Moving on…

The group of Mennonite leaders meeting in Morogoro.

We have finished up our time in Sumbawanga, where we spent a total of 3 months. It was an enriching time for us of gaining new friends and teaching. In the last few weeks, we presented a 2 session seminar on business as mission, in which we encouraged them to see their daily activities as a way to develop friendships with their neighbors and share the gospel, as well as a way to gain income. We also presented 3 sessions on marriage and family. But maybe we gained the most, as we enjoyed their love and respect, and were refreshed by their commitment and sincerity to follow Jesus as disciples, not just be Christian in name.

Peter Sensenig teaching on understanding Islam.

 On Monday, September 28, we left Sumbawanga, our car loaded to the roof with our household goods, our supply of study materials, and our personal belongings. The following day we arrived in Morogoro for a 3 day seminar for leaders of the Eastern Diocese of Tanzania Mennonite Church.

Debbi DiGennaro teaching, with translator Mary Hagai.

In Morogoro, we presented the TEE program and we were joined by Peter Sensenig, from Zanzibar, and Debbi DiGennaro, from Nairobi. They presented insights on cross-cultural relationships and Islam, and challenged the leaders to understand their neighbors. One participant said, “Before this seminar, I was afraid of Muslims. Now I see them as people like me that I can be friends with. Our faith is different, but we can best share the gospel with them as friends.”

Meeting with leaders of the peacemaking initiative in
Dar es Salaam

From Morogoro we traveled to Dar es Salaam for a meeting to discuss ways to create positive relationships between Christians and Muslims in areas where Mennonite churches are located. Historically, Christians and Muslims have lived together peacefully in Tanzania, and in most areas that is still true, but there are radical persons among Christians as well as Muslims who stir up misunderstandings and conflict. The Mennonite leaders in Dar es Salaam would like to counter the tendencies toward conflict, in keeping with our tradition of peacemaking

From here, we go on to Mombasa, Kenya, for the next 2 months. There is a small Mennonite congregation in Mombasa and the leaders have asked for teaching and mentoring, because they have come from other denominational traditions and want to know more about “the Mennonite way of doing church.”