The adventure of a lifetime

By -
On the road to Tungamalenga


We are starting to plan for next summer's Journey to Tungamalenga! It will be a time to meet, live among, and get to know our brothers and sisters in Tanzania.


Most summers, we gather to share stories of our lives, our communities, cultures, and our common faith. For two weeks each year, people from Shepherd of the Valley and from Tungamalenga Parish live, work and play bega kwa bega, or shoulder to shoulder.



What can you expect to experience on this journey?




  • At least 24 hours travel time from our departure in Minneapolis to our arrival in Dar es Salaam


  • One ten hour bus ride from Dar to Iringa on a paved road, then a few days later, a six hour bus ride over rutted dirt roads to Tungamalenga


  • Unpredictable accommodations -- sometimes the water runs, sometimes the electricity works


  • Predictable, sacrificial hospitality, with clean beds and an abundance of delicious, healthy food


  • The wonder of God's creation -- lions, elephants, zebra, giraffe, acacia trees, baobabs, the African savannah




  • The humbling honor of being welcomed to every village as the honored guest -- crowds of singing, dancing people wave palm branches as if they are expecting Jesus to ride into their midst as he rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday


  • Unceasing prayers -- as we begin a journey, as we arrive safely, at the start of a meal, at the start of a meeting, and a prayer of thanksgiving when all decisions have been made


  • The gift of walking in another's shoes for a time, experiencing life from another perspective


  • The gift of having our own perspectives challenged, our assumptions proven wrong


  • Dynamic worship that may last three hours or more, experiencing the familiar rhythm of the liturgy even though it's spoken and sung in a language we don't understand


  • Meeting students whose lives are forever changed by the gift of education


  • Experiencing the body of Christ, each of us with gifts that contribute to the whole





  • Learning how we can work together, shoulder to shoulder, to strengthen this partnership for future ministry in evangelism, education, healthcare, and economic development

  • Humbly receiving as an ambassador from Shepherd of the Valley the resounding thanks of a very grateful congregation

.....and so much more! Learn about our partnership and the opportunity to take this journey of a lifetime: 9:40 AM Sundays, August 7 & 14 in room 20 at church.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Idodi Secondary School

By -
Image
July 10, 2017 On Monday we headed out to Tungamalenga and Makifu parishes, ready to be offline for the next eight days.  Our first stop was at Idodi Secondary School.  Idodi is the first village we come to in the parish, and we have about 75 students attending the secondary school. Headmaster Christopher Mwasomola welcomed us to his office for an introduction and update. He said that Idodi is known as a community school -- the infrastructure is built by the community (in this case, heavily supported by a group known as Friends of Ruaha) and teachers are provided by the government.  Fun fact: the Friends of Ruaha at one point received a donation from Roy Disney, whose name is included on the dedication plaque for the school's library. The school was registered in 1999 and has 889 students, 437 girls and 452 boys. There are 41 teachers. The government supports salaries, books, lab equipment, desks, and other basic supplies. There are 11 non teaching staff, with only tw
Read more

Safari 2013: the journey of a lifetime

By -
Image
Safari in Swahili means journey. We'd like you to consider taking the journey of a lifetime with other Shepherd of the Valley members next summer.  For two weeks in August, you could be ambassadors from our congregation living among and getting to know our partners from Tungamalenga Parish. What's a journey like this look like? We'll fly from Minneapolis to Amsterdam, then Amsterdam to Dar es Salaam with a short stopover at Kilimanjaro (alas, it will be dark and we don't get off the plane at Kili). That's about 24 hours from start to finish, with a four hour layover in Amsterdam. Arriving at the Landmark Hotel just before midnight, we get a good night's sleep in Dar before the eight to ten hour cross country bus ride to Iringa. notice the US and Tanzanian flags on the dashboard of the bus?   Highlights of that cross country ride include driving about 100 kilimeters of the way through Mikumi National Park -- and if we're lucky, we'l
Read more

Karibuni sana

By -
Image
Pastor Naftal & Anjelina Ng'amillo In just a couple short weeks, we will be hosting guests from Tanzania. Pastor Naftal and Anjelina Ng'amillo from Tungamalenga Parish, along with Dr Mufwimi and Dora Saga from the Ilula Lutheran Hospital, will arrive in Minnesota October 21 for a stay of just over two weeks. What better way to welcome them than to learn a few words in their language? Karibu sana or, if you are addressing more than one person, Karibuni sana , means "we warmly welcome you." It's pronounced like this: KAH ree boo SAH nah or KAH ree boo nee SAH nah. Jambo means "hello." Another greeting is Habari, which is more like "how are you," to which a Tanzanian might respond Nzuri [good], Salama [peace], or Njema [fine, well, good] and then they might add, Habari yako [and how are you?]. When Tanzanians are in a gathering, like at church or at a meeting, and they rise to speak to the assembly, they almost always start by say
Read more