The Church of the Lutheran Brethren as a new spiritual movement within American Lutheranism formally came into existence 125 years ago in an obscure church basement on West Madison Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

After more than a century of uninterrupted LB mission work in Chad and Cameroon, and more than 70 years of mission work in mainland China, Japan, and Taiwan, there are now nearly twenty-five times as many Lutheran Brethren congregations and church members outside of North America as there are in the US and Canada. 

There is a growing desire and conviction from the younger generation to serve in mission―to proclaim and share the love of Jesus among all peoples. 

But I learned over time that while physical building projects were part of the mission work, that was just a small part. The real meat of the work was in building relationships. Nathanael wisely told me that I was not there to make more houses or put up solar panels, but instead to learn what it means to be a light among the Chadians. 

As followers of Jesus, we are all called to missions. We are to be Christ’s witnesses, ambassadors, and disciple-makers. The bigger question is what that mission service looks like for each of us. 

The diverse experiences of our community of foreigners mirror what many missionaries will experience abroad―especially those going to Japan. They will forever be foreigners in that land. And many of the people in our church know, in their own ways, what that’s like.

Even if only some are called to leave their home country, God calls all Christians to follow him. While many of us might prefer a detailed map or a bigger light, God provides what is necessary through his Word: a lamp for our feet and light to our path (Ps 119:105).

The first time I told anyone seriously that I wanted to become a missionary was in 2014. I was just 17, and it was the end of a three-month stay in East Asia with my aunt and uncle who were working there at the time.