Usolanga Parish, Day 1

July 8

We arrived in Usolanga Saturday late morning and were welcomed heartily.  Pastor Patrick Chaulla said, “We heard you were coming and we prayed for your journey.” Pastor Lusungu Msigwa, the diocese liaison for Bega Kwa Bega, accompanied us as our translator.

They told us there are seven preaching points and another new one about to be established.  We met Associate Pastor Gabriel Msabaha and Secretary of the parish, Yusta Mkosa.

The plan for the afternoon is to visit all seven preaching points and be back at the main station by 4 PM for informal visits with parishioners.  (Knowing our typical two hour preaching point visits in our other companion congregations, we are wondering how we will make it to all seven preaching points in one afternoon!)

Pastor Rick, Evangelist Rose Chaulla, Pastor Patrick Chaulla, Pastor Gabriel Msabaha

Usolanga, the main station, counts as the first preaching point. From there, we backtrack toward the way we came, a short ride to Ihumbiliza. We are greeted by a half dozen representatives of the preaching point.  There are 100 adult members and 115 children attending here. Most are farmers, raising corn, sunflowers, ground nuts, sorghum, goats, chickens.  The big challenge in this area is the weather – it is a very dry area.

In the congregation there are plans to extend the capacity of the building, and to buy chairs like the ones recently purchased for the main station. They have enough land to build a larger building and even add an evangelist’s home. This year they will collect stones for the foundation, and begin making bricks. Next year they will start building the foundation and walls.

The evangelist here is Rose Chaulla (Pastor Patrick’s wife). There are two services here each Sunday, from 7 – 8:30 AM and from 10-11:30 AM. Midweek events include Theological Education by Extension (TEE), cell groups for bible study, children’s classes, choirs for women and youth, confirmation classes.

Pastor Rick, Evangelist Nuhu Chotomasege, Pastor Patrick Chaulla, Pastor Gabriel Msabaha

After about 20 minutes, we continue on to Iguluba.  This congregation has 80 adult members and 100 children. The Evangelist is Nuhu Chotomasege, an energetic young man who also serves on the partnership committee.

This sturdy chapel is ten years old, built with the help of the original partner, First Lutheran. They have ten acres of land, and plan to add a house for the evangelist, and to renovate and finish the chapel. While the walls and roof are sturdy, the floor is packed dirt and the walls are unfinished.

Pastor Rick, Pastor Patrick Chaulla, Evangelist Saitote Ole Masoi, Pastor Gabriel Msabaha

Next stop is Makadupa with Evangelist Saitote Ole Masoi.  There are Maasai in this congregation. It has 45 adult members and 70 children. The building is seven years old, roofed with funding from First Lutheran. They have plans to finish the chapel with doors, windows, plastering the walls. They also hope to build a home for the evangelist.

Mother of one of the sponsored students

They thanked us for the bike that was received last year, which helps the evangelist in his work.  We also received the thanks of Zakayo, the father of one of the sponsored students, Katherine who attends Mtera Secondary School. Mama is pictured above with the evangelist.

Pastor Rick, Pastor Patrick Chaulla, Evangelist Elizabeth Mnyiheva, Pastor Gabriel Msabaha

The fifth stop is at Nyakavangala, a preaching point with 35 adult members and 70 children. The chapel was built by the members with help from First Lutheran for the roof. Plans include finishing the chapel and adding an evangelist’s home. The leader of this parish is Evangelist Elizabeth Mnyiheva.

Near this preaching point, there was a recent discovery of gold. Mining began two months ago. Pastor Lusungu Msigwa asked the community to think about the new situation and consider ways they can benefit, not just passively watch as outsiders come to take the resources of their land.

Pastor Rick, Evangelist Yuda Mtitu, Pastor Patrick Chaulla, Pastor Gabriel Msabaha

Next we stop at Mkulula.  Associate Pastor Msabaha has a home here and they explain that if the parish were to split, this would be the new main station for a new parish. (Our breath catches at the thought of four partners.)

Evangelist Yuda Mtitu serves this congregation, which numbers 115 adults and 170 children members. Their plan is to purchase a music system like they have at the main station, and a piki piki for the pastor.

They have land, so the parish raises sunflowers, corn, sorghum and they keep bees for honey.

The 15 year old building is wonderful, and the parsonage continues with some finishing work on the doors and plaster.  “The first and most important thing to do,” says Pastor Chaulla, “is prayer, so that everything that is done is done to the glory of God.”

Mbuyuni means 'the place of the baobab tree'

The last stop on our preaching point tour is Mbuyuni, the place of the baobab trees. Evangelist Cecilianna Mtando serves 50 adults and 65 children members.

Four months ago, a big wind storm blew the roof off, and even parts of the walls were destroyed.  “But the members will not leave this place,” we are told. The plan is to rebuild the church. First they are making bricks. It will take 3 million shillings to rebuild the walls and roofing.  Out of 56 iron sheets, only 15 were salvaged after the storm.

Pastor Rick, Pastor Gabriel Msabaha, Pastor Patrick Chaulla, Evangelist Cecilianna Mtando

Along the way, at one point we crossed the dry river bed.  The people here dig down into the river bed until they reach water.  Some have made a business of this, digging, finding water, filling 20 liter jugs that they sell for 1000 Tanzanian Shillings each.

Sound system and techs

Fellowship time = youth choir

all the music is on a flash drive

Completing the circle of our preaching point tour, we arrived back in Usolanga.  It was fellowship time in the main church, which meant that a lot of upbeat music was pumping out of a sound system and lots of youth were singing and dancing in the chapel.  I've been told that in Iringa, if you want to bring youth into the congregation, you have to start a youth choir.