Preparing the way
I'm back in Iringa after six busy days in Tungamalenga and Makifu Parishes.
For the past several years, I (Kirsten) have arrived ahead of the group, visited the villages, listened to project reports and new requests, held meetings with parents of scholarship students, and meetings with the partnership committees. It embarrasses me when I am introduced as being something like John the Baptist, preparing the way for the group that will arrive soon. But the work is what it is, and I love the work I am able to do. Getting the meetings and monitoring out of the way enables the group to do the joyful work of building relationships, strengthening the bonds of love between our parishes. It also enables me to do follow up work as needed.
This year I am seeing a settling in the parishes, after the transition from one very large parish to two medium to large parishes. I started my visit last Friday in Tungamalenga. The partnership meeting was the first task, followed by a meeting with scholarship students' parents. There was much to discuss, especially regarding the restructuring of the scholarship program in the past year. I was grateful for the company of Frank Mkocha, Scholarship Clerk for the Bega Kwa Bega office of the Iringa Diocese. He was able to answer many questions regarding the details of the scholarship program, the criteria parishes are given to allocate funding to students based on need, and the process by which the BKB office pays fees to schools. With the changes, we had some concern over whether the previous levels of funding would stretch to cover the same number of students. The good news is, with the higher amount given by SOTV this year, all previous students were funded, new students were added for a total of 60 students at Tungamalenga, and there remained some money left over at the end of the funding year. A similar meeting was held at Makifu, where we learned that funding allowed the parish to send four additional students to school this year -- over an above their previous goal.
We visited seven village congregations in Tungamalenga Parish -- Tungamalenga, Idodi, Kibaoni, Mapogoro, Kitisi, Mpalapande, and Namelok. Msembe (game park headquarters) is the only congregation from this parish that I missed.
In these villages, we checked on projects and progress from the previous year. Idodi has a roof on the pastor's home, Namelok at long last has a roof on its chapel, Kibaoni celebrated a completed foundation for its chapel. Mpalapande is eagerly looking forward to hosting the wedding celebration of BKB Director Rev. Peter Harrits and his new wife Jenny. They plan to construct a modern choo [restroom] before the festivities on the 18th.
After spending Friday, Saturday and Sunday with Pastors Eva and Bryson Msigwa, and Pastor Paulo Massinga in Tungamalenga Parish, I moved on to Makifu Parish for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday with Pastor Nejabel Madembo and newly ordained Pastor Petro Shangalima (a son of the congregation, from Mahove village).
It was a joy to see the changes in Makifu Parish. I visited all nine village congregations -- Makifu, Kisilwa and Misufi on Monday, Ikwavila, Mahove and Mahuninga on Tuesday, and Malunde, Isanga and Makambalala on Wednesday. The leadership team of pastors, evangelists, church elders, and partnership committee have really brought a sense of unity and a collaborative spirit to this new parish. Each village congregation may have its own goals and activities (chapel construction, an evangelist home, or a modern restroom) and they also work together with other villages on parish goals. This year a remarkable change came to Mahove, with the finishing of flooring, plaster interior walls, altar and altar railing. Walking into the chapel and realizing the completion of a multi year project brought tears of joy.
In other places, smaller changes still indicate that the people of the parish are committed and eager to make their own contributions, not just wait for a turn to accept funding from partners. In many places, we heard promises that neighboring villages would be coming to help with volunteer labor on the day of a big project. That collaborative effort is a wonderful thing to see.
One of the things I brought to this visit was a photo album (one for each parish, plus one for the diocese BKB office) showing how SOTV celebrates our Tanzania Partnership each year with a worship service in January. For that Sunday, we abandon our piano and organ music for voices and drums, instead sharing with the congregation the Hehe and Maasai songs we have learned here from our partners. Our choirs wear clothing our travelers have been given, and we have a Tanzanian auction at the end of the worship service.
As we passed the photo albums around each chapel or gathering under a tree, our friends here smiled, laughed, and picked out various travelers they recognized. I think they were honored to know we value their gifts in this way.
Speaking of gifts -- I was overwhelmed by the generosity of our friends, especially the members of Makifu Parish. Secretary of the parish, George Kioniani, over the years has taken an interest in our (SOTV's) interest in the diocese orphanage, Huruma Center. A few years ago I bought rice from the congregation and delivered it to Huruma to help feed the children. Ever since, George has encouraged the people of his parish to express their thanks to SOTV with gifts of food for Huruma. This year I received about 300 kg rice, 200 kg maize, assorted papaya, sugar cane, ground nuts, a chicken and a sheep. Our group will deliver them to Huruma Center here in Iringa tomorrow.
One last thing -- electricity has arrived in Tungamalenga and several of the other villages! The Tungamalenga chapel is being wired, the dispensary will experience a big change, and several other villages are preparing. We also had a little internet at the camp where we stay. Pastor John brought his laptop and modem and each evening we spent some time sending messages. But the network was very slow! If you read any of our short messages on Facebook, know that John was the patient person who waited two hours for one of those messages to load. (I typed the message and then went to bed.)
The group arrives from Dar this evening! Tomorrow we will go to the diocese office for an orientation with General Secretary Chavalla. Then Pastor Chris and I will be involved in a meeting about the development of the dispensary over the next few years -- meeting with Chavalla, Dr. Mufwimi Saga, and personnel from Ilula Hospital. The group will tour the diocese radio station, the Million Tree Project, and a nursery school. We'll do some errands in the market, collect the medicines and mosquito nets we purchased. In the late afternoon we will visit Huruma Center, play with children, and deliver the food gifts plus gifts for the new day care center opening next month.
Seems like there's so much more to tell, but it will have to wait for another day. Thank you for your prayers for our group, our partners, and for the work we do together!
For the past several years, I (Kirsten) have arrived ahead of the group, visited the villages, listened to project reports and new requests, held meetings with parents of scholarship students, and meetings with the partnership committees. It embarrasses me when I am introduced as being something like John the Baptist, preparing the way for the group that will arrive soon. But the work is what it is, and I love the work I am able to do. Getting the meetings and monitoring out of the way enables the group to do the joyful work of building relationships, strengthening the bonds of love between our parishes. It also enables me to do follow up work as needed.
This year I am seeing a settling in the parishes, after the transition from one very large parish to two medium to large parishes. I started my visit last Friday in Tungamalenga. The partnership meeting was the first task, followed by a meeting with scholarship students' parents. There was much to discuss, especially regarding the restructuring of the scholarship program in the past year. I was grateful for the company of Frank Mkocha, Scholarship Clerk for the Bega Kwa Bega office of the Iringa Diocese. He was able to answer many questions regarding the details of the scholarship program, the criteria parishes are given to allocate funding to students based on need, and the process by which the BKB office pays fees to schools. With the changes, we had some concern over whether the previous levels of funding would stretch to cover the same number of students. The good news is, with the higher amount given by SOTV this year, all previous students were funded, new students were added for a total of 60 students at Tungamalenga, and there remained some money left over at the end of the funding year. A similar meeting was held at Makifu, where we learned that funding allowed the parish to send four additional students to school this year -- over an above their previous goal.
We visited seven village congregations in Tungamalenga Parish -- Tungamalenga, Idodi, Kibaoni, Mapogoro, Kitisi, Mpalapande, and Namelok. Msembe (game park headquarters) is the only congregation from this parish that I missed.
In these villages, we checked on projects and progress from the previous year. Idodi has a roof on the pastor's home, Namelok at long last has a roof on its chapel, Kibaoni celebrated a completed foundation for its chapel. Mpalapande is eagerly looking forward to hosting the wedding celebration of BKB Director Rev. Peter Harrits and his new wife Jenny. They plan to construct a modern choo [restroom] before the festivities on the 18th.
After spending Friday, Saturday and Sunday with Pastors Eva and Bryson Msigwa, and Pastor Paulo Massinga in Tungamalenga Parish, I moved on to Makifu Parish for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday with Pastor Nejabel Madembo and newly ordained Pastor Petro Shangalima (a son of the congregation, from Mahove village).
It was a joy to see the changes in Makifu Parish. I visited all nine village congregations -- Makifu, Kisilwa and Misufi on Monday, Ikwavila, Mahove and Mahuninga on Tuesday, and Malunde, Isanga and Makambalala on Wednesday. The leadership team of pastors, evangelists, church elders, and partnership committee have really brought a sense of unity and a collaborative spirit to this new parish. Each village congregation may have its own goals and activities (chapel construction, an evangelist home, or a modern restroom) and they also work together with other villages on parish goals. This year a remarkable change came to Mahove, with the finishing of flooring, plaster interior walls, altar and altar railing. Walking into the chapel and realizing the completion of a multi year project brought tears of joy.
In other places, smaller changes still indicate that the people of the parish are committed and eager to make their own contributions, not just wait for a turn to accept funding from partners. In many places, we heard promises that neighboring villages would be coming to help with volunteer labor on the day of a big project. That collaborative effort is a wonderful thing to see.
One of the things I brought to this visit was a photo album (one for each parish, plus one for the diocese BKB office) showing how SOTV celebrates our Tanzania Partnership each year with a worship service in January. For that Sunday, we abandon our piano and organ music for voices and drums, instead sharing with the congregation the Hehe and Maasai songs we have learned here from our partners. Our choirs wear clothing our travelers have been given, and we have a Tanzanian auction at the end of the worship service.
As we passed the photo albums around each chapel or gathering under a tree, our friends here smiled, laughed, and picked out various travelers they recognized. I think they were honored to know we value their gifts in this way.
Speaking of gifts -- I was overwhelmed by the generosity of our friends, especially the members of Makifu Parish. Secretary of the parish, George Kioniani, over the years has taken an interest in our (SOTV's) interest in the diocese orphanage, Huruma Center. A few years ago I bought rice from the congregation and delivered it to Huruma to help feed the children. Ever since, George has encouraged the people of his parish to express their thanks to SOTV with gifts of food for Huruma. This year I received about 300 kg rice, 200 kg maize, assorted papaya, sugar cane, ground nuts, a chicken and a sheep. Our group will deliver them to Huruma Center here in Iringa tomorrow.
One last thing -- electricity has arrived in Tungamalenga and several of the other villages! The Tungamalenga chapel is being wired, the dispensary will experience a big change, and several other villages are preparing. We also had a little internet at the camp where we stay. Pastor John brought his laptop and modem and each evening we spent some time sending messages. But the network was very slow! If you read any of our short messages on Facebook, know that John was the patient person who waited two hours for one of those messages to load. (I typed the message and then went to bed.)
The group arrives from Dar this evening! Tomorrow we will go to the diocese office for an orientation with General Secretary Chavalla. Then Pastor Chris and I will be involved in a meeting about the development of the dispensary over the next few years -- meeting with Chavalla, Dr. Mufwimi Saga, and personnel from Ilula Hospital. The group will tour the diocese radio station, the Million Tree Project, and a nursery school. We'll do some errands in the market, collect the medicines and mosquito nets we purchased. In the late afternoon we will visit Huruma Center, play with children, and deliver the food gifts plus gifts for the new day care center opening next month.
Seems like there's so much more to tell, but it will have to wait for another day. Thank you for your prayers for our group, our partners, and for the work we do together!
Comments
Post a Comment