“Tanga...” Shauen thought. “Tanga... Isn't that on the coast?” On a late afternoon in the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro, truck loaded with our two youngest boys, fellow missionary Julie McManus, a visitor from St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and various leaders from the local church, the prospect of starting the drive to the Tanzanian coast at four in the evening seemed daunting. “Perhaps,” Shauen thought, “we can make it before 10pm.” Later that night, the truck's headlights flashed across the sign for Tanga pointing to the right as we went to the left. Arriving in a remote village in Tanga District (quite distinct from Tanga Town) well after 2am, Shauen, Elijah, and Isaiah turned down the offer of dinner, got into bed and fell quickly asleep.

As the sun rose over the hills and the chickens welcomed the day, we emerged from our quarters to be warmly greeted by the bishop of the area, eager to share with us the impact the Gospel is having in the area he oversees for The Lutheran Church of East Africa (LCEA). Our too-brief visit included time with the local pastors, villagers, and church members. Children passing by on their way to school were fascinated with Elijah and Isaiah gleefully digging in the dirt with sticks.

Our trip to Tanga District was one part of a week-long visit with two members of St. Andrew's to the LCEA's congregations across northern Tanzania. This visit was the first step in a budding relationship, intended for both to get to know each other and to find those places where passions, skills, and gifts overlap and complement each other. The end goal is for St. Andrew's to form a congregation to congregation partnership with a congregation in Tanzania through which visits, projects, evangelism and educational programs can bring forth the Gospel.

The whirlwind tour of LCEA work in Tanzania included school graduations, an ordination of a new pastor, laying of foundation stones for a new church building, worship services, and accounts of the Gospel going forth through the hands of dedicated evangelists and pastors. Praise the Lord for His work in the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro!

Field Orientation Welcomes New Missionaries

New missionaries have a long journey from receiving the call to arriving on the field. In many ways though, that major milestone of arriving on the field is the beginning of another journey that starts with Field Orientation and moves into language work, cultural acquisition, and finally training in the work they have been sent to do.

In January, we received our very first cohort of new missionaries to attend a Field Orientation program in Nairobi. The four new missionary units arriving on the Eastern Africa field would more than double the number of career missionaries serving this field and greatly expand the number of missionary children serving here.

In a not-so-subtle demonstration of culture, Field Orientation in Nairobi was conducted with heavy reliance on the presence of elders – former missionaries brought back in for this special event to provide their experience, wisdom, and stories. Field Orientation was conversational and experiential with excursions almost every day into different parts of Nairobi – visits to local schools, slums, counseling centers, and the local church's Headquarters. The children had their own program with playtime, excursions, and time in a children's program with the local Lutheran Hour Ministries project in Kenya.

Our new missionaries include Sarah Kanoy - a nurse educator, Rev. Jon Clausing – Mission Training Center Coordinator, Rev. Eric Stinnett – Theological Educator for Ethiopia, and Rev. Mark Rabe – Theological Educator for Ethiopia. Praise the Lord for His workers!

Continuing Education: 1st Article in the 3rd World

• For comfort and support as we mourn recent losses

• For wisdom, discernment, and patience for Shauen and Krista in their work as spouses, parents, and missionaries

• For the missionaries, projects, and relationships Shauen oversees for the church

• St. Andrew's – Cape Girardeau and their growing relationship with the church in Tanzania

• For the Lutheran Church of East Africa in Tanzania

• For new missionaries arriving on the fields of Kenya and Ethiopia