Tanzania Partnership

85,000 tree seedlings were planted this year at Iringa Diocese secondary schools and another 150,000 will be planted in early 2012.  The eventual goal of this project is to plant a million trees, to secure reforestation in the Iringa area and to jump start a lumber industry that will provide jobs and income. The Million Trees Project is one of several outrgrowths of the Bega Kwa Bega partnership between the Saint Paul Area Synod and the Iringa Diocese.  From a synod to diocese relationship that dates back to the 1980s, this partnership has grown to include 70 partnerships between specific congregations in each country, and then has further developed affiliate partners, some of them independent nonprofit organizations, that work to support healthcare, water and sanitation, a radio station, microfinance, an agriculture extension system, and now this reforestation project. The growth of organizations like Shoulder to Shoulder (healthcare, Ilula Hospital), St Paul Partners...

Richard Dornfeld's drawing accompanied his and Joan's Christmas letter.  He said it was fun to get back to "a little drawing" and gave permission to include it here. Greetings from our Tanzanian brothers and sisters continue to come to my inbox.  Some are very brief, but we know they are all heartfelt. Such a blessing to be connected in prayer. From Joachim, who completed studies and is now employed as a clinical officer at the government hospital at Tosamaganga:  Greetings and best wishes!  I am now married as of 26 November 2011.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! From Rev. Robert Mutta, a member of the theology faculty at Tumaini University, who has developed the very new counseling department for the college and who is helping with Bega Kwa Bega's Day of Grace (inviting all diocese pastors to attend a day with health and wellness resources available):  "This is another Christmas. The joy of our hearts reflecting back on...

Dear brothers and sisters, I wish to share with us all blessings from our Lord Jesus Christ on the end of this year, 2011. Wishing you a happy Christmas and new year, 2012. Amen. ~~Pastor Naftal We hope you are doing well.  We are doing well too. Jenitha is on holidays and she has come to stay with me in Mbeya. While on holiday she weaves some cloths for people who have ordered. I am happy being with her this December. We pray for you. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, ~~Mfaume & Jenitha (newlyweds whose jobs keep them living in different parts of the country) Bwana Yesu Asifiwe! I am doing well, the school is going on well, though it is tough. We did two tests and one term paper, and then on Tuesday we will have a test.  I like them. I will have a break on December 12, I am thinking of going to Iringa.  I hope to see Bibi Joan. How things going over you there? Blessings Mama, Son John  (an SOTV sponsored stude...

Beatta, with her t-shirt and school bag 'Tis the season of giving.  Here's an opportunity to give in a way that makes a real difference in our world. Shepherd of the Valley has a Christmas Gift Giving program that provides opportunities to make a difference both locally and globally.  Funds that are given through Christmas Gift Giving to Tungamalenga Partnership are used to provide extra gifts outside our normal partnership ministries of education, evangelism, healthcare and economic development. This year, a portion of the funds will be used to purchase food --corn flour and vegetables-- for the children at Huruma Centre, an Iringa diocese owned orphanage.  Beatta, the girl pictured above, lives at Huruma and appreciates the gift of a t-shirt and school book bag that was delivered by travelers a year ago. Another portion of the Christmas funds will be used for a special gift to the evangelists at Tungamelenga.  We purchase goats that are ...

We just received a delivery of 35+ letters written by some of the 140 students whose education we sponsor through our scholarship fund.  What a treasure! This set of letters comes from  students attending Idodi Secondary School.  They are students in forms one through four -- about the equivalent of 7th through 10th graders here in the US.  Many have only been studying English for a couple years. My dear sponsor, I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ.  I am very happy to get this chance to communicate with you for what you are doing for me, especially for paying school fees and other contributions. I hope that you continue well with your daily activities.  I am also continue well with my studies and with my health also. The aim of writing this letter is to say thank you for paying school fees for me.  I promise you that I anticipate I will study hard and will pass my form four examinations and join the advanced level. God bless you and l...

This Saturday, November 5, from 8:30 to 11:30 AM, a couple hundred people from around the Saint Paul Area Synod will gather at Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church in St. Paul to celebrate a wonderful partnership -- our Bega Kwa Bega relationship with the Iringa Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. The annual Fall Festival brings together many of the hundreds of people in Minnesota congregations who have traveled to Tanzania to form partnerships with remote rural congregations there. Shepherd of the Valley's partnership with the people of Tungamalenga Parish is just one of 70 such partnerships within the synod to diocese umbrella partnership. Special guests at the gathering this weekend are Rev. Lusungu Msigwa, who serves as Bega Kwa Bega liaison for the Iringa Diocese, and Rev. Blastone Gavile, who serves as Dean of the Diocese, or assistant to the bishop. Msigwa is a special friend to those of us from Shepherd of the Valley. He served as our translator during o...

The very first time SOTV members visited Tanzania in 2002, we were invited to a wedding on our very first evening in Iringa.  We didn't arrive in time to attend the wedding ceremony at the church, but we went to the dance and reception with a lot of curiosity and with the hope that we wouldn't make any social faux pas on our very first encounter with Tanzanians. It turned out to be a lot of fun, just like any wedding dance we would attend here.  There was food, cold drinks, dancing, lots of relatives and people to meet.  I remember that one of the dances was almost identical to "the chicken dance." I also remember how sober and serious, almost stern, the bring and groom appeared at the reception. Weren't they having fun?  Was this an arranged marriage? Why weren't they smiling? We asked our hosts, and they told us this is the Tanzanian custom at weddings.  All the guests are smiling and happy for the couple, but the bride and groom themselves mus...

Our dear friends Joan & Richard are in Iringa, Tanzania for the next five months.  Follow their blog at http://joanandrichardattumaini.blogspot.com/ . 

Today we had a conference call with Pastor Naftal, Joan & Richard, Bo & Dan.  Oh, the wonders and limitations of technology! There we all were, five or six people in one room in Tanzania (with a laptop running on batteries because there was no power to the home) and another person on the opposite end of the globe on her phone land line.  Magic Jack was the technology used. It took a couple tries to get the audio right.  At one point, I could hear the voice on the other end as if it were pulsating waves of sound:  I-i-i  hee-ee-ear yoo-oo-ou. Hang up, try again. Even once we could all physically hear the voices as we spoke, the limitations of audio but no video became apparent.  Thank goodness for the person in the room who had the awareness to speak: I think someone is hesitant to answer that question....I see that someone is thinking....I see that someone needs to consult with others before responding... No two people can communicate a...

Eight days is not very long for a journey in Tanzania. From Sunday, September 25 to Sunday, October 2, we virtually ran from one experience to the next. Here's a recap of the faces, places and experiences we had. Our group from SOTV included Joan and Richard Dornfeld and me, Pastor Diane Sponheim. We were fortunate to travel with seasoned Tanzania travelers, Dan and Sue McIntyre, who made everything easier to navigate because of their deep understanding of the culture. We also connected with two couples from Arizona who are new to partnering with their congregation north of Iringa, so we all enjoyed sharing experiences. I wish everyone reading this could experience what we do when we go to Tanzania. Words and pictures only begin to describe the experience of being there. Visiting with these beloved friends, hearing their songs, seeing their dances, and being warmly welcomed by them is truly a foretaste of heaven. Our first day in Dar es Salam and the journey from there to Iringa ar...

Pastor Diane bringing greetings to the congregation at Tungamalenga Richard, Joan, and Pastor Diane with interpreter Magalilwa presenting gifts at Kisilwa village congregation Thanks to Pastor Naftal for sending photos! More coming soon. 

Opportunities to learn and serve in partnership are right around the corner! Here's what's coming up this fall: Sunday, October 9, 6:30 -8 PM Not even home a week, Pastor Diane will share updates from her trip to Tungamalenga.  We'll discuss next steps for the Mahove water project, see photos of the newly dedicated chapels at Makambalala and Mpalapande, and get updates on ongoing scholarship, medical and construction efforts. Wednesday, October 12 & Sunday, October 16 Godzone learns about Tungamalenga Partnership this week!  Pastor Diane will share highlights of her trip with the children in large group, and travelers will help children explore three rotation stations, learning about how we partner to construct chapels, and experiencing a Tanzanian child's daily life at school and at play.  Volunteers needed at all Godzone hours -- please let Kirsten.Levorson@sotv.org know if you are available. Tuesday, October 18, 7 PM Learn about the 2012 Journey to Tung...

Richard (foreground), Bo, and children Pastor Diane, Joan and Richard sent some quick updates before they left for Tungamalenga on Friday. Our first stop after lunch in Tungamalenga will be to go to Mahove to see with our own eyes what's going on. We'll also have a partnership meeting Saturday. Naftal plans to have us visit 6-7 preaching points [village congregations] in addition to the chapel dedications, and he thinks we can do a partnership meeting in one hour early Saturday morning! The shopping [for items to sell at the SOTV Boutique in November] hasn't been terribly fruitful. Not much time, but we did get baskets today and a few ebony crosses. I hope to grab some of the shoulder bags tomorrow before we leave. Notecards are very scarce. And they aren't cheap! All is well! The days are full! *photo above taken by Dan McIntyre of Peace Lutheran, Maplewood. Dan's observations are always worth a read, check out http://danandsueintz.blogspot.com/ . In ...

Just a quick message to let you know that we've arrived safely and are having many good connections! We hear that the Packers won and the Vikings lost...that is the extent of the home news we've heard! :-) We hope you are all well! We arrived in Iringa last night [Monday] at about 9 PM, after a 12+ hour drive from Dar es Salaam, featuring a cracked radiator on the bus which took several stops to repair. It was a very long day. Today we are reconnecting with old friends, Dr Saga, and people from the Iringa Diocese. Tomorrow we meet up with Pastor Naftal and buy six or seven bikes for the evangelists and for the orphanage. Today we purchased $2000 worth of medicines for the dispensary. It all takes a lot of time because of working with two languages and two systems of currency! My head is spinning a bit! John Mhekwa is here, and is helping a lot with getting us around town and translating! He said Mfaume's wedding was beautiful. He will help us get Mfaume's card to ...

packed and almost ready to go! Prayers of commissioning were said last Sunday in worship as three members of our congregation are ready to travel to Tanzania again. Pastor Diane Sponheim and Joan and Richard Dornfeld depart on Friday. They carry with them the love, good wishes, and gifts of this congregation. We've packed four suitcases with gifts: banners to grace the two new chapels that will be dedicated at Makambalala and Mpalapande; colorful VBS t-shirts for children and adults; assorted medical supplies; a couple hundred handmade caps for newborns (thanks to Cris Ireland and Karen Piehler-Shaw); a variety of bibles and study books at levels that range in appeal from child to adult interests; about a hundred totes and book bags, a gift from Godzone children; an assortment of flash drives for university students; a dozen 2012 calendars; laminated posters visually depicting bible verses; sundry personal letters from past travelers or from scholarship sponsors to their students....

Two newly completed chapels will be dedicated when Pastor Diane, Joan, and Richard travel to visit Tungamalenga Parish later this month. The chapel at Makambalala has been under construction since 2004, and the chapel at Mpalapande is the first completed chapel for a Maasai congregation in the parish. Amazing milestones to celebrate! Our SOTV travelers will be carrying the love and good wishes of all our members with them, and will offer these beautiful banners to the congregations. A big thanks goes out to Jane Lee for the beautiful work she has done in creating these banners. The one above, with the cross and communion elements symbolized by the grapes and wheat, matches a design she used in the stole given to Peter Harrits in honor of his ordination. This second banner, with the shepherd's staff, a heart and a lamb, matches the design Jane used for Pastor Duane's ordination banner a number of years ago. Both banners will remind our friends in Tanzania of our love for them ...

Your response to our partnership's plan to provide water to the village of Mahove was generous and encouraging this summer. We are grateful, our partners are encouraged, and step by step, the project is moving forward. It seems like a good time to share some information about an organization that is working throughout the Iringa Diocese to bring water and sanitation systems to many villages. St Paul Partners is a nonprofit organization that formed as an outgrowth of partnerships like the one our congregation has with Tungamalenga Parish. Their vision is to assist and enable the Tanzanian people to obtain universal access to safe water, community by community. Since the group's beginnings a few years ago, they have drilled more than 100 wells. St Paul Partners has invited us to their annual Fall Celebration on Saturday, October 1st, an event to be held at St Mark's Lutheran Church in North St Paul from 4:30 to 8 PM. The event is free, a Tanzanian meal will be served, free w...

A few words from one of our travelers, Susanne Miller: I guess through our prayer partnership with Tungamalenga, it has brought me through the mountain tops and the valleys. We may have different ways of life and trials and praises, but we share Jesus Christ and that is the cord that cannot be broken. I have made many relationships from our partnership with people from that village and my heart still hears the children singing and dancing. When we pray together it helps us grow together, one body in Christ. The miles between us may be very far, but our hearts are close in Jesus Christ. My life has changed forever because of God and how he crossed our paths in Tungamalenga. Soon Pastor Diane Sponheim will be traveling to Tungamalenga for a short visit, along with Richard and Joan Dornfeld, who will stay in the Iringa Diocese for five months, teaching at Tumaini University. We are also seeking travelers for the July/August 2012 trip . Please pray for our travelers. Will you be one of the...

Do you want to see some happy and hopeful faces? Take a look at 55 scholarship students sponsored by members of Shepherd of the Valley. Photos were taken earlier this summer by Bega Kwa Bega coordinators Tom and Beth Hansen. Happy Jeremia secondary student at Idodi Secondary School Tumaini Mbwillo her name means "hope" Zakaria Mgaya Happy, Tumaini, Zakaria and many more students from Tungamalenga have the opportunity to receive their education because of your generous support of the Tanzanian Scholarship Program at Shepherd of the Valley. Just $360 per year -- less than a dollar a day! -- provides tuition, room and board for a student. Thanks to all who sponsor these students.

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 ...

Words of thanks have been flowing from our partners in Tanzania as they have heard the news that Shepherd of the Valley's Walk for Water was successful. Thank you for your prayers and for all efforts for Mahove water project! We will keep on praying for you and for the whole congregation at Shepherd of the Valley for caring for the people of Mahove and for Tungamalenga in general. May God keep on blessing you! Rev. Lusungu Msigwa Bega Kwa Bega Coordinator for the Iringa Diocese, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania Rev. Msigwa accompanied Shepherd of the Valley members to Mahove a year ago, August 2010. He served as our interpreter and advisor as we worked with the people of Mahove and with the local government representatives to discuss the plans to bring water to the village. Hi to all SOTV. We are so thankful for all you are doing for Tungamalenga Parish. We know for sure that you also have many activities to do for your church ministry for your area. But we also know that if...

On the hottest, muggiest weekend of the year, over 100 people brought their buckets to worship, laced up their walking shoes, and carried water a couple miles. They walked to raise awareness and funds for a water project at Mahove, one of the village congregations of Tungamalenga Parish, our partners in Tanzania. The short walk to Hagemeister Park was a popular choice for families and younger children. Lots of walkers, Pastor Diane included, tried to carry their water on their heads and found it hard to balance. How do our friends in Tanzania make that look so easy? Inside, the Walk for Water vocal ensemble sang at every worship service. It was a song one of our traveling groups sang with the Tungamalenga Choir in Tanzania three years ago. Walk together children, don't you get weary Sing together children, don't you get weary Shout together children, don't you get weary There's a great camp meeting in the promised land. Walk and never tire, walk and never tire.... Ma...

This weekend Shepherd of the Valley is going to Walk for Water . Why? To bring water to the remote village of Mahove, one of twenty village congregations that comprise our partner congregation, Tungamalenga Parish in Tanzania, East Africa. Who are the people of Mahove? This is Mama Petro, the Bibi or Grandmother who had the courage and persistence to ask our partnership for help. Three years ago, SOTV members visited her village and she spoke of the need to bring a source of reliable, safe water to her village. She told us that she and the other women and girls would spend hours each day walking the mile and a half downhill to fill their buckets, then carry the water uphill. Pastor Naftal says she is as persistent as Esther, coming to the parish office to ask for water for her village. This is a Mzee, an old man from the village who heard the preaching of the Gospel and asked to be baptized. Pastor Randy had that honor during SOTV's August 2010 journey to Tanzania. This is Amina, ...