We got to the heart of what our Bega Kwa Bega relationship is all about today as we began to visit the various sites of our sister congregation, the Nduli Parish.
Nduli is located just a few kilometers outside of Iringa Town, by the Iringa Airport. To get there, you head out on one of the newest and nicest roads in the area, the recently renovated road to Dodoma. Smooth sailing all the way from the Lutheran Center until the last stretch—which is less than a kilometer, I believe. We arrived at the Nduli “main station” compound right on time, and were greeted by some of the central figures in the life of the congregation. Pastor Medson was among the first, along with associate, Pastor Tumsifu. She has been working with the parish just since her ordination this past January 17—that is, about three weeks ago!
In addition to the pastoral staff, we were greeted by the elders of the congregation, including the choir director, who led the others in several welcoming songs, accompanying them on a large drum. Parish workers (what we might call custodians or stewards) were also there, as well as some of the members who live the closest to the church building.
We shared in a time of devotions, with the ad hoc choir offering some songs, as well as leading us in another, with the help of the ELCT hymnal (and the fact that Swahili is a completely phonetic language). We introduced ourselves, sang some more, and then headed into the parsonage for “tea,” what some of us might have called “second breakfast” of boiled eggs, chapati (fried flat bread), mandazi (a lot like beignets), fruit and porridge.
This is the first time at CtK group has seen the parsonage fully inhabited by the lead pastor and his family. It is large and comfortable, with room for groups of visitors like ours. We met (for most, not for the first time) Maka, who is the pastor’s wife and a graduate student in education, majoring in French and Swahili. We also met Samuel, Maka and Medson’s son, born since the last group was there, but whom we had heard so much about.
After this gracious and abundant hospitality at the parsonage, we loaded up the Coaster bus and headed out to the first of our three visits to Nduli’s preaching points—or so we thought. Arriving at the first preaching point, Mtalalgala, and having been warmly greeted by folks there, who approached us on the dirt path, singing a welcome song to us, Pastor Medson let us know that with the creation of a new parish in the area, this preaching point, as well as the one we would visit next, would be transferred from Nduli to the care of the new parish. He wanted to make sure we visited these all the same, so that we could understand this news in context. While a bit of s surprise, it can only be considered good news, as it is a sign of the Church’s continued growth and the strength of its evangelistic outreach, having to add new parishes and redivide the preaching points.
The leaders of this preaching point presented the CtK groups with a pair of kangas (traditional cloths with Swahili proverbs on them). These, which are red and yellow: Kupendana ni kuvuvuka udugu yetu. “To love one another is to strengthen our relationship” (the last word, however is more specific than the general sense of relationship: more like familial ties). What a great gift and reminder of the familial ties we are working to strengthen through our prayer, presence, and projects.
From there, we went to the second preaching point to be transferred to the newly created parish. Mgongo’s leaders, including the new parish pastor, the evangelist, the general secretary of the parish (think Church Council president), as well as elders and members met us, welcomed us, pledged their continuing prayers for us, and presented us with a gift. This time, it was not the traditional kanga, but rather an altar cloth, on which is embroidered in Swahili the opening verse to Psalm 133: “how good, how pleasant it is when God’s people live together in the unity.” Not only had this been our devotional text the day before (coincidence? I think not…) since the altar cloth is purple, we will be able to use this during the season of Lent, which begins the day after my return to Minnesota. What a great visible sign of our unity as the people of God!
We returned to the parsonage in a bit of a downpour, which had actually started at Mgongo before we left the church building. By now, the rain was starting to make some ruts in the dirt road—not a problem if we were to head back to town on the Dodoma road; but this third preaching point included a muddy last leg. Kulwah was concerned, but not exactly worried—he had already proven himself as a very capable driver in a whole host of conditions.
Lunch was the definition of abundance, provided by Maka and some other women from the parish. Rice, peas, cabbage plus grilled chicken and goat meat, chicken in a tomato based sauce, and beef in an onion gravy. IN addition to water and soda, Maka had made to fresh juices, one a mango & papaya mix, one an avocado-passion fruit blend. Very refreshing, and a perfect complement to the gracious hospitality offered from start to finish. During this lunch pause, we also had our daily devotions, led by Marlys Melius, and we rehearsed a song that we might be able to sing as a visitor’s group, should we be called on at one of the next stops.
Ingingilanyi was our third visit, and by far our warmest welcome. As it was afternoon, school children from the parish were now finished with school, and they and they elders met us where the paved road met their dirt road. This was a good thing for Kulwah and the bus, of course, and we ventured out into what was now deep, think, squishy mud. We sang and danced with the greeting crew, all the way up to the site of the preaching point. Once in the church building, we heard both from the adult choir, led by a very animated director, and from the children’s choir, who sang both in Swahili and English. As we had done at all three sites, we introduced ourselves, received a brief report of the preaching point’s activities, and then received a gift. This time, though, they called on us to sing—and we were prepared! We are Marching in the Light of God, we sang in English, with church members joining us in Swahili. They even let me borrow a drum…. The gift was another purple cloth, perhaps too large for the altar, but which could be easily converted to an accompanying banner for Lent.
In case we had not felt warmly enough welcomed (we had!) we went back to the parsonage for additional hospitality, afternoon coffee or tea, with fresh roasted peanuts. It was the end to a wonderful and wonderfully full day of visits, addition building blocks to the solid foundation of relationship between Christ the King and the Nduli Parish. Though our shoes might need some cleaning off after yesterday’s muddy paths, they are easily cleaned off for another day of visits.
Neema na Amani,
Pr Peter
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