Welcome home! The first words Amy and Tamie and Pastor Edwin spoke when the bus arrived from O’Hare with our Tanzania mission team. A hug from my wife and a wet nosed welcome from our Golden Retriever Baxter in the church parking lot and almost everything was right with the world once again.
Of course, our original mission team was split into three separate groups – Pastor Tony had flown home earlier from Ethiopia once Bob was out of the hospital; the Wards were beginning to explore Ethiopia as they waited for clearance for Bob to fly; and the seven members who went on to Tanzania after our original layover in Ethiopia arrived back at Ascension. Not exactly what I expected to happen as we loaded the bus for Tanzania on Thursday, June 29th. I should not be surprised; God has a way of allowing our journeys to unfold without us knowing fully the road before us.
Tanzania was everything I expected and more. The incredible heartfelt welcome of our sisters and brothers at the airport, every church, each school – so much joy and wonder and a little healthy skepticism. I wonder about the questions that probably ran through the heads of the members of our partner churches and students at the schools:
Who are these people from America?
What do people at Ascension think or know about us?
What does that white guy keep saying up front during worship?
Why does the whole school stop what it is doing when these people arrive?
What do you do with that frisbee thing?
In my own mind, there were other questions I was asking:
How can every tea offered to us be so much food?
How can we eat lunch after worship when just had tea an hour before?
Will there be Chapati (my favorite Tanzanian food)?
Will Pastor Nathan remember to translate for me at the front of the church?
What does the home life look like for each of these students?
Where does this overwhelming spirit of joy flow from for our friends in Tanzania?
The stories will continue to be told of our mission team visit. The prayers and concern for Bob offered from Pastor Nathan and our sister churches. The joy of being together after five years of being apart. Remembering faces that we met in 2018; renewing friendships, relationships, and making new connections. Hearing the stories of appreciation and gratitude for food for our partner school students and the gift of clean water. Remembering the looks on the faces of students for the presentation of soccer balls. No frisbees next time – just soccer balls…lots more soccer balls. Celebrating stories of success told with pride and joy for students success and their commitment to a well-rounded education including taking care of their needs for care and support. Every time we visit the schools, I want to spend twice as much time not only listening to reports but actually talking to teachers, sitting in on classes, actually playing soccer with the students. Every visit is simply the hook that makes me want to return to spend more time with them. Every church visit is a powerful reminder of the promise of God’s love across language barriers and customs. How the hospitality of a smile and a handshake can change our whole world.
It is always a humbling experience to travel to our sister parishes and be reminded that we are wholly dependent on them for our care and well-being. Always do our sisters and brothers reach far beyond what is expected to take care of us. Pastor Nathan, Eludi (our sister parish committee chair) and the partnership committee are one of the most beautiful gifts of grace I have ever experienced. God’s grace often comes to us in unexpected ways in this life. I am grateful for these glimpses of grace when I least expect them.
May these last days of summer offer you moments of God’s grace through the gifts of family, friends, sisters and brothers in Christ, moments of worship, times of reflection and rest, and the presence of the One who is the way, the truth, and the life…Jesus, the Christ. Amen.
Peace be with you and I hope to see you in church. And if not – well – Sunday, Sept. 10 at 10 a.m. is our Welcome Home Sunday. One service for the whole church. We will look for you then to once again tell you, Welcome Home!
Pastor Chris
