The Kansas-Guinea Partnership

The mission in Guinea has been blessed for 10 years to be in partnership with the Kansas District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Begun on May 1, 1997, this partnership is designed to bless each partner in unique ways.

Kansas is a support to the Guinea field, not only financially, but spiritually and emotionally as well. Guinea in return offers opportunities to the District for mission involvement on many different levels. This partnership has worked wonderfully for these 10 years and has been an incredible blessing on both sides. Our partnership agreement was jointly signed by representatives of the Kansas District, LCMS World Mission, and the Guinea field in the town of Gueckedou on May 20, 1997 when Kansas sent out its first representatives, Gary Reuter, then Executive Director for Missions for the
Kansas District, and Alan Gunderman, then Executive Director for Educational Services. A few years later Kansas sent out another team which included Rev. Howard Patten, then President of the District, and Marvin Kohlmeier, then Mission Development Counselor. As more representatives came out to see the work congregations began becoming involved with the work in Guinea. Many congregations are now involved with the TIM (Together in Mission)program which actively and regularly supports mission work by way of adopting missionary families. Missionaries then come back and visit and speak to these congregations when home in the US. Congregations have collected offerings, written letters of encouragement, collected items for schools and medical work and now even send their own people to do hands-on work here in Guinea. Through all this there has also been a prayer connection that goes both ways as these two groups support and encourage one another from across the ocean.

In 2000 our family returned home to the US for three years. During that time Tim continued to make short term trips back to Guinea. It was always a hope that we could somehow involve the Kansas District in a more direct way with the church in Guinea. At this time we began offering short term mission trips that enabled folks from Kansas to visit the field not only to see what Africa looks like, but in some way, to offer a service of some kind to the church here. Since early 2004 we have sponsored seven different short term trips, hosting a total of over 30 Kansans from all over the state. They have come over to help train in theological education, aid in agricultural training, lead educational seminars, study ways to help handicapped, and assist in the medical arena. Each trip has held a wealth of blessings for both Kansans and Guineans alike. (See the section on this site about Short Term mission trips). The people of Kansas have had a first hand view of what God is doing here in Guinea.

Each returns with a new sense of what the Great Commission entails and what their part is in that. These trips continue as do other opportunities for sharing and growth as we seek to serve the Kingdom hand in hand. Yes, Kansas provides the foundational financial support base for the Guinea field. But we believe the blessings that have come out of the partnership we share have far exceeded anything any of us imagined at the beginning. This hasn’t “just happened.” It has taken hard work and loving dedication on both sides. It is our hope and prayer that some day ALL districts of the LCMS will be enabled to participate in God’s Work in the foreign mission field in a similar way as we have in Kansas and Guinea.

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