July 2024: "Karibu" from Tanzania

From Jo and Russ in Iringa, Tanzania….

Salamu Kwaku to our Holy Trinity friends from Iringa, Tanzania! We are here for eight weeks volunteering with Bega Kwa Bega (Shoulder to Shoulder in Swahili).* When we return home we will share much more about our trip and our doings here, but we thought we would get a head start by telling you about our visit to Isimani, our companion parish, last Sunday. It was a doozy!!

It all began the Monday evening before, when we were honored to have dinner at the home of Bishop Gaville, head of the Iringa Diocese of the ELCT.* During dinner, he told us that on Sunday he would be traveling to Isimani. We immediately asked if it would be okay for us to come, too, and he kindly agreed. So we arranged for a translator and set out at 6:45 am last Sunday for the 30 mile drive (about an hour on a “good” Tanzanian road).

As we got nearer we drove past many people, young and old, walking to church—and then met a group waving branches and shouting “karibu” (welcome) when we came down the long approach to the church. The welcome was for the bishop in the car ahead of us, of course, but we felt included in it. Along with the bishop, we were escorted into the pastor’s office, where we met District Pastor Koko and Isimani Pastor Samson Laizer. The pastors robed and our translator prayed before we walked into the church for the service.

Now, about the service! It began at 8:15 and ended 41/2 hours later! That’s right, 41/2 hours—a record for us. And here is what is amazing: it really didn’t seem that long. There is so much going on and so much to watch and take in that the time goes by rather quickly. In this service there were eight choirs, a baptism, long announcements (because there are no bulletins), a 50 minute sermon (about false prophets) by the bishop, additional comments by the bishop recognizing the various parish leaders, and communion. About two hours into the service the children were called forward for a blessing by the bishop, and then were dismissed to their Sunday School classes. We think it’s fair to say we all left at the end of the service knowing we’d been to church! (See pictures below.)

(An aside given the weather in NH recently: it is winter here and we are at 6,000 feet, so the weather is very pleasant—75 degrees, low humidity, blue skies, gentle breezes. That weather is welome during a very long church service!)

We will visit Isimani again while we are here, but we can report now that Pastor Samson is very personable and has a great smile. The church building itself is looking good; it has pews with backs, glass windows, a tiled floor, and a very large sound system. The church compound consists of several buildings including the church, the pastor’s home, the original sewing center building, another building, the technical school (which now houses the sewing school), and bathrooms. Ground has broken for a new library and computer center.

We are happy to have shared the Sunday morning with the Isimani people and to have met the new pastor. Next week we will travel to the diocese schools and have a chance to meet the students from Isimani whom we sponsor. The impact of Holy Trinity’s companionship with Isimani is obvious and inspiring. Asante sana for your continued prayers and support.

• BKB is the companion relationship between the Saint Paul Synod of the ELCA and the Iringa Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT)—and it is the organization that Holy Trinity works through in our partnership with the Isimani parish here. We know this sounds complicated; there will be more about it all in the months ahead.

Amani,

Jo and Russ

Pictures:

Top Left: Bishop Gaville. Top Right: Pastor Samson.

Bottom Left: The Bishop blessing the Church. Bottom Right: Visiting Pastor Samson for tea.

May 21, 2023: A brief history of our relationship with Tanzania.

Thirty years ago a new UNH professor, Joe Lugalla, arrived at Holy Trinity and asked if we’d be interested in a relationship with his father’s Lutheran church in Isimani, Tanzania. Pastor Opderbecke took the request to Council and they said YES! Pastor O. traveled with Joe to Isimani to meet the congregation. A year later, a dozen Holy Trinity members made the first congregational trip to meet the folks in Isimani and begin our relationship.

Holy Trinity then joined Bega Kwa Bega (“Shoulder to Shoulder”), an organization headquartered in St. Paul, MN, which connects U.S. Lutheran congregations to congregations in the Irigna, Tanzania, Diocese. Bega Kwa Bega manages our relationship and disperses the funds we send to our sister congregation. Money from Holy Trinity sponsors scholarships/room and board to both secondary and college education for Isimani kids.

Isimani is a rural community near Iringa, a beautiful city in the mountains of central Tanzania. The Iringa Lutheran Center is our headquarters and our main hotel when we visit.

In addition to scholarships, Holy Trinity activity through the years includes:

• Donated monies for purchasing maize
• Christmas gift cards to purchase sheep, goats, chickens, etc.
• Library donations from the BGLibrary “weeds”
• Donations to support the Girls’ Sewing School
• Three days at a safari resort near Iringa
• An overnight at a nearby Maasai community
• Three-day retreats to Zanzibar
• HT members teaching/working at Iringa Lutheran University

• HT members as Bega Kwa Bega directors

  Pastor Livingston Msungu and wife Saporah live in the Isimani parsonage with their 3-year-old son Bethany. Pastor Msungu’s leadership in the community is remarkable. Under his direction, the Girls’ Sewing School doubled in capacity and hired a professional staff. In addition, he organized the Carpentry School to provide young men with a profession. And he’s created a children’s lending library.

The Tanzanian Team invites you to participate. If you’ve visited Isimani, tell your story. If you’d like to know more or have questions, please ask. There are forms at the display in the Gathering Area to add to our narrative.

A 2023 Update

Written by Dot Kasik.

Iringa Lutheran is our partner church in Tanzania. Pastor Livingston Mzungu—who we pray for every Sunday—heads the congregation. Pastor’s wife, Saporah, is a practicing midwife. Their son Bethany just turned three years old. During his time so far in Iringa Pastor Msungu has enlarged the girls’ sewing school and hired a professional teacher. He also opened a carpentry school for boys and a children’s library.

Christmas Greetings

(Note: The following is an article written verbatim by Pastor Livingstone Msungu.)

Hello my Dear friend in Jesus Christ.

I greet you in the highest name of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 9:6-7 “For unto us a Child is born, unto us be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselors, the might God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace”…….

Indeed the whole World and specifically Christians rejoices because they receive Jesus Christ who is going to be born as a human being so as to rescue all people against sins.

It,s my hope that you are doing well and youre keeping on with your daily activities, Here at Isimani we are all fine, and we are doing well with our daily activities and together lets all thank God for his blessing. We have passed to a very hard period in few passed subsequent years. We have witnessed the deep Valley of Suffering and severe pain which jeopardized and threatened the safety of many people. Among is COVID 19, which brought a cute pain to a lot of families who lost their loved one.

Also we have passed through very hard economic crisis which made many families in all most all nation to live difficult and miserable lives.

Furthermore current we are witnessing the world passing in hardship conditions as a result of political unrest which causes deaths to innocent people and the lights of flow poor people to be taken away. It is obvious that the fulfillment of the scriptures of Isaiah 24:17-19 is coming true “Fear and pit, and the snare are upon thee o inhabitant of the Earth, And it shall come to Pass that, he who fleet from the noise of the fear shall fall in into the pit, and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare, for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake…………..

So in all lets me use this Opportunity to say Sorry to all whom in one way or another have been victim of these troubles. I say very sorry and a keep praying for you so that our all might God may be your comfort and that he may bring new light and hope in your heart.

But for us as we still alive lets give thanks to God the Most high for the grace of life as proclaimed in Psalm 124:1-8 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now many Israel Say, ……………..

In addition let me take advantage of this opportunity to give my sincere thanks for your love which you keep showing us, thanks a lot praying for us. I believe that you always pray for us. Thanks in advance for your assistance and all good things you are doing for us.

Together with the great world economic crisis still we continue receiving your help through Bega kwa Bega office in supporting our students. In this year we have received a letter from Bega kwa Bega informing us the amount you have provided us in supporting schooling fee. Thank you so much. Surely your love makes us cry, you are so kind to us, and your love is so great and indescribable.

Every day you are making our life history new. Thank you for continuing to believe in us, especially for how you have proved to believe in me as a pastor. I ask God to help me and that I should not lose this faith to you and to Christians under my service. I continue to pray to God that I continue to be a true advocate of this important service to the church ministry and to the community as well.

THE STATE OF THE CONGREGATION IN GENERAL

We thank God in general the churches’ condition as a congregation and community we are going well and prospering. At the moment we have advanced to nine church streets divide into four major streets which are Kihorogota (Parish Station), Lugolola, Ngano and Nyang’oro. In these streets there are permanent church buildings of worship. Two of these nine streets are middle level streets and these are Ivangwa and Ndolela. In these streets we are going on with the construction and we have finished wall construction and also roofing. At Ivangwa we have not finished wall construction.

Other three remaining streets are churches’ mission streets. Our effort now is at evangelization specifically to pastoral society of Masai. We have succeeded to buy church plots in all these streets namely ULETE, KIBAONI and GALILAYA. For the case of ULETE we have already installed the foundation and likewise we have prepared bricks and we are preparing to start wall construction. At Kibaoni we have collected stones ready to start foundation. But good news is that in all these mission streets we continue having prayers under big trees. However we mostly face challenges during rainy reason where we sometimes completely fail to conduct mass worship as a result of lack of church buildings and transport problems.

STUDENT ACCOMMODATION

We thank God since all students studying at Isimani secondary and those out of Isimani and most of who are studying in our churches’ owned schools are doing well academically. We achieved to install water service and electricity at our hostel. In last year we also managed to repair windows to our boy’s hostel which made the end of theft to student properties. My dear Brothers and sister, we have nothing to pay you back more to say thank you and praying for you daily.

Our current biggest problem is shortage of students in the hostel. In next year there will be Five students only expected to be sponsored by the church. We pray to God so that our hostel gets students from the community of Isimani.

COLLEGE DEVELOPMENT

We also say thanks to God because we are also witnessing success to our college. We have managed to construct classrooms for 95% and are in use. There are total 15 student taking their studies in Tailoring. There are also 8 music students 15 computer students and 10 driving students.

In college operation some of facilities are available though not enough to fulfill the college demands. However, regardless of shortage of facilities skills continue to be provided to youth and most of youth in the community are now equipped with the necessary skills that make them to employ themselves and some of them to get permanent employment in some institutions and companies.

By the next year we are planning to build a college library, administration block and hostel. We pray to God and we believe he will help us in making our dream true.

WELCOMING NOTE AND CONCLUSION

It is my big expectation that by the next year 2023 if God wishes we will get a time to meet. It is our desire to meet with our friends and our loved ones.

I believe that in your time table and your 2023 annual plan one of the activities you have arranged is to come and visit us people of Isimani in Tanzania. We are preparing to receive you with great desire. You are warmly welcome at Isimani, new place of hope and a place of victory. With no doubt our hearts are waiting for you and I believe that God will bless you and will make this journey possible through his power. We will be so happy to receive you.

Let me use this chance to welcome you again at Isimani for those who previously came and those whom it will be their first time to come to our place.

Please don’t plan to miss because this journey will be a full of blessing and it will be memorable and historical.

Welcome so that we share together the sacrament of the Lord's Table which is real body and blood of Jesus Christ our savior. Welcome so that we sing and dance together, welcome so that we eat together, welcome so that we speak and celebrate together. Let me repeat once again that our hearts are full of great desire to receive you, welcome, welcome, you are warmly welcome. In Swahili we say KARIBUNI SANAAAAAA.

Don’t plan to miss.

CONCLUSION

My family including my wife Sporah and my loved son Bethany and I myself, we are waiting for you.

On behalf of Evangelical Lutheran Church members of Isimani let me happily say:- “We wish you grace of Lord upon you, the Peace of Christ shade you, and Lead you during this period of Christmas and New Year”.

We love you so much and we are praying for you.

PASTOR LIVINGSTONE MSUNGU.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023.

Our achievements in 2020

Dear Friend in Christ.

I am greeting you in the name of Jesus!

First of all I would like to give thanks to God who has granted us with blessing that we have celebrated Christmas peacefully through his love and we are preparing for ourselves to celebrate New Years Day.

The intention of writing this letter is first of all to greet you and to share with you some of improvements we find proud of ourselves for the year 2020.

Together with these greetings I would also like to console you for the Corona Pandemic which has made all of us live with a great fear hence overwhelming world’s joy every corner. We have been getting information from the Mass media about this pandemic and we have been praying and we keep praying for you and for the entire world. It is our sincere hope that through the power of God the Most Highest it will soon come to an end and the joy of the world will bee restored. You're in our Daily Prayer.

As notices earlier the intention of writing to you this letter, the following are some of the achievements we have attained in 2020 year.

1. We have managed the maintenance and renovation of the Kihorogota Parish church by painting the wall, installing tiles at the alter and buying new alter furniture.

2. We have managed provide clean and safe water serves by drilling and installing a water pump of a distance of 150m deep.

3. We have also finished construction of 4 classrooms for children and youth.

4. Another remarkable event is good performance of form four students who have joined Advanced level

5. Also we have managed to collect stones for the construction of administration block for the center and we have prepared brick for the same activity.

Nevertheless all these success has been possible in collaboration with a different development stakeholders and through good church leadership and active participation of our believers.

However in every success, challenges are inevitable and hence the following are among of the hindrances to program implementation at our church:-

1. Shortage of finance in every aspect we are undertaking this is because most of our people are poor making them difficult to contribute in cash likewise in kind thus affecting the implementation of our programs.

2. Absence of administration block for the center, this makes workers to work under difficult conditions.

3. Poor infrastructure in general including absence of hostel, dining hall, kitchen, and toilets for staffs and students.

4. Inadequate supply of water services at the center, there is only one water tape to be used by church and the center.

5. Repeated scarcity of rain in the area which negatively affects all dimension of development.

The following are our plan on how to overcome the problem:

1. Provide education and training to community members so as to awaken them as a way towards reducing poverty in the area.

2. Find partner to help the construction of the admiration block and other infrastructure at the center in collaboration with the church leader and community members.

3. Initiate special program for youth including training on entrepreneurship and business ventures studies, Life skills, Environmental conservation, food and nutrition HIV/AIDS, Gender, democracy, and leadership.

4. We also plan to start an irrigation system so that we conduct small farming in our surrounding to enhance development.

All in all we are so glad for what we have done in the year going to end vey few hours to come. Furthermore we are asking God to open doors of grace for the coming year so that we do the best and one day our dreams come true.

I and my families (my wife Sporah and My Son Bethany) are wishing you happy New Year. I trust that one Day we Shall meet and talked phisically face to face.

We hope soon to hear from you.

Your' e Warmly WELCOME.

In Christ,

Rev Livingstone Msungu

April 2020: The Birth of Pastor Msungu's Son, Bethany

Hello

I greet you in the Name of Jesus Christ, On behalf of Isimani Parish, I present a lot of greetings filled with love, Peace and Gods Bless, I trust you, youre family and community as well experienced a blessed Easter and are still rejoicing in the Easter season. Even though you’re not able to meet the church and the world experienced the time of stress and DANGER due to CORONA VIRUS DESEASE. But I Trust on God who have done no men has done, We hopeful that things will change soon.

Tanzania we are still fighting the way on how to overcome this battle, the Ministry of health reported and confirmed 20 positive Cases, The Virus has hit in Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar, we Thanks Lord in our area not yet.

Our Government closed all primary school , Secordary school and all university Many students and other families are experiencing difficulties, Businesses are suffering, shortly we are filling a different world. Outing trip are canceled, also we Thanks Lord our Church building are not closed still now we are meeting and worship together. Every day we are praying for you

We are very Happy with my wife that cannot be expressed in words sometimes we are wonder on what great things God has been doing to us, he full fill our Long time dreams 02/4/2020 : 12:30pm It was the Day when Our First Born (BABY BOY) was arrival safety for normal delivery.

Thank you for you’re prayer (I mean it so much to me) The health of my Wife SPORAH and my Son BETHANY has gone well. Last ..We are very sorry for rescheduling you’re trip to Tanzania this Summer due to Coronavirus, we are praying this situation will change soon, and we meet again for you’re next trip KARIBUNI SANAAAAA (You’re worn Welcome).

We Love you all.

Pastor Livingstone Msungu.

Isimani Parish.

October 2019: We're expecting a child

shallom,

I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ, it’s my hope that you are doing well.

In my heart I appreciate the great work God does in our lives. After received you’re healing email with my wife, we are so happy and we thanks Jesus; in this Sunday we prepared a special offering to thank God for your healing. also the church as a whole we thanks God for that miracle of youre healing because we were praying for you every Sunday.

but next thing let me inform you that my wife (Youre daughter Sporah) is currently pregnant (4 monthly) so that after five months from now I expect to be called Father, this thing I waited a long time, Thank you for your prayers, continue to pray for us

I’m looking for you’re next trip to Isimani, and I’m so happy that you’re among of them to visit us. You’re most welcome, and still for us we continue to pray for you’re trip and you’re church and you’re family as well

Send my greeting to my lovely Dady Curt and all our friends, in you’re community

Love you all

Pastor Livingstone Msungu

July 2019: Thank you for the gifts

We Greet you all in the name of Jesus Christ our savior.

First of all, we thank you much for the deep love and close concern on us, we feel we are part of your families, May Almight God bless and guide all your steps, we appreciate it much.

We are deeply sorry for Mama Africa's health conditions, it touches our souls. We are praying hard for her, so as our merciful and lovely God can recover her health soon.

Thanks much for your gift to us, we went to Bega kwa Bega offices yesterday, they said the gift is there already, but there was just late information to us. So we are in plan to buy 10 beds for bording students here at our college and 4 tailoring machines, We will update you all what is going on by video and pictures.

Pass our much greatings to Mama Africa, tell her that she will be safe in the name of Jesus, we love her so much and we are taking our time praying for her.

Great others too and your family also.

We love you in the name of Jesus.

Be blessed in advance.

Pastor Livingstone Msungu.

June 2019: Education in Isimani

(Church office note: The following is an email received from Pastor Livingstone Msungu to the Church Office, dated June 18. Pastor Msungu had attached images to his email, but the church office was unable to view these images. Please excuse any spelling or grammar errors.)

Hello my friend in Christ.

Holly Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church USA.

I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ, it’s my hope that all of you we are progressing well, in our Side we are happy for Christ and all of us we are ok!! And we give God a glory for everything that he did to us and we believe that, With God all thing are possible, Thanks for your daily prayer to us, we know and we believe on that each and every thing that God has did to us it’s because of you’re prayer!! My God Bless you.

We are very sad for the death of our beloved Nancy Johson she was the member of Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran church, Very sorry, we pray for her family and the whole community and church as well. May God strengthen you during this difficult and painfull period. very sorry.

For today I’m so happy because I can see the Image of my early dreams for Isimani Community we are going to happen soon, for my first time to reach in this church I can see the class of sewing for youth, and my dreams was to have a big collage apart from this sewing class, so from that day my wife and I was continues to pray for this dreams, and after few days I can share this Vision to the Prayers team so as we continue to pray for my vision.

Slowly we started to build four major classes so as to archive our goals for having a vocational collage in this parish and we thanks God who taught us many ways on how to earn money so that we can accomplish this task, and in that God was very faithful to us, he shows us many ways including Contribution to our congregants and donation. But also after telling the Christian about this vision they received it with joy and they become very active in completing the construction of these classes.

And today I thanks God that we have fitting the aluminum window for all classes, and to the extent that we have until now these classes are ready to be used, and so far we have already made chairs and tables for two classes, and in this Year on July 1/2019 we expect to receive more than 50 new students who will join to our collage.

And also in this collage we expect to have a different curriculum courses such as Sewing courses, Computer course, Music, Welding, Driving, Hotel management, tourism guiding and Agriculture with animal keeping. This is our expect course from our college curriculum, but for this year we are sure to start with four course of Sewing, Computer, Music and animal keeping. And in this course we have succeeded in purchasing teaching materials such as Computer (13 Desk top), Five keyboard and four guitar, We have 13 Cow, and within this month we expect to receive 500 hen, and we have also bought a new 5 sewing machine (but It’s un electrical machine) But so far we have already qualified teachers for that course. But we believe in Christ that after a few years all the courses will be taught.

Also we are continuing for the process of register this collage in government system what will be identified by this name ELCT ISIMANI VOCATION AND AGRICULTURE TRAINING CENTRE. And up to now we have already taken a several steps to accomplish this registration. I’m sure before next year 2020 I will have completed the issue of registration. And our main aim is to help our community and Tanzanian Youth to acquire a variety of Knowledge and different skill so that they can get rid of this tragedy of Poverty.

All in all we need you’re seriously daily prayer, because still we have a challenge on how to get a money for teachers’ salaries and some of the incomplete materials for our classes, But we believe in Jesus Name that he will make the way for us to move on and I trust in his Word Phillip 1:6 and Phillip 4:13. I believe on your Prayers that God will make us successful and will defeat us in all. But Personally I would to present my thanks for all who praying for my wife studies, I’m so happy that she completely her studies in this year on March 2019. And she pass very well in her final examination, and so far she work as a nurse at Ilambilole Hospital.

Thank you very much, and I repeat that all this are possible due to your prayer.

Thank you and I,m so sorry for my broken Language , but I think you get the idea for what I,m talking about .

I Love you all

Rev: Livingstone Msungu

Isimani parish

January 2019: Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from Pastor Msungu

(Church Office note: This is an unedited version of an email we received on 1/1/2019 from Rev. Livingstone Msungu at our sister congregation in Isimani. Please excuse any errors in spelling and grammar.)

Greetings to all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I am so excited to wish you all Marry Chrismass's and happy new year , I have a reason to congratulate you for reaching another year 2019, and I glorify to the Lord who protected you and guide for the whole last year. And I,m shourted Hallelluyah and in fact its God alone who worthy our praise and Glory.

Back for our side all thing are gone well with my family and community as well, and he thanks God for his un ended faithfulness and grace to our live even to the gift of life, and for his Grace he enable us to see the new year 2019, and for sure we have seen the hand of our Lord in the last year, Many many good thing we have witnessed in our live God has done.

we thank God who has blessed you, and you have become a blessing to us, for all that you have done and will continue to done in our lives, May the Lord bless you all, and God will repay you according to His word Psalm 41:1-2, and Proverbs 19:17.

To the last year I receiving Tsh. 23,700,000/= as school fee and hostel fee to our Students, Also for the same year I receiving the funds to electrify the Girls and Boys hostel 2,500 USD and after complited this project our students have more benefit greatly and we have more changes for their studies and exams as well and all this were happen due to have the lights. Also you helped us to get a new Piki piki in Swahili (motorcycle) .

Also in this year we will be receiving funds on 10/12/2018, Tsh.23,670,000/= For our Student, Thank you for all, and I promise that these funds will be used as intended, and after low I will reported to you for what have going on how the money was spent. And God's blessing be upon you all the time.

and the last thing for today, i take this opportunity to welcome you to Tanzania, I look forward to the great joy of this year when you visit us, I will be very happy to hear that, i remember your happy faces and you’re heart full Love.

We are in our daily prayers

On behalf of Isimani Community

Rev: Livingstone Msungu

September 2019: A Special Thanks & Celebration in Isimani

(Editor's note: This is an unedited version of an email recently received from Rev. Livingstone Msungu at our sister congregation in Isimani. Please excuse any errors in spelling and grammar.)

Hello my Brother in Christ,

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that you, youre family, and community as well are doing fine. Back for our side also were doing fine and progressing well.

I would like to present to you and your community my special thanks for all thing that you did to us, Thank you for your prayers in my family, Community as well as my ministry and for sure I saw many grace in my life, Family and community as well, God he did, and he protect us daily.

Thank you for your support to all un countable thing that you did, Thank you for your electrification funds to our hostel and this project was completed since last week, and I can send the photo to you, very sorry I,m so late to send the photo its problem of network, The student we are so happy to get the electrilicity, I,m sure that even the performance in their studies were changed.

Also we are happy because for all student we are in one uniform as what you have told me, all student we are in one pair of truck suit. We are celebrating this holly days with my wife Sporah but she arrived in this morning to Mbeya for her schooling, please continue to pray for her so that she can afford in her goal, Also we are continuing to the renovation of our church as you can see in the photo. Thank you for all and may God Bless you

Peace to you, your family and to the whole community. Rev. Livingstone Msungu Isimani Parish

June 2018: A Message from Pastor Msungu

Posted by Mark Donahue on Wednesday, June 20, 2018 @ 2:33 PM

(Note: the following text was copy and pasted from Pastor Msungu to the church in an email. We decided not to correct any spelling or grammar mistakes.)

God is good all the time and all the time God is good, this is our greeting that we always use, Greetings to you and your family as well and all Congregants, its my hope that all of you are doing well, back for our side also we are continuing well and in our community, this is the harvest season Currently many people continue to harvest crops on their farms, people harvest maize, sunflower, nuts, oils, and other honey harvesting from bees.

We thanks God this year the rain rained very well so that there are plenty of crops and enough, and i belive that Christians will offer a lot of harvest offerings to God because they are well-harvested, also many students are on holiday for helping there parents in harvested crops, I would like to tell you few thing that were are going on in our parish. ,

This morning I received a call from Tanesko that the evaluation cost was complete, so Tomorrow I will go to Tanesco's office to pay for electricity costs at our hostels. So I think after two weeks from tomorrow this process will be complete and electricity will be switched on

Also we thank to our almighty God that we have access to the Internet here in our church area from TTCL organization, and this will help on facilitate communication to be easily and in high speed and i believe that the relationships between us will grow stronger, So from now each and everything that will happen in our community and church i will inform you.

And by ensuring that the gospel is reaching all people and present in all areas, we have succeeded in establishing two new mision churches which are Ulete and Idope , Some of the tribes that have been reached by this service are the Masai tribe which are living in rural areas and this community are based in pastoralists, Wahehe and Wabena have also been reached with the gospel in their rural areas and these tribes are farmers.

Although we have not yet built ecumenical churches in these areas, we still have Christians who have a heart of worship, love God and have become followers of Jesus Christ. And In both areas worship is done under trees and on many shrubs but we still see God at the highest levels glorifies his church.

and the God has been performing many miracles, which we are not easily to explain, the sick are healed, and many people are being kept free from the bonds that Satan has bound in differents ways, many have been opened and redeemed by the blood of Jesus.

For the past two weeks I have been able to baptize more than 30 Christians, including 20 children and 10 adults, keep praying for the Church and all the servants in our organization.

My God continue to bless you

By Rev. Livingstone Msungu

Isimani Parish.