Imani Moja/One Faith - Part 1
Imani Moja/One Faith—Journeying with our companions in the Pare Diocese and Mwanga Diocese in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania
~Bishop Amy Current
Bwana Yesu Asifiwe. Bwana Yesu Asifiwe. Bwana Yesu Asifiwe. Amen (Swahili)
Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Amen
(English)
In October, I had the privilege to visit our synod’s companion dioceses in Tanzania for the first time. It has and will continue to take time to remember and reflect on this amazing experience and how we, Southeastern Iowa Synod, may continue and renew our companion synod relationships with our partners in Tanzania.
So, how to tell the story…
The season after the Epiphany in our weekly readings and scripture of how God reveals godself to us beginning with the magi following the bright star to Jesus. I have decided to share with you how God has revealed godself to me through our partners in Tanzania and through the relationship we share through the next 6 weeks in our newsletter and then on Thursday, February 12, from 7:00–8:30 PM via Zoom.
The Southeastern Iowa Synod has the gift of global companion synod relationships with the Pare Diocese and the Mwanga Diocese. These Dioceses are located adjacent to one another and in fact until 2016 were one diocese. Congregations in our synod have long standing partnerships with parishes and ministries in these dioceses. If you would like to learn more about ELCA companion synod relationships (https://www.elca.org/our-work/global-mission/how-we-work/companion-synod-relationships), I encourage you to explore. Our church values our connection to the global church – not as a helper- but a partner in the Gospel. Together, in one faith, we share the good news of God through Jesus Christ.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to not only hear stories from our congregations and leaders that are passionate about this partnership and now to experience the warmth, the love, the witness, the music, the feasts, the worship, and the hospitality of our partners through my own heart. What a gift!
The next weeks, I will share more stories but for today…
I traveled to Tanzania with a group from St Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Ames (Carol Putz, Deb Schlieman, and Erin Beckham) and with Pastor Kathleen Wohlers (retired and member of Luther Memorial, Des Moines). Carol and Kathleen are members of our Synod’s Tanzania Companion Synod Network. This was Carol’s 15 th visit to the Hedaru Parish and Deb and Erin were visiting for the 2 nd time. Pr Kathleen is experienced in traveling to the African continent from numerous visits to companions when she lived in other ELCA synods. So, these 4 women graciously accompanied me for my first visit to Africa and Tanzania.
We traveled for to celebrate the Pare Diocese Global Jubilee. Pastor Clark Olson Smith, Pastor Sara Olson Smith, their children and a group from Zion, Davenport were visiting their companions in the Kirangare parish at the same time. We all attended the Jubliee in Same.
As we sat in the Des Moines airport waiting to board our first flight of our approximately 24-hour journey, Carol began saying “Bwana Yesu Asifiwe” and encouraging me to join in. She indicated that this would the most important phrase to know in Swahili. Praise the Lord. Amen. Truth be told, I was a little slow on the pronunciation and couldn’t quite picture the letters forming words yet every few hours, even on the plane, she would whisper it so that my ears would begin to hear… and hear they did. Every day at every visit in every worship at every table in every gathering we began, “Bwana Yesu Asifiwe. Amen”. What a gift to remember to praise Jesus at the beginning and ending of each gathering. What a gift that this phrase was my first phrase in Swahili. And what a gift it is to share in this Imani Moja/One Faith with our siblings in Christ in Mwanga and Pare Dioceses of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania.
Until next week…
Bwana Yesu Asifiwe. Bwana Yesu Asifiwe. Bwana Yesu Asifiwe. Amen (Swahili)
Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Amen
(English)
