Mission to LoméGod's Work in Togo

Lomé, Togo · Returning in 2027

A mission shaped by relationship.

We went to Lomé ready to work. We came home carrying stories, friendships, and a deeper conviction that God was already there—moving through local leaders, churches, and families.

Read the story Pray. Give. Go.
From Spring Arbor, Michiganto Lomé, Togo
01 The story

It began with a trip.
It became a calling.

In 2026, a team from The Arbor Church traveled to Lomé through Free Methodist World Missions' VISA program.

We served alongside the church, joined ministry with children and families, and learned from people whose faith is active, resilient, and deeply rooted. The work was meaningful. The relationships changed us.

Now we are preparing to return—not to bring God to Togo, but to join the work God is already doing there.

2026The first team traveled to Lomé
2027We plan to return and serve again
VISAVolunteers In Service Abroad
The 2026 mission team gathered at The Arbor Church before leaving for Togo
Before the milesSpring Arbor · 2026
The mission team and local congregation listening to a speaker during a church gathering in Lomé
Listening togetherLomé · 2026
The mission team surveying a construction site in a Lomé neighborhood
Learning the placeLomé · 2026
The mission team sharing a meal around a long table after arriving in Lomé
Welcome to LoméLomé · 2026
02 What happened in 2026
Members of the 2026 team walking through the construction project in Lomé

Work · Ministry · A changed invitation

The first trip changed what our partners imagined for the next.

We came prepared for a major practical project. Alongside that work, two children's ministry events opened a door none of us fully understood before we arrived.

Afterward, Pastor Dosseh's request for 2027 was simple: more ministry, more children's ministry, and more teams serving in more than one village.

Read the full 2026 story
03 Our purpose

Four commitments
that shape how we go.

Short-term service should strengthen the work already happening in Lomé. These are the principles we return to when we plan, serve, tell stories, and invite others in.

01

Follow, do not lead

Our Togolese partners and full-time missionaries set the agenda. They know the needs, the people, and the context. We arrive prepared to listen and serve.

02

Come back

A single visit can become a photo opportunity. Returning to the same city and the same people builds a relationship. The first trip was a beginning.

03

Build for the long term

Anything we help create should be useful and maintainable after we leave, with leadership and materials rooted in Lomé.

04

Tell the truth

Togo is not a backdrop and we are not the heroes. We share the real work—including its ordinary moments—with dignity and honesty.

04 The place

West Africa

Know the place.
Love the people.

Togo is a narrow country on the Gulf of Guinea, home to more than eight million people and many languages, communities, and traditions. Lomé—its capital and largest city—is where coastal commerce, neighborhood life, and the church meet.

We want every person who prays, gives, or goes to understand that this is not a project on a map. It is a partnership with people whose leadership, wisdom, and vision continue long after a visiting team goes home.

05 Local leadership
Dosseh Takpale, Free Methodist missionary and pastor in Lomé
Dosseh Takpale Free Methodist World Missions

Dosseh Takpale

Training leaders who will plant churches across West Africa.

Dosseh is superintendent of the Togo Provisional Annual Conference, pastor of the Free Methodist Church in Lomé, and director of the Wesley Missionary Institute.

As an international missionary, he also supervises Free Methodist work in Guinea, Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Burkina Faso, and Togo. Our team's role begins with listening to leaders like Dosseh and serving the long-term vision already taking root.

Pray for
  • Safety and effectiveness as Dosseh travels for ministry
  • Spiritual growth in the churches across the countries he serves
  • Wisdom, resources, and God's presence in the work of the Wesley Missionary Institute
Support Pastor Dosseh's ministry
06 Missionaries serving across Africa
Glenn and Wendy Lorenz, Free Methodist missionaries serving across Africa
Glenn & Wendy Lorenz Free Methodist World Missions

Based in Spring Arbor · Serving across Africa

Meet Glenn
& Wendy.

Glenn and Wendy Lorenz live in Spring Arbor and travel to serve throughout Africa, including Togo, with a major current focus in Liberia.

Glenn is the Associate Area Director for Africa, strengthening partnerships, overseeing Free Methodist work in Liberia, and developing training resources for African church leaders. Wendy leads the global Third Culture Kid team, caring for missionary children and their families.

Glenn was also instrumental in the beginning of Mission to Lomé. He helped open the possibility, encouraged prayer, and invited the listening and obedience that allowed God's call to form the team.

During the 2026 trip, they joined the team's work even though they were not official members of the traveling team. Glenn taught at the Wesley Missionary Institute alongside Pastor John Lane. Wendy worked with the team at the project site throughout the week, and both shared in the team's fellowship each evening at the hotel.

Support Glenn and Wendy
07 Short-term missionaries in Lomé

From Kansas · Called to Togo

Jordan &
Audrey Kaufmann.

Jordan and Audrey served as short-term Free Methodist missionaries in Lomé with their two children, helping connect African leaders and churches in the United States.

Their family arrived in Togo in February 2025 with plans to serve for two years. They have since returned home to Kansas, but their place in the story of the 2026 trip remains significant.

Jordan was deeply involved in the planning, local coordination, and day-to-day logistics that helped the team serve well. God provided his knowledge, relationships, and steady presence at exactly the right time. The trip would not have unfolded in the same way without him.

We are grateful for Audrey, Jordan, and their family—for the home they made in Lomé, the partnerships they strengthened, and the many ways they helped make the team's first year possible.

Jordan and Audrey Kaufmann, former short-term missionaries in Lomé
Jordan & Audrey Kaufmann Free Methodist World Missions
08 Missionaries in Lomé
Hink and Kaylene Smidderks, full-time missionaries serving in Lomé

Serving for the long term

Meet Hink
& Kaylene.

Hendrik “Hink” and Kaylene Smidderks are full-time missionaries based in Lomé, serving across Africa with a special focus on West Africa.

Hink directs leadership development, supporting the preparation of current and emerging church leaders for ordination and ministry. Kaylene oversees Africa Area communications, sharing the work of the church through stories, social media, and printed resources.

Together, they are learning French and building relationships with the people and communities of West Africa. Their year-round presence helps sustain the partnerships that visiting teams are privileged to join.

Hink and Kaylene played a vital role in our 2026 trip. They offered mentorship and fellowship, helped provide transportation and guidance, and supported our team in many practical ways. We are grateful for the care, time, and encouragement they shared with us.

We look forward to spending time with them again in 2027—renewing friendships, sharing fellowship, and serving alongside one another as God leads.

Read their profile
09 The 2027 trip

Planning · Dates being confirmed

Year two can be more focused—and more useful.

Our partners will define the final priorities. The team will arrive ready for practical work, children's ministry, and the overlooked tasks that help year-round leaders keep moving.

01

Continue the work

Return with the tools, hands, and resources needed to build on what began during the first visit.

General labor · No trade skills required
02

Serve children well

Prepare thoughtfully for ministry with children, with a plan shaped before the team arrives.

Teachers · Helpers · Flexible people
03

Support local leaders

Take on practical work that frees full-time leaders to focus on ministry, training, and relationships.

Trades · Administration · Generalists
Request information about the 2027 team
10 Testimonies

What stayed with us.

The 2026 team is reflecting on what stood out most—and what they pray will happen through the 2027 trip. Their words will live here.

“

What I still see and carry with me are the faces and hearts of all the people in Togo we had the privilege to meet and to serve. From the people at the church to the construction workers to the shop owners to the children and to the staff that served us at the hotel.

Bobby P · WHAT STAYED WITH ME
“

I pray that God would be able to use the team to serve the people in Lomé and to show everyone they come in contact with the love and compassion of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Bobby P · A PRAYER FOR 2027

What Stayed With Me & A Prayer For 2027

What stood out to me about the 2026 trip were the relationships formed with the people of the church. The people are financially poor but in so many ways live richer lives than I do. The community is tight knit and depend on one another, especially in the church. It’s something that I think is a more accurate representation of how the church should operate biblically. There is a lot of practices that the people of Togo have that I need to cultivate into my life. Looking ahead to 2027, what I hope and pray God will do through the team and trip? My hope and prayer is to build on the relationships formed and we will all be transformed into how God desires that we live. There are things we do right and wrong in America and the same is true of Togo. The standard is the biblical way. All of us need to let tradition and culture go when is comes in contrast to how God has designed the church to function. I pray that we all can see those things that need to be cut away and encourage one another to grow into Church the way God designed us to operate with Christ as the head. I also pray that the Gospel(good news) will be paramount for all of the members of the team. That we will all have a deeper understanding of the height and depth and width of the Love of God in Christ Jesus!

Alan V

What Stayed With Me & A Prayer For 2027

1. The Togolese perspective on life was the most impactful thing to me. It was so clear that what made life important was spiritual and not physical. It was both good and bad, good because they kept the spiritual realm important and relevant but bad because they weren't good at supporting their bodies and communities. 2. I pray that the church will be finished in our time there, and that God will use us to reach the young adults/middle aged groups more effectively

Seth G

More stories are being gathered from the 2026 team.

11 Take part

There is more than one way to be part of this story.

You do not have to board a plane to join the mission.

01

Pray

Pray for Pastor Dosseh, the Wesley Missionary Institute, the church in Togo, and the team preparing to return. Add your prayer to our shared, moderated prayer wall.

Open the prayer wall
02

Give

A dedicated giving page for the 2027 team and project is being prepared.

Team and project giving · Coming soon

Questions or want more information?

info@missiontolome.com

Photo galleries · Prayer wall