Memories of the Visit of the Guests from Tanzania - Summer, 2001

   In the summer of 2001 we had some very special visitors in the Northwestern Ohio Synod. June 27 to July 14, 2001, thirteen visitors from the Dodoma Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania joined us for a whirlwind tour of northwestern Ohio followed by attendance at our Synodical Convention. They spent 3 days in each of our seven conferences, staying with hosts in those conferences and enjoying visits to the many places of interest in our area. We’d like to introduce you to some of our visitors and tell you a little about what they did while they were with us.

   Miss Elizabeth Ringo is the Parish Worker for the Dodoma Diocese. She is in charge of the women’s and children’s work in the Diocese - small and quiet, but a dynamo!

   Mrs. Adelina Kimambo is the president of the women of Dodoma. She was always ready with a smile and a hug, and had an amazing technique for winding the turbans that she always wore. She is a tailor and a school teacher, and has has six children and seven grandchildren.

    Mrs. Sifaeli Nchimbi (Sifa) was the leader of our group of visitors. She is a retired secretary, and is married and has five children. She sings in her church choir, and often led our group of visitors when they sang. And, wow, do the ladies of Dodoma know how to sing!  They sang and danced and yodeled on every occasion. 

    Here is Sifa leading Adelina and the rest of the visitors as they entered the assembly hall at the Luther Home of Mercy, where they serenaded the residents. This thrilled them so much, that Larry, who loves to sing and isn't afraid to show his enthusiasm, got up and sang with them.

    Mrs Sarah J. Nkya is a member of Dodoma Township Parish (Cathedral). She is a school  secretary and treasurer of the Women's Group for Dodoma. Her husband is the head doctor at Milembe Mental Hospital for those who have committed crimes, which is next to the church at Isanga on the outskirts of Dodoma. They have three children.  Sara loved to go shopping!  She also likes to sew, and made this beautiful banner for the women of northwest Ohio.

      Here is Sara (on the right) along with Adelina, Margaret Bretzloff of Toledo, and Mkunde  Mwanga (on the left). Mkunde also is a member at the Cathedral, where she has been a Sunday School teacher and a preacher since 1993. She has eight children. Her son, Pastor Paul Mwanga, studied at Winebrenner Seminary in Bluffton, Ohio, for one year, and then stayed and helped at City Missions. In October, 2002, he received call to serve with the Christian Council of Tanzania in the Arusha office. Another son, Mbonea (which means Grace) teaches Christian religious education in the public school.  Mama Mkunde has trained her sons well!

   One of our visitors was very sad when she arrived, as her husband had died just three weeks earlier, the result complications from a tragic incident a year earlier when when he was shot in the line of duty as a policeman. Celestina Megabe (we called her Tina) said fellowship of everyone on the trip, which had been planned long before, was good for her spirits,  Tina has eleven children, some of whom are still at home, and not job, which is a difficult situation in a land where jobs for older women are very hard to find.

    Here is Tina with Kara Drowatzky of Toledo.                     

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