<span class="underline-blob"></span><span class="underline-blob-1" style="font-weight: normal;"></span><span style="color:var(--primary-color-bg)"><span class="underline-blob-1" style="font-weight: normal;"> Explore Our </span>Mission and Impact</span>

Explore Our Mission and Impact

 SOTV is Traveling to Tanzania — and YOU are Invited!   

The basis of the Bega Kwa Bega (shoulder to shoulder) covenant includes the pillars of Prayer, Presence, and Projects. Centered in Christ, there’s nothing quite like being together. With a small group from SOTV, this trip’s mission will be entirely focused on relationships with our Tanzanian friends.

Keep scrolling for additional ways to get involved this partnership.

Interested in future travel?Questions?

What to Expect

Questions?

We visit our companion congregations in Makifu, Tungamalenga, and Usolanga, feeling the unity we have in Christ across barriers of distance, language, race, and culture. We act as ambassadors to our companions in the Iringa Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania. We experience generous hospitality, deepen our relationships, and plan and evaluate projects. We also take a few days for safari at Ruaha National Game Park.

Travel Dates: June 29 – July 16, 2027

Join SOTV this summer on a trip to Tanzania with Pastor Julie Wright and Pastor Corey Fuhrman. This is an opportunity to celebrate our 25+ year partnership and envision our future collaboration. Over the years, the parishes of Makifu, Usolanga, and Tungamalinga have been faithful friends. Together, we have prayed, learned one another’s traditions, sang songs, shared meals, enjoyed worship, and accomplished several projects together.

Your commitment and $250 nonrefundable deposit are due December 15, 2026. Payment may be made by check or online (note "Tanzania 2027 trip"). Limited scholarship opportunities are available. For questions, contact Pastor Julie Wright at julie.wright@sotv.org or call 952.985.7302.

SOTV members and friends who are interested in the journey of a lifetime are welcome to apply. Older children and youth can travel with a family member or guardian. Healthcare is somewhat limited in this part of the world, so medical evacuation insurance is recommended for all travelers. If you have specific accommodation requests/requirements, contact Pastor Julie Wright to inquire. Due to travel in this part of the world, some accommodations may be unavailable. 

  • Pray for our partners.
  • Stay up to date:
    • Follow our SOTV Tanzania Partnership page on Facebook to hear about current needs and concerns. 
    • Subscribe to the Companion News Update newsletter, which is emailed every other week about happenings in Tanzania, updates on travel and other items of interest. Click here and select the Tanzania email list.
    • Follow the Saint Paul Area Synod's Bega Kwa Bega Facebook page.
  • Support the partnership with monetary gifts for scholarships, medical needs, projects like chapel construction, or bringing water to a village, and purchase Tanzanian handcrafts such as jewelry, carvings, cloth, and more. 
  • Welcome Tanzanian guests when they come to visit.
  • Volunteer with SOTV's Tanzania ministry. Contact Pastor Julie Wright for opportunities to serve. 
How is God nudging you to grow in your faith? What might we learn from the Tanzanian churches – in a place where Christianity (and Lutheranism) is spreading like wildfire? How might your faith grow or change by witnessing what God is already doing in the lives of our Tanzanian friends? How can SOTV be a faithful ministry partner in the coming years?

FOR REFLECTION AND PRAYER