Introducing the Lahmann Missionary Family
by Jennifer Brooks, First Baptist Church, Bourbon, MO
I remember clearly the morning at Sunday school when our teacher and youth director first announced plans that he was going to ask the church’s permission to pursue a mission trip for the youth group. Finally! Here it was, something I had been praying to come about, an opportunity to participate physically in missions! The planning soon began and that first mission trip to the Navajo Nation happened in the summer of 2009. Leading and organizing the trip was Andy and Danyell Lahmann.
I’m not sure there is any amount of preparation that really gets you completely ready for missions. We have all learned
that things usually NEVER go according to our plans but the Lord ALWAYS provides just what we need to get it all pulled
together. Many tears, hugs, laughs, prayers, dum dum suckers (chocolate melts on the reservation), water balloons and Bibles
come to memory, but most importantly of all, the many souls saved through the years. After the 2009 trip we had clearly fallen in love with the people of the Navajo Nation and yearned to see them come to the Lord. We returned under the Lahmanns again in 2010 and 2011. Each year we fell deeper in love as we continued to see more need for the Lord in this area.
It was after returning from the 2011 trip that I saw a change in Andy and Danyell. I remember being somewhat frustrated in
seeing their struggle. I could see that the Lord was tugging on them and of course I had heard of their passion for the Navajo people more than once. In all reality I wanted to shake them and say “JUST SURRENDER!”. Naive I was to think that such a decision should be so hastily made. I mean uproot a family of 5 and move across the country to see the Navajo people come to Jesus, why would that be such a difficult decision?? Well I sure wasn’t jumping up and down to uproot my family. But the Lord was working on them and that time came. They came before the church with tears and weeping of their love for the Navajo people. Then and there within the walls of First Missionary Baptist Church of Bourbon, MO they surrendered their lives to the Lord to serve in the Navajo Nation.
It was just about 9 months later and we were packing up the Budget moving truck in the parking lot of the church. The 2012 Navajo Mission began with planting family missionaries Andy and Danyell Lahmann! We couldn’t have been more excited. What a
tremendous blessing to be part of that move and the returned mission trips since then. It is now 2017 and our missionaries
are being used of the Lord in mighty ways. In 2013, they began helping Montezuma Creek Baptist Church, whom had recently lost their pastor. The Lahmann Family stepped in to assist them in training up a Navajo pastor and strengthening and equipping their congregation. They completed this process in the beginning of 2015. While the Lahmann Family have moved
on, their ties with Montezuma are still strong. Many times they will find ways to unite the Baptist churches they have worked with in the reservation to the church with which they are currently working.
Currently the Lahmann Family is working with Mexican Water Baptist Church. Once again their burden is strengthening and
equipping this church body. At the latter part of 2016 the Lord opened the door for the parsonage at Mexican Water, allowing the Lahmann family a place to stay on the weekends. This may seem strange to us back home where the average commute to church is probably around 15 minutes. With their one way commute to Mexican Water being nearly 2 hours, the opening of the parsonage has been an answer to prayers and will in turn open the door to the ministry there. They are now having Sunday afternoon services and discipleship classes. As they pray and focus on the spiritual growth of Mexican Water they will also be praying, just as they did for Montezuma, to have an indigenous pastor. Knowing that a Navajo pastor to lead the Mexican Water congregation is best for their future. Moving forward their prayer is to “Plug In” to the Mexican Water community. It is also their prayer for you to “Plug In” to Mexican Water Baptist also.
- Here’s how you can get involved:
- Back Yard Bible Clubs: We have limited opportunities this year for Summer Bible Clubs. If you are interested in coming out with your church group please contact us ASAP so we may begin to work with you and your church to prepare for the outreach that we will be doing together on the Navajo Reservation.
- Work Groups: This year as we focus on Mexican Water it is our desire to see some physical labor completed on the church building. If you would be willing to come and help in this are please contact us so that we may make plans for the completion of projects throughout 2017. We see a need for the following projects to be completed: Update the sanctuary with paint, new carpet, and new lighting. Installing a shower in the church bathroom, this will allow Mission Groups to stay at the church during ministry weeks. Painting the exterior of the church buildings.
- Hunting Camps: The Men’s Hunting Ministry was wonderful last year. Bro. Andy looks forward to this week in 2017.
Contact Bro. Andy for information, cost, and needed preparation for yourself or the men in your church. He can only take a limited number of men for this Ministry Outreach, so please don’t wait to call if your interested or you may miss out on your 2017 Colorado Men’s Retreat. - Shoebox Ministry: We LOVE the Shoebox Ministry and we LOVE how so many have gotten involved in this Ministry Outreach. As we look to 2017 Shoebox Ministry it is our prayer to see this outreach continue to grow. Due to the growth of this outreach program we will be splitting the delivery of gifts throughout December. If you are interested in participating this year please plan now to have your gifts mailed or financial gifts sent in by December 1st, 2017. This is much earlier than the previous years, but we believe that it will make the outreach smoother and also allow our family to focus on Church Christmas Program and family time during the Christmas Season. Thank you for helping us make December run smooth and continuing to help us reach the Navajo Nation during the Christmas Season.
I really cannot fully explain the joy these mission trips bring and I could go on and on about many sweet memories. It’s hard to believe that our lives have been intertwined with the Navajo Nation through the Lahmann Family for nearly 9 years
now!! How silly was I to be frustrated with the Lahmann’s for not surrendering when I thought they needed too. I am so very glad that they followed the call of the Lord, it for sure has not always been easy. But always the Lord has been faithful
and good. So I say to you reading, if you choose to surrender your hearts, prayers and love to the Navajo people you will fall in love and see the Lord move in ways you have never seen before. God Bless.
For more information on supporting the Lahmann Family Missionaries to the Navajo Nation please feel free to contact them or their sending church:
Andy & Danyell Lahmann
PO Box 1354
Cortez, CO 81321
(573) 205-6022
lahmann08@yahoo.com
Facebook: Lahmann Family Missionaries
First Missionary Baptist Church
PO Box 386
Bourbon, MO 65441
(573) 732-5420
Pastor Roy Fikac
Jennifer Brooks, Mission Secretary
jenn5loaves@gmail.com
