Tanzania Partnership

By Jenny Buckley, Group #1 Traveler Last September, I decided to commit to a trip to Tungamalenga, Tanzania with Shepherd of the Valley. This is something that I had always said I would do...someday.  I decided it was time to get uncomfortable and start doing those things that I had only talked about. Signing up for Tanzania was a bold decision to let go and let God work in me.   In the eleven months leading up to our departure, I didn’t quite know how to prepare or what to expect, I just kept praying that my heart would be open to what God had to show me; that He would erase my inhibitions and let me fully engage in the experience.  On July 29th, with a fluttering heart, I boarded a plane with 14 others from our church.  I spent the next 20 hours alternating between fear and excitement as I wondered what I would discover when I stepped off the plane in Dar Es Salaam.    And what I saw astounded me.  Women and children, in bright techn...

Some of the stories that mean the most are the hardest to tell, for one reason or another. This is Frankie, from the village of Mahove. We met Frankie the day that the second group of travelers did the Mahove water project walk.  We started the day at the Makifu main station, where the parish gifted us each with a Makifu Parish t-shirt.  Then we traveled as far as the bus would go on the road to Kisilwa.  We walked the rest of the way to the chapel site, and then beyond to the site of the water tank, the beginning of the existing water system. Then we continued back down the village road, passing Kitalongolo where our Mahove pipes branch off from the existing water system.  Our bus continued through Mahuninga and turned onto  the road leading toward Ikwavila and Mahove.  At the bridge, we left the bus and walked on to Mahove, inspecting the water line as we walked, and in some small way, experiencing the walk for water that the women and girl...

David Larson traveled with the second group from SOTV. Here is some of what I learned, experienced, or was reminded: 1)  I have enough.  (Of everything) 2)  I learned to be thoughtful in how I give.  Give only when others are ready to receive. 3)  Tanzania's "Freedom through Unity" is possible in the real world.  To organize around cooperation, not competition. 4)  I do not need flush toilets, but I like them. 5)  I loved how General Secretary Chavella summed this up:  "We are poor, but we are happy.  You are rich, but you struggle to be happy."  Very wise perspective for those of us dealing with the burden of material possessions that distract us from what is important. 6)  I have difficulty with languages, but lots can be done without language.  Marsha, Randy, and Margo were outstanding role models. 7)  To be 2 weeks off the internet was relaxing and a relief. 8)  Tanzania has...

A year ago during our visit to Makifu and Tungamalenga, as we were celebrating the birth of one new parish from the original large parish, someone had the great idea that we should hold a soccer tournament.  It sounded like it would be a friendly match between pick up teams, with evangelists and church elders taking the field.  I remember a pastor joking that the Mama Mchungajis (pastors' wives) would be the goal keepers. SOTV was asked to bring "the cup" or trophy for the winner.      The match was set for 3PM Saturday, August 16. We sent the bus to Makifu to bring players to the field behind the Tungamalenga church.  Then we learned that more players were coming from another village.  Finally, all the players arrived and the game began at 4:45.  To our surprise, a lot of people from the village -- not just people from the congregation -- came out for the match. The whole field was lined with people.  One of our young frien...

Below are some updates from Pastor Randy Brandt, as he leads the second of two groups to Tanzania, August 7-20, 2014. Check out the full itinerary here . August 7:  First leg is a 9.25 hr flight to Amsterdam. And I am ready for a great nap!   August 9: Yes! In Dar es Saalam, TZ . The bus did not show up at the airport for us, so by midnight we took taxis to Wista Lodge. Today, the long bus ride to Iringa. Wow, what a great morning breakfast, devotions and morning prayer. Thank you, good Lord. August 10: Marsha Buie Brandt making a purchase at the market. Lots of walking and exploring and great food. .. now the afternoon at an ancient archeological site. Carol Orvick Larson watches on. That's Steven kneeling in the picture. He gave us a first day 45 minute walking tour of Iringa, it was worth a painting sale! Good strong Minnesota women in Tanzania.   Ismila Village archeology site. Wow. August 11: The photo above is at the Lut...

Time in Tanzania is winding down for the first group of Tanzania travelers.  Here are a few reflections they have offered. A Gospel text came into my mind last night as I was reflecting on our experiences these past ten days. It is the text where a Pharisee asks Jesus which is the greatest commandment.  Jesus replies to love your God with all your heart, soul and might, AND to love your neighbor as yourself. I saw Jesus' words being lived out this past week in tiny remote villages in Tanzania.  It was amazing to see such a diverse group of people from various tribes and cultures -- Hehe, Maasai, Barabeig, Africans and Americans, rich and poor, coming together in one place in song and dance and fellowship to give praise and thanks to the God who created this beautiful and diverse world.  A very diverse group of people who are all one people in Christ where there is no distinction between race, status or heritage. The love for God and neighbor is evident in this plac...

Today we are in Iringa, where we have internet access, and we are catching up by posting stories from the past weeks.  This was a sermon delivered at Tungamalenga Congregation on July 27 by Kirsten, before the first group of travelers arrived in Tanzania.   Namshukuru mungu wangu kila niwakumbukapo, sikuzote kila niwaombeapo ninyi nyote nikisema sala zangu kwa furaha, kwa sababu ya ushirika wenu katika kuieneza Injili, tangu siku ile ya kwanza hata leo hivi.   Nami niliaminilo ndilo hili, ya kwamba yeye aliyeanza kazi njema mioyoni mwenu ataimaliza hata siku ya Kristo Yesu.   Vilevile kama ilivyo wajibu wangu kufukiri haya juu yenu nyote; kwasababu ninyi mmo moyoni mwangu. Wafilipi 1:3-7a   (moja: tatu kwa saba)   [I thank God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the Gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that the one that began a good work in yo...

    Group #1 is back in the city of Iringa, after a wonderful week spent in the villages and on safari.   After the second village visit, Pastor Chris was already talking about "when we come again."       There were several wonderful photographers on the trip, and we will share their photos when we are home and have the technology to do so with ease.  For now, here are a few shots from the week.   After a walk to Mahove (3.5 kilometers from the bridge to the church, about the distance that women and girls used to walk daily for water), we stopped at Makifu Parish for cold drinks.     This is what we look like on our bus -- suitcases piled high in the back couple rows of seats.   Here's your Swahili lesson for the day, directions to the women's and men's toilets (choo).  This group had some members who had really done their homework, and they picked up a lot of the local language when we w...

Boarding the bus to Tungamalenga and Makifu There haven't been any updates to the blog since last Friday because our travelers have been busy... traveling! Specifically, Group #1 has been busy visiting the various preaching points in the Tungamalenga and Makifu parishes. Since yesterday, they've been taking in the wildlife at Ruaha National Park. The full itinerary is listed here. Expect a new post from Tanzania this weekend. Just a few of the nearly 300 prayer cards   This Thursday, our second group of travelers will begin their 2-day travel to Tanzania, beginning from MSP to Amsterdam. From there, they will fly to Dar es Salaam and take a bus to Iringa where the Lutheran church's Diocese (what we call a Synod in the US) is located. They will meet up with Group #1 in Iringa on  Saturday. Thank you for the continued prayers for our travelers and the work of our partnership! Many of you recently had your picture taken in the narthex to create prayer cards ....

Wow, what a day this has been. We're in Iringa, packing in a lot of experiences before we go to the villages of Tungamalenga and Makifu.   Pastor Chris carried a gift for the nursing school, and others carried nursing textbooks, to be delivered to Dr. Saga's office at the diocese.   We spent an hour with General Secretary Nayman Chavalla and BKB Liaison Rev. Lusungu Msigwa, hearing an overview of how the Saint Paul Area Synod and the Iringa Diocese work together.  Chavalla noted the significant support Shepherd of the Valley provides, especially in the area of scholarships.  When you help one student, he said, there are at least ten more who are affected in a positive way.     We spent a couple hours exploring the market area of town, picked up some medicines that had been ordered the week before, bought some Swahili story books for our village libraries.  We had lunch at the Neema Craft Workshop and then shopped at the Maasai ...