Getting Ready!

Kusheyeny Lutheran Church

We have our passports, our bug spray, our malaria medication and our shots. The suitcases are filled with medical supplies, an oxygen machine for Machame Lutheran Hospital, school supplies and soccer balls. Vision Trip 2012 is less than a week away and our friends in Tanzania are eagerly awaiting our arrival. We have a long, long journey ahead of us and we ask for your prayers as we go to build new relationships with Prince of Peace and to strengthen the many relationships between St. Matthew's and our brothers and sisters in Africa.

This trip is special and unique for many reasons and one of them is the fact that we have three school aged children in our group.  Lydia, Mia and Clara will be enthusiastically welcomed by the children of Tanzania as we travel around their country.  These children from different worlds will recognize that they have much in common.  They will love each other at first glance because they will first sense and then know that they are children of God together, which makes them brothers and sisters. It makes them family.

This blog will allow you to follow our adventures along the way.  You can automatically receive notice each time there is a new post by using the 'subscribe' or 'follow' links on the right.  Share the blog with friends and consider joining us on next year's Vision Trip to Tanzania.  We will worship on Sunday at Kusheyeny Lutheran Church pictured above.  It is a long bumpy climb up the lower slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro to reach the church.  It will be fun to see how large the "friendship tree" in the foreground of the picture has grown.  I planted that tree when it was a tiny sapling years ago.  May God continue to bless the friendship and partnership in the gospel that tree represents.

Off we go...

Pastor Chad




Post Script:  Here is a picture of the "friendship tree' as we found it on June 24, 2012 during our visit.  Clearly, our partnership is strong and growing!