-Liv Larson Andrews, DEM 

St. Catherine of Sienna said, “All the way to heaven is heaven.” Most of the way from Dar es Salaam to Ifakara is bumpy and awkward, punctuated with roadside checks along freeways and unpaved paths of varying quality. But even this section of our two-and-half-week pilgrimage to the Ulanga Kilombero Diocese was heavenly, because we saw the face of God everywhere we looked. 

Bega kwa bega is the Swahili phrase we have used over the years to exemplify the mutual nature of this companion synod relationship we enjoy with our siblings in the UKD. It means shoulder to shoulder and illustrates how we walk together in mission. But our time in the UKD was a full body experience. Face to face, we shared our stories. Hand to hand, we ate together and prayed as one body, especially while we were hosted at the Martin Luther Spiritual Center not far from the offices of diocese. Foot by foot, we traversed the road between Tumaini Lutheran Seminary and Lugala Lutheran Hospital, two essential ministries located in Malinyi that our companionship helps make possible. And hip to hip is how we felt every bump and rock of the roads that added a dose of earthy reality to the heavenly aspect of our travels. 

We also moved hip to hip in a very joyful way when our UKD siblings led us in dancing on several occasions. Dancing erupted in the context of worship, praise, arriving, and leaving. I think the joy and thanksgiving we felt for God’s presence unlocked our western joints and emboldened our spirits. Heart to heart, we could feel God strengthening the connection between us. Though miles and miles lay between our shoulders now, our hearts remain kindled towards each other in faith. Our team of 13 pilgrims, and our synod as a whole, now needs to ask with fresh energy: How will we express this holy connection after our bodies have made the long trek home? 

One moment of our pilgrimage resonates deeply for me as I ponder that question. Eye to eye, Pastor Moses Nwaka powerfully addressed our group at going away party from Tumaini. Before this moment, I had mentioned our synod’s need for prayer during the election season in the United States and the rising fears and anxieties present in our congregations. Pastor Moses looked at us with resolute, tender eyes that showed his heart full of truth and said, “God has placed us each where we are for a reason. God has placed us here in Tanzania. And God will use you in this time where you are, in the US. What happens in the US happens to the whole globe. God has placed you there to be people of peace and good news.” 

Down to the tips of my toes, I was both convicted and inspired. God bless Pastor Moses and all our UKD colleagues for their faithful prayers and the truthful way they spoke about our purpose. As a synod, we are here and connected to each other to take joy in what the Spirit is doing. May it be peace and good news in every place. And we are bega kwa bega with our ministry partners in Tanzania for the same reason: whether in Swahili or English, Spanish or Salish, we together pray that God would make earth “as it is in heaven.” Little by little, step by heavenly step.

I want to close with an invitation that I think many congregations and individuals within the NWIM synod can prayerfully consider as a little, heavenly step. It takes only $800 US dollars to pay for one year of education, including room and board, for a student at Tumaini Lutheran Seminary. This school is dedicated to not sending students, especially girls, home when their families are unable to pay the school fees. Consider rounding up and making an annual gift of a thousand dollars to our partner synod and young women and men will be able to flourish in school. Their flourishing contributes to the health and well-being of the whole Ulanga Kilombero region of Tanzania. The United Nations has reported, based on research, that the most enduring way to eliminate poverty from a community is to educate girls. Tumaini is doing just that, and beautifully. 

The smiles of the girls at Tumaini, as an emblem of the hospitality and kindness we received throughout our pilgrimage, will live in my heart and remind me to seek peace and good news here in my place. May God keep us walking the path to heaven, shoulder to shoulder.