Lutheran English Service – Berlin

Dealing with another language in a foreign country can get tedious. There are times when you just want to speak your own language. That includes going to church, listening to the sermon, singing the hymns, and so on.
There are about 25,000 native speakers of English in Berlin. That’s why four English-speaking pastors, two from the SELK and two from the US-based Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), have started offering regular English-language Lutheran worship services in Berlin.
The first service was Jan. 7 and was really a joyous occasion! We plan to offer a service at 6 p.m. on the first and third Saturday of each month. The services are held at Ev.-Luth. Kirche “Zum Heiligen Kreuz” (Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church) in Berlin-Wilmersdorf.
The pastors involved are the Rev. Roger Zieger, director of SELK’s Lutheran Church Mission (LKM); the Rev. David Mahsman, an LCMS missionary and managing director of the joint SELK-LCMS International Lutheran Society of Wittenberg; the Rev. Johann Hillermann, pastor of the SELK congregation in Berlin-Mitte; and the Rev. Fred Smith, an LCMS pastor and long-time resident of the Berlin area.
Please keep us this effort in your prayers. And pray that God would bring us English speakers—even non-native speakers who don’t think of our language as all that tedious!
DM

Prayer request: Mission Congregation Berlin-Marzahn, Germany

The Mission-Congregation Berlin-Marzahn was founded as a church planting, more than 10 years ago. Work there, begun by Missionary Hartwig Neigenfind and currently continued by the congregation he founded and Missionary Hugo Gevers, encompasses not only the “usual” fields of church work, but puts a further stress on practical help for the socially deprived: each year, the preaching of the gospel is accompanied by more than 100000 portions of food, handed out to the needy.

• For the Missions-Congregation: That a new pastor may found who will help to further the missionary goals of the congregation
• For the people living in the vicinity: That they may come to realize that god cares for them and that they may feel his love.
• Giving thanks to God for all the work that has been done in his course, be it from Christians or Non-Christians.
• For the relation between our congregation and those who help us in our diaconal outreach: That we continue to be able to work together in peace and harmony.
• For our diaconal outreach program “Laib und Seele”: That it may be a testimony to Gods love of his people.

Seven Weeks “plus”

Traditionally the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday is a time of reflection and abstinence – well, it is lent, after all.
Why than, is it not strange that our Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church – this year for the third lenten time – propagates the campaign ” Seven Weeks Plus”.
It might seem to be strange, but only on first sight. We do not abstain just for the sake of abstaining, do we? We abstain from things, because we want to gain time and room for something different: Time to listen to God and room for conversation with Him.
For the coming seven Weeks we would like to invite you to join the people in our missioncongregations all over the world in praying for the propagation of the Good News in word and deed.
Every few days we shall provide you with concrete prayer issues, sent to us from the mission field.
Please join us in prayer.

Thanking you for caring
Roger Zieger

May the Lord bless you

P.S.
We are never alone, when in prayer. Maybe the others are not to be seen at the moment – but they are there, nevertheless.

NEWS FROM THE MEN’S LEAGUE

Since the beginning of the LCSA in Botswana, the LCSA Diocesan introduced various leagues alongside church planting.eg. Woman’s league, Youth League and Sunday school league. These above mention league have been operating for years under the spiritual supervision of Pastors.

Still, the Botswana Diocese never had a Man’s league operating, maybe the reason being that our Diocese had only a small number of Men in various congregations which made it very difficult to be introduced.

This has become a concern to me. For the past years since some of our men in the church were not involved in any activity and at the same time the male youth who were old enough to be in the youth group, had no group to join and at their age had nothing to do to keep them involve in church activities.

Members of the Kanye Youth Club who helped to prepare the food

The beginning of the year 2010, I had felt the passionate wish to help in the creation of an operating Man’s league operating in our
Diocese. I started consulting some of our Pastors in South Africa who were once spiritual advisors in Man’s league, and tried to gather some documents regarding the group. I endeared the idea to my fellow brothers at our Pastor’s meeting, and they too welcomed it. Around April 2011, I wrote letters inviting all men in our various congregations for a meeting in Gaborone (11 June 2011), and the attendance at the meeting was amazing, as it was our first meeting and I had not been expecting such a number, and such a response towards the league.

The Man’s league was then launched in August 2011 in Molepolole.

We are still hoping and praying for the growth of this league, that it can implement its own programs in helping the Diocese to overcome its challenges,not least in respect  to the great commission in the gospel of Matthew as its mission and vision.

Revd. Boss Sebeelo

All pictures have been taken during Man’s league general meeting and workshop in Kanye on the  03rd of December 2011.

edited by RZ

News from Botswana – Revd. Mothlatlosi Seebelo

SEROWE CONGREGATION

In Serowe we have two services on Sunday the English service and Setswana service. The English service start at 9:00 and end at 10:00. The Setswana service starts at 10:30 ending around 12:30.
The English Congregation
In our English service we have people who come from different countries of Africa, worshipping together with love and joy for their Lord even if they are from different countries with different languages. This shows us that will we may be different in languages, background, colors – in the Lord we are just one.
There are some from Uganda, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and there was one good brother who was from Zambia he left us due to transfer. Spiritual these people are very fond of coming to church. They are very friendly and loving to one another and they love to come together in the Lord Supper and praise the Lord together even if they are just few in numbers but they are just harmoniously in oneness.

Transfers
We are so sad that some of us in the English service had left us due to transfers to other places:
Mr. Msuya, an engineer now moved to Gaborone. He is from Tanzania.
Mr. Ndlovu and the family also moved to Gaborone. He was working in Serowe as a magistrate. He is from Zimbabwe.
Dr Sasse was also transferred to the Boteti side. He is from Zambia.
We thank the Lord for all their contributions, the time they were with us and pray He will help them to do their different work were He places them in their new areas.

Setswana Congregation
In Setswana service we are doing well and we hope that God will help us to continue to do His service. In this congregation the most active people are women. They are the ones who come and do things in our congregation if there is any need of that. They like hearing and listening to the word of God attentively and they are the ones who help me as a pastor to run the Sunday service proceedings. You may ask a question why are there only women? Most of them have been widows for a long time back and some of them are not yet married.
God is the only provider and protect and He is the one who knows what will happen tomorrow. He is the one who has the plan about us. Every time I pray, I ask God to strengthen these women so that they will have that strength of working and walking towards the goal. 2 Timothy4:8 “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge, will award to me on that day- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing”. The Lord of peace will crown those who are continuing with hope in His service. We always see that the women are the ones upholding our congregations, our churches, our societies, our communities, etc. by their work and commitment.
Confirmation
I have been busy preparing three ladies in Serowe for confirmation, one of whom has been transferred to Gaborone due to work relations. I am waiting to confirm two of them but right now they are still busy with the ploughing at the lands. As soon as they arrive back here, we will continue with the confirmation. One of them is from another denomination. She was not relating well with the Pastors, the issue she took being that the pastor is a woman.
Youth and Sunday school
We are just having a handful of youth at this time. Some are out of the village for schooling and work. We were having some boys during the time of Pastor C. Weber who were working in a project call the Good Samaritan. I have seen another one is attending a different church nowadays, others are just busy with their affairs at home and decided not to come to church. This is just a challenge.
Sunday school kids were away for the festive season. Some went to cattle post and to the country with the parents. Now, as they are back, I think we will continue where we left.
Visiting
“Alita continue” this was said long time back by a black African lady a South African pioneer. We are still in the continuation of this, here in Serowe, active in visiting and doing Home Communion, due to the fact that I am having people who are sick and old. Together with the women we do the visiting and sharing of the Gospel, praying and administering of the Lord Supper.

In this picture we were visiting the lady at the right. She is a member of our congregation, her name is Mrs. Felicia Sebina. Mrs Sebina has been paralyzed 6-7 years ago. For these past years was not able to speak and her right side is paralyzed as you can see it in the picture. She was being taken care of by her younger sister, who is not working. Her mother is old and her life is now is pretty much constricted to sitting on a mat. Mrs. Sebina has moved to her place and  - guest what – slowly but surely she is saying something. Her mother in law was amazed and thanking us for the prayers we have been doing for her and for them. “To God be the Glory” may the God of peace help and comfort her and may He give us His strength so that we will fight the good fight of faith.

Pray, if there is anything you can think of for the betterment of Mrs. Felicia Sebina, please don’t hesitate to contact me. No matter, whether it is an idea of how to deal or overcome this situation or if it is about means that you can think of –  it would be of great help to us.

As well as for Mrs. Felicia Sebina we care for the old Mma Gareomane who is very old and sick. She is at this point and time taking care for her grand-daughter who is disabled from birth.

This old lady is one of our congregants who has to stay at home. We are going to her place for the service of the word and the administering of the Lord Supper.

We are so glad that God is still keeping this oldies with us till now. They are the ones who inspire us with long time issues in the society and historically. We are glad that through them we still have genuine access to the past. May the God of peace keep them for us as we enjoy their presence and company.

OTSE PROJECT
As in the beginning of my report I do want to stress one issue: the brothers and sisters from Otse the congregations are deeply thankful for your prayer and your help. They really wishing you all the best in your work and hoping that this friendship between you, the Lutheran Mission (Austria) and them will last as your help and prayer means a lot to them.
Monthly services
I am going to Otse for the church service twice a month. As a rule, I’ll do it during the week as on Sunday I am in Serowe or Mahalapye. The word of God is still doing its work even at those far places like Otse. The sad thing is that as we know very well that these Basarwa people are originates from the sandy places far west of Botswana and these brothers and sisters of ours in Otse keep on visiting their relatives there. The shame is that those people – who are still in the bush – are pining to hear of God’s word, but they cannot move to Otse.
So this is so sad because, while the journey to go there is too long,  God certainly wants everyone to hear His word understand and believe it. How shall we overcome the obstacles put in our way and manage this situation?

Visiting
The life in general of Otse people is stable, as just I mentioned in my prior report.

I did, in the meantime, meet a government social worker about the concerns of the people at Otse people. They had been complaining that they are not getting any government service but to my surprise I realized that the government is helping them here and there. I even met the Chief (kgosi) of Otse and he confirmed that our people are being help like each and every Motswana.

This news made me – as their Pastor – the happiest person. I was fearing that these people were just desolate and not treated like the other Motswana – that’s why I did take that responsibility to meet the Chief and the Social worker so that they would clarify this matter to me.

Confirmation class
I am still busy with the confirmation and in the confirmation class two of them are new members.
A challenge with these people is the issue of illiteracy. Some of them cannot read and write.

AUSTRIAN SUPPORT –  “WORKS OF MERCY” 
This people are always happy when I get there. Even more so towards the end of the month, because they knew very well that I will be able to give out food and money for the betterment of their health. This is possible due to the gifts, coming from Austrian. Thanks for your “Works of mercy”.

They are very grateful for this gifts, which are so valuable for them.

The money received from Austrians should carry us for the next 5 to 6 months. I wish to thank you so much for your help and love. May God give you His powerful Spirit for continuing your work, be it here or at the other places where you engage in deeds of mercy and the proclamation of the Gospel like  Korea or China.

Among other congregants on the above picture is our beloved mother, friend and a wife who is in a bad and sad situation for quite some time now because of her foot which keeps on growing worse.

It is very tough for her to walk without the crunches. The family has consulted the clinic in Otse where they have promised to take her to a bigger hospital  - but this has remained but a promise.

“I planted the seed Apollos watered it, but God made it grow” let us do likewise God will keep on growing His plants.
Rev. M. Sebeelo
IN GOD’S SERVICE

edited by RZ

BAPTISEM IN LEIPZIG ON ST. STEPHENS DAY. THE DAY OF THE FIRST CHRISTIAN MARTYR

On St. Stephens day or the day after Christmas even more Persian people came to St. Trinity in Leipzig.  They also saw the star of Bethlehem and wanted to share the gift of God among us.  5 Persian people came to be baptized and 2 were confirmed.

They were very pleased to hear that their baptism would be on the day of the Christian Martyrs.  One young man, who was baptized, knows what it means to be persecuted because of one’s faith.  His Father was tortured to death in Iran because of his conversion to the Christian faith.

Particularly over Christmas the regime in Iran has traditionally arrested Christians who were celebrating Christmas.  This year was no different.  On St. Stephens day many Iranian Christians were once again imprisoned.  Initial reports are horrifying.  Parents were dragged away in front of their children with handcuffs.  Some infants were left abandoned in their homes, because the parents were imprisoned.  Some of these Christians were then forced to sign a document that they would never again participate in Christian activities. Those who refused to sign this document are still missing.  Some of these people may never return home again.  It left us all with a special feeling of warmth and respect for these Christians who are willing to confess their faith in spite of these persecutions.  In Leipzig the Apostolic Creed was spoken in Persian and German simultaneously.  However there were so many Persians in the service that I could not even hear any German at all!  The Apostolic Creed is a direct contradiction of the Koran.  What a blessing to hear these voices proclaim loudly and clearly in their own language!

These people know full well that Christmas is much more than a warm feeling in the stomach.  Cake, Turkey and sweets cannot replace the meaning of Christmas.  Christmas is the miracle that the eternal God has become flesh and has shared our life with us!  He has come to take our sins away!  In this fashion they are in the company of the Magi, the shepherds, Mary and Joseph.  They are able to kneel in the presence of the living God who in an unfathomable fashion has made the impossible possible by coming in the flesh!    Blessed Christmas!

Hugo Gevers, Missionary

CHRISTMAS IN THE COMPANY OF „REAL“ WISE MEN

What are the ingredients for a good Christmas?  Imagine Christmas without a Christmas tree?  Christmas without Christmas presents?  Christmas without Carols?  Take any of these away and Christmas would somehow not seem right.  The cherry on the Cake in St. Trinity Leipzig was that we could not only celebrate Christmas with all these things but had the benefit of real Magi in our Christmas play!  In all probability the Magi in the biblical narrative came from the Old Persian Empire.   In our Christmas play in Leipzig the Magi were also Persian!  There is very few Christian congregations who can celebrate Christmas in such an authentic way!  One of the congregation members in Leipzig came to me quite excited about this. She wanted me to publish the photo and to share this experience with more Christians and Congregations.  It was indeed a very special occasion.  The Persian Christians in our midst came from far away in exactly the same way as the Magi from the Biblical reports.  They have also seen the star of Bethlehem and are just as excited about this as the Magi in the first Christmas!

In our Christmas play in Leipzig the focus was however not on the Magi or the shepherds of old.  But the focus was on the child in the crib.  IN our times it is precisely this focus that has become out of focus!  In modern day Christmas the focus has shifted to Christmas tree, Christmas cake and many other things.  In Christmas man’s yearning for earthly peace is expressed far and wide.  And people want a cuddly warming feeling…mainly in the region of the stomach.  So one tries to cook something special and this feeling has to include man and creature alike.  Even dogs, cats, canaries and goldfish are given something nice to eat over Christmas.  But what on earth has happened to the child in the crib!  We have ex-communicated God from Christmas!  And have replaced him with something nice to eat!   Sometimes I think John would have liked to write about us in much the same way as he wrote in his Gospel:  “he came to his own, but his own did not recognize him”  (John  1,11)  The wise men came to the crib.  They could also not really understand what happened.  But they understood that one can approach this Child in prayer and worship!  Their gifts were an expression of the wonderful gift that they could only partially understand.  That Gift is “Emmanuel”  God is with us..  Blessed Christmas.

Hugo Gevers, Missionary

ADVENT IN BERLIN-MARZAHN AND LEIPZIG IN SAXONY

On the night preceding 3. Advent, three cars were once again burned in the immediate vicinity of the Missions congregation in Berlin- Marzahn. Furthermore a home for abused women, which is in the same building as our church, was burgled. The burglars then turned all taps on with the result that the building was flooded. On the weekend before this, a volunteer in our community was robbed in the S-Bahn. This is day to day life in Berlin!
In Leipzig too Advent is once again a time of upheaval. Many more refugees have come from Iran. Over there the talk of war and the threats of war have reached unprecedented proportions.
In spite of these things many good things have also happened in both Berlin-Marzahn and Leipzig. For eg. One of the non-Christian people who is receiving food aid in our congregation come to me the other day. In her hands, she held a beautiful crib. Then she explained: “Please don’t misunderstand me. I am not Christian. But I appreciate the work you are doing and have therefore made this crib for you.” Another volunteer in Berlin-Marzahn came to me using almost the exact same words: “I am not Christian. But it has almost become a tradition now. I have prepared a few bags of clothes for the Asylum home in Saxony!” We then managed to pack a car to the brim with food and other nice things-. Then we celebrated a wonderful Advent with all the inhabitants of the asylum home in Saxony. Once again the caretaker of the home came to me with these words: “I am not Christian. But I appreciate the work you are doing. Therefore you can count on my full support and I would like to celebrate Advent with you!”
Every time people came to me with this little introduction: “I am not Christian, but….” I have a feeling of warmth in my heart. This is because people who say this are on the road to Bethlehem! They have seen the star of Bethelehem and are somehow on their way to Jesus Christ! The wise men in the Christmas narratative were no different. In a very curious way, they heard about the star of Bethlehem by means of astrology. These wise men were complete outsiders. They were not even Jewish. Similarly the shepherds on the fields were outsiders and had little hope of climbing the social ladder. But then the heavens were opened above them and they too could see and understand what it means when God seeks his own. They were to become the first Christian witnesses! How wonderful to see God choosing his people from those who have no hope of belonging! In the Asylum home in Saxony we could once again see the miracle of Christmas. 6 different nations were seated on one table enjoying a meal prepared in the Persian, Vietnamese and Iraki tradtions. WE ate together, talked together and expressed our sadness and hopes together. Those that do not belong suddenly get the feeling that I am part of a family! Those who believed they would never belong anywhere can experience a feeling of home coming!
That too is Christmas. The eternal God actually does not belong to our sinful world. And we certainly do not belong to his eternal kingdom. But He has made the impossible possible! The eternal God came to fellowship with us! He came to be part of us! “Do you know what a miracle we are seeing here today?” said the caretaker of the home in Elbisbach. Of course she meant the very fact that so many people who do not belong together were fellowshipping in harmony and eating from one table. Yes, I said to her. This is how Christmas always was. I imagine the wise men coming to Bethlehem and saying something like: „ we are not from here. But we also saw the star. May we pray to this king who said that He would also be our King?”

Actually this miracle happens again and again when each one of us has the privilege of kneeling in the presence of this king. Actually you our Lord are from another world and do not belong to my world at all. Actually I have no right to be in your presence. But you have made the impossible possible! You came to one like me. You have fellowship with me. Thank you Lord Jesus. You came to us. You are still coming and you will come again!
Hugo Gevers, Missionary

Seminar on Theologie of Mission at Bleckmar

From the 16th unto the 18th of December  the second part of a course by the Lutheran Theological Seminry Oberursel took place at the headquater of Lutheran Churchmission in Bleckmar. The encouraging number of 10 students from four countries participated in this course. The first part had taken place on the premises in Oberursel, welcoming the LCMS Missionary Matthew Heise as one of the referents.

Together with the Director of Mission, Roger Zieger, the students considered ideas found in a book by the South African theologian David Bosch. The lesson given by the retired Missionary Fritz-Adolf Häfner – who had been kind enough to dare the winterly conditions by driving up to Bleckmar – was one of the climaxes during these three days. Missionary Häfner gave an insight into the theological makeup of pre-christian Tswana-thinking.

A further point on the scedule was a trip to Hermannsburg, where the students visited the two SELK-congregations as well as the mission Hermannsburg Mission Mission-Museum.

The retired chief-administrator of Bleckmar Mission and Roger Zieger both agreed: It was good – for once – to have student back at the Mission-House.

RZ

Revd Mothlantlusi Sebeelo

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. “For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night”

My greetings to you all hoping you are all well through God’s great mercies. I want to thank the Lord who is always protective and guiding His creatures at all times in bad and good moments, in our dark vales, tribulations and danger He is always opening His eyes and taking a good care of us all.

I am well at this time and moment and hoping to continue to be of good health so that I can have that strength to continue to do what I am called for. Even should there never be good or excellent at all times I am praying that we may continue to our best. My family is still surviving till now by God’s great mercies.

Allow me to give a short brief of me and my dearest family.

Through a very rough parch in thin and thick at a very long and straining end I finally found that rib and place it back where it belongs. This was all about prayer, patience to all mighty be glory forever.

“THIS IS NOW BONE OF MY BONES AND FLESH OF MY FLESH”

This was at the church whereby we were exchanging our vows “in sickness and in good times together we will be”.

The wedding ceremony was being led by Reverend M. Selapa from Pentecostal Holiness Church in Serowe. Who was celebrating His 30 years anniversary in marriage on the 30/09/2011, and He is the Chairperson of ministers fraternal in Serowe. Moruti Paul Mosenogi was present as he was together with the marriage officer during this big event.

At this time and place I am the happiest man ever as I paid the lobola prize so I am all in all finished and done away with it. I am saying this because in our tradition if you are not done with the bride prize you are being recognized as someone who is not married or just a half man.

ABOUT MY WORK SEROWE

There is no big change up to this far, there is something which I have now realized more especially in Serowe in tswana congregation. They are just want to be pushed in anything and everything that could be done in the congregation which really put me in an awkward situation because I think that, as we are all one family in one Christ as He the head of the Church we have to prove to that and be in oneness.

I have heard that some other times when I am at Mahalapye to conduct the service they just come and stay under tress and keep on chatting to each other not even trying their best to collect the keys for the chapel from Kebatho as they agreed to keep them with the Kebatho as it is near the chapel. So this is really sad as I was hoping that now we are on track to work together.

This matter makes me to wonder now if I am really called to this people or there is something else that I don’t know or understand clearly. For now I am still having some confirmation classes whereby they are all adults because some are from different denominations and are kin to know more about our teachings which are from the Bible itself.

MAHALAPYE
In Mahalapye congregation there is nothing much to talk about. Each and every time I pray my Lord to strengthen these people not to loose heart because whether the pastor is in their vicinity or not they are genuine in what ever they doing in oneness, love and respect to one another.

They also encourage the children to come to church with them, that is a good sign of good parenting to teach the youngsters about God so that they would know the will of God from Sunday school, youth and as adults. I am still busy with confirmation classes.

OTSE
we still thank the Lord for the partnership with the Austrians may the Creator of heaven and earth be with them always through their generosity. As the Basarwa people always thanks me as if I am the one providing but I am just a messenger and a servant just as Christ has said. The sad thing is that as you have realized that I travel twice in a month to Otse, is now challenging and put me in a pressure as always when I arrive there they are just thinking that I will give out the money always even though I tried so many times to make them understand that the money is just monthly not all the time when I get there. So this is a challenging issue because they end up saying some bad words to me. But through all I think we will manage and understand each other when the time pass.

CONCLUSION

“I planted the seed Apollos watered it, but God made it grow” let us do likewise God will keep on growing His plants.

Rev. M. Sebeelo IN GOD’S SERVICE.