Today's blog post is written by Katie Edwards and Nova Kroschel.

Today we left the Iringa Lutheran Center at 7:45 in anticipation of another great adventure. We were not disappointed! First I would like to share a few words about the roads here in Tanzania. The road we are taking today to Mtera is all paved. That was not the case the last time a group from St. Paul Lutheran visited here. They are mostly two lanes, but those two lanes can quickly become 4-5 lanes depending on the type of vehicles that are moving along at the time. Please note, the size of the roads don’t change, just the number of vehicles on it. Imagine a highway with 4-5 vehicles going down the road with several passing at the same time. Sometimes it feels like we are in a cartoon, with cars coming in all directions. In all fairness I must point out that most of the vehicles, ie, pikipiki (motorcycles) and the bajaj (3 wheeled canvas sided vehicles) are much smaller than what we generally see in traffic in the US. Even most delivery trucks are much smaller. There is very little of what we consider the shoulder of the road and very often people and animals walking along the sides in both directions. Pedestrians DO NOT have the right of way! Vehicles DO NOT stop! They do honk a lot! Tanzania also has road construction and we knew that there was going to be a relatively short stretch of that on the way to Mtera. Road Construction here does not look like US road construction. They don’t detour you off to another paved road, they detour you off on to a rough trail. We get full body massages as we drive over all the lumps and bumps! I am sure that if our Coaster Bus ever had good suspension it is definitely shot.  

We had a very scenic drive to Mtera Secondary School. Some of the things we saw on the drive were animals such as donkeys, goats and cattle being herded down the side of the road, oxen pulling a large tree branch, a goat being transported on a pikipiki (motorcycle) donkeys pulling wooden carts of supplies, and many people carrying supplies in baskets or buckets on their heads.  

The diversity of housing along our drive is amazing! The housing here gives a whole new view of making do with what you have. I could go on and on about that, but I will save that for another post.

After about two hours we arrived at the Mtera Lutheran Secondary School, where we were greeted by the entire student body even though it was a Saturday. We were given a tour which Nova is going to share with you at the end of this post.

After the tour we were served brunch before we left for Mtera Church. The school is a short distance from town. We were greeted at the church, shown around the area, and then went to unload our bags at the Empire Inn in Mtera. We took all eight rooms that they had. Pastor Dale commented right away that it exceeded his expectations. It was clean and had screens on the windows. The rooms had a bed and a chair. It had a tiny bathroom with a squatty potty and a shower which were in the same spot. There was no sink. Unfortunately, most of the rooms did not have running water in the shower, but we didn’t know that until in the morning when folks tried to shower. Be sure to ask Steve and Carol about the chickens outside their room when you see them next. After leaving our bags in the Inn we went back to the church where we were served lunch. Yes, lunch, even though we had brunch two hours previously. This was our third meal of the day.  

Following lunch we once again boarded the bus to head to the Mlimani preaching point,one of 5 preaching points from the Mtera church. We soon learned just how remote this preaching point is. It was during this trip that we experienced the true meaning of Bega Kwa Bega!  We quickly left paved roads behind and ended up on very bumpy, sandy trails, not really roads at all.  We have had an amazing driver for this trip and he was masterfully managing the trail.  We were soon in for a trip of a lifetime!  We were dodging bushes, trees, low areas and at one point a herd of cattle. Cattle also do not have the right of way in Tanzania! Our driver just kept honking his horn and driving forward until all the herd had scattered. We certainly could have used the Land Cruisers that we used on Safari at this point!  The drive seemed to take a very long time, but we were assured that we were almost there. We were out in the middle of nowhere!  There were no buildings in sight and it had been a little while since we had seen one.  At that point we were trying to drive across an area on the trail when our coaster bus got stuck in the very fine sand. (Think of the very worst situation you have been involved in being stuck in the snow and triple it!)  The back wheels were just spinning.  So, all but two people got off the bus. At this time we had our group of 16, the driver, the guide, 3 additional pastors, and an evangelist on the bus. The plan was for the men to push the bus forward.  It was a great plan, but the back wheels were too far down in the sand.  The rear axle also needed to be dug out.  Men and kids were trying to dig out sand with their hands.  Some folks were pulling dried corn stalks from the surrounding area to put under the tires.  The evangelist started walking to get tools to help with digging out the bus.  By this time we were taking lots of pictures and making comments about who had an AAA membership! Off to the side of where the bus was stuck was a water hole where two local children were watching all of the action.  They turned over the bucket they were using to collect water and sat down on it to watch.  Soon the evangelist was back with one shovel and a hoe.  Then someone else arrived on foot with an ax.  By now the word has spread and more people are showing up on foot to watch the show.  In the meantime there is much conversation about how we ended up in this situation!  Some were making mental notes about how much water we had and how much daylight was left.  Thirty minutes from the time we drove into this goofy situation we were back on the road because of Bega Kwa Bega, folks shoulder to shoulder, managed to push the bus out and we continued on our way to the preaching point. 

Members of the community who came to help stayed behind to work on the trail, so that we wouldn’t have the same problem on the way back.  We continued on our way to the preaching point.  Our visit there was very short, because we didn’t want to drive back in the dark.  We were greeted warmly by the members of the preaching point, but the youngest children cried when we tried greeting them. This was certainly different from our other stops. We decided that they had never been exposed to people from outside their area.  The church was made of sticks, but the blocks for the new church was built around it, so it was a church within a church.  The new church doesn’t have a floor or roof yet.  It is part of their long term goals.   They need more bricks before they can move on.  They also want to build a school for the kindergarten children in the area.  This would be a one room building. The children all have to walk to school and they want to keep the youngest ones close to home for one more year.  This is completely understandable after seeing how far it is to walk to school!  

We left the preaching point and made it back to Mtera without incident. This time we got off the bus and walked across the area we had been stuck in.  The bus made it across thanks to the helpers who had stayed behind and worked. At 8:00 PM we ate our 4th meal of the day and then headed to the Empire Inn for a memorable night’s stay. ~Katie Edwards

We went to the Mtera secondary school yesterday. Out of 365 total students, 149 are sponsored by Bega Kwa Bega. The students welcomed us with several songs, led by their choir. They are pretty similar to our choirs, but it's fun to see how much energy they have compared to American high schoolers. We went to the principal's office to sign in and learn a bit more about the school before going out for a tour. We were shown several classrooms, including one for visually impaired students. The braille typewriters they have were partially funded by our church. Most of the buildings and supplies they have are old, but they make do with what they have, and are slowly saving for renovations. We met some students who are sponsored by people in our congregation, and learned what they've been doing so far in school. They don't choose classes like we do in high school, instead having several core classes every year like math and geography. They are also required to pass examinations to move onto the next grade instead of passing automatically. The students seemed very committed and one girl told how she wanted to go to university and become a pastor. While their school is very different from ours, I got the feeling that those kids are much the same as we are, with big hopes and dreams for their futures. And now those dreams are going to be possible because of people who were willing to sponsor them. I will always remember how despite all our differences, the students are essentially the same as we are. ~Nova Kroschel

**We're back from safari! Gabe, Sam, and Chris share their experiences in today's blog post.**

​**Be sure to read to the end to view some of Chris's amazing photos!**

"The journey was jaw dropping (literally) but as we were on those land cruisers we saw just how small we really are and how animals are a big part of our world as well. I THINK ALL OF US WISH WE COULD GO AGAIN. With their new airstrip they are planning to build they hope to increase the visitor number and allow access to more of Africa to their safari." ~Gabe Clark

"The first word I can think of for this experience is ridiculous. Not because of the animals, bandas, or even the hospitality. But because we had the bumpiest bus ride of our lives making me need a chiropractor after this trip. Everything that we saw was other-worldly and will surely be cherished memories for all of us for the rest of our lives. The hospitality was incredible with the staff always offering to help (including pulling out your chair for you) and always wanting to be of use for someone. Even the candle-lit dinners at night were organized to perfection with the food being cooked over real coals and having a staff teach us about the different stars in the sky. My favorite animals we approached were the lion couple on the second safari. They weren’t the least bit concerned about us being less than 20 yards away and gave us many great photos (some weirder than others) that really showed the beauty of the animals that we encountered. Overall, I’d recommend everyone to go and do this yourself even for just a single day, but I’d wait until next year when the new airfield is finished so you can fly in from Zanzibar instead of taking the back-breaking bus ride that we had to endure. This trip has been a dream come true and this just made it all that much better." ~Sam Kroschel

"They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”  If that is the case, you will need a lifetime to read the anthologies we have written in the past 48 hours in the Mwagusi safari camp of the Ruaha National Park. How do you describe color to a blind person?  That is what it feels like to summarize the safari experience.  For the first timers in our group, it felt like we were living in a Disney movie.  For the veterans it was affirmation that their memories are real—that they, too, had experienced this indescribable adventure once before. For all of us, we left this place in wonderment and deep appreciation for God’s creation and for the hard work of the people who took care of us, so that we could see it with our own eyes! 

The adventure began Wednesday morning with a 7:30 departure from the Lutheran Centre in Iringa. The 3.5-hour drive in the cruiser bus provided many “deep massages” (i.e. bone-jarring).  Surely, after dropping us off at the park, the bus was headed to the nearest auto shop to have every bolt re-tightened. Thankfully, we arrived to the park safely and in good health around 11:15.  We had another hour’s drive through the park to the place where the safari camp Land Cruisers transported us the rest of the way to the Mwagusi safari camp, the first of now a dozen or so businesses in the park.  

We arrived right before lunch, in time to stretch out and relax in the viewing area of their dining hut.  As we received our orientation, we could see a herd of impala walk into the Mwagusi riverbed, oblivious to our presence.  After the delicious lunch we were escorted to our personal “bandas”, an open-air hut with, in the front, a low stone wall, polished cement floor, and lounge furniture; in the back, a private bathroom and shower; and in the middle the sleeping quarters—a spacious, carpeted canvas tent, left open during the day and zipped up at night. The entire space is covered by a timber A-frame and thatched roof.

After a couple hours’ respite the moment we had all been waiting for arrived—the first of three multi-hour safari drives. Spread out across three custom-built Land Cruisers—trucks with three rows of raised cushioned seats, shaded with a metal bimini, each with a driver and guide—we departed around 4:30 into “the bush.”  These rugged beasts would carry us around the park, through ruts and across brush without fail.  All the vehicles traversed the same path, but each vehicle still had its own experiences. The guides were breathing encyclopedias of the flora and fauna, able to identify practically every bird and tree we passed by—not only telling the name but also unique characteristics, habits, and how it impacts the ecosystem. If a notable creature was sighted the guides coordinated with their cell phones and all vehicles rendezvoused.  

This first adventure was filled with baboons, impalas, cape buffalo, kudu, dik-dik, black-backed jackal, a young elephant by the road, numerous giraffes, a hyena, and a pride of young male lions lounging by a river. Exotic birds also surrounded us the entire way: ground birds like the guinea fowl and spurfowl; fliers like lovebirds, starlings, bee-eaters, rollers, social weavers, oxpeckers, hammerkop, and LOTS of hornbills; and birds of prey like the bateleur, black-shouldered kite, tawny eagle, and the majestic African fish eagle. Even the trees were captivating.  The enormous Baobab tree skeletons were spread across the land, showing their massive trunks (most were devoid of leaves because it is the dry season). Sausage trees, flat-topped acacias, palm trees, and the very unusual candelabra trees reminded us of the diversity of this place.  The drive back at dusk also treated us to a red-orange sunset reminiscent of home.  We returned from our trek around 7:00.  At 7:30 we were escorted down to the dry riverbed for a campfire and social hour under a cloudless, starry sky before dinner nearby at 8:30. A staff member gave an introductory, southern hemisphere-themed astronomy lesson. Using a green laser, he pointed out the milky way, several constellations, planets, and the southern cross. After dinner, staff escorted us all back to our bandas for safety.  What animals would venture around our tents that night we did not know, but we all slept in eager anticipation of what amazing experiences we would have the next day.

The morning came very early. The safari departed at 6:30am, so most of us were up before 6:00.  The waning moon overhead provided enough illumination to outline the banda walls, riverbed, and trees, but the sky was still dark enough to make out stars. The view south presented a sight us “northerners” haven’t seen since the winter—Orion lay just above the horizon.  The temperature was cool, even by our standards--probably mid-40s—so many wore pants, sweatshirts, caps, etc. By our return six hours later we would all be stripped-down to the minimum because the savannah was now a sultry 80 with a “winter” sun as intense as our summer one.

This cruise had several of the same creatures—herds of cape buffalo, impala (lots!), a few elephants, zebra, and giraffe—but also some new ones.  We drove down to the Ruaha river and spotted hippos, a few crocodiles, some herons, egrets, and a few other birds. Some special finds were an African Civet, waterbuck, black-faced vervet monkey, African Fish Eagles perched and in-flight, a giraffe bending over for a drink, a lilac-breasted roller dazzling us with its plumage in-flight.

Our final safari set out in the evening in hopes of finding new animals and new experiences. Two leopards—one hiding in the brush and the other walking in the open—a mother elephant with her calf, a resting hyrax in a tree (looking like a leopard), several banded mongoose, slender mongoose, an orib (small antelope), herds of gazelle, some ostrich, a mating lion couple, and a herd of over twenty elephants moving together finished off our final memorable adventure. Our return drive in the twilight was a blend of cool breezes and a warm-colored sunset.  

Once again, we enjoyed a pleasant social evening and dinner on the riverbed, right outside our bandas. The cooks prepared their delicious dishes over coals right on the rocks under the starry sky.  Stories were swapped about the day’s sites and experiences. Unfortunately, time marched on and before we were ready the evening was over and we all returned to our beds for a restful night’s sleep.
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After sleeping-in the group met for breakfast in the dining area. Every meal we enjoyed the presence of the camp’s founder and owner, Chris Fox. He humbly shared stories of his youth, history of his camp, answered questions, and shared his thoughts on the future of the park with the planned construction of a 2.5km runway under construction and possibly finishing before the end of the year. After packing up and enjoying some final views of the scenery it was time to board the land cruisers for a quick ride back to the cruiser bus and our departure out of the camp by 11:00. As we left the camp, a few of us took some final family pictures at the entrance signs—final proof that we really had visited this amazing place and been in the presence of the other-worldly creatures.
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“Safari” means journey in Swahili. Our stay at Mwagusi has been another memorable chapter in our larger journey here in Tanzania. We returned to the Lutheran Centre in Iringa early Friday afternoon.  Our forty-eight hours into this strange paradise reminded us of the wonderful world God made for us, and our responsibility for stewardship of His creation." ~Chris Clark

Today's blog post is written by Arlie Post, Katie Fetterly, and Caleb Clark.

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” - Proverbs 16:3

The last few days were filled with the excitement and joy of meeting new people and exploring the beauty around us. Today we started our day with a little more business, but also hope for the future. 
We walked our way to the DIRA offices, which was an adventure in itself for part of our group, when Pastor Dale got a little lost. Hakuna Matata though, as Goodluck and Shedrack came to their rescue. Eventually all arrived in "African time".

We began with an overview meeting with DIRA. Pastor Msigwa discussed the importance of conversation, not only for the big things, but making the time to connect on a personal level with people. The rest of the world can wait, the connection made with personal conversation is far more important. 

We were told some facts about the Iringa Diocese. They have 700 workers in the diocese and another 200 at the university. The diocese is comprised of 129 parishes and over 200 pastors. Each of those parishes also have at least one preaching point for a total of over 600 preaching points in the diocese. 

We spent a lot of time learning about the mission of Bega Kwa Bega. The founding principles are Prayer, Projects and Presence. 

• Prayer - Our sister churches pray for each other every week. Currently, there are 50 unpartnered parishes looking for sister congregations. 
• Projects - The Diocese over sees an enormous number of church, environmental and social improvement projects. 
  • There are 129 
  • Every church has a building project as part of their 3 year plan as well as buildings at the hospital and orphanage. Most of this work is done manually digging with shovels, hand molding the bricks and carrying all the materials by wheelbarrow.
  • An environmental project is the Million trees project. They grow fruit trees, pines and eucalyptus from seeds and distribute the saplings  to the villages of each church to reestablish a lumber supply as well as give the villages food and an income source. They have well surpassed a million and are into the multi millions planted so far.
  • Dignity for Daughters - over the course of the last year they have delivered menstrual kits to 1834 girls and spoke with 1396 boys about chemical abuse and reproductive health.
• Presence - This is why we are here, to meet our fellow sister church members in person and see how our support efforts are being used. Our presence here gives purpose to the Prayer and Projects principles. 

Later we visited Iringa University and had an inspirational tour of the campus, saw where Pastor Dale used to teach and saw how they are developing young new entrepreneurs and new ideas to improve their country.

After a delicious lunch at Neema Crafts Cafe we toured their workshop where they employ and empower disabled adults to create many products that are sold in the gift shop as well as shipped to several others around the country. Not only do they get paid, their children have scholarships to school and they have found sustainable housing for over 70 families.

We truly have seen how our commitment to our sister congregations and DIRA'S vision for the future is being fulfilled by our trust in the Lord and has been guided by his hands.

Our hearts are full and our hopes for the future of the parishes in the diocese are high. We cannot wait to see what our future brings. -Katie and Arlie

***And now a word from Caleb Clark about our experience at the Huruma Orphanage***

It is hard to put into words what this orphanage was like and what it embodied. It is so much more than an orphanage, it’s also a daycare, a school, a safe place, and a place where kids can be kids. In the brief amount of time that we were there, we got a small tour, a brief history on the center, and what I think was most important, time to play with the kids there. I can’t speak for others but Sam, Gabe and I grabbed a soccer ball and went over to a few pipes attached together that resembled a soccer net. While we were over there we had fun just shooting the ball into the net while someone tried to block it. It is absolutely amazing how happy and friendly these kids there were, there were a few kids that came over with us and joined us in just messing around. They were shooting the ball and kicking it better than some of us. 

As for the history on the site, it was founded in 1994. Its purpose was to help kids who had no parents and to keep them off the streets and from getting into trouble, ie robbery, drug abuse, alcoholism, all that kind of bad stuff. It has since grown and is currently accommodating 94 children. Only around 70 are orphans, the rest are just kids whose parents cannot provide for them and the orphanage can. Some of the children there are also victims of abuse and needed a safe place to stay and the orphanage is a safe place. 

If you are looking for a specific place to donate in Tanzania I would highly, highly recommend donating to this magnificent site. They will take your money and put it to good use, providing free education, food, and a place to live for children in need. Thank you for reading this and I hope you have a great day. - Caleb Clark

***We will be off the grid for a couple days now as we leave for safari at Ruaha National Park early tomorrow morning. We will return Friday evening and post another update.***

Greetings from Tanzania! Today marked our third day here, and it was a delightful blend of cultural immersion and relaxation for our group. 

We started the day leisurely with a later breakfast at 8:30 a.m. The spread was simple yet satisfying. Harrison and his kitchen Staff prepared toast and Spanish omelets accompanied by hot tea, instant coffee, and refreshing mango, watermelon, and pineapple juice. Energized and ready, we set out to explore Iringa’s vibrant open green market, which is apparently one of the largest in all of Africa (the size of two football fields!).

But before heading to the market we had a scheduled meeting with Haran Ngede. Haran is a long-time friend of St. Paul Lutheran who was part of our Mtera partnership early on. He remembers well his friends, the Millers, the Haselbauers, the Nordhausens, and Gerry Lidstrom, among others I'm sure. Pastor Dale greeted him on their (and the whole congregation's) behalf. Among our group, only Carole England had met Haran before. It was good for her to reconnect and for all of us to meet him. It was then, off to market!

The market greeted us with a kaleidoscope of colors and a medley of aromas. Imagine the scent of freshly picked fruits mingling with the earthiness of spices, sun-dried fish, and the lively chatter of vendors. We met friendly local vendors and produce growers who welcomed us warmly and with the universal language of ... fist bumps. Despite the language barrier, these fist bumps and their hospitality spoke volumes as they patiently helped us navigate and understand Swahili phrases.

After a morning of exploring the market and various local shops, we headed over to Neema Crafts for lunch. Neema Crafts is more than just a cafe; it’s a local hub for arts and crafts created by individuals with disabilities. Their mission is to change attitudes and transform lives through training and employment. Inclusion of these individuals is not largely accepted or practiced in countries of Africa, so it's an especially important mission that Neema has committed to. Over a delicious meal, we not only satisfied our appetites but also supported a worthy cause.

Back at The Lutheran Center, Pastor Dale reconnected with a former student of his from his time teaching at Tumaini University when Pr. Dale taught in their theology department in 2012. Now, Pastor Ezekiel, his wife, Anna, and their newborn daughter, Toredo (God is good), made the 70km trip on motorcycle from Illambilole. Pr. Ezekiel translated our church mission statement (Sharing Christ's Love With Joy!) into Swahili for us, adding the word "together." It translates as "Kushirikiana upendo wa Kristo Kwa furaha!" meaning, "Sharing Christ's Love (Together) With Joy!" He liked it better that way, he exclaimed, as it indicates that all of us - in MN and in TZ - are in mission together :) Maybe it will catch on!

The afternoon brought a rest period back at the Lutheran Center, where we caught up on news from home using the Wi-Fi available there. It was a chance to recharge before the evening activities, which included a rousing game of Moose Master taught to us by the Clark family.

Supper at the Lutheran Center at 7:00 p.m. provided another opportunity for fellowship and sharing stories from our day. As we prepare to leave for Migoli tomorrow morning, excitement is building among us. We look forward to meeting our partner congregations, worshiping together, and engaging in meaningful partnership conversations over tea afterward.

As we wrap up another fulfilling day here in Tanzania, we are grateful for our health and the warmth of the people we've encountered. Our journey continues, filled with anticipation for the days ahead. Sending love and greetings to all back home! 

Greetings from Tanzania! Today marked our second day of travel, and what a journey it has been. Our adventure began bright and early with a hearty breakfast at 6:30 a.m., fueling us for the long day ahead. By 7:00 a.m., we were on the road, embarking on what would be a 12-hour drive from Dar es Salaam to Iringa.

The journey was more than just a drive; it was sensory overload. As we traversed through Tanzania's various landscapes, we were greeted by new sights, smells, and sounds at every turn. One of the highlights was our first glimpses of African wildlife in their natural habitat. Imagine the excitement as we spotted giraffes, zebras, baboons and impala!

Around midday, we made a nice stop at the Tan Swiss restaurant, a familiar oasis for BKB travelers along this route. The food was comforting and nourishing, offering us a chance to stretch our legs and share stories from the journey so far.

Shortly after leaving our lunch stop we stopped for a bathroom/stretch break and ran into another BKB group just leaving for home. They were from Prince of Peace Lutheran in Burnsville. Their Pastor, Paul, was happy to encourage us and bless us on our way (see above picture).

The latter part of our drive brought us closer to our destination, The Lutheran Center in Iringa. Arriving just after 8:00 p.m., we were warmly greeted by the staff and volunteers of The Lutheran Center and Bega Kwa Bega. Names like Russ, Jo, Harrison, Kapaito, Frank, and Paul quickly became synonymous with hospitality as they welcomed us into our temporary home away from home.

Now settled into our rooms, we are tired, but spirits remain high. The thought of a good night's sleep is a welcome relief after a day spent on the road. Tomorrow holds the promise of exploration within Iringa Town, starting with a leisurely breakfast at 8:30 a.m. followed by a visit to Neema Crafts for lunch and a tour.

Despite the fatigue, everyone is in good spirits, thankful for the experiences of today and eagerly anticipating what tomorrow will bring. From all of us here in Tanzania, sending our love and best wishes back home. Until tomorrow's adventures unfold, safari njema (good journey)!

Greetings from Tanzania! Our journey began with excitement and anticipation as we embarked on our mission to explore this beautiful country and connect with its people. Departing from Minneapolis, our group embarked on a series of flights that bridged continents and cultures, bringing us closer to our destination.

The first leg of our journey took us from Minneapolis to Amsterdam, a nine-hour flight filled with movies, books, and lively conversations among our group members. A brief layover in Amsterdam allowed us to stretch our legs and prepare for the next leg of our adventure.

From Amsterdam, we boarded another nine-hour flight destined for the island of Zanzibar. The anticipation grew as we crossed vast distances over the Atlantic Ocean and the African continent. Upon arriving in Zanzibar, a short fifteen-minute flight brought us to Dar es Salaam, the bustling capital city of Tanzania.

At the airport in Dar es Salaam, we exchanged our US dollars for Tanzanian Shillings, readying ourselves for the local experience ahead. Our spirits soared as we were warmly greeted by Shedreck and Goodluck, our local drivers who, after packing us all tightly in our coaster bus, would safely navigate us through the vibrant streets of Dar es Salaam to our accommodation, The Wista's Inn.

Despite the exhaustion from travel, our hearts were filled with gratitude and excitement for the journey ahead. After a few hours of restful sleep, we rose early on Friday morning to enjoy a hearty breakfast, fueling ourselves for the next leg of our adventure.

Today marks the beginning of a ten-hour drive up the mountain roads to Iringa, and onwards to Mtera and Migoli. As we prepare to embark on this scenic route, surrounded by Tanzania’s breathtaking landscapes, we carry with us the love and support of our church community back home.

Please keep us in your prayers as we continue this journey of faith and exploration. Each step we take brings us closer to understanding the beauty of Tanzania and its people. We are humbled and grateful for this opportunity to serve and learn.

We should arrive in Iringa this (Friday) evening.

We love you all! Stay tuned!

On Sunday, July 14 our group was commissioned and our gifts were blessed as part of our Sunday morning worship at St. Paul Lutheran. The above picture is a blurry screenshot of our livestream because I didn't think to take a group photo! Here is the text of the Commissioning and we invite you to continue to review it and pray the words to it throughout our travels. We will do the same. Thank you! Asante!

Pastor: A reading from Romans 12:4-8. “4For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, 5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. 6We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; 7ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; 8the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.” A reading from Acts 13:2-3. “2While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ 3Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” Each of us is called to live out our faith as Disciples of Christ. A special call has come to these fourteen  people who are willing to represent us as they travel to meet with the members of the Iringa Diocese and the Migoli and Mtera congregations in Tanzania, who we partner and rejoice in ministry with.

All: We, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, send you, with our blessing. We thank God for your  commitment and willingness to go on our behalf. We promise to pray daily for you, your  families, and those whom you will encounter on your journey. We ask that when you return you share your new information, experiences, and insights with us.
 
Group: Thank you, our family of faith, for your prayers and support as we embark on this  journey. We promise to pray daily for you, too, while we are away, and look forward to sharing with you the insights and deeper faith we know we will gain. 

All: We thank you, God, for the world you have given us to love, including the people and the land of Tanzania and the Iringa Diocese. We ask your special blessing on each of them and on these gifts they will bring on our behalf. Give them eyes to see and ears to hear the things that you would teach them. Grant them traveling mercies, and may they grow in faith and wisdom so that we, through them, may learn more clearly what it means to be members of your beloved global community of faith and Body of Christ. Amen, and safari njema (safe travels). 

Over a year ago, on March 19, 2023, an initial interest meeting in another trip to Tanzania to visit our partner congregations, Mtera and Migoli, was held. That meeting was well attended and from it sixteen members of our church ultimately committed to traveling together to Tanzania. As part of our initial meetings together the dates of July 17-31, 2024 were decided on for our trip. That seemed like a long way off at the time. Fast forward to today, June 13, 2024, only a little over one month from our departure to TZ! Much planning and preparation has happened over that past year, including a wonderful Tanzania Celebration Sunday in April that the whole congregation was able to be a part of! Now, final preparations are underway, including the application of our travel visas and packing!

This blog will be an opportunity for you to follow along with our travels. It will be easy to read and to share, if you have friends or family that may be interested in our travel experiences. In addition to regular updates here we will also post on our church social media (Facebook and Instagram).

I recommend you bookmark this page and follow it daily (once we've left for our trip). Or, you will also be able to find the link on the home page of our church website.

To fill you in a little bit on our plans, here is a summary of our travel itinerary.

• Day 1 - July 17 (Wed) - Depart MSP airport
• Day 2 - July 18 (Thurs) - Transfer flights in Amsterdam. Arrive in Dar es Salam
• Day 3 - July 19 (Fri) - Drive from Dar to Iringa (ten hour drive!)
• Day 4 - July 20 (Sat) - Get acclimated to and explore Iringa
• Day 5 - July 21 (Sun) - Drive to Migoli. Worship at Migoli. Return to Iringa.
• Day 6 - July 22 (Mon) - Hike to Gangilonga Rock and/or Isimila Stoneage Site.
• Day 7 - July 23 (Tues) - Overview of Bega Kwa Bega and Iringa Diocese including visits to Huruma Orphanage and Neema Crafts.
• Day 8 - July 24 (Wed) - Safari at Ruaha Nat'l Park. Half day of game drives.
• Day 9 - July 25 (Thurs) - Safari. Full day of game drives.
• Day 10 - July 26 (Fri) - Return to Iringa. Visit markets again. Prep for Mtera visit.
• Day 11 - July 27 (Sat) - Travel to Mtera (overnight in village)
• Day 12 - July 28 (Sun) - Worship at Mtera. Visit Mtera Secondary School. Return to Iringa.
• Day 13 - July 29 (Mon) - Departure. Drive from Iringa to Dar es Salam.
• Day 14 - July 30 (Tues) - Explore Dar. Possible Beach day. Evening departure from Dar.
• Day 15 - July 31 (Wed) - Transfer flights in Amsterdam. Arrive home in Mpls.

Here is the roster of our Trip. Please keep us all in your prayers!

• Tyler, Joanna, Nova, and Sam Kroschel
• Chris, Kim, Caleb, and Gabe Clark
• Pastors Dale and Carrie Stiles
• Carole and Steve England
• Katie and Will Fetterly
• Katie Edwards
• Arlie Post

That's all for now. Watch for more updates coming soon!

Pastor Dale