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Showing posts from December, 2015

Let's keep all our kids in school this year

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We're coming to the end of our scholarship fundraising year, and let me be straight with you, it looks like we are about $10,000 short of our goal.  Our goal would continue to fund 150 Tanzania scholarships -- 100 students from Makifu and Tungamalenga Parishes attending secondary schools,  ten more students from other diocese congregations, another 25 orphans from Huruma Center attending both primary and secondary schools, and 15 students attending college, nursing schools, and university with hopes of becoming pastors, teachers, medical professionals, doctors. It's a big goal, keeping all those kids in school, or giving opportunities to new students when some current students graduate.  We're grateful to every one of you who have already contributed to our scholarship fund.  We have fabulous donors -- some who have been faithfully giving to this program since we sponsored our first students in 2002. We also have a great need calling for support.  We have families wi

Exploring a water project for Ikwavila

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Four years ago , I visited the village of Ikwavila for the first time.  The people I met told me I was the first wazungu to venture to their remote village.  To get there, we had driven four hours out of Iringa to the village of Tungamalenga.  Heading out of that village toward Ruaha National Park, we took a left onto the road that leads through Makambalala, Makifu, Mahuninga, and all the way uphill to Kisilwa. At Mahuninga, we took another left onto a narrow road that used to end at the bridge where we normally go offroad to Mahove.  At the bridge, continuing on a new road where there used to be barely a path, we arrived in  Ikwavila. The hospitality was humbling.  I accepted the gift of a chicken. This church elder welcomed me to the village.  His young son greeted me in perfect English, "Good morning, madam.  How do you do?" Our travelers have visited Ikwavila every year since that first time, and as we have gotten to know one another, we have learned

Having enough to share

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The Tanzania Scholarship Program at Shepherd of the Valley is one of the biggest pieces of our partnership with the Tanzanian parishes at Makifu and Tungamalenga.  Every year, members of our congregation contribute about $45,000 to support 150 students in secondary schools, vocational training centers, and universities. Across the Saint Paul Area Synod and the Iringa Diocese, the Bega Kwa Bega Scholarship program is also one of the largest pieces of our companionship.  Nearly 70 congregations are involved in providing about 1200 scholarships to students throughout the diocese. In recent years, the Iringa Diocese has seen enormous growth.  Village congregations are growing, parishes are starting new congregations in neighboring villages.  Saint Paul Area Synod has provided scholarships to theology students at the university, and the number of ordained pastors has grown. Over thirty new parishes have been established in the diocese in recent years. During that same pe

The easiest way to contribute

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December 1st - today! - is our stated deadline for contributions to Shepherd of the Valley's Tanzania Scholarship Fund. Of course we gladly and gratefully accept donations in any amount at any time of the year, but our December deadline is a fairly important way we assess and estimate the number of students we can support throughout the coming year.  So if you haven't given or pledged yet, please take action today! Now, if you want to give to this ministry but can't find a big chunk of money in your checkbook today, here's the way to go:  Simply Giving allows you to set up recurring automated withdrawals from your bank account.  You can set it up to withdraw $15 twice a month or $30 once a month, and over the course of a year, your contributions will support one of our secondary school students. It's easy!  https://vimeo.com/146680673