Jambo Family, Friends and Prayer Partners-
In approximately 24 short hours, our mission team will be in the air with the eventual goal of reaching Tanzania. After 18 months of dreaming, planning, meeting, arranging and packing, the beginning of a great journey is nearly upon us. I dream of embracing old friends, playing soccer with children, eating ugali (corn meal mush) and coming face to face with an elephant. Most of all, I dream of the smiles and hospitality of so many people who will open their lives to us.
At the same time I am bracing for those moments that capture your attention and your heart. Tanzania is one of the poorest nations on Earth and AIDS continues to ravage families. Two years ago we hatched an ambitious plan to put upwards of 160 AIDS orphans in school. Today there are over 400 who are waiting for their opportunity to break free of their own personal cycle of poverty. There will be many heartbreaking moments as we come face to face with the problems of modern Africa.
I am energized with the complete certainty that God has a wonderful and mysterious plan for the entire team and am looking forward to how it all unfolds.
Our schedule looks like this:
June 28/29: Travel and arrival in Arusha
June 30-July 3: Massae Girl’s Lutheran Secondary School, Monduli
July 4-5: Work with the New Life Band, Arusha
July 6-8: Safari to Lake Manyara, Ngorogoro Crater and Tarangire Parks
July 9: Visit Makumira Seminary and Usa River Rehabilitation Center
July 10-13: Kikarara Lutheran Parish, Old Moshi (AIDS orphans project)
July 14: Main group returns to USA/Mt. Kilimanjaro group begins trek
July 22: Mt. Kilimanjaro group returns to USA
Please pray for safe travel, good health and for our group to come together as a team. We will all meet face to face for the first time in Amsterdam on Saturday!
Kwa Heri-
Pastor Rick, for the Tanzania Mission Team
Terre Chocholaty
Sharon Parady
Elaine Rasmussen
Katie Pabst
Lois Brouillette
Brad Martinson
Lynne Stasi
Steve Sherrill
Alisa Daglio
Kris Reed
