The vision of the Tanzania Mission Partners at Prince of Peace is to hold us in Christ and frees us to walk shoulder to shoulder [Bega Kwa Bega] with our brothers and sisters in Bomalang’ombe, the Iringa Diocese, and Tanzania. We will strive to nurture relationships, create understanding, and grow in faith together through prayer, education, sharing, and communication.

Since 1999, Prince of Peace has participated in mission work at the Bomalang’ombe parish, in Tanzania. The Saint Paul Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is partnered with the Iringa Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. There are over 60 Parishes in the Iringa Diocese, and nearly all of them are partnered with congregations in the Saint Paul Area Synod. Prince of Peace is partnered with the Bomalang’ombe Parish in the Iringa Diocese.

As part of our covenant with Bomalang’ombe Parish, we agree to learn more about each other’s congregation and community; exchange information through letters and photographs, develop individual-to-individual relationships; pray for each other at every opportunity, including regularly scheduled worship services; keep each other informed of projects underway; give of ourselves to each other even as Christ has first given himself to us; and to exchange visits by members of our congregations as frequently as possible.  Prince of Peace provides financial support of $1,000 per year that is to be used for building projects in the Parish.

Prince of Peace is currently providing secondary-school scholarships for twenty students from Bomalang’ombe Parish. The government provides education for seven years in the primary schools.  To continue on in the secondary schools, the students need to pay for their own education. Most of the secondary schools are boarding schools, so they need to pay room and board as well as tuition. The secondary schools provide four years (Form I to Form IV). Those who successfully complete Form IV have the option of going on to Form V and VI. Beyond that, they can go on to a university.

The Tanzanian Mission Partners sponsor the annual Tanzania Dinner each November. Typical Tanzanian food is served along with Tanzanian music.  A free-will offering is taken, with the proceeds going toward secondary school scholarships for the students we are sponsoring.

Members of Prince of Peace have gone to visit our brothers and sisters in Bomalang’ombe to develop relationships with them. There were four visitors in 2002 and seven in 2004, including two youth. Another group of ten, including two youth and a Pastor, went to Iringa and Bomalang’ombe in 2006.

This flag symbolizes our mission work at Bomalang’ombe, reflecting our attitude of working together.

If you have specific questions about this mission initiative, or if you wish to travel with the next visiting delegation, please contact Caryn Josephson via the church office

Tanzania Partnership Updates