Zoom

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Here we are in the time of COVID and there's no travel to Tanzania, but we still held a partnership meeting with our friends from Tungamalenga on Tuesday via Zoom.


Our Tanzanian friends traveled by bus from Tungamalenga to Iringa where they were hosted at the Bega Kwa Bega office by Deacon April Trout and Pastor Lusungu Msigwa.  We began the meeting at 2 PM Iringa time, 6 AM here in the Central time zone.  Pastor Randy rubs the sleep from his eyes (above).

Attending the meeting from Tungamalenga were Pastor Rahai Mgeveke, Parish Treasurer Lukimbililo Mkuye, Partnership Committee Member Noeli Kalulu, and Pastor/Doctor Barnabas Kahwage.

Attending from Shepherd of the Valley were members of the Partnership Steering Committee: Judy Anderson, Sharla Wagy, Tom Thompson, Christina Nissen, Mollie & Lyn MacLean, Brenda Krueger, Kirsten Levorson, and Pastor Randy Brandt.

The big news of the day was that Tungamalenga Parish has again grown so much that a new parish has been created from several of the preaching points. Idodi Parish now includes six village congregations, including Idodi, Mbuyuni, Idegello, Kitisi, Kibaoni, and Mpalapande.  Tungamalenga Parish includes congregations at Msembe, Namelok, Mapogoro, and the main station at Tungamalenga.

Our friends provided an update on what has happened since heavy rains in January and February destroyed crops, washed away 13 homes, and killed nine in the community. Five bridges were destroyed, and four of them are now passable, though repairs continue. Water pipelines throughout the communities were damaged and are being repaired. Mpalapande is getting water at the church tank, but not at the primary school yet. The harvest is expected to be smaller than in most years.

We also discussed the parish projects - congregants are making bricks for a future hostel, the pastor's home needs repair, parish offices are being built, and a dispensary lab is ready to begin construction. 

It was truly a gift to be able to hold this annual review and discussion of projects we can work on together.  Many thanks to God for technology, hosts, and all the participants!


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