Relaxing, reflecting, and recognizing miracles
I have been traveling for just over two weeks now, going almost nonstop day after day. This morning, the group left for their safari in Ruaha National Park. Pastor John and I stayed in Tungamalenga. This morning we met with the Tungamalenga Parish partnership committee and interviewed ten students who are seeking scholarship support for college, university or vocational training. Fascinating stories, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes inspirational.
So I am sitting in the shade on a beautiful afternoon, relaxing and reflecting on these past few days.
Recognizing miracles when they cross our path -- like Zera at Huruma Center, the little girl who sprawled across my lap during all of last year's visit. She had an umbilical hernia that caused her pain and made her the target of teasing, so she did not enjoy active play. We funded her surgery, and friends like Gary Langness facilitated her trips to and from the hospital during January and February. When I saw her last week, I almost didn't recognize her --- she was smiling and jumping rope! Mama Chilewa told us that even her school work is so much better since the surgery.
Another miracle is that most orphans do not live in orphanages, but are cared for by extended family members. Case in point, secretary of the Makifu Parish, George Kioniani. He has seven children of his own, and cares for six more -- two of his deceased sister's children, and four of his deceased brother's. George has been the champion of the parish's efforts to bring food gifts for Huruma Center. When I asked him why he gave so much energy to this effort, his answer was simple, "I know how they suffer."
We met with the Tungamalenga Parish partnership committee today after the interviews, to follow up on a few items from last week's meeting. They have also pledged gifts of food for Huruma Center, as we visit village congregations this week. I think our vehicles are going to be very full going back to Iringa on Sunday. Another miracle. This area has been blessed with a pretty good harvest for the year, compared to other areas around the diocese. We give thanks that they are willing to share it with the children.
Another miracle...the story of Pastor Petro Shangalima, the new associate pastor of Makifu Parish. Watching him and Senior Pastor Nejabel Madembo was a lesson in collaboration. They work so well together! When we think of how far Petro has come...a Maasai man whose mother asked us to pray for him so many years ago, when his lifestyle was not so good. He turned his life around, became an evangelist in the parish, and was ordained as a pastor last January. He is gifted, passionate, funny, and such a model for other Maasai.
Another miracle...Efraim Matto, the fundi [engineer] who maintains the water system that runs from Kisilwa through Misufi, to Mahuninga and Makifu, from which we branched off the main line to pipe water to Mahove, joined the Lutheran church at Mahove on Sunday. Why is that a miracle? He was Roman Catholic, a denomination that has an active and thriving presence here, why would he leave it? He's Hehe and the Mahove congregation is Maasai -- so it is unusual that he would choose that Lutheran church. But over the years he has worked with the people of that congregation on their water system, he has led the team as I walked along to inspect the lines, he has volunteered his services when the water committee was unable to pay his salary that month. Somehow along the way over these past four years, he has found something in the Mahove congregation that drew him in. I am not surprised, really -- I would like to be part of this congregation as well.
A miracle in the making....we visited Ikwavila, another Maasai village near Mahove. More remote. They walk uphill to place where clean water seeps into a sandy bank. Not three yards away, the animals come to another seep. The people water is protected, barely, by roots of a big tree. We talked of developing another water system here. What is the best way? To pipe water from Mahove? or to pipe water from the seep? We talk together about options, and about getting a professional assessment before we decide. We've done this once before. We know the Iringa region water engineer, and offer to bring his team out for an assessment.
Another miracle in the making...we have been discussing the possibility of building a primary school in Mpalapande for the past three years. Sometimes the Maasai get discouraged when plans cannot proceed "haraka haraka" [very quickly] but this year they seem to have renewed hope and patience, and have agreed that we need to move step by step. At the same time, General Secretary Chavalla arranged a meeting for me with the pastor of the church at Ipogoro, which has been developing a similar church/government partnership for a primary school. Their school has preschool, kindergarten and standard one classes, and they will be adding another class each year. Pastor Nixon generously shared their history and what they have learned about establishing a successful program. We now see a clear path forward -- General Secretary Chavalla has offered to work with the government to develop a Memorandum of Understanding, the diocese fundi [engineer] will be here on Friday and will develop an estimate for the construction portion of the project, and the parish has agreed to set up a local committee to coordinate the project. We are grateful for all who have shared insight, experiences, and expertise with us. We're hoping that in a few short years, the youngest children of this village will be attending school close to home, instead of walking eight kilometers each way, arriving at school tired or late.
It's miraculous to me that there are so many things going so well here. Pastor Chris preached at Mahove on Sunday, and talked about the text from 1 Corinthians 4:7-15 where Paul talked about a treasure in clay pots. The treasure we have in this partnership is the Gospel of Christ, and that treasure is contained in us, the people of Makifu and Tungamalenga and Shepherd of the Valley. We are all clay pots, the human vessels of Christ's love, with our brokenness, our jealousies, our foibles, our mistakes, our failures. What God is doing here, and in Minnesota, through this partnership, through all of us human, broken, clay pots (Pastor Chris called us 'cracked pots' at one point in his sermon) is a miracle.
Thanks be to God.
PS. Internet here in Tungamalenga is erratic. Sometimes it takes 45 minutes to log in and post a two sentence update to Facebook. One evening, John patiently waited while a short email message was sent -- it took two and a half hours. Any guesses on how long it will take to upload this blog post?
So I am sitting in the shade on a beautiful afternoon, relaxing and reflecting on these past few days.
Recognizing miracles when they cross our path -- like Zera at Huruma Center, the little girl who sprawled across my lap during all of last year's visit. She had an umbilical hernia that caused her pain and made her the target of teasing, so she did not enjoy active play. We funded her surgery, and friends like Gary Langness facilitated her trips to and from the hospital during January and February. When I saw her last week, I almost didn't recognize her --- she was smiling and jumping rope! Mama Chilewa told us that even her school work is so much better since the surgery.
Another miracle is that most orphans do not live in orphanages, but are cared for by extended family members. Case in point, secretary of the Makifu Parish, George Kioniani. He has seven children of his own, and cares for six more -- two of his deceased sister's children, and four of his deceased brother's. George has been the champion of the parish's efforts to bring food gifts for Huruma Center. When I asked him why he gave so much energy to this effort, his answer was simple, "I know how they suffer."
We met with the Tungamalenga Parish partnership committee today after the interviews, to follow up on a few items from last week's meeting. They have also pledged gifts of food for Huruma Center, as we visit village congregations this week. I think our vehicles are going to be very full going back to Iringa on Sunday. Another miracle. This area has been blessed with a pretty good harvest for the year, compared to other areas around the diocese. We give thanks that they are willing to share it with the children.
Another miracle...the story of Pastor Petro Shangalima, the new associate pastor of Makifu Parish. Watching him and Senior Pastor Nejabel Madembo was a lesson in collaboration. They work so well together! When we think of how far Petro has come...a Maasai man whose mother asked us to pray for him so many years ago, when his lifestyle was not so good. He turned his life around, became an evangelist in the parish, and was ordained as a pastor last January. He is gifted, passionate, funny, and such a model for other Maasai.
Another miracle...Efraim Matto, the fundi [engineer] who maintains the water system that runs from Kisilwa through Misufi, to Mahuninga and Makifu, from which we branched off the main line to pipe water to Mahove, joined the Lutheran church at Mahove on Sunday. Why is that a miracle? He was Roman Catholic, a denomination that has an active and thriving presence here, why would he leave it? He's Hehe and the Mahove congregation is Maasai -- so it is unusual that he would choose that Lutheran church. But over the years he has worked with the people of that congregation on their water system, he has led the team as I walked along to inspect the lines, he has volunteered his services when the water committee was unable to pay his salary that month. Somehow along the way over these past four years, he has found something in the Mahove congregation that drew him in. I am not surprised, really -- I would like to be part of this congregation as well.
A miracle in the making....we visited Ikwavila, another Maasai village near Mahove. More remote. They walk uphill to place where clean water seeps into a sandy bank. Not three yards away, the animals come to another seep. The people water is protected, barely, by roots of a big tree. We talked of developing another water system here. What is the best way? To pipe water from Mahove? or to pipe water from the seep? We talk together about options, and about getting a professional assessment before we decide. We've done this once before. We know the Iringa region water engineer, and offer to bring his team out for an assessment.
Another miracle in the making...we have been discussing the possibility of building a primary school in Mpalapande for the past three years. Sometimes the Maasai get discouraged when plans cannot proceed "haraka haraka" [very quickly] but this year they seem to have renewed hope and patience, and have agreed that we need to move step by step. At the same time, General Secretary Chavalla arranged a meeting for me with the pastor of the church at Ipogoro, which has been developing a similar church/government partnership for a primary school. Their school has preschool, kindergarten and standard one classes, and they will be adding another class each year. Pastor Nixon generously shared their history and what they have learned about establishing a successful program. We now see a clear path forward -- General Secretary Chavalla has offered to work with the government to develop a Memorandum of Understanding, the diocese fundi [engineer] will be here on Friday and will develop an estimate for the construction portion of the project, and the parish has agreed to set up a local committee to coordinate the project. We are grateful for all who have shared insight, experiences, and expertise with us. We're hoping that in a few short years, the youngest children of this village will be attending school close to home, instead of walking eight kilometers each way, arriving at school tired or late.
It's miraculous to me that there are so many things going so well here. Pastor Chris preached at Mahove on Sunday, and talked about the text from 1 Corinthians 4:7-15 where Paul talked about a treasure in clay pots. The treasure we have in this partnership is the Gospel of Christ, and that treasure is contained in us, the people of Makifu and Tungamalenga and Shepherd of the Valley. We are all clay pots, the human vessels of Christ's love, with our brokenness, our jealousies, our foibles, our mistakes, our failures. What God is doing here, and in Minnesota, through this partnership, through all of us human, broken, clay pots (Pastor Chris called us 'cracked pots' at one point in his sermon) is a miracle.
Thanks be to God.
PS. Internet here in Tungamalenga is erratic. Sometimes it takes 45 minutes to log in and post a two sentence update to Facebook. One evening, John patiently waited while a short email message was sent -- it took two and a half hours. Any guesses on how long it will take to upload this blog post?
Miracles abound!
ReplyDeletePlease greet Pastor Petro from me; I remember well that first visit. His mother had taught us to trust the long healing.
Thank you for blessing us with these stories.