Global journey, part two

I've been back in the country for a little over a week, enough time to do some laundry, get over jet lag, have a few meetings, and get ready for the next leg in this global research journey. This time, I'm headed south, first to Guatemala and then to Nicaragua. In each country, I'll be meeting with leaders in the Lutheran Churches there, listening and learning how they lift up and prepare lay leaders for their growing ministries. I will be conducting many interviews, using the same questions that I asked the leaders in Tanzania, and I hope to learn what helps to develop strong and faithful leaders.

I've also learned that, in both countries, I'll be doing some teaching as well. In Guatemala, the Lutheran church there gathers leaders from its 17 different congregations at the Lutheran Center near Guatemala City five times a year for classes and meetings. During this retreat, which runs from July 4-7, they've asked me to lead a day-long seminar on conflict resolution, as well as introducing the Academia Ecumenica curriculum developed by the LEAD organization in Texas (www.waytolead.org).

I've also finalized my plans with the Lutheran Church in Nicaragua, where I will be from July 10-17. I'll be spending time in Managua, Somoto, and Somotillo, again interviewing leaders, observing some classes, and leading some, as well. While Stephen Deal (the ELCA's Regional Representative for Central Ameria) told me to "be ready for anything," it sounds like I'll be leading at least one session on "Lutheran identity" and another session with youth and adult confirmands on the meaning of baptism for daily living.

To be honest, I'm both excited and anxious as I sit here in the Houston airport, awaiting our flight to Guatemala (my wife Lynn and daughter Sarah are traveling with me, as they will be studying at a language school in Antigua for the three weeks). I'm excited to be able to use my Spanish again, to meet some new people and experience once again the energy and vitality of God's global church. I'm excited for my daughter to experience this part of the world that has meant so much to me over the years. I'm also wondering how I'll fill six hours on conflict resolution in a way that is both helpful and engaging, I'm hoping that my Spanish and my spirit will hold up in the long hours and humid nights of Nicaragua, and I'm anxious about managing all the connections and relationships that will fill these weeks.

Once again, though, my primary emotion is one of gratitude. I'm just grateful to have these opportunities, and for the ways that my life and my work will be enriched by them. Thanks also for your prayers, and I'll keep you posted as things progress.

Another day, another adventure

My time here in Iringa has fallen into a pattern of sorts. Each day, I travel to a congregation here in the diocese that is holding a class in the Theological Education by Extension (TEE) program. I am  accompanied by Rev. Vallence Chaula, director of the TEE progam, and Rev. Lusungu Msigwa, director of the Bega Kwa Bega office for the diocese, who is serving as my translator. Chaula drives (they tend to go by last names here), and he and Msigwa keep up a lively banter while we make our way through city streets or mountain roads, driving anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours to reach our destination.

(Thursday's trip took us to the mountain village of Idete. Msigwa is on the left, and Chaula is next to him in the green shirt.)

Once we arrive, we are welcomed with a light breakfast in the pastor's house, then we meet with a class of TEE students. After a round of introductions, we observe a class in session, and the students discuss the assigned reading for the week, facilitated by one of the lay leaders. Msigwa translates the conversation for me, and after a while, he and I move to a nearby office, where I proceed to interview three or four students, one at a time, about what has helped them become better leaders.

Today we visited the congregation at Ipogolo, a congregation I had heard much about since they are partnered with Augustana, the church I served as pastor from 2003-2008. After the interviews, when Msigwa and I went back into the sanctuary to say our thanks to the gathered students, we found something unexpected. We were met by around two dozen leaders from the Diocesan office, getting out of their cars and entering the church. To make a long story short, they were coming to make a pastoral visit to the mother of one of the workers at Radio Furaha, the Lutheran radio station. The woman had suffered a stroke over a year ago, but her recovery had stalled, and she had been unable to return to work and was quite depressed. The staff had collected an offering, and they came in a large group to deliver it. Since she was a member of Ipogolo, they invited Pastor Nixon and the others to join them, so we all piled into our vehicles and made the short drive to the woman's home. There we gathered in her courtyard and proceeded to sing and pray while the tears ran down her cheeks. She kept saying, over and over, "Asante, asante sana" (Thank you, thank you so much).

Then came the offering, and the visitors proceeded to bring in large bags of flour, rice, beans, charcoal, clothing, vegetable oil, and more. We were all invited to give monetary offerings, as well, and soon the plate was full. 

The leader of the visit, Pastor Kinyoa, then invited us all to pray, and pray we did, simultaneously, some laying their hands on the woman and her family, others with their hands raised in the air, offering our blessings and our prayers for strength, healing, peace, and hope in the midst of struggle.

It was, quite simply, the church at its best, showing up in the midst of a difficult and uncertain situation, offering both tangible gifts and spiritual support, making a real difference in the life of one hurting family. I'm learning a lot in my short time here, and I'm grateful that I can get a brief glimpse into the life of this church that is so strong, so vibrant, and so compassionate. Asante, asante sana.

Magome magic

As I was planning this trip, I knew I needed to find a way to visit the Tanzanian partner congregation of Salem, the congregation where my wife is the pastor and our family belongs. She was able to visit the Magome parish back in 2010, and I had heard wonderful stories about the warmth, energy, and hospitality of the people there. What I did not anticipate was how breathtakingly beautiful it all was. Fom the moment we arrived (Michael our driver, and Pastor Kinyoa, my translator joined me on the trip) until the moment we left, I hardly wanted to close my eyes, for fear that I would miss something.

We arrived on Saturday around 4:30, greeted by a welcoming committee that sang and danced and shouted "Karibu sana!" Welcome!

I shared with them the video greeting that Salem had prepared, and they were delighted to see familiar faces and hear the bells play and the choir sing.

I laughed and played with the kids of the village (making a few animal noises and chasing them around a bit).

On Sunday, I awoke with the sun and found the valleys surrounding the village covered in a beautiful and almost magical fog.

After touring the village and hearing updates on their various projects (see my Facebook page for photos of the office building, pine tree farm and students under scholarship), we worshiped together. I had been asked to preach, and I spoke about the values of accompaniment, using a proverb that I believe originated in Africa, "If you want to go quickly, go alone; if you want to go far, go together." I invited them to pray for us in our challenges, as we pray for them in theirs, and I gave thanks that we can experience in this life a foretaste of the joys of the next, when we will all be united in God's kingdom. I also shared with Pastor Kasuga a clergy shirt and stole from Guatemala, completing the triangle of our global partnerships. He put it on right away and seemed delighted.

I was deeply moved by their singing, as they so easily broke into three and four part harmony, and I couldn't help but join them. After a wonderful lunch and a few research interviews (more on those in another post), I was on my way. Even though I was in the village for less than 24 hours, my heart and my mind were filled to overflowing with images and emotions I will treasure forever. There is indeed something magical about the relationship between our two parishes, or perhaps better said, something mystical. Separated by thousands of miles and so many layers of language and custom, we are still somehow united through the power of the Holy Spirit, and when we sing together, we are connected with a bond that cannot be broken. Bwana Yesu Asifiwe! (Praise the Lord!)

Welcome to Iringa

After three long flights and an 11 hour car ride, I arrived in Iringa last night, met with a hot meal at the Lutheran Center and a nice, cool breeze in the air. This morning, I made my way over to the Hasty Tasty for breakfast with my traveling companions, and it seemed like everyone we met knew of the Bega Kwa Bega office and the pioneers and builders of this relationship: Gary and Carol Langness, Don and Eunice Fultz, and on and on.

After breakfast, Tom Nielsen, the current BKB coordinator, took me to the local diocese office, where again we were greeted warmly. The people there had been preparing for my visit, and I was grateful for all those who had worked to pave the way for my research visit.

After returning to the apartment where I'll be staying these next two weeks, I decided it was time to go exploring a bit and to pick up some groceries. Tom gave me a map and told me how to find my way to the various markets in the center of town, and off I went, hopeful and a bit nervous that I would be able to make my purchases without getting lost either to or from the markets.

I hadn't walked more than two minutes from the apartment and I had just turned on to the main street I would follow to the markets, when a young man came beside me and asked me a question in Swahili. I smiled and shook my head, since his question didn't include the dozen or so words I know, and then he asked, "English?" I nodded and said, "Yes," and then he asked, "Lutheran?" Again I said yes, and as we walked together toward the market, he proceeded to tell me that he also was a Lutheran. I explained a bit about my visit, that I was a pastor and that I would be preaching this weekend in Magome, and he was delighted to share that his name was Steven, and he was from Magome, now living in Iringa and working as an artist. Again, he knew all about the BKB office, and the names Langness and Fultz and Harris and Nelson were all familiar to him. He walked with me all the way to the markets, helped me with my purchases, and then helped me carry them back to my apartment. When I asked to see some of his art, I wasn't surprised that he just happened to have a few bags of beautifully carved necklaces with him, and I was happy to make a few purchases to thank him for his assistance.

Now that I've finished my lunch of fresh mango, pineapple, and banana, I'm filled with gratitude. I'm grateful for all those saints from St. Paul who have made this long and costly journey before me, and who have for more than two decades carefully tended and nurtured relationships, so that they might grow deeper with each and every visit. I'm grateful for all those saints here in Iringa who have graciously received these visits, who have patiently guided the visitors, and who have willingly walked with them, shoulder to shoulder, sharing the beauty of their country and their lives. It is holy work that has been going on here over the years, work that has deep roots and continues to bear fruit, and I'm grateful to be able to taste its sweetness.

First leg of the journey

Last summer, when I knew I would be transitioning to a new job as director of Agora (check out www.agora-elca.org if you'd like to read up on what that's all about), I applied for a Pastoral Study Grant from the Louisville Institute (http://www.louisville-institute.org/). As we work to develop lay leaders for immigrant and multicultural congregations, I thought it would be interesting (and fun) to visit some of our global partners to see how they do it. I chose places where I knew the church was growing, largely through the efforts of energetic lay leadership, and places where our synod has connections to facilitate the arrangements.

Last November, I received an email informing me that my grant had been approved, so this morning I'm headed off on the first leg of these journeys, and by Wednesday morning I'll be in Iringa, Tanzania. I'll be visiting Salem's partner congregation in Magome, and then I'll be visiting classes and interviewing students involved in the Theological Education by Extension (TEE) program there. I come back home on June 17, resting up for 10 days before heading off on the second trip, to Guatemala and Nicaragua.

I'm grateful to many folks for helping to make this happen; first of all my wife, Lynn, who has had to re-arrange a number of things to make this work (and she and Sarah will also be traveling to Guatemala with me); to Peter Harrits, our Bega Kwa Bega coordinator in the synod office; to the Agora board for their support and encouragement in this process; and to our amazing global partners who have helped and will help make these connections happen.

Lynn asked me this morning for an itinerary of my trip, and she may have been underwhelmed by the sketchy outline that I gave her. I know my flight times, and I know where I'll be sleeping most nights, but other than that, I'm not exactly sure how things will go. I am trusting that the emails sent asking for help in making these visits and interviews happen have been received and that folks will be ready to welcome me and work with me when I arrive. In my planning conversations with Peter Harrits, we agreed that it's healthy to balance my "Anglo agenda anxiety" with a good dose of "hakuna matata" (no worries). I have a general sense of what I hope to do there, and I trust that God will work through me and our partners there to create the space for some wonderful conversations and experiences. My prayer is that God will help me remain open to whatever happens, and that I will indeed have a "safari njema" (good trip)!