Where we've been, where we are headed.

“I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121: 1-2.
All the Canadian team members are back home now, but each one will tell you that their interest in this initiative and the Tanzanian people is not over. Two of our team’s main goals were to build a strong partnership with the Catholic Diocese of Tanga and other Christians, and to accomplish a community assessment in order to identify how Trinity Western can continue to do effective development and ministry in Tanga. The truth discovered is that we couldn’t be more impressed with our partners, both for their resourcefulness and their Christ-like attitudes of the heart. They are already showing so much initiative in their community; we learned as much from them as they did from us. Together, as different parts of the body of Christ, I believe we can do great things. Like a right hand and left hand working together. Equally exciting is the result of our community assessment and budding plans for next year. After six weeks of serving in a heath center, school, orphanage, youth centre, and after dozens of meetings with Church representatives and municipal council members, sifting through statistical documents, dialoging with the poorest – richest of people, educated and not, it is clear that the priority issues are poor education of the sciences and minimal health care professionals (especially in the rural areas). We are looking into the possibility of bringing upper level science students to set up and teach labs in secondary schools and purchasing updated text books that matches Tanzanian curriculum.
The Diocese of Tanga has already initiated the plans to start a nursing training college which is earmarked to open and begin classes in September, 2010. The nursing college is located in Tanga town, but the Diocese is hoping that graduates from the nursing college will go to work in the rural dispensaries where the need is greatest. Our partners have eagerly encouraged us to bring nursing and/or pre-med students next summer for a period of two-three months. We would like to include on our team health professionals such as a doctor and/or nurse practitioner. We will be working with the Tanzanian nursing students doing health practice and health education in rural villages. Dispensaries outside of Tanga on average are 70 km apart from each other. Our method will be travel clinics to at least eight different isolated villages (roughly a week in each village). After dark we can show the Jesus film, distribute Swahili bibles to the literate, and have a Tanzanian pastor give a message/alter call.
Together with the Diocese of Tanga our long term goal is to establish an internship program for Trinity graduates to spend a year training a Tanzanian nurse/medical professional/lab technician to work in the rural villages in existing dispensaries, or if possible to establish new ones. Our travel clinics next year will give us a good idea which villages need a dispensary most. Our long term initiative could be 2-5 years away! Both Trinity and Tanzanian students involved in the two-three month projects will be encouraged to commit to the one year internship after getting certified. They will already have a familiarity with each other, the people, and the cultural and natural environment.
It has been so amazing to see God bless our ministry, give us affirmation of a job well done, and encouragement to continue on running the race. Thank you to all our prayer warriors and financial supporters. We are blessed to have you as partners and part of our family in Christ. All this work is impossible without you. All praise, honour, and glory to God. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3: 20-21

Stay tuned for pictures and news updates as further plans develop.