Tanzania: October 9

We have arrived safely in Tanzania after our long air flights and an even longer than usual bus ride from Dar es Salaam to Iringa. We were driving in tandem with another vehicle yesterday, that vehicle had a breakdown, we spent a few extra hours going for the needed part and repairing the vehicle, and finally arrived at the Lutheran Center after 13 hours on the road. It was a good day! We really enjoyed seeing the variety of terrain as we crossed from the tropical coastal area, across the savannah and then into the highlands. As we drove through Mikumi Game Park we saw our first giraffes, impala, zebra, elephant, and baboons.

We traveled with a group from Arlington Hills Lutheran in St Paul, and with old friends, the Rev. Tom and Beth Hansen who are coming to staff the Bega Kwa Bega office for the next two months, and with Rev. Lamont Koerner, who will be teaching New Testament courses at Tumaini University this semester.

Today we visited the office of the Iringa Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania and were greeted by old friends, Dean Gavile and General Secretary Nayman Chavalla. Bishop Mdegella is in Rome this month, attending meetings of the World Council of Churches. We also got our newcomers acclimated to the Iringa market, visited the Neema (Grace) Craft Workshop, which employs people with disabilities. We purchased medicines for the dispensary with the help of Dr. Saga from Ilula Hospital, and we were joined by Pastor Naftal Ng'amillo from Tungamalenga as we went about our meetings and errands.

This afternoon's highlight was a visit to Huruma Orphanage, where we played with the children, delivered gifts for Christmas, and learned that the cows we have sent are providing milk for the children at every meal. We also received updates about the four students sponsored by SOTV from this orphanage. Three are attending school in Iringa while living at the orphanage, and all three are doing well. The fourth, Christian, was accepted at a school for especially talented students in Dar es Salaam, and Mama Chilewe tells us he is doing very very well there. There are seven more children from Huruma who will be ready for secondary school in January 2010, and we will be seeking sponsors from SOTV to help support their education.

Tomorrow we will purchase four bicycles and then be on our way to Tungamalenga for the coming week. Barnabas Kahwage has been attending a medical seminar and will be meeting us for the ride back to Tungamalenga.

Today we have had just a taste of the warm hospitality of our Tanzanian friends, and have heard from those at the diocese how much they appreciate the support that SOTV provides through this partnership. I'm sure we will experience even more of that as we go to Tungamalenga to be among our closest friends.

Miss you all, wish you could all experience the wonders and joy we are experiencing here! We are so grateful for your prayers, for our safety and well being, and for the work we do here with our partners.Mungu akubariki! God bless you!