In February I wrote to the congregation, “When I was ordained as a Lutheran pastor 35 years ago, I had no inkling of the rewards and challenges, and the depth of God’s grace and love that I would experience through ordained ministry.” So now let me add some details for you of the rewards I’ve enjoyed as a pastor at SOTV.
To celebrate 20 years of walking Shoulder to Shoulder with our Tanzania partner congregations, SOTV has raised funds to provide an expansion of the Tungamalenga medical clinic: a dedicated medical laboratory. The foundation is finished and a cornerstone will be laid during a worship service dedication in June with SOTV representatives and the Bishop of the Iringa Diocese participating. The laboratory is at the edge of town, next to the clinic, and a stone’s throw from the Tungamalenga church.
Rejoice! For the first time in three years there will be a small group of travelers from SOTV to our partner congregations in Tanzania. Beginning with our traditional commissioning during 9:45am worship on May 22, one week later four church members will leave for their fifteen day adventure.
The Shepherd Quilters were hard at work this year! They made and delivered 422 quilts this past year. Read where they went…
May is the last month the SOTV Memory Wall will be available in the narthex. Please share your memories with us! You can write them on the wall or email them to communications@sotv.org. Memories will be kept digitally as reference for our 40th anniversary.
Kirsten Levorson, with twenty years of deep experience and knowledge being in partnership with congregations in Tanzania, has been appointed as Acting Director of Bega Kwa Bega for the Saint Paul Area Synod. This is a full-time role on the synod staff through September. As Acting Director, Kirsten will move from overseeing SOTV’s Tanzania Partnership Steering Committee to overseeing the work of synod volunteers in Iringa.
May is the last month the Walk Down Memory Lane poster path at SOTV will be available. You can view the posters on our website at sotv.org/walk-down-memory-lane.
As the weather begins to warm and the snow melts, we are starting to think about longer days and opportunities to be more active. If you have not been as physically active as you would like during the cold winter months, it’s a good time to get started with some new routines.
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Affiliated with the ELCA and Saint Paul Area Synod
