And Suddenly . . . We Are Back in the U.S.A.

Deborah, Joe, and Christa Troester in front of Victoria Falls last Christmas. 

The Zambezi River discharge was very low due to the area experiencing the largest drought in about 25 years.

 

A month ago, we announced that we were leaving our position in Zambia at the end of April and returning to the U.S. Two weeks later, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America requested that all mission personnel return immediately to the United States. It took a few days to pack and get plane tickets, but we finally left Lusaka on March 23 with three suitcases apiece (the same number we arrived in Africa with, back in 2006). After two days, three flights, four airports, and a long layover, we arrived in St. Louis and spent a night in a hotel. The next day we rented a car and drove to Carbondale, Illinois, where Deborah’s parents live. We are now spending two weeks self-isolation, just to be on the safe side. 

We had several trips planned this summer, but all have been canceled or put on indefinite hold. We had hoped to visit some of our supporting congregations, but due to the pandemic, those plans have been cancelled. We are sorry, because we would have enjoyed the chance to visit with you all again. 

Deborah is hoping to find a call, and Joe is starting to look for a water-resources position dealing with the developing world. Like everything else, those job searches have also been disrupted, but we will continue reaching out by e-mail and other digital means. 

We are very grateful to all of you who have supported us and accompanied us on this journey of faith throughout these past 14 years. Thank you for your prayers and continued support. We pray for all of you that you, your families, churches, and communities may stay safe and healthy. When Joe was advisor for the water project in the Central African Republic, in addition to providing clean drinking water, he emphasized the importance of handwashing to prevent disease. What we taught in Africa is just as true in the U.S.—washing your hands is one of the best things you can do to stay healthy in any situation. 

You are all in our prayers. 

“May the peace of Christ, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”—Philippians 4:7

Joe and Deborah Troester

Contact Information

For the time being, you can contact us at Joe.Troester@elca.org and Deborah.Troester@elca.org After we leave ELCA-GM, we can be contacted by e-mail at josephtroester@gmail.com and deborahtroester@gmail.com

Joe and Deborah have been ELCA—Global Mission missionaries serving in several African countries since 2006. Most recently, they lived in Lusaka, Zambia, where they worked with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia (ELCZa). Their daughter, Christa, is a senior at the University of Southern California, where she is studying French and Film & Television Production (on-line, from her off-campus apartment right now!)

Your Support Makes A World Of Difference! Here's How To Give: 

In all of this, we thank God for you—for your prayers and for your financial support over the years. We couldn’t do it without you! If you have been supporting us through the ELCA, they will be contacting you soon to encourage you to continue your missionary support by sponsoring one of our colleagues. All missionaries who are sponsorable are listed on the giving page www.elca.org/missionarygiving Your gift to ELCA missionaries makes their ministry possible. More than 150 missionaries serve in over 40 countries around the world, invited by global church partners to work together hand-in-hand. Some are doctors, others are teachers, and still others are pastors, theological educators, communication specialists and more. No matter where or how they serve, every one of these missionaries needs your prayers, support and gifts to succeed in their work. 

To give by mail, make checks payable to Global Mission and send to: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, PO Box 1809, Merrifield, VA 22116-8009.

To give by phone, call 800-638-3522 and donate with a credit card. Operators are ready to assist you, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time. 

We are leaving Africa and returning to the U.S.A.

After much prayerful consideration, we feel that the time has come for us to retire from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America-Global Mission after fourteen years of service in Africa. 

Both of us will celebrate our 65^th birthdays this year and it’s time to head home. Our plan is to leave Lusaka, Zambia at the end of April 2020 and begin our reintegration into American culture and society. We are grateful to all of you who have supported us and accompanied us on this marvelous journey of faith throughout these years.

Since we moved to Africa in 2006, Christa, Deborah, and I have lived in or visited 20 of the 54 countries in Africa (see the flags above). We have seen lions, rhinoceros, elephants, buffalos, giraffes, hippos, camels, and many different types of monkeys and antelope. We have seen Mount Kilimanjaro, Victoria Falls, Timbuktu, rainforests, and deserts. We have learned French, some Swahili, some Sango, and many phrases in various other local languages. We accompanied Lutheran Churches in the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar, and Zambia. We enjoyed our work and have had a great time. Sadly, we leave behind many good friends scattered across the continent.

Deborah and I have not lived in the continental United States since 1982. Much has changed in the almost 40 years that we have been gone. So, we are moving to what is practically a foreign country for us. We appreciate your prayers and support as we return and try to reintegrate ourselves into 21^st century America.

Thank you for your prayers and continued support.

Joe and Deborah Troester

Contact Information

For the time being, you can contact us at Joe.Troester@elca.org and Deborah.Troester@elca.org After we leave ELCA-GM, we can be contacted by e-mail at josephtroester@gmail.com and deborahtroester@gmail.com

The graphic above contains the flags of the twenty countries in Africa that we have visited during the past fourteen years: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Joe and Deborah are ELCA missionaries living in Lusaka, Zambia, where they are serving with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia (ELCZa). Their daughter, Christa, is a senior at the University of Southern California, where she is studying French and Film & Television Production.

Your Support Makes A World Of Difference! Here's How To Give:

In all of this, we thank God for you—for your prayers and for your financial support over the years. We couldn’t do it without you! If you have been supporting us through the ELCA, they will be contacting you soon to encourage you to continue your missionary support by sponsoring one of our colleagues. All missionaries who are sponsorable are listed on the giving page www.elca.org/missionarygiving Your gift to ELCA missionaries makes their ministry possible. More than 150 missionaries serve in over 40 countries around the world, invited by global church partners to work together hand-in-hand. Some are doctors, others are teachers, and still others are pastors, theological educators, communication specialists and more. No matter where or how they serve, every one of these missionaries needs your prayers, support and gifts to succeed in their work.

To give by mail, make checks payable to Global Mission and send to: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, PO Box 1809, Merrifield, VA 22116-8009.

To give by phone, call 800-638-3522 and donate with a credit card. Operators are ready to assist you, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time.

Graduations and an Ordination

Drought Strikes Zambia

Greetings from Zambia to all our supporting churches and friends! We have had a busy fall. Even though it is springtime here in the southern hemisphere, it feels like summer, with October being the hottest month of the year. There has been no rain since April, so everything is dry. Drought has hit Zambia hard this year, with failure of the corn crop in some regions. Corn, or maize as it’s called here, makes up the staple diet of most Zambians, who eat nshima (similar to corn meal mush) at least once or twice a day. The government has distributed relief supplies, but life is hard for people who depend on farming for their daily bread, and the price of corn meal has doubled for those who must buy it in the store. Because there is less water in the reservoirs, the production of hydroelectric power has decreased. The consequent load shedding by the power company means that we have no electricity for twelve to fifteen hours a day. While we have a battery backup system for our refrigerator and computers, others are much less fortunate. So please keep Zambia and other countries experiencing drought this year in your prayers. The rainy season is still be another month away, and everyone is looking forward to it!

Graduations and an Ordination

Rev. Godfrey Nguvulu and Floyd Kambita at their graduation from Justo Mwale University College

On the brighter side, we recently celebrated two important events in the life of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia (ELCZa): the graduation of two ELCA scholarship students, Rev. Godfrey Nguvulu and Floyd Kambita in September, followed by Floyd’s ordination in October. Godfrey and Floyd both completed their Bachelor’s in Theology at the Justo Mwale University College thanks to ELCA’s International Leaders Scholarship Program, funded by generous people like you. Each year ELCA Global Mission gives out over 100 full scholarships to leaders and potential leaders in our companion churches. ELCZa is grateful that two of their pastors are now better prepared to serve here in Zambia because of this training made possible by ELCA. A new pastoral candidate, Vincent Matunka, and his wife Gloria will arrive in Lusaka to begin studies at Justo Mwale in January. Please pray for them as they make this big adjustment in their lives. 

Rev. Floyd Kambita being ordained by Retired Bishop Samson Kipaila

On October 20 all three Lusaka congregations of the ELCZa joined at Kamwala Church to celebrate the ordination of Floyd Kambita. Retired Bishop Samson Kipaila of the Lutheran Evangelical Church in Africa (LECA) presided over the ceremony. Eight other pastors took part, including Deborah, and several visitors from other denominations participated as well. Lots of joyous music was sung and the newly ordained Rev. Kambita preached the sermon on “Feed My Sheep.” A meal of rice, beans, chicken and beef was served to the entire assembly, courtesy of the Kamwala Congregation, where Floyd has been serving as vicar. Never mind that the service lasted five hours–everyone rejoiced on this wonderful day. Join with us as we pray for a long and successful ministry for Rev. Kambita, his wife Olivia and their children.  

Upcoming Events

Despite the hot, dry weather, our schedules continue to be packed with many other activities. In the past two months since returning to Zambia from our home assignment there have been two general church council meetings, the national women’s conference, visits to micro-savings programs and a pastors’ retreat. In the next month we are looking forward to a youth camp, a regional women’s conference, two workshops for HIV-AIDS support groups, and a planning workshop for setting up additional micro-savings groups. Look for news of these activities in our future newsletters.

Again, we want to say thank you to all of those who hosted us during our two-month tour of the United States visiting our sponsoring congregations this past summer. We traveled over 6000 miles in the U.S. by car, train, and plane. We truly enjoyed seeing old friends and meeting new ones in Illinois, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. 

Thank you for your prayers and continued support.

Joe and Deborah Troester

ELCA Global Mission Support and Contact Information

In all of this, we thank God for you—for your prayers and for your financial support. We couldn’t do it without you! If you wish to support us, you can give through your local congregation or through our ELCA Missionary Sponsorship Page. You can contact us at Joe.Troester@elca.org and Deborah.Troester@elca.org

Joe and Deborah are ELCA missionaries living in Lusaka, Zambia, where they are serving with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia (ELCZa). Their daughter, Christa, is a senior at the University of Southern California, where she is studying French and Film & Television Production.

In Memoriam

Recently we lost two dear friends, both to tragic road accidents: Rev. Dr. Antoinette Yindjara and Mrs. Christine Mummert. Antoinette was our beloved former colleague in the Central African Republic. The first woman to obtain a Ph.D. in Theology in that country, she was a professor at the Theological School of Baboua, where Deborah used to teach. Christine Mummert was one of our staunchest supporters during our sojourn in Tanzania and continued her support of our work here in Zambia. She was a member of the “Campaign for the ELCA” steering committee, and the backbone of the mission committee at her congregation, St. Peter’s Lutheran in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Both of these dear friends will be sorely missed. Please remember their families in your prayers.

Troester Home Assignment Report—2019

Deborah giving a sermon at Trinity Lutheran Church in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.

We have returned to Zambia from an enjoyable but exhausting two-month tour of the United States. We traveled over 6000 miles in the U.S. by car, train, and plane and were able to visit our friends, relatives, and supporters in Illinois, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. We sincerely regret that time did not allow us to visit our friends and supporting churches in Florida, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Puerto Rico.

During July and August, we had 17 separate engagements, including visiting 14 different congregations plus attending the ELCA-GM Summer Mission. The response to our presentations was positive and enthusiastic.

We want to thank all the people that helped us with our travels, by providing delicious homemade specialties, giving us a comfortable place to sleep, and patiently listening to our stories and presentations. We made many new friends and renewed many old acquaintances. We look forward to seeing you all again the next time we return to the States. Below is a detailed list of all our engagements. A copy of our PowerPoint presentation is available upon request.

Now we are back in Lusaka, Zambia and have returned to our work with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia. Sadly, while we were gone, our home was broken into. We lost a laptop, some cash, and a few other items. In addition, the low rainfall earlier this year led to a diminished corn crop here in Zambia. The price of cornmeal (a daily staple in Zambia and surrounding countries) has doubled. Because there is less water in the reservoirs, the production of hydroelectric power has decreased. The consequent load shedding by the power company means that we have no electricity for six or more hours a day. While we have a battery backup system for our refrigerator and computers, others are less fortunate.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Joe and Deborah Troester 

List of presentations during our 2019 Home Assignment.

·       June 19, Wednesday evening: We attended a potluck at Christ Community Church in Columbia, Illinois and gave our PowerPoint presentation about our work with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia.

·       June 22 and 23, Saturday evening and Sunday morning: Deborah preached at three services at St. John Lutheran Church in Bloomington, Illinois and we met with the mission committee.

·       June 25, Tuesday evening: We gave our presentation for the Presbyterian Men of the First Presbyterian Church in Carbondale, Illinois.

·       June 30, Sunday morning: Deborah preached at Epiphany Lutheran Church in Carbondale, Illinois. Afterward we attended a potluck and gave our presentation.

·       July 7, Sunday morning: Deborah preached at our home congregation, the First Presbyterian Church in Carbondale, Illinois.

·       July 14, Sunday morning: Deborah preached at Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jonesboro, Illinois. Afterwards we attended a potluck and gave our presentation.

·       July 18, Thursday evening: We gave our presentation at Giant City State Park for the Supper Club of the First Presbyterian Church in Carbondale, Illinois.

·       July 22 to 26: We attended the ELCA-GM Summer Mission Conference at Loyola University Retreat and Ecology Campus in Woodstock, Illinois.

·       July 27 and 28, Saturday evening and Sunday morning: Deborah preached twice at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oak Harbor, Ohio. Afterwards, we attended a potluck brunch and gave our presentation.

·       July 31, Wednesday afternoon: We attended a meeting of the Upstate New York Synod Mission Committee in East Syracuse, New York. We discussed their companion synod relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Zambia. The mission committee was attended by Bishop John Stanley Macholz and Rev. Kevin Jacobson (ELCA Global Mission Manager for Relationships in East and Southern Africa), among others.

·       July 31, Wednesday evening: Deborah preached at the Luther Memorial Church in North Syracuse, New York. We also attended a potluck and gave our presentation.

·       August 1, Thursday evening: Deborah preached at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Fairport, New York. We also attended a potluck and gave our presentation.

·       August 3 and 4, Saturday evening and Sunday morning: Deborah preached five times at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. Afterwards we attended a potluck and gave our presentation.

·       August 6, Tuesday evening: We attended a potluck at Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and gave our presentation.

·       August 7, Wednesday evening: Deborah preached at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in New York, New York. Afterwards we attended a potluck and gave our presentation.

·       August 11, Sunday morning: Deborah preached three times at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in York, Pennsylvania and we gave our presentation.

·       August 11, Sunday evening: We attended a potluck and ice cream social at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Afterwards we give our presentation.

ELCA Global Mission Support and Contact Information

In all of this, we thank God for you—for your prayers and for your financial support. We couldn’t do it without you! If you wish to support us, you can give through your local congregation or through our ELCA Missionary Sponsorship Page. You can contact us at Joe.Troester@elca.org and Deborah.Troester@elca.org

Joe and Deborah are ELCA missionaries living in Lusaka, Zambia, where they are serving with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia (ELCZa). Their daughter, Christa, is a senior at the University of Southern California, where she is studying French and Film & Television Production.

Troesters to Visit Supporting Congregations in Summer 2019

Map showing the states we will be visiting this summer: Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.

We hope to be meeting many of you in person this summer. We arrive in the U.S. in June and will be returning to Zambia in late August. In between, we will visit many of our sponsoring congregations in Illinois, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. We have been in touch with our supporters and many of them have agreed to host us for a worship service or other gathering. Our itinerary is below; however, there are still a few events pending. We are greatly looking forward to meeting new people and greeting old friends.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Joe and Deborah Troester

Troester Itinerary 2019

• June 16: Christ Community Church in Columbia, Illinois
• June 22 and 23: St. John’s Lutheran Church in Bloomington, Illinois
• July 7: First Presbyterian Church in Carbondale, Illinois
• July 18: Supper Club at First Presbyterian Church in Carbondale, Illinois
• July 22 to 26: Summer Missionary Conference near Chicago, Illinois
• July 27 and 28: St John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oak Harbor, Ohio
• July 31: Luther Memorial Lutheran Church in North Syracuse, New York
• August 1: Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Fairport, New York
• August 3 and 4: Trinity Lutheran Church in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
• August 11 (morning): St Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church in York, Pennsylvania
• August 11 (evening): St Peter's Lutheran Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Other events pending.

ELCA Global Mission Support and Contact Information

In all of this, we thank God for you—for your prayers and for your financial support. We couldn’t do it without you! If you wish to support us, you can give through your local congregation or through our new ELCA Missionary Sponsorship Page.

For more information on the ELCA’s Campaign to construct a national church office, re-furbish church buildings, and build new churches in Zambia, go to elca.org/globalministries and click on Zambia at the bottom of the page. You can contact us at Joe.Troester@elca.org and Deborah.Troester@elca.org

Joe and Deborah are ELCA missionaries living in Lusaka, Zambia, where they are serving with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia (ELCZa). Their daughter, Christa, is a junior at the University of Southern California, where she is studying French and Film & Television Production.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Mother’s Day from Zambia! Yes, Zambians also celebrate Mother’s Day, although it is a relatively new holiday here. People may give their mother a gift or take her out to eat, just as in the U.S. Traditionally mothers occupy an important place in the family and community here in Zambia. They are the ones responsible for taking care of children and the home, although little by little fathers are taking more of a role, as in other countries. Women also do much of the farming here, as in most African countries. It is estimated that women do 80% of African agricultural work, so women are very important to the economy here in Zambia, although they are not always given credit for it. Mothers often supplement the family income by having a small business on the side, such as selling vegetables, or even dried caterpillars—a favorite treat here in Zambia.

Woman selling dried caterpillars to augment her family income.

As in most of Africa, a brother’s or sister’s children are considered as one’s own children. In the unfortunate case that a parent dies, the rest of the family, especially the siblings or grandparents, are responsible for raising the surviving children. As we visit churches throughout Zambia, we see many children being raised by relatives.

Rev. Mathildah Banda, General Secretary for the ELCZa.

Also, in honor of Mother’s Day, we want to feature the two women pastors of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia (ELCZa), Rev. Mathildah Banda and Rev. Doreen Mwanza. Rev. Banda serves as General Secretary for the ELCZa and Rev. Mwanza is the Lusaka District Pastor, as well as HIV-AIDS Resource Person for the ELCZa. She is parish pastor for Mulimba Congregation, about an hour west of Lusaka. Both are single and are raising their nieces and nephews, orphans of their siblings. Rev. Banda and Rev. Mwanza are both wonderful examples of the African tradition of making sure that all children have a loving upbringing. Please join us in wishing them a Happy Mother’s Day.

Rev. Doreen Mwanza teaching the youth about HIV and AIDS.