Words from Tanzania

We are invited to accompany the Assistant Bishop, Pastor Eliraha Mmwiri on his Sunday excursions to the parishes of the ELCT Diocese of Pare very often, and they can be adventurous. One of Pastor Mmwiri’s duties is pastoral and congregational care and he expends a great deal of time visiting the parishes and preaching points, encouraging the parishioners, performing baptisms, blessings, and even weddings.

The target is to arrive at the village around 9:30 am, so we start early, packing our bibles, camera and water bottles into Pr. Mmwiri’s hardtop landcruiser and we set off on the journey which may take us through unpredictable areas and roads. Almost without fail, we are greeted with morning chai and some breakfast food before the service begins. Pastor Mmwiri is a dignitary and the services that he attends are very special, usually very long, but never boring. We get a chance to be introduced during the service, and the partnership of the SEIA Synod and Diocese of Pare is held up.

One recent visit was to a remote mountian parish in Myamba, and the Assistant Bishop was given a gift of a goat during the service. Tanzanians believe that a guest is a blessing, and their outpouring of song, praise and gifts show it. After the service there was the traditional auction where local goods were offered such as corn, rice, beans, chickens, sugarcane, papaya and sometimes a goat. At the end of the 3-hour long service in Myamba, we were given a mountain lunch and then we loaded up the landcruiser with the goods and gifts, the goat included. I was traveling in the back this day, sitting on a bench seat for the 3-hour very bumpy ride home, and was accompanied by Mr. William Goat, the gift of Pr. Mmwiri. After much jostling of ginger chai in my stomach and watching Mr. Goat relieve himself, I was ready for a landing. The following week we drove our own vehicle as we needed to be back home a bit sooner that day, but were victims of rock-throwers as one smashed the lead vehicle’s (the Bishop’s) windshield and ours got hit in the lower side making a nice little dent. So, we look forward to many other adventurous Sundays with the Assistant Bishop. (never a dull time).