He is hoping and praying that this family can be instrumental in establishing a thriving ministry in this area.
While everything didn't go according to our plans, this allowed the Lord to bless Jordan and me with a little extra time to discuss the joys, challenges, and importance of the work our Savior has given us the privilege of doing. There seem to be many opportunities and open doors here for proclaiming the truths of God's saving word. It's easy to feel overwhelmed with just how much there is to do and how little time and resources there are to accomplish it all. Thankfully, by faith, we know that it is Kazi ya Mungu... the Lord's work and He will provide all that is necessary and will bless that work according to His always good and gracious will!
Today, I'm back in Manila... cleaning up the inbox, working on reports, and waiting for my flights home. I will fly from Manila to San Francisco to Saint Louis. This will complete a literal trip around the world. Because I cross over the international date line in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, I will actually arrive 3hrs and 35mins hours before I depart. My flight leaves at 9:55 AM, and I am scheduled to arrive in San Francisco at 6:20 AM on the same day. My mind can't quite figure that one out...but after three weeks in Bangladesh and a little over a week here in the Philippines, I'm ready to gain a day and be home before I leave! On a side note...when discussing this with Jordan and Amabel, Jordan said with a sly grin, "I guess the Philippines are way ahead of America!" :)
Your prayers for safe, uneventful, and on-time flights home are requested and much appreciated!
A brief walkthrough of the Delles L.A.M.P. Congregation
LAMP Hymnal in the Ilocono Language
LAMP Liturgy in Ilocono
Pastor Jordan Palangyos Teaching
Delles Congregation Pre-Serice Singing
Filipino Jeepney - the most common form of public transportation
Filipino Tricycle Ride through the Cordillera Foothills
Pastor Jordan buying meat for the seminar meals.
Future LAMP Classroom and Worship Space
Pastor Jordan and His Father in the Future LAMP Classroom and Worship Space
Future LAMP Classroom and Worship Space on the Top Floor
Bonus Blog for anyone who makes it all the way to the end...
With a whole day to kill in Manila before my early morning departure flight, I decided to do a little sightseeing. A quick Google search told me that Intramuras is the place to see if you only have one day in Manila. Intramuras literally means "inside the walls." This is an old and fortified portion of the city that was originally built by the Spaniards when they colonized the Philippines during the 1500s. The walls and buildings date back several hundred years. This area of Manila served as the seat of government for the Captaincy General of the Philippines of the Spanish West Indies. It has also been the seat of government for the Philippines since the Philippine Revolution in 1898. It was fascinating to visit Fort Santiago, which sits at the edge of Intramuros along the coast and a riverway that leads into the main city.
There is a lot of interesting history to take in, much more than I could absorb in one afternoon. Some of the history is rather sad. One monument within the fort is a single white cross that marks the spot of a mass grave for 600 Filipinos who were held captive, abandoned, and eventually died of starvation in a dungeon as the Imperial Japanese Army fled the islands after the Philippines were liberated by American forces toward the end of WWII in 1945. The corpses of the Filipinos were so decomposed that the individuals could not be identified. When Japan surrendered, this ended a brutal three-year occupation by the Japanese.
Within the fort is also a museum honoring the life and sacrifice of José Rizal, a national hero for his part in the revolution that led to the Philippines gaining its independence from Spain. He was held, tried, and executed on December 30, 1898 at the fort.
The Manila equivalent to the National Mall in Washington, DC, is named Rizal Park. It's just a few blocks away from Intramuros. The most prominent feature in the park is the Rizal Monument, which commemorates this man's life, death, and contributions to Philippine independence. The monument was designed and constructed in the early 1900s when the United States still controlled the Philippines. The U.S. officially recognized Philippine independence when President Truman signed Proclamation 2695 on July 4th, 1946. Having been liberated three different times. First from Spain, then Japan, and finally from the United States, Filipinos have a lot to celebrate on their 4th of July Republic Day.
It was a fun and interesting walk through so much history. Rizal Park has statues honoring the Philippines' past leaders and freedom fighters. There's a lot of history here. I'm kinda glad that I only had a few hours to walk around because now I am looking forward to visiting again!
Grand Gate to Fort Santiago
Philippines Flag at Rizal Park
Rizal Monument that holds the remains of José Rizal
I'm sitting and "patiently" waiting for my late-night/early-morning, 2:00 am flight to Manila. I'm in the big, busy, hectic, chaotic Bangladesh capital city of Dhaka, with a population of nearly 24 million. As I made my way from Gopalganj to the airport in Dhaka, I tracked my progress on Google Maps. It took about 3 hours to go the first 160kms. It took over an hour to go the last 9kms. Google underestimated the Dhaka traffic when it predicted 41 minutes. Ugh!
My flight itinerary tonight takes me from Dhaka to Bangkok to Manila. I'll spend the night in Manila. I'll take a bus to Baguio City on Thursday morning, where Pastor Palangyos will meet me at the bus station. Pastor P. sent our itinerary yesterday. Looks like he has a busy week planned for us. We'll spend one day in Baguio visiting outreach areas before we head to the mountains for 4 days to conduct Bible seminars, Gospel outreach, and worship service.
The past few days here in Bangladesh have passed in a blur. We traveled approximately 14 hours from the north to Gopalganj, with an overnight stop in Jessore. Gopalganj is where Pastor M. and his family live and where the BLCM is headquartered. The following day, sixteen BLCM pastors, deacons, elders, evangelists, and Sunday school teachers gathered for a four-day Bible training seminar for pastors and church leaders. It was wonderful to see all their familiar faces and to reconnect. A couple of new young men attended for the first time. Seeing the next generation of church leaders being trained in God's Word is wonderful to witness!
During the four-day seminar, I taught and preached about God's grace, emphasizing how the doctrine of election serves as a comforting and encouraging scriptural principle for believers rooted in a correct and biblical understanding of God's grace. Pastor M. also taught lessons on the doctrine of Church Fellowship and our Biblical practice of Close Communion. He also led discussions on worship, church organization, and future plans for the BLCM.
As the seminar came to a close, attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and share their thoughts on what we had studied, learned, and discussed over the past few days. Each participant who spoke expressed gratitude to the Lord for the chance to delve deeper into His Word and requested that the BLCM provide more Bible training for pastors and church leaders. The BLCM plans to implement a structured training program for pastors once the BLCM building project has been completed. Until then, Pastor M. will continue to provide training through regional seminars, as he has been doing since becoming involved with the CLC. The CLC Board of Missions has approved an MDF building grant for the BLCM. Construction will begin once sufficient MDF funds are available for this project, along with many other projects and Gospel outreach that have been approved.
There is a lot happening here in Bangladesh, and the opportunities to share the Gospel are abundant as evidenced in my post from a few days ago. Please pray for Pastor M., his family, church leaders, and evangelists. Pray also that our Savior will bless their efforts to spread the Good News of Jesus throughout the country.
This will be the second visit to the Philippines to meet with Pastor Jordan Palangyos and the Lutheran Autonomous Mission of the Philippines (L.A.MP.) After extensive correspondence that was first initiated by Pastor Palangyos after he had found the Facebook page of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church (CLC), Pastor Rob Sauers (representing the CLC Board of Missions) and I made an initial visit in April. The first two years of correspondence were focused on reviewing and explaining the doctrinal positions of the CLC using select Online Theological Studies courses via email.
As reported in a Lutheran Spokesman article by Pastor Sauers, a recommendation to begin the official colloquy process was approved by the CLC President. Pastor Andrew Schaller (CLC Bd of Doctrine) was appointed to conduct the colloquy via email correspondence. That process has now been completed. Pastor Schaller and I are now traveling to the Philippines to conduct the in-person review of the colloquy materials that Pastor Palangyos and Pastor Schaller have completed. If all goes well, and as a result, we find ourselves in doctrinal agreement with the L.A.M.P., a recommendation for fellowship will be made to President Wilke upon our return.
We fly out later today (1/29). Our itinerary takes us from St. Louis to Los Angeles to Hong Kong to Manila. We will arrive in Manila mid-morning on Wednesday after nearly 28 hours of travel. From there, we will board a bus in Manila and travel about six hours to the north, where we will meet Pastor Palangyos in Baguio City on Wednesday evening. Thursday and Friday will be spent in doctrinal discussions. Saturday and Sunday will take us into the mountainous Cordillera District to visit the two L.A.M.P. congregations and preaching stations.
Your prayers for safe and uneventful travels, productive and God-pleasing doctrinal discussions, the Lord's blessings on the preaching and teaching of His saving Word, and His love and protection for our families are requested and much appreciated...confident that the God of our Salvation will hear and answer our prayers!
I'm sitting in a hotel room near the western coast of Manila in the Philippines, waiting for 4:00 pm to roll around when I will take a short taxi ride to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Pastor Rob Sauers headed to the airport early this morning (4/27) for his flight home. He'll fly from Manila to Tokyo to Los Angelos to Orlando. Somewhere along the line, he'll cross over the crazy international timeline in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and will gain a whole day. But, he's got a looong day ahead of him. I have just two short flights that will take me from Manila to Bangkok to Dhaka, Bangladesh. My flight schedule has me arriving at 1:25 am in the early hours of Friday morning. Pastor Monotosh's proposed itinerary has me hitting the road right away with a congregational visit Friday morning! Hopefully, I'll be able to get some sleep on the flights.
Pastor Rob Sauers, Pastor Palangyos, and Me
Rob (CLC Bd of Missions member) and I had a busy and fruitful week here in the Philippines. We arrived in Manila about a week ago and took a taxi directly from the airport to the bus terminal and caught an afternoon bus to Baguio, a vibrant city about five hours north of Manila. This is where Pastor Jordan Palangyos, his wife Amabel, and their two children live. We arrived in Baguio around 10:00 pm. Pastor P. took us to his home, where we were treated to a traditional Filipino meal of adobo chicken, rice, and fresh fruits. After a few hours of much-needed sleep, we got right to work the next morning (Saturday) when Pastor P. picked us up from our hotel at 8:00 am. We spent most of the morning meeting with Pastor P. discussing many important topics that we pray, will eventually lead to an opportunity to work with him and the Lutheran Autonomous Mission in the Philippines (L.A.M.P.) in a God-pleasing way.
Meeting with Pastor Jordan Palangyos
In the afternoon, Pastor P. and his wife took us to a museum that depicted the history of the people of the mountainous Cordillera District. This region covers most of the Cordillera Mountain Range, and is where the two L.A.M.P. congregations and two preaching stations are located.
At the Ben Cab Art Museum in Baguio
A Jeepney...the common form of public transportation. First developed using U.S. Army Jeeps that were left in the Philippines after World War II
The L.A.M.P. was formed in 2008 when Pastor Palangyos resigned from the Lutheran Church in the Philippines (LCP) following his graduation from the seminary. Pastor P. is 47 years old and the son of an elderly retired LCP pastor. He was led by his conscience and obedience to God's Word to resign from the LCP due to what he described as greedy and power-hungry leadership that had little concern for spreading the Gospel and teaching God's word in the hard-to-reach areas of the Philippines, especially in the mountains. In recent years he has also witnessed a trend toward an increasing tolerance of liberal theology in the areas of pastoral ministry and church fellowship. From what he has observed, he is sadly convinced that a lack of theological training for pastors and solid Biblical, Law and Gospel teaching in the congregations is leading the LCP away from the foundational truths of God's saving word. All of this has led him to work independently and with no financial support to proclaim the Gospel among the marginalized people and abandoned LCP congregations of the Cordillera mountains. After just a few minutes of conversation with Pastor P., it becomes very evident that he has a deep love for our Savior and for people, a heart for missions, and a sincere desire spread the truth of God's word with no concern for personal gain or prestige.
Pastor Sauers and I had the opportunity to travel through the steep and rugged mountains a couple of hours north of Baguio City.
We spent a couple of days and nights teaching God's word in the two villages where the L.A.M.P. has congregations and preaching stations.
Wallayan Village L.A.M.P church building
Wallayan Village (L.A.M.P.) Mission Congregation
Teaching at the Wallayan Village (L.A.M.P.) Mission Congregation
Teaching at the Delles Village (L.A.M.P.) Lutheran Mission Congregation
Delles Village (L.A.M.P.) Lutheran Mission Congregation
Pastor Palangyos and I have been studying together via email for the past couple of years. We have studied through the "Introduction to Lutheran Theology and the CLC", an Online Theological Studies course that uses the CLC Statement of Faith and Purpose as an outline. These studies have served as an important first step in determining if we share a unity of faith and teaching that, according to God's Word, is necessary to work together in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ in a way that is pleasing to God.
Our visit confirmed that we have a solid foundation on which to build, and Pastor Sauers and I will be making a recommendation to CLC President Wilke to begin the official colloquy process with Pastor Palangyos and the L.A.M.P. soon after our return home. This process begins with President Wilke appointing a representative of the CLC to work with Pastor P. and me via email correspondence to conduct a thorough study/review of the teachings of the CLC and L.A.M.P. If all of this goes well over the next several months, another visit will be scheduled for a face-to-face/oral review of our doctrinal unity. Please pray for this process!
Praise the Lord for the privilege and opportunity to be a part of our Savior's harvest in the Philippines!
Later this morning, I will head to the airport for a month-long trip to Southeast Asia. I'll be accompanied by Pastor Tim Daub for the first week in Pakistan, and Board of Missions Chairman, Joel Krafft, will join me for the last week in the Philippines. 
