Mission to Tanzania 10th Letter
My Fellow Americans-
It is with mixed emotions and extreme sleep depravity that I report that 7 of the 10 members of our merry little band of travelers are safely home in the USA. And better yet, British Airways only lost one piece of checked luggage this time! Sorry Susan — I hope it's back soon. The remaining 3 members of our party decided to stop off in the UK for a day or seven.
And to update you on the one piece of luggage (mine) that was lost by British Airways on the way to Tanzania — I checked in London and the report is that the bag made it to Nairobi, Kenya and after sitting there for a few days was put on a truck and routed to Arusha but never arrived. So, on a happy note, someone, somewhere in Africa is enjoying the following items — 40 Bethel hats, 7 Bethel shirts, 2 "retired" white liturgical robes, a complete set of liturgical stoles, 5 bags of random school supplies, an old pair of running shoes, a pair of Tevas, 4 bibles and 3 novels by Harlan Coben. In return, I will be receiving cash. Not a bad trade.
Our flights were long and uneventful. On the flight from London to San Francisco, there were approximately 75 Jehovah's Witness' on board returning from an international conference. They were easy to spot because they all wore nametags that proclaimed "Deliverance is at Hand!" Besides that, they looked relatively normal. However, every time one of those garish nametags caught my eye I wondered if they were expecting "deliverance" before or after the airplane touched down at SFO. Thankfully, there were no left-behind-style rapures during the flight. Next time I take a group to Africa, I really need to think of a catchy tagline we can wear on nametags, something perhaps like, "Deliverance will happen sometime, but we'll never know when because God's just funny like that!" Submissions for possible catchy taglines are welcomed.
And now some final pictures of African before I sign off for the final time:
Of all the experiences I've had in Tanzania, the one that stands above all others is the friendship I've developed with Pastor Godbless Mamkwe. The man never stopped smiling from the time our bus pulled up at the gas station in Moshi until we walked into the airport on Sunday evening. He is a bundle of energy and responds to almost everything that you say to him with the words, "Pole Sana!" which can mean several different things depending on context, all of them good. It can mean "congratulations" or "I'm sorry we don't have a lifetime to chat" or "you're important to me."
Godbless is quick to get teary when he talks about AIDS orphans because he loves them deeply. But there is another reason. Godbless describes himself as an orphan. His father died when he and his twin brother were 12 years-old. As is common in Tanzanian society (and elsewhere in Africa), Godbless' father's property, while rightfully belonging to he and his brother, was taken away by his father's relatives and his mother was "kicked off" the land and forced to find work elsewhere in Tanzania. Godbless and his brother were taken in my other relatives but had no recourse to get back their land. As is so often the case, Godbless ministers out of his own pain — in this case the pain of being separated from his family for much of his life. He loves orphans and understands them because he's been there. He has opened the doors to his home to 3 orphans who have been abandoned by their parents.
The Kikarara AIDS Orphans Fund is now operational. You may remember that there was some funny business when the church bishop in Moshi attempted to take control of the funds and we had to remove the funds from the church bank. Godlbess now has set up a private account at another bank so we (he and I) will have control over the fund. I will even have internet access to check the balance. Godlbess has made it clear that he will use that money to cover educational expenses for AIDS orphans. This is a tricky process since school fees must be given directly to the schools since parents often use that money for their own needs instead of the needs of their children.
We can always use more money to strength this account. If you have been waiting to write a check or know somebody who is, please do it soon before your attention gets diverted to many other things happening in our world. You can make out checks to Bethel Lutheran Church with "Orphans Fund" in the memo line. Address is 10181 Finch Avenue, Cupertino, CA, 95014. We will be wiring some money into the account in Tanzania in mid-August.
There is a silver lining to Godbless's personal story. Last week you will remember that we (myself and all of you who gave money) helped him purchase his first car, a 1996 Suzuki SUV 4x4 previously owned by Australian missionaries. Godbless' church has gone absolutely crazy-ecstatic over this event because now he can do much more ministry in and with them. They are even having a car-dedication worship service this coming Sunday at Kikarara.
I give you that as context for what comes next. You see, it was a good week for Godbless and his family. This past Thursday he met with officials at a Tanzanian Title company and was given his father's land back. Now he will grow coffee on that land, just as his father did. And we were there to see his joy.
While pastoral ministry is very different in Tanzania and Silicon Valley (for instance, Godbless spends a majority of his time visiting people and I spend a majority of my time equipping people for ministry by doing big-picture administration), some things are universal. Godbless readily proclaims that he couldn't do ministry without the support of his wife. Ditto. He also understands that programs and technology and "good order" mean nothing if people aren't priority #1. Check.
I hope to see him again soon. I hope he will come to the USA someday (maybe as part of Bethel's 50th anniversary celebrations) so I can show him the same level of care and hospitality that he's shown me.
A final reflection. This was a mission trip, not a vacation. Don't misunderstand — our group had a great time and morphed into tourists early and often. We all supported the local economy by bringing home suitcases full of wooden elephants, handmade baskets and much, much more. However, we also had a goal in mind — to make a connection with the Tanzanian people as fellow servants of Jesus Christ.
Yes, we were often looked at by some (especially by some at Makumira University) as a source of funds and not much else. Yes, we were treated like royalty at points because of where we live. Yes, we ate meals that cost more than some Tanzanians make in a year. And absolutely yes, we were shown such respect and grace at nearly every point along the way that we all return humbled.
Many people see Africa from the vantage point of luxury hotels and Toyota Land Cruisers and they experience Africans as drivers and porters and security guards. We were welcomed into homes, embraced by women suffering from AIDS and invited to sit down for tea and conversation at least twice every day. We experienced Tanzania in all it's glory and hardship, often without the luxuries we so easily come to expect here at home.
It was not always easy and sometimes not even fun. But to describe the journey as life-altering or life-affirming seems just a bit trite. The best summary I can come up with is to simply say that this journey was real, more real than most of the moments and interactions that together form a lifetime. The people we met showed us their hearts and inspired us to show them ours. Perhaps there is no higher goal for a journey like this one. And because of this, I believe that our team will wholeheartedly agree with a statement given to me the first time I experienced Africa over 10 years ago — you can take a person out of Africa but never Africa out of a person.
In the end, it doesn't matter if you are black or white, rich or poor, live in a mansion or a hut with cow-dung walls. We stand together because of a common faith in a savior who knows no national borders.
Thank you to all who supported us with your prayers. Thank you for giving enough money to make a difference in the lives of the people we met. Most of all, thank you for taking this ride along with us as the crowd who stood behind us back home. We felt your presence.
For the last time for this journey and on behalf of this team, I say to you all:
Kwa Heri (which means, "with blessing," and that's not a rough translation)
Pastor Rick Sherrill, for the 9 brave souls who said "yes" to God's prompting to come along
P.S. To see pictures and hear more stories, join us on Sunday, August 13th from Noon to 2:00pm at Bethel for our Mission Trip Celebration Lunch. More information will be available through all the usual Bethel information delivery outlets. We will even raffle off some of the treasures we have brought back with us!