Tanzania Partnership

Bo and Juli Skillman (Christiannia Lutheran, Lakeville) are in Iringa and working on our behalf to take next steps in the Mpalapande Primary School project. Here is their report from a visit to Mpalapande May 17-19. We are grateful for their work! meeting between parish and diocese personnel at Tungamalenga Camp Background information for this visit and project began before leaving Minnesota through a briefing from Kirsten at our home and was followed by several conversations with General Secretary Chavalla and Pastor Msigwa upon arriving in Iringa. The primary aim for us was to make sure a proper understanding was in place between the district government offices for staffing this proposed primary school if the structure was built (through the church) and that the 4 tribes living in the area would come together to embrace this project. In Tanzanian fashion, the agreement was made verbally with the government the day prior to going to the village and is expected to be rece...

Bo and Juli Skillman (members of Christiannia, Lakeville) are in Iringa this month, serving as ambassadors for Saint Paul Area Synod congregations, visiting and communicating with our Tanzanian partner congregations. They held meetings last week on SOTV's behalf with Iringa Diocese General Secretary Nayman Chavalla and Rev. Lusungu Msigwa, Bega Kwa Bega Liaison for the diocese. Together, they discussed the next steps needed to move forward with the Mpalapande Primary School project . The diocese officials are following up with meetings with Tanzanian Education Officers to create a formal agreement governing the administration of the school. This week, May 17 - 19, the Skillmans along with the General Secretary, BKB Liaison, and Iringa Diocese Project Manager Amos Mkuye will visit Mpalapande to meet with the local planning committee, which includes Pastor Paulo Masinga and others from Mpalapande congreegation, as well as Pastor Eva Msigwa and others from Tungamalenga Parish....

It almost sounds like a lame exaggeration from an elder to a younger generation – “ When I was a kid, we had to walk 8 kilometers to school every day .” But an eight kilometer walk (just shy of five miles for us Americans) is the reality for the primary school students in one village among our Tanzanian partners. That’s 8 kilometers, one way. Mpalapande is a Maasai village within Tungamalenga Parish.  Over the past twenty years, the Tanzanian government has relocated Maasai tribes from their historical homeland in the northern part of the country to the south central regions of the country. Maasai are traditionally nomadic people, with large herds of cattle and goats that require space for grazing, so the government placed the Maasai in remote, unpopulated areas. The trade-off for ample grazing land is that the tribes are far from basic government services like water, health care and public schools. The children of Mpalapande have two options for primary school...

We enjoyed such a lovely visit with George Kioniani and Pastor Paulo Masinga in early April.  Their schedule was so full that our updates were all on Facebook rather than on this blog.  Here's a recap. A group of us waited patiently for their arrival at the airport.  Paulo and George were among the last passengers to get through customs. Finally! Karibuni sana. Friends of the partnership welcomed the guests throughout the afternoon and evening. The first weekend of worship was full of amazing experiences as Pastor Paulo and George began to meet the Shepherd of the Valley congregation.  So many people! Pastor Paulo and Pastor Randy Brandt served communion together. George greeted Mollie MacLean with Shikamoo! the traditional words of blessing spoken by a younger person to their elders. Pastor Randy noted that Pastor Paulo's face lit up every time he recognized a former traveler coming forward to receive communion.  (Some of...