Tanzania Travels

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Usolanga Parish visit: welcome, chapels, making bricks, collecting photos and stories for prayer cards, and planning for three guests to visit SOTV in November.



We visited Mtera Secondary School on Friday. What a welcome!




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On our way to Tungamalenga and Makifu


We bought so much medicine we needed an extra vehicle to carry it out to the Tungamalenga dispensary.


Spent the first morning in Iringa catching up with Diocese General Secretary, Nayman Chavalla, and Pastor Msigwa. Then lunch at Neema and a walking tour of the market. Still to come, a visit to Huruma Center and dinner at Mama Iringa’s. Ran into a former student, Diana Saga, now a nurse at the regional hospital.


Today (July 8) we drove to Tungamalenga and Makifu, enjoyed a warm welcome, participated in the final stages of the pipeline project to Ikwavila, walking the pipeline path, and then worked with the experts to figure out why the system is at less than optimal condition. The system at Mpalapande will be dedicated tomorrow.


A wonderful day of celebration at Mpalapande! The water project is complete and the primary school was handed over to the local government which will provide administration and teachers starting next school year, just as planned. How wonderful to have been part of creating educational opportunities for these children in their own village. As part of dedicating the water system, Bishop Gaville and I got to splash/sprinkle water on the gathered audience. Oh, yes, I was also given a sheep 🐑 from the children of this school for the children of Huruma Center orphanage.



Today we visited Tungamalenga, Mapogoro and Kitisi congregations and the primary schools in each village. Met old friends and new, enjoyed Alice’s pigs, and still have the TZ national anthem ringing in our ears.


Tungamalenga farewell



It was a very full day: worship at Mahove, visits to Ikwavila, Kisilwa, Misufi, Mahuninga, and Makifu. Checking on the water tank, it’s fuller than yesterday.


A pipe that burst, a beautiful baby, a meeting and airing a few grievances, fixing the leak and finally hearing water starting to fill the tank. A hope filled day.


One of the joys of our visit is reconnecting with former scholarship students and learning what they’re doing now. Vumilia has been working at the Camp for a month, Lupyana is a business person in Dodoma, Pascal works for a safari company, Amon is an Evangelist and Pastor John is second headmaster at Mtera Secondary School. Congratulations to all!



Meeting the newest member of the village, born yesterday at the dispensary.


Walked the Mpalapande water pipeline this afternoon. It’s in great condition! Toward the end, we came across elephant tracks near the path where kids used to walk to school. At another point, tree branches set like playground equipment- Pastor Rahai said it was like a motorcycle. Good day!


Last day in Makifu parish: Malunde, Isanga, Makambalala, and the precious gifts from parents of scholarship students, bringing harvest gifts for Huruma Center. Oh, and then that last minute schedule change for the group flight from Iringa to Dar that necessitated an early departure from Makifu. So grateful for this time with partners.


Kwa heri to these wonderful travelers who headed to Dar today. Safari njema! Safe travels.



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