Kihesa Lutheran Church Staff Meeting

July 23rd, 2015

The sun is shining and the wind has dropped off from overnight.

We have a meeting with the Kihesa Lutheran Church staff.  This includes the Pastors, the Evangelists, the Treasurer, the Compassion Incorporated staff including the Director and the Social Worker, the Watchman who watches over us every evening and the Church cleaning and cooking staff.

We discussed the similarities and some of the differences between the structure of each church.  We discussed the ways of ongoing Christian education in both churches.  Kihesa operates cells, which are lead by the church elders in their local; they meet every week for education and to catch up with church members.

We showed a video of of Saint Marks for an overview.  Mark gave a commentary as it played.  Jim discussed contributions from the craft sale and Soup Sundays and other fundraising to the Kihesa kindergarten and Kihesa Lutheran Church.  We distributed green t -shirts with the 

Kihesa Church cross in Tanzanian flag colors and  We each have one and now they do too.

Taking a page out of Shepherd of the Valley’s play book, we have prayer cards  with pictures of the Saint Marks staff, church council members and travelers on them along with a prayer from Phillipians - ‘you are in my heart’… in English on one side and in Kiswahili on the other.  We took instant pictures to attach to the cards.  We will leave one with the people here and bring the other set home.  Prayer partners.

After that we went to Iringa downtown to pick up a few things that people had made and to do a little more shopping,  When we returned we did a lot of hand washing as we are leaving Iringa Saturday very early morning and Friday will be our good bye day.

We were invited to a family’s home for dinner.  There was card playing and Hehe dancing.  It was wonderful.  The head of household had been sponsored thorough his Master’s degree by Linda Aronson.

What a wonderful day !  I hope you are all having the same !

Dawn

Home Visits - Ministering to Home Bound Members of the Kihesa Congregation

Friday, July 17th, 2015

Breakfast at 9:00 this morning after yesterday's long and exciting day.

A woman, whom we met at the Greek Club, asked to bring over some articles made by Maasai women to help raise funds to sustain them.  Everyone enjoyed making purchases and feeling that it was for a good purpose.

Next we rushed off to our home visitations.  Some were joyful.  For some there was hope.  And for some it was just a matter of offering prayer and comfort.

Music is such a part of the lives of Tanzanians.  They offer it joyfully at any point during the day.  For me, it was interesting that a choir accompanied us on our visitations.  Peoples faces, no matter their situation, light up in recognition of praise and prayer in the form of music.

The first person we prayed for was Pastor Doricus Kimbavala's newborn son,  Innocent, who is less than two weeks old.  Innocent is a beautiful, healthy baby boy.  It was a joy to pray for him and to realize that this child holds the key to the future for the church, Tanzania and our world.  There is always so much hope when you look at a new life!

Second visit was with an eleven year old boy named Faustin Sanga.  He is living his life in a wheelchair.  Not only is he unable to use his legs,  I noticed other motor skill problems, such as  the use of his hands and holding his head up.  He brightened up when we all sang with the choir.  His mother said he was handicapped at 9 months after an illness.  We prayed with him that he may discover God's plan for him and know that he will always be able to have a positive place in the lives of others.  His mother wanted help in getting him to Dodoma for some physical therapy.  Dodoma is 100 miles from here.  Sounds like some help with problem solving might also be in order.

Third visit was with Witness Nyongole, a thirty-three year old woman who has been handicapped from birth and can't talk.  Again, Witness really responded to the choir singing for her.  There is a glow that came over her face!  Hope our prayers and presence was felt.  I believe she knew that people were there for her.  It certainly makes you humble when you realize what some others deal with in their lives and also how it impacts their caretakers.

Fourth visit.  We sang and prayed for Huruma Joseph who has AIDS and recently had a stroke.  She sits in silence in her small home and needs constant care.  She is a beautiful, very thin woman, perhaps in her thirties, with eyes that search and follow.  Her young son Daniel is HIV positive.

Fifth visitation was a situation where physical comfort and prayers were all that was left.  Immaculate Mwano is a woman in her eighties.  We would have her in hospice for the physical comforts needed at the end of life.  The Tanzanian version is, a woman laying in a small dark room, full of smells, relying of the kindnesses of neighbors to provide care.  Betty and I gave her as much touch as the space and situation allowed.  Her hands did clasp around us and her eyes were searching!  I silently prayed for the wings of angles to wrap around her and carry her gently to heaven.

Sixth stop was to pray for Jocktan Magava, a 33 years old man who looked much younger.  He was recently released from the hospital after 44 days.  He is able to stand but not walk.  His father wanted us to pray for his recovery.  I do not think we were told the whole story about his medical condition for whatever reason.  However, we were happy to sing and pray for Jocktan!

Seventh and last stop for the day.  Anna Kisumbi,  48yrs old, mother of three.  She was severely burned in an electrical fire in 2014.  Her recovery has been long and although she is still bedridden, she can do some work from bed.  I felt her spirit was strong and was amazed by her strength.  She has a son who had books on advanced physics that he was studying.  He is hoping for monetary help for University.    

This opportunity was a particularly meaningful one for me and I would like to invite the members of Saint Mark's and everyone else to also say a prayer for these people.

Afternoon was spent on much needed personal time,  marketing, laundry, journaling and a nap for the really lucky!

Bwana asifiwe,  (Praise the Lord)
Bibi Mary Lillie

Lutangilo, The School Surrounded by Mountains and Rivers

On Thursday, we left early for a three hour drive to Lutangilo Secondary School.

We were traveling by two Land Cruisers and a Land Rover Defender.  It was a good thing we were in these heavy duty, all-terrain vehicles as we were in some of the bumpiest, steepest, roughest roads I've ever been on.  The roads were cut out of the mountain leaving a reddish orange cuts.  On the many switchbacks we could see across the mountains, green with pines and eucalyptus with swaths of orange as far as the eye could see.  We rode ridges; steep drop offs on BOTH sides.  Often across the valley we would see farm fields from the bottom of the valley to the top of the mountain.  Mchangaji (Pastor) Sagga told us that the farmers grow maize, tomatoes, and cabbage (I am sure there are other things too).  All these beautiful vistas, homes and farms perched in mountain sides, lumbering trucks and cut timber waiting for pick-up around every turn.

We came around another turn and there, lining both sides for the road, were the young people from the school.  They were singing, clapping and beating drums.  They gestured for us to get out of the vehicles.  So we danced with them all the way to their school where their Headmaster and teachers were waiting.  When we arrived there they had a welcome program for us, with more songs, introductions of the students by Form (class level), teachers and each of us, acrobats, and a native dance exhibition.  The Headmaster and many of the teachers participated in these with their students which to me was the first indication of the relationships being developed at the school.

After our greeting, we were invited to tea (tea, hard boiled eggs and yams) with the Headmaster.  His name is Sebastian Chaula.  He has been the Headmaster for two to three years.  He gave us an overview of the school.  They have 256 students.  He hopes to grow this number to 400 students, but knows they need additional dormitories, class rooms and teachers. 

We started our tour visiting the boys' dormitory.  The boys sleep two to a bunk.  The dorms were full of bunk beds with clothes and suitcases and books everywhere even in the rafters.  The windows were covered with plastic or blue tarps.  The hallway floors were broken concrete or dirt.  However, the setting is so gorgeous and surrounded with trees and the rivers.  Next we visited some of the classrooms and the library with its heavily used books.  And then we visited the new girls' dormitories.  The girls also sleep two to a bunk (the girls were much more organized and clean - girls rock   :-)   ).

Lutangilo School was a recent recipient of a well.  Saint Paul Partners coordinated with H2O for Life (who paid half) for the new well.  Headmaster Chaula told us this had a significant impact on the school and students.  Prior to the well they had to carry water from the rivers up the mountain to the school.  With the river water they were constantly fighting skin and intestinal issues.  As you can imagine fresh water has had an impact on the students and that has shown in the improved scoring since installation.

The beans and ugali were cooking over fire pits in preparation for dinner.  The students have three meals a day:  porridge for breakfast, beans and ugly for lunch and again for dinner.  Headmaster Chaula said the students may get meat maybe twice a month.  Maybe.  

But lest you think I am describing something dismal, I am not.  In the midst of this challenging, remote environment, they are growing and learning and joyful.  Bega Kwa Bega is sponsoring 60 of the 256 students at Lutangilo.  I forgot to mention that the Headmaster is going to start a forestry program planting and farming trees for lumber to earn money for the school and give another area for learning.

With the joy of life and learning in this Christ centered place full of song and dance, Lutangilo is an oasis in the forest.  Please look online for more information about Lutangilo Secondary School.  There are a few wonderful pictures.

From Iringa,
Dawn

p.s. - We have some fun stories about the ride home including a chicken and truck towing.  We will tell you about that when we get home.

A Glorious Day - Mtera Water System Dedication

Today was a long anticipated day for Jim Wolf, who was given the opportunity by St. Paul Partners (SPP) to represent them at the dedication of the Mtera Secondary School water system. Jim has served on the SPP Board for 12 years.

Mtera Secondary School is located next to the Mtera Reservoir north of Iringa.

The reservoir had been the source of water for the school, but has been problematic for several reasons. First, in the dry season, the lake level drops by 15-20 feet and there are vast expanses of marshy area to get to the water. Secondly, there are alligators in the lake which have killed people trying to get water from the lake.

St. Paul Partners, an affiliate of the St. Paul Area Synod Bega Kwa Bega organization, raises funds to drill fresh water wells in Iringa Region of Tanzania. SPP became aware of the significant water issues at Mtera and partnered with the Engineering Dept. of the University of Minnesota to send a team of U of M engineering students to research the issue in January 2014. The U of M team developed an excellent proposal for a water system costing over $18,000. SPP proceeded to find the funding from multiple sources including 50% from H2O for Life with 7 schools participating in fund raising drives, a portion from St. Paul’s Lutheran in Wyoming, MN, which is partnered with the Mtera Lutheran Church and about 1/3 from the Winter Wheat Foundation.

Upon our arrival at Mtera, we were greeted with a column of students singing to welcome us. 

Following their student color guard, we walked in a procession to the Administration Building and were given a marching display by the color guard. Introductions were made of the Bega Kwa Bega coordinators, the SPP Tanzania staff, the Kihesa pastors and companions with us and the St. Mark’s group. We toured the school grounds to see the well site and student and staff housing and ended up at the water storage tanks to do the water system dedication.

With great excitement, speeches were given, prayers were offered and songs were sung.

The students and staff were deeply grateful as now they can spend much more time with studying activities rather than the daily walk to the lake for water. Also their health will be greatly improved by having a source of safe water.

It was gratifying to know how many people and organizations heard God’s call to help solve this significant problem.

On the way back from Mtera, we stopped at Mtera Lake where people were loading boats to go to their villages across the lake. They had chickens, cases of beer, sugar cane and other food supplies. The lake is at its lowest level, so where we were standing at the edge of the water would be 15-20 under water during the rainy season.

Greetings from Iringa, Tanzania where the rainy season is long since past and we are in the dead of winter. The evening and morning temperatures are in the 60's and the nights might get down to 55 Fahrenheit. When the sun hits our pasty white skin in the afternoon we quickly forget that it was cool only a few hours ago. The wind whips up each evening and rattles the rusty tin roof of the "Life Skills Center" where we are staying. The accommodations are very clean and comfortable and our hosts take the best care of us, especially Shem- who seems to be everywhere.

Each morning we awaken to the Muslim call to prayer around 5:00 - an almost eery unintelligible  chant that tapers off around 6:00 when the church bell rings about 30 meters from our windows. The bell gets the dogs on the church yard barking, then fighting as if to say " I am the big dog on this porch" ... which gets the roosters in the neighbor's back yards all crowing... it's quite a wake up call- with no snooze button. 

The noise finally goes down as the sun comes up.

Our Sunday was pretty full as we got to know our hosts and attend the Kihesa Church Services- each lasting 2+ hours and wrapping up with a unique auction on the steps of the building.
After the choir finishes their final song in the parking lot / patio area ( outdoor gathering area) one of the church elders brings out a donated item- sometimes it's a chicken, sometimes a bag of grain... today he presented a large piece of fabric with a brown and gold print as he worked up and down the stairs in front of the brick and tin building. He called for bids just as well as any auctioneer you have ever seen. 

The unique thing about the auction is that you pay each time you bid, whether you win the bid or not.
I learned this the hard way! Glad my bid was only 10,000 Tanzanian Shillings (TSh) - around $5.00. If you increase your bid, you only have to pay the amount over your initial bid. My translator host called this increase "up yours". 

Monday morning we woke to the same routine of chant /bell/bark/crow- sunshine...
We gathered in the large room for great breakfast of fresh egg omelets, toast and sausages - prepared by the mamas of the congregation.

After breakfast we walked down to the kindergarden about 2 blocks away.  We walked in and  saw beautiful smiling faces looking at us. We all got in there and they stood up and sang a song to us clapping and banging on the table. We taught them "Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes." They really enjoyed it. At our craft sale in December we raised money, we used some of  that money we were able to purchase books for them. The teacher was so happy and the kids were too, the kids gave us a big thank you. Coan then gave each kid a piece of candy, they loved that. We now got to go meet the kids. At first all the kids were a little bit shy but after a while they got used to us. They all loved to be in pictures so I took lots of them. Sometime the kids wouldn't even get off me!! but I didn't mind they were so cute. When we left all of them were saying bye with their smiling faces. That will give me a moment to remember.  (written by Jill)

After kindergarten, We met with 3 of the 4 pastors of Kihesa church and boarded the bus. Peter our driver navigated the washed out dirt road to one of 4 "preaching points" which are satellite churches started by Kihesa. Trained evangelists hold services each Sunday morning for the locals who could not travel the distance to the main church. Once a month the Pastor visits the to administer communion. This Preaching Point is called Nazareth, where there are about 8 men, 11 women and 54+ children who are creating their own church in that neighborhood. The building has 14 benches made from slab wood hand nailed with 20 penny spikes. The wood started out rough sawn but is now polished smooth by folks sitting on them week after week.  Each bench would hold 2 to 3 Americans, or about 8 Tanzanians. Nazareth is growing at a rate similar to the overall Lutheran Church in Tanzania. The growth is amazing- God is doing great things here. The rate of growth causes each Preaching Point to make plans for expansion- to accommodate the new Christians who they know will be coming soon.

After making our way down the sandy path, through harvested corn & oil seed ( sunflower) remnants we boarded the bus for a ride to Tumiani University, now called Iringa U.
This school was started in 1994 as a place to train new pastors. In the last 2 decades it has grown to 5 schools and areas of study. Tumiani has been the only school in TZ offering courses in hospitality management- which is a growing business in the area.

more information on Iringa u available at uoi.ac.tz

We returned to the Life Skills Center for a presentation from the youth of Kihesa, who updated us on their plans to learn skills and create a self sustaining program of making batiks, soap, cooking oil and other basic products. They gave a demonstration on how to make batik and then auctioned the first 4 to our crowd of Minnesotan bidders. ( this was a normal auction, not the kind mentioned above).

Several of us walked away with works of art still damp from the process.

We then boarded the bus to visit another Preaching Point in another part of Kihesa neighborhood. 

This is a newer location on borrowed land, the structure was tree branches lashed and nailed together with tarps creating a roof and cardboard sheathing the walls. The weather took it's toll on the roof and there were several rips and tears. Luckily the rainy season is past. It was night by the time we found our way down the dirt alley where we were careful not to step in the damp areas ( one can guess what caused the dirt to be damp just there). Tanzanians never ever step in the damp areas. We were greeted by a very "mature group" of worshipers who explained by kerosene lamp how it would take over $600 to bring power to the "building"- it might as well have been a million dollars. They apologized there were so few of them noting they had 2 funerals today which reduced the overall number of church members.  These folks are determined to worship their Lord - whatever it takes. They are too old to make the journey to the big Kihesa church, so this preaching point allows them to gather and share the word. This is a new church being born. Many struggles lay ahead, but these folks will find a way to make this work- or die trying. Either is acceptable to them- they know where they are  going. 

Continuing our journey Peter piloted our 30 passenger Toyota bus down roads where we had no place driving. I would have had a blast in my Willys Jeep, where the big 'Yoda coughed and sputtered as Peter coached the clutch through the alleyways. Poor Jilly Bean got squished between Beth and Mark as we rounded a left turn at a steep angle. 

We found our way to one of the Church Elders' house where we met the continuously expanding family. "This is my child, and that one, and these twins, and the little one, and here is the mother, and here is my brother, and his wife and their children and here is my friend and his daughter and the mama and....". In pure Tanzania style we could not tell which folks were directly related, which ones lived in the house or down the road. But none of that mattered. We had a traditional TZ feast of rice, beans, noodles, cabbage, fried chicken, stewed bananas and watermelon. Since there were way more humans than seats we did what my kids would call "people stacking". Each person either got a resin chair or they balanced on one cheek sharing a couch, or chair or bench with other folks.

we wrapped up the evening with song and prayer- loaded the bus and rode back to Kihesa Life Skills Center.

It's night now.  A different set of stars grace the sky... The pastors are in their homes, our sentry stands ready outside the building like an African Guardian Angel,  my travel buddies are in bed ready to "la la - fo fo fo" ( sleep like a log).
The Kihesa choir practice is replaced by the neighborhood dogs choir.
Engines from trucks and motorcycles roar from the main road as people make their way home.
Time for me to sign off, before the Muslims begin morning prayer, and the bell rings, and the dogs, and roosters start all over again.

JJ Wolf Dawg has a another big day planned for tomorrow, so I better get some rest.
Thanks for your prayers and support.

First Day in Iringa

It is now Saturday afternoon in Iringa. Mary, Beth, Amanda, Dawn and I are sitting out in the big room of the Life Skills Center where we eat our meals and meet with people. Brighton Mkocha is also with us, helping to get the technology up to speed, but pictures will have to wait as transfering from camera to computer won't happen until Monday when the WIFI is hooked up.   Brighton  and Ibrahim Liduke have been with us all day, explaining cultural things and making translations for us. Outside the choir is practicing in their amazing four part harmony and life is extremely good.

Our journey here has been safe and with very little trouble.  We were met at the airport in Dar es Salaam by Pastor Sagga and Grace Nyagawa and Dr. Mwaluswabi, elders of the church.  Brighton, Ibrahim and Alpha Ambokile were also there to greet us.  These three young men have been sponsored by St. Marks and have gone to university and masters degrees and now are working in Dar. But Brighton and Ibrahim were able to arrange time off to spend with us this week.

At the airport, Mary, Dawn, Beth and Amanda had arrived from their amazing three days in  Northern  Tanzania. We spent the night at Wistas Chalet, a  very comfortable lodging which also served us a delicious breakfast. We were on the bus and on the way to Iringa by 7:30 AM. while driving through Mikumi National Park the only animals we saw was a herd of elephants which crossed the road right in front of us.  There were at least 15 of them including young. What a treat on our first day in TZ.

Today, realizing that we would be tired from our travels, Mchangaji Sagga did not have any plans for us. We toured the church and met with the program director of Compassion, an international program which addresses the needs of children who are in desperate need. There are 254 active participants ages, ages birth to 22. Compassion is internationally funded but also partnered with Kihesa who provides space for programs. We heard about how Kihesa and the church are cooperating to  teach skills to young adults.  They will use the Life Skills Center as a place to teach.  Currently computer classes and sewing classes are beginning. The Life Skills Center is returning to it's original purposes, teaching the youth in the community skills to be self supporting. This is a wonderful thing.

We planned to go to the market in the afternoon, but Mchungaji (pastor)  told us we were invited to a wedding.  Richard Lubawa's son, Paul and Happiness (?)were married at Kihesa. So after a short visit  to the Masaai market, computer/phone technology store and kanga shop we jumped back in our bus, returned to the Life Skills Center, quickly  changed clothes and walked up to the church. The wedding had already started, but since it was all in Kiswahili we weren't quite sure what was happening.  After the ceremony, which included much cheering and ululating, the congregation moved to the outside steps to watch some young boys dancing Hehe with cowbells attached to their ankles.  It is very vigorous and accompanied by energetic drumming.

So off to bed because on Sunday we are in church all morning.

sunset outside the Life Skill Center

Betty

Preparation for the "TRIP THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE"

The 2015 Tanzania Travelers have been planning our trip since the summer of 2014.  We have been meeting the second Wednesday of each month.  Our time together has been a wonderful time to  get to know one another and bond.  At each meeting we spend time "catching up on the events in our lives in the past month", we use a Bible Study;  Before You Pack Your Bags,Prepare Your Heart.  This study has guided our discussions on various topics including Traveling outside your comfort zone, Mission projects; "how" is more important than "what", Learning to listen to their story, Learning to tell ours.

In March we visited Trinity Lutheran Church in Minneapolis which has a Swahili worship every Sunday afternoon, all in Kiswahili. The day we visited was Women's Day, many people were dressed in African clothing. After the service we were invited to a Tanzanian dinner which was bountiful and gave us an opportunity to taste some of the food we may have while in Iringa.

The 2015 Tanzania Travelers are:
Mary Lillie, Dawn Jensen, Beth Jensen, Jim Wolf
Betty Wolf, Coan Milton, Jillian Tabaka, Amanda Urban
And Mark McKenzie who was canoeing at the time of this picture.

The Travelers will depart for Iringa at two different times.  Mary, Dawn, Beth and Amanda will leave on Sunday, July 5 so they can visit the Mt Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania. They will tour the area and also go to several game parks.  Jim, Betty, Mark, Coan and Jillian will leave on Wednesday, July 8. We will all meet up at the airport in Dar Es Salaam on Thursday about 10 PM. We have heard via email that Pastor Himidi Sagga and Grace Nyagawa of Kihesa will be there to meet us, as will Ibrahim Liduke and Brighton Mkocha.  We all spend the night at a hotel and early the next morning, we board a bus, (our own private bus) and travel to Iringa, an 8-10 hour ride. The trip to Iringa is lengthy.