Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.1 Corinthians 12:4–7

One of our great joys in ministry is serving alongside Lutheran Church of Uganda (LCU) pastors and visiting with seminary students in their home regions. The two-week Easter break allowed Megan and our two colleagues, Rev. Volmir da Rocha and Rev. Daniel Martins Silva, to travel to northern Uganda. The local dean and pastor, Rev. James Odoo, invited the missionaries to lead a seminar on stewardship for the two congregations near Lira, Uganda.

Our visit also allowed us time to visit with recent graduates, Vicar Isaac Ojok and Vicar Stephen Ogwal, and with current student Vicar Ray Otim. Visiting and spending time with them in their homes is a great honor. It also shares the message that they are vital to the ministry, and they are supported by their church body and the visiting missionaries. We were grateful to travel with the bishop, Rev. Charles Bameka, who shared words of encouragement with each congregational family and student we visited.

The seminar on stewardship allowed the missionaries to support the Lutheran Church of Uganda as they strive to teach leaders about stewardship. The congregants were enthusiastic about participating. They were knowledgeable and shared that all we have comes from the Lord. They also shared how influential it was to know that we are God’s managers and caretakers of the resources He gives us. All participants were eager to learn more about the gifts and abilities the Holy Spirit has given his church and how they can use those gifts to glorify the Lord. We are grateful for our time working alongside the LCU in northern Uganda. May the Holy Spirit continue to grow his church there.

We spent Easter at our home congregation at Nakabango Lutheran Church, outside of Jinja. We were thankful to worship with friends and colleagues. This was our first opportunity to worship on Easter Sunday in an in-person congregational setting in two years! We rejoice that whatever the circumstances, the Lutheran Church of Uganda pastors preach Christ crucified and that Christ’s victory over death is won.

We are grateful we could connect with our missionary colleagues in Hurghada, Egypt, for our annual retreat. Ambassadors of Reconciliation led the retreat. Dwight Schettler, AoR president, taught about Biblical reconciliation using Scripture and the six chief parts of the Small Catechism. We also learned how to coach people through conflict, focusing on Biblical reconciliation and restoring relationships. We are grateful to continue the learning through the ability to meet online with Dwight for our practicums to gain comfortability in these skills. This learning adds importance to our relationships with our families, co-workers, and the church bodies we work with daily.

Mark and Megan Mantey serve the Lord through The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod as career missionaries in Uganda. Mark serves as the project manager for the seminary, and Megan is the seminary’s instructor of Christian education and counseling. You can follow their work at www.facebook.com/MissionMindedManteys.