Refreshment in Dodoma, Tanzania

After our time in Kibera we took a 6:30 AM bus ride to Dar Salaam, Tanzania. It was a grueling 15 hours on the road and we made it shortly after dark and crashed at a small hotel for the night. We woke up the next morning, dipped our feet in the Indian Ocean a bit, and then headed inland once more to Tanzania's capital city of Dodoma.

Our bus ride was once again full of stories - bathroom stops on the side of the road, consuming too many cookies to count, and a bus that stopped in at the mechanic's before driving 30 meters down the road.

We arrived safe at our destination and as we got off the bus Meri began complaining of pain. She ended up spending the night in the hospital for a bladder infection, and is recovering now and continuing with the work.

Dodoma is in the center of the nation. Its centrality, the locals say, is the only thing special about the place. The city is poor, barren, hot, and isolated. Usually at this time of year it is also the dry season and we were expecting it to be very warm. But as we pulled into town we encountered refreshing rain, and the hills were green and alive.

Our stop here is a Mennonite church that Lahash has partnered with to sponsor destitute children affected by the AIDS epidemic. Close to a quarter of the kids are HIV positive, and nearly all of the families have a family member who has fallen to the disease.

This afternoon Meri (our sponsorship director in the United States) and I met with the children briefly and it was so encouraging seeing their faces after working on finding sponsors and transferring letters through our Portland office from the kids to their North American friends.

Yesterday we were shown around the church by Pastor Amos and the wonderful capable staff here at the church. They run an amazing program, and it is always refreshing being around their expertise, insight, and compassionate outreach into the community. The church has chosen to be in this poor and dry city with a goal to reach the most vulnerable. You would think it would be a poor location to start a church, but their ministry is thriving.

I can't imagine a church that has a fuller and more mature interpretation of what it means to be the "body of Christ". The doors are open practically the whole week long with loving care and grace for everyone in the community. They are transparent, cutting edge, tireless, and full of truth and grace. Recently they were asked to host an HIV conference where the Vice President came to join the effort of covering the city with care for AIDS victims.

We worshipped today in the church and joined in the swirling song, praise, and dance movements. It seemed as if the whole church was colorfully clapping and dancing and taking turns leading the members with choir numbers. The young people prayed with energy and tears, and we felt like we had arrived home.

Doug spoke in Swahili about the Kingdom of God and how it is so much more than just about being "saved". It is about becoming right with God personally, but it is also about becoming a beautiful expression of the Messiah on earth - caring for the hungry, sick, naked, and poor. "Behold I come to make all things new."

I was also asked to share some words and spoke about the need for every person to join in the fight against AIDS. I also spoke about the equality in Christ, and how each member is just as important as the others. No person, regardless of location or nationality or status is more important than the others. We are all one in Christ.

The next few days we'll be visiting various members in the community and sharing in the daily life with the church members. Jo French is also coming in today from a conference upcountry.

Thanks everyone for praying for us! Your prayers refresh our moments here. Below are some more points that you can cover this next week:

• Pray for the vulnerable of Tanzania that they would have their daily needs provided for. Pray that the orphans will find love and care and support from local and international friends.
• Pray for our team - we continue to need prayer for our health, and also safety on the roads and around town. Pray that we would be unified and full of love and grace for each other.
• Pray for the Mennonite church here that it would continue to be blessed by God with the beautiful outreach into the community.
• Pray that the world would wake up to the crisis of AIDS.