Every year on the first Saturday in September, the LTS hosts its annual Open Day, welcoming guests, prospective students, members from the local community, representatives from church partners, and interested persons from near and far. This year was no different. Visitors were presented with a fascinating report on the genesis of the Kalanga Bible Translation which was presented in Francistown, Botswana at the end of August. Rev. Dr. Daniel Schmidt, a pastor of the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany (SELK) and former missionary to Botswana (LKM, Lutherische Kirchenmission, or Bleckmar Mission) was one of the masters of ceremony presenting the new translation there. The LTS currently has the privilege of Dr. Schmidt teaching a two-week intensive class to students on stewardship at the moment, along with Dr. Werner Klän, also from the SELK, who is teaching on the Formula of Concord. Fortunately for the LTS, Dr. Schmidt was willing to present at the Open Day on the work of the Botswana Bible Society and the presentation of the new Kalanga Bible translation. More information on the Kalanga Bible may be found here, here, and here.
Dr. Schmidt kindly and generously brought along dried Mopani worms from Botswana for the seminary community to sample. These are a primary food source in parts of southern Africa and seen as a local delicacy.
Serving as MC for the day was LTS lecturer Rev. Mbongeni John Nkambule. The seminary choir sang for the occasion and can be heard doing so on the LTS facebook page here and here. In addition, the Rector provided his report to the seminary and answered questions from attendees.
The Open Day was also graced by Mrs. Karin Niebuhr, long-time friend and co-worker at the LTS, who heads up the work of the LTS preschool / daycare along with her sister, Mrs. Imke Beier. Mrs. Niebuhr presented on the terrific work of the LTS and its achievements in a remarkably short space of time. Having begun with three children in 2014, the LTS preschool now is filled to capacity with 30 children from students and the local community.
Unfortunately, no picture of student representative Safari Chomachoma presenting on the LTS from the student perspective is available.
The Open Day concluded with a joint lunch, generously sponsored by FELSISA representative Mr. Hugo Meyer.
