LM Day 2017 - Commissioned to Go!

Well, the Liebenzell Mission Day of 2017 was a lot of fun!  Pastor Ken Davis, the leader of retreat ministries and outreach gave a wonderful sermon on Colossians 1.  The worship was led by a team of German students who are studying at the Liebenzell University in Germany, and are doing a term abroad.  We sang the yearly German hymn, written in the 1950s, "Vergiss nicht zu danken dem ewigen Herrn", or "Do not forget to thank the eternal Lord".  I've put a translation below - it is a beautiful reminder of God's love for us.

Do not forget to thank the eternal Lord
He has done you a lot of good
Remember, in Jesus, he forgives you
You can approach him as you are

He is merciful, patient, and gracious
Much more than a father can
He threw our sins into the outermost sea
Come, pray to the Eternal One

You can trust him in the dark night
When everything seems lost
He loves you, even when you give Him sorrow
He is closer than ever

Through gratefulness new things enter into life
A wish that you never knew
That everyone like you would want to be the child of God
From the Father appointed as an heir

Through man, Jesus builds the eternal world
To prepare his community
He placed them in his church
And made them ready for service.

A very creative, responsive prayer was led by a Liebenzell missionary, Markus Gommel, who works with Bangladeshi immigrants in Toronto.  He wrote specific prayers for Liebenzell missionaries, staff, and projects, and had each one prayed for in a different language!  I was blessed to be prayed for by one of my missionary candidate teachers, Rita Mattmueller, who used to be based in Malawi, and prayed for me in Chichewa.

At the close of the service, the Liebenzell Canada leadership and the other Liebenzell pastors and missionaries that were present for the day, prayed for and commissioned me to serve as a long-term missionary in Malawi.  It was led by my other missionary candidate teacher, Daniel Mattmueller.  You can watch a video of the prayer below.  I am so thankful for the amazing people who serve with Liebenzell globally, and that I am being included in that number.

After a potluck luncheon, I got to share about Malawi and the work that Liebenzell does there... stay tuned in the next while to get the lowdown on the various projects Liebenzell Malawi manages, and the lives that are being changed!