CHRIST THE KING MISSIONARIES AND MISSIONS

CTK has been sponsoring Jean Wahlstrom and Marv Kananenfor the last two years. Jean is the Chaplain, coordinating all worship activities on the Massae Girls Lutheran Secondary School (MGLSS) campus. She also teaches Bible Knowledge, Divinity and English and assists the administration of the school. Marv teaches at the other local Lutheran secondary school in Monduli, Moringe Sokoine Secondary School, and he also leads the largest AA group in Tanzania.

We Lutherans have missionaries in many places doing many things. We sometimes have images of missionaries out in the bush bringing people the love and knowledge of Jesus for the very first time; however, few are doing that today. Those missionaries who have gone before did the cultivating and planting work, while most of the evangelism today is being done by those Tanzanian children who learned about evangelism sitting at the feet of missionaries, children who grew up to become Tanzanian pastors and evangelists. Today missionaries bring other skills, education, health care and economic development, all pressing needs for people in Tanzania. The missionaries today share the same Gospel as those early missionaries, the Good News of Jesus Christ. They are people who, in their lives and work and commitment to the people, serve faithfully.

Jean and Marv first visited Tanzania in 1992, where they attended the Massai baptisms, conducted by David Simonson in Loliondo, which made the cover of the Lutheran. They began serving as missionaries in 1998. In their words: “We cannot tell you where the time has gone or what all we have done, we only know it has been good and we feel we have been trying to be faithful in serving the Lord, the church and the people. It is not always an easy life we have here, but it is so full of life it is exhausting and exhilarating, and it is curious how often the two come together. As missionaries it is our privilege to help others find hope for a future that sometimes seemed so hopeless.”

This visit from Jean and Marv is particularly significant since this is the 10th anniversary of the founding of MGLSS by David Simonson, an ELCA Missionary in Tanzania since 1955. The MGLSS is impacting the future by giving girls a chance for an education that has been beyond their dreams. The new girls arrive; skinny, little, bald-headed kids wrapped in a blanket looking scared. They cry at night to be away from home, the big round eyes look up at the missionaries who read their minds that say “Oh! My God!” These are the images of what faith is, because of what they might become. At the MGLSS God produces miracles, and these girls turn into educated self confident young women who are able to either go on for higher education or fill leadership roles for their people. This is a very important mission because, according to the United Nations, the surest way to reduce poverty is to educate women.

CTK through the Global Mission Team has been supporting MGLSS by providing funds for a dining hall, an administration building, and supporting seven students each year at the school. The scholarships are $325.00 per year, if you would like to support a girl at MGLSS just put “MGLSS Scholarship” in the memo line of the check and place it in the regular offering or send it to the church office


CHRIST THE KING RELATIONSHIP & SUPPORT TO
 

CHRIST THE KING’S COMPANION CONGREGATION THROUGH THE ST. PAUL AREA SYNOD IS NDULI CONGREGATION IN TANZANIA, EAST AFRICA

 

CHRIST THE KING RELATES TO AND SUPPORTS:

THE MAASAI GIRL’S LUTHERAN SECONDARY SCHOOL IN MONDULI, TANZANIA;
THE MORINGE SOKOINE SECONDARY SCHOOL IN MONDULI, TANZANIA; AND
TUMAINI UNIVERSITY AND SEMINARY IN IRINGA, TANZANIA.

Christ the King members are supporting many activities in Southern Tanzania around Iringa and the Nduli area. Below are just a few of the wonderful, exciting activities:

Nduli Parish & preaching points - funds for several of the preaching points to finish windows, doors, etc. There is still much to do and your pledges to the Capital Campaign help fund these projects. The Nduli congregation is extremely grateful and praise the Lord for our generous gifts. These churches continue to grow rapidly but because of the famine many families have nothing to give to the church and often the pastor and evangelists go without salary.

Nduli Parish & preaching points - 20 scholarships are provided annually for secondary school students in Forms 1-6. This year we should have our first graduates from Form 6.

Tumaini University - Tumaini was founded in 1993 and now has over 2,000 students. What an incredible adventure this has been with much faith in the Lord and US partners providing funds for buildings and scholarships. CTK provides one scholarship annually (approx. $3,000).

Tumaini University - Wandering Shepherd Program - CTK made a commitment this year to provide the funds for 3 students ($1,000 per student for the 2-year diploma in theology program). The Wandering Shepherds program develops Lutheran pastors from within nomadic tribes, such as the Maasai. Many lack formal education and thus cannot attend college.

Image Secondary School - scholarships for Barabig tribe men. These men, in their early to late 20's were evangelists but had no secondary school education. A secondary school education will allow them to pursue a diploma in theology and become pastors.

Huruma Orphanage - on-going support for the children whose parents have died from AIDS and they would be on the street otherwise. Last year the CTK group dedicated the administration building which was built by funds from our Capital Campaign fund.

Iringa Region famine - many CTK members have graciously contributed to the plea for funds to buy maize - $3 for 15 gallons. Recently a Muslim in the area commented that when Muslims contribute funds, only Muslims get food. When Christians contribute money for food, everyone gets food!

Alternative Gifts - the funds for goats, sewing machines, clothes and books have been sent to our Christian brothers and sisters. The Global Mission Team has been overwhelmed by your generosity and we know that the gifts will be received with much love and kindness.

THANKS FOR MAKING CHRISTMAS SO SPECIAL FOR OUR TANZANIA FRIENDS.

For several of you, Christmas shopping was a little differnet this last year. You chose to buy an alternative Christmas gift for someone special in this country and, in turn, you also gave a gift to the people of Tanzania. This was done through the Global Mission Team at Christ the King.

This year you gave many wonderful gifts. You bought

• treadle sewing machines for use by women in each of our 6 preaching point congregations. This gift could easily be the catalyst for a “cottage industry” amongst these people who have so little income.
• dairy goats for families in the Nduli Parish (our companion church). The milk produced by the goat provides nourishment and additional income for a family. When the goat has an offspring, that baby kid will be given to someone else in the parish and so on.
• sets of clothes for either a young boy or girl in the Nduli Parish.
• books for use in Secondary School classrooms. Oftentimes 50 or 60 students must share 2 or 3 textbooks.

Thank you for your generosity!

GLOBAL MISSIONS TEAM
 

Teddie Batzer, Al & Edith Berg, Dale & Pastor Deborah Birkeland, Roger & Trish Blomquist, Arnie & Jan Cutler, Gary & Chris Floss, Ann Klee, Deb Kuehl, Wayne & Jean Metcalf, Bob & Jean Spong, Jo Tollefson & Tim Van Rooy.

Jean Wahlstrom and Marvin Kananen
Missionaries at the Maasae Girls' School in Monduli Tanzania
Jean is the chaplain, coordinating all worship activities on campus. She also teaches Bible Knowledge, Divinity and English and assists the administration of the school.
Marv teaches English Grammar, is writing a history of the school, and leads the largest AA group in Tanzania.

CHRIST THE KING’S COMPANION CONGREGATION THROUGH THE ST. PAUL AREA SYNOD IS NDULI CONGREGATION IN TANZANIA, EAST AFRICA
 

1900 Seventh Street NW • New Brighton MN 55112
Phone: 651.633.4674 • Fax: 651-633-0254

Guided by the Gospel - Gathering, Growing, Giving