We Are Bridge Builders

One of my favorite Bible passages out of many is 2 Corinthians 5: 20

“So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal

through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled with God.”

        The verses before this one state that we have been entrusted with a ministry of reconciliation.  God reconciled us to himself through the death and resurrection of his son Jesus, and just as God reconciled us with Him, so we are called to reconcile with one another.  2 Corinthians 5: 20 has served as a mission statement for my becoming calling to be involved with the Synod’s Companion Program between the Dodoma Diocese in Tanzania and our Northwestern Ohio Synod.

        It all started in 1993 when the congregation I was serving became a companion with a congregation in Tanzania called Lufu.  It is a remote village at an altitude of 8,000 feet in the mountains near the center of the county.  In 1998, I became the chairperson for the Synod’s Congregation Companion Sub-committee with the responsibility of pairing congregations from the Diocese with those in the Synod.  But, my heart has always been with congregation in Lufu. 

       It has been my privilege to lead 14 mission trips to Dodoma since 1996 for the purpose of bridge building between the churches, the people and the cultures. For me, reconciliation is all about bridge building between God and people through Jesus Christ and people and people.

        This month I will lead a group of 5 people to Dodoma from June 14 to June 29.  Bob Pace and Kayla Lust, members of our congregation, are going on this trip.  The main purpose of the trip is to go to Lufu and assess what is needed to restart a medical clinic.  The congregation started a clinic in 1996, but

it closed five years ago for several reasons: the government built a new one seven years ago (It has sat empty the entire time), to replace the church’s, the nurse staffing the church’s clinic left at that time, and the building had many foundation problems leading to its crumbling.

        The government has agreed to allow the church to use its building.  And so, there is a four year program of educating a nurse from the village to staff it, equipping the clinic (beds, blood pressure devices, exam tables, microscopes, etc.), providing safe water, and purchasing medicine for it. 

        The clinic is much needed.  It will serve 6 surrounding villages as well as Lufu.  Men, women and children die of diseases that are easily treatable here.  Twenty to 30 pregnant women die each year from complications of child birth.  The nearest medical clinic is 11 miles away.  Anyone who is seriously ill is carried down the mountain on a bed by 8 men (two shifts of four) and then to the medical clinic.  The pregnant women usually don’t make it.

        It is the hope of the villages as well as myself to provide treatment and healing and have it be done in the name of Christ.  It is our hope that it will provide a glimpse of the kingdom and God’s abundant grace.  Please pray for us while we are on this trip.  Please pray for the people whom we visit as well as the outpouring of God’s love in Christ Jesus.  I want to thank everyone who has contributed to the health kits which we will be taking with us as well as all the pencils.

Serving Christ with you,

Pastor Dave

 

THIS SMALL CHURCH IS PACKED AND STILL A FEW HUNDRED PEOPLE OUTSIDE