Partnership
Tonight we held a partnership meeting.
We began by sharing a meal, a simple meal of soup and sandwiches. We thanked God for the food, for the hands that had grown it and the hands that had prepared it, and for all who gathered to be strengthened by it.
We introduced ourselves. Around the table, we had people who have been involved in this partnership since its inception in June 2001, people who traveled and became involved more recently, people who have never been to Tanzania but who have been faithful supporters and volunteers here in Minnesota.
We dealt with the logistics and the minutiae of the next few weeks---events, dates, deadlines, volunteers for children's ministry events, volunteers to sell handcrafts, volunteers to set up for the congregational dinner coming up next Saturday.
And then we asked our guests to adress the committee with any comments they wished to make.
Dr. Saga offered his thanks for this partnership between the Saint Paul Area Synod and the Iringa Diocese. He noted that when our two churches connected in 1987, there were 40 congregations in the Iringa Diocese; now there are 72 and 68 of them are partnered with congregations from Minnesota.
Mama Anjelina thanked us for "all you are doing for us; you visit Tungamalenga and our preaching points; you walk several miles, you have eaten our food, you have slept in our beds; I think you know us very well. We give thanks that you have brought us here. We have learned something, we see how you consider us. I cannot say more or I will burst into tears."
Dora Saga said, "Thanks for Ilula Hospital too." She recounted its development from a dispensary (clinic) to a health center (equivalent to an urgent care faciltiy) to finally, a hospital. "The operating theater which you helped build makes Ilula the best hospital in the region. You have blessed us," she said as she broke into song.
Pastor Naftal began his remarks by saying thanks. "Please excuse us for anything that has been planned one way and that has ended another way. As we have traveled, we have been thinking, what kind of people are these, why are they doing so many things for us ? You have provided many things for us, as if you were giving to your own sons and daughters, brothers, fathers. Thanks for everyhing you are doing for us."
During our partnership meeting, we talked about goats, we talked about scholarships and transportation and chapels and medical equipment and bikes and rice and corn and loans and many other things.
But the most important things we discussed were these: being united through Jesus in the body of Christ, keeping our communication clear and direct, and remembering the grace of God which brings us together, redeems and sanctifies us in all that we do. Together, in partnership.
We began by sharing a meal, a simple meal of soup and sandwiches. We thanked God for the food, for the hands that had grown it and the hands that had prepared it, and for all who gathered to be strengthened by it.
We introduced ourselves. Around the table, we had people who have been involved in this partnership since its inception in June 2001, people who traveled and became involved more recently, people who have never been to Tanzania but who have been faithful supporters and volunteers here in Minnesota.
We dealt with the logistics and the minutiae of the next few weeks---events, dates, deadlines, volunteers for children's ministry events, volunteers to sell handcrafts, volunteers to set up for the congregational dinner coming up next Saturday.
And then we asked our guests to adress the committee with any comments they wished to make.
Dr. Saga offered his thanks for this partnership between the Saint Paul Area Synod and the Iringa Diocese. He noted that when our two churches connected in 1987, there were 40 congregations in the Iringa Diocese; now there are 72 and 68 of them are partnered with congregations from Minnesota.
Mama Anjelina thanked us for "all you are doing for us; you visit Tungamalenga and our preaching points; you walk several miles, you have eaten our food, you have slept in our beds; I think you know us very well. We give thanks that you have brought us here. We have learned something, we see how you consider us. I cannot say more or I will burst into tears."
Dora Saga said, "Thanks for Ilula Hospital too." She recounted its development from a dispensary (clinic) to a health center (equivalent to an urgent care faciltiy) to finally, a hospital. "The operating theater which you helped build makes Ilula the best hospital in the region. You have blessed us," she said as she broke into song.
Pastor Naftal began his remarks by saying thanks. "Please excuse us for anything that has been planned one way and that has ended another way. As we have traveled, we have been thinking, what kind of people are these, why are they doing so many things for us ? You have provided many things for us, as if you were giving to your own sons and daughters, brothers, fathers. Thanks for everyhing you are doing for us."
During our partnership meeting, we talked about goats, we talked about scholarships and transportation and chapels and medical equipment and bikes and rice and corn and loans and many other things.
But the most important things we discussed were these: being united through Jesus in the body of Christ, keeping our communication clear and direct, and remembering the grace of God which brings us together, redeems and sanctifies us in all that we do. Together, in partnership.
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