Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Construction, and Most Importantly: Relationships

“Good works is giving to the poor and the helpless, but divine works is showing them their worth to the One who matters.” 
― Criss Jami, Killosophy

Geita UMC started in 2016 with help from Vestavia Hills UMC. This year a combined team from Trinity UMC and Vestavia Hills UMC in Birmingham, AL came back to help the church take an important step, building a permanent church building. Geita UMC has been worshipping on rented land, under a tarp since it began three years ago, and now the walls are up on a new building.

However, the most important part of the trip was continuing to see relationships built and encouragement for the mission in the Geita District of Tanzania Annual Conference. Members from Trinity UMC can in 2016 and helped build a pastor’s house in Katoro. We have been discussing for over 2 years their return to continue in the partnership, and this year they were able to come back and bring some friends.

After raising funds for the purchase of land and beginning construction on a new church a group of 8 individuals came to work alongside Pastor Joseph Tanganyika and his congregation to complete the building walls. Pastor Amy from Trinity UMC held a pastor’s seminar on spiritual gifts for all the pastors, evangelists, and district leaders. The team also talked about community health in the Geita community around the church. Days for Girls kits (reusable sanitary pads) were well received as a way to ensure that a monthly menstrual cycle does not keep girls out of school or women away from work. Discussions were also had about hygiene, sanitation, and the power of choice in the relationships among men and women. The men in the area also received similar training about relationships, safe sex choices, good health practices, and had a discussion on healthy roles of men in the community. Being the partnership that it is the teaching was done jointly between the visiting team and church members led by Pastor Joseph.

They all worked extremely hard in their areas of health and construction but most importantly, they built relationships. Individuals who had come before were well remembered and new team members were able to experience the beauty of Tanzania, which is always held and most vibrantly displayed in its people. We look forward to seeing how this partnership between churches in Birmingham and Geita continues.