A Journey of Faith and Fellowship: King of Kings Trip to Tanzania
Our eyes have been opened, our hearts expanded, and our faith deepened! What started as a mission to reconnect with our sister parish in Kilolo, Tanzania, has quickly become an unforgettable experience of culture, connection, and God’s presence.
After a lightning-fast 30-hour travel day 😉 we arrived in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on the Indian Ocean. It was the capital city for many years (now it is Dodoma). We arrived at our scheduled hotel at midnight only to find that there was ‘No room at the inn”. We did not end up in a manger—rather, the Blue Bird Hotel just down the road. Many thanks to a gracious front desk person at our original hotel who made a few calls to find us a place to rest.
The next day, our travels continued to Iringa in the Southern Highlands region of Tanzania, home to the Diocese of Iringa (ELCT). We were welcomed by Kirsten to the Lutheran Center of Iringa, where we settled in. The next morning, we met with the leadership at the Diocese and saw many of the projects being developed and implemented to build faith and feed the spiritual needs of a rapidly growing Christian community in Iringa. Of great interest and excitement was the recently published Bible translation into Hehe, the local dialect in Iringa district. This translation was the result of 30 years of inspired effort by theologians and linguists. It is a major accomplishment to have a Bible in Hehe, allowing people here to connect more deeply with the Word of God. Also of great interest was the Lutheran radio station on the diocese campus (#2 in the ratings and climbing!!!), Dignity for Daughters, and the Million Trees initiative.
We are now off to Kilolo Parish to share in God’s love and rejoice with our brothers and sisters. Pray for us all as we continue to bring the spirit of King of Kings to Tanzania!
Godspeed to you all back in Minnesota,
Team Tanzania
