Dear Trinity friends,
On January 18, I will board a plane and begin a journey that I have been looking forward to for a long time. I will be traveling to Singida, Tanzania, to make my first visit to our partner congregation, Kimpungua Lutheran Church. This is a trip rooted in relationship, gratitude, learning, and hope, and I am honored to represent Trinity while I am there.
One of the central reasons for this visit is the dedication of the new Bishop Regina Girls School. This school is being named in honor of Bishop Regina Hassanally, the bishop of our Southeast Minnesota Synod, and it stands as a powerful sign of what can happen when churches walk together across continents. Through your generosity, Trinity helped provide funding to complete the development of this school. Because of that shared commitment, girls in Singida will have greater access to education, opportunity, and a future filled with possibility.
I will be traveling with others from our synod, visiting additional congregations and partners connected to churches here in southeast Minnesota. Along the way, we will learn more about the life of the church in Tanzania, listen to stories of faith and resilience, and deepen relationships that remind us the church is much bigger than any one place. There will also be a short safari in a national park, which I am told is a once in a lifetime experience.
Still, the heart of this journey is not sightseeing. It is people. It is sitting with pastors and congregations, sharing meals, worshiping together, and learning how God is at work in Singida. It is showing up as friends. It is remembering that partnership is about mutual care, shared faith, and deep respect.
While I am there, I will be offering daily updates on this blog, and I am hoping to share short video reflections on our Facebook page as well. (That will all depend on how well I can access internet or cell service there.) I want you to see what I am seeing, hear what I am hearing, and meet some of the people who are becoming such an important part of Trinity’s story. My hope is that these updates help all of us feel more connected to our partners and to the wider church around the world.
We also hope that at some point in the near future, we will be bringing a group of Trinity members to Singida to visit our friends and partners in Tanzania. Watch for more information on that opportunity some time in the near future.
As I prepare to go, I carry your prayers with me, and I invite you to keep the people of Singida and Kimpungua Lutheran Church in your prayers as well. Thank you for being a congregation that believes relationships matter, that generosity makes a difference, and that God’s work stretches far beyond what we can see from home.
I am grateful for you, and I cannot wait to share this journey with you.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Todd
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