Tanzania Partnership

Humphrey with his broken leg in a cast, and his mama, Alice Kahwage. A message from Pastor Naftal says, "Thank you for your prayers. May God bless you."

Amy Schulz has posted some great photos from her time in Tanzania. She traveled with a medical team, worked at Ilula Hospital, and visited Tungamalenga in January. Pastor Naftal with the long awaited motorcycle, which will help him travel among the 20 village congregations that make up the parish. Thanks to SOTV's Men's Ministries for raising the funds to purchase the motorcycle. Carrying water is a daily task for women and children. A bus, stuck in the deep sand at the side of the road. Check out all of Amy's photos here.

The road to marriage may be full of bumps, twists and turns in any culture. Recently we've had some interesting e-mails with a young Tanzanian friend who shares his experiences in arranging his own marriage. "Thanks for your prayers for the new marriage that is expected to take place a few months to come. I am very happy and I thank God that I have been accepted by Jenita's parents and family. The meeting took place as it was arranged." This young man has known the young woman for several years; I think they met in secondary school. Since then, he has completed his university education and has been employed for about one year. The young man and his representative traveled some distance to meet the young woman's family and to negotiate the traditional bride price. "When one goes to his girl friend's family or parents for a bride price, he must have a representative for it is taboo for an expected son in law to talk directly to his expected in laws... He ...

Humphrey Kahwage has a broken leg! Pastor Naftal emailed the news this morning. Apparently, Humphrey was walking home from school on Friday and was knocked over accidentally by another student riding a bike. Humphrey was taken to Ipamba for treatment. (That seems to be an indication of the seriousness of the injury. Ipamba is roughly halfway between Tungamalenga and Iringa, and there is at least one government health center closer.) He has a cast on his leg and is back at home with his mom and dad, Alice and Barnabas Kahwage. Humphrey is six. Read more about Humphrey and the Godzone class who prays for him here.

Today I had an email from Pastor Naftal in Tungamalenga. He said they have been praying for rain, that they have experienced drought for the past two months. Crops planted in January have withered, and the situation is serious. In the past week they have received rain, and they are adjusting by planting some crops with shorter term maturation. They hope the recent rain continues so that these crops will provide the food needed for the coming year. And then he asked, "How is the church? the congregants, the pastors, the children--we do remember them...we do remember them whenever we use the motorcycle. ...the bible study groups, the choirs, the chefs, parish workers, the children teachers, the confirmation classes and more. Pass them greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you!"

A good friend of ours, Dan McIntyre, is in Iringa for the next few weeks and has been blogging about his experiences. Dan writes about the potential for bringing digital educational content to secondary schools and about his visit to the Kilolo Star Vocational School. Very interesting reading for those of us who care about education in our Tanzanian partnerships. Dan is a member of Lutheran Church of Peace, Maplewood. My favorite blog entry is his account of going to the Accacia Pharmacy in Iringa to purchase medicines for a rural clinic. SOTV members go through this same process on every visit!

Wasn't it Alexander Pope who said, "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing?" It's a caution well worth remembering on our travels from Minnesota to Tanzania, as we spend a mere eight to ten days a year with our partners, a few precious hours in each village, with language and cultural barriers between us that may muddy the communication. We may ask what seems a straightforward question and receive what seems a straightforward answer, only to ask the question again and receive a different straightforward answer. It's good to remember that our impressions are just that, impressions, and that even if the information we bring back is accurate, it may only be a piece of accurate information in a bigger, more complex mix of information. With that caution, let me tell you what I know about the village of Mahuninga. We visit Mahuninga on nearly every visit to Tungamalenga Parish. It is located on that main road out of Tungamalenga, take the left hand fork in the road ...