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Tanzania and St. Matthew's, Partners in Mission | |
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Those who have been blessed to participate in a Vision Trip to Africa are never quite the same when they return. An expanded vision of the role of the Lutheran church in the world, the profound experience of being so warmly welcomed by people who appear to have so little, lasting friendships established with folks who may live in mud huts or cement shacks on the other side of the world...these are just a few of the amazing blessings which linger long after the Vision Trip ends. We also spend several days experiencing the breathtaking natural beauty of Africa and her wildlife out on safari in the vast Serengeti Plains and the Ngorongoro Crater. Follow along on the current Vision Trip at http://junevisiontrip09.blogspot.com The Africa Fund at St. Matthew's has taken a leadership role in providing the finances to construct the Neema Orphanage Center in Kalali. The St. Matthew's House is one of five large dwellings at the center which is providing a safe, homelike environment for children who have lost both parents to the AIDS pandemic. The Africa Fund is also supporting the construction of a school at the center for training staff who will provide ongoing care and support for children after they leave the orphanage. The financial support provided by generous friends and members of Saint Matthew’s has already made it possible for Nkweshoo Lutheran Parish (Kusheyeny), which serves a poor rural village on the lower slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, to establish a trade school in their bell tower building. This is a powerful sign of hope for the people of this impoverished area. With no educational opportunities or skills training, many of the youth and young adults in Tanzania succumb to hopelessness and turn to drugs or other unsafe practices. We have also been blessed to provide funding to install a beautiful wooden ceiling inside the church and to construct a pastor's house on the property. Nkweshoo Lutheran church is working to provide a future filled with God's grace and hope to the people of their village. What a blessing it is to be able to partner with them in this mission. Another ministry supported through the Africa Fund at St. Matthew's is SEKUCo Lutheran University where we have provided the Braille typing machines for the blind students. We also support the Irente Children's Home orphanage in Lushoto. One of our first projects was the Kikoro Primary School renovations and we continue to support the great work of the Amani Home for Street Children in Moshi: www.amanikids.org. The Tanzania Vision Trips are life changing journeys full of wonder and adventure. If you would like to worship with our friends at Nkweshoo Lutheran Parish, share laughter and tears with children at the St. Matthew's Home, and open yourself to a deeper vision of God's grace in the world, the St. Matthew's Vision Trip may be for you. Plans for Vision Trips in June of 2009 and 2010 are now underway. Space is limited. If you would like more information, call the church office at 610-458-5675. You can also get more information here by choosing the other links above, including watching a short film of highlights from Vision Trip 2005. (Vision Trip 2007 group pictured above with Bishop and Annette Munga and staff of NE Diocese in Lushoto Tanzania) |
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