Preparing to Travel

Dear Friends in Christ,

Welcome to the Salem-Kijenge Udugu Blog. It is our hope that we can update this regularly while we are in Arusha, Tanzania for our upcoming companion congregation trip. Please visit often, especially between June 30 and July 14 for news on your travelers.

As I write, we are less than three weeks from traveling to Arusha, Tanzania. While there we (Scott and Cindy
Graves, Steve and Sue Worley, and I) will become acquainted with the many vital ministries of the Arusha Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. We will also have several days of visiting with and learning from members of our companion congregation: the Kijenge Lutheran Church in Arusha. I have been fortunate to be able to travel to this part of the world twice before as an official representative of the Northern Illinois Synod. This time I am especially excited to be able to focus on one congregation and its people and to wonder with all of you about what the relationship we will share will look like.

As we go we will be bearing gifts. Our doll makers have supplied us with 10 Raggedy Ann/Andy dolls. Joan Graves is making duplicate banners (like those hanging in our narthex) which read "He is the Vine, We are the Branches." We are having a nice pen engraved with the words: Kijenge-Salem Udugu (Udugu is the Swahili word for 'partnership.') as a gift for their pastor. In addition, other small gifts will go with us as signs of our commitment to this new relationship.

We've had our shots, our passports are in hand, we've tried our hand (or rather our voices) at a little Swahili, and we're starting to think about packing. Please be praying for the group over these coming days as we prepare to go and later as we journey. Pray for good health, for resilience, for open hearts and minds and spirits, and that a spirit of joy and adventure might be a part of this journey. Pray most of all that God's own hand might be on this venutre and on each of us that we might be open to God's own amazing gifts.

On Sunday, June 29th, the group will be 'blessed' and sent off at the 10:30 service. Join us then as we all begin this new venture together.

Pastor Janet Hunt