Article
Mission Report: Pilgrimage to Tanzania
by Patricia Snyder
Neither my husband, George, nor I had ever been to Africa. When Bishop Given Gaula and his wife, the Reverand Lillian Gaula of Kondoa, Tanzania, visited St. John the Divine in the Spring of 2024, we had the opportunity to spend time with them. Bishop Gaula invited us to “come see the people,” and we were hooked.
The Anglican Diocese of Kondoa is located in a predominantly Muslim part of the country. In Tanzania, 70% of the population is Christian; however, the Diocese of Kondoa is a missionary diocese reaching out to a mix of animists and Muslims. The Diocese has been under the leadership of Bishop Given since 2012.
What an honor it was to see another part of God’s kingdom, share meals, hold hands, and rejoice together because we serve the same gracious God.
The SJD team consisted of Leigh and Susalee Spruill, Libby Garfield, Anne Bike, Ted and Lori Gobillot, and George and Patricia Snyder. Our trip was a “pilgrimage” and not a “mission trip.” Bishop Given’s purpose for the invitation was to develop relationships and introduce his Diocese to the knowledge that they are part of a larger worldwide Christian community.
Nights in the hostel were delightfully cool, and each morning we were awakened by the Muslim call to prayer, accompanied by crowing roosters as the city came alive. The churches we visited gathered around a covering of colorful sheets and blankets with plastic lawn chairs for the guests of honor. Foot tapping music was provided by drums, choirs, and a large boom box attached to a solar panel. Without electricity or running water, these generous congregations fed us local cuisine cooked over an open fire. During the visits to the churches, 107 baptisms took place, along with a blessing of the cattle and bomas at the Maasai church, accompanied by preaching and prayers. Interspersed between the baptisms and preaching were countless joyful songs and dances. On Pentecost Sunday, we participated in the ordination service for 13 new priests who had each spent the past year planting a church.
As an observer, guest, and prayer partner who could only smile and nod in Swahili, I was blessed to participate in the work of the Holy Spirit. Our first visit was to a Maasai church where we witnessed many people respond to the invitation for prayer. I was awed by the Spirit’s work as I saw several of the elderly Masai warriors in full regalia come up to humbly kneel for prayer. I could not know what the Holy Spirit said to them, but their hearts were full. This church was at the very end of a cattle path (really). That long, bumpy road convinced me that our Lord Jesus goes to the very ends of the earth to call his children to himself. What an honor it was to see another part of God’s kingdom, share meals, hold hands, and rejoice together because we serve the same gracious God.