We go to Tanzania
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Mfon (Grace) and I are delighted to share with you the Good News of our calling as missionaries to serve in Tanzania. This comes after we got selected, screened, approved, and given an orientation by a Lutheran missionary sending agency, known as Global Lutheran Outreach (GLO).
We hope you enjoy reading the first issue of “We Go To Tanzania” as much as we enjoyed writing it for you, as a way of living out the grace and gifts that Our Lord has mercifully granted to us.
WE
We are not alone in this. This is a joint venture for Christ sake.
There are faithful and committed believers in the Lord Jesus, whom we have prayerfully chosen to come join hands with us. Together we will implement the divine call to go teach theology in the Tanzanian Seminary. In other words, give further training to pastors, strengthen Church leadership for greater productivity, and expand the kingdom of the Lord beyond measure.
The Lord of the harvest is in charge of his mission Outreach.
He is able.
The missionary couple
● Samuel Joshua Udofia is my name. A Lutheran Church Pastor, ordained years ago, after theological Education in Nigeria. Then followed by advanced studies in the USA and back to Nigeria in 1978. I have served for many years as a theological Educator and have held various leadership positions in our national Church and in society. Upon return from studying overseas, I got married to Mfon (Grace) Udofia also in 1978.
● Mrs Udofia is a certified Deaconess in the Lutheran Church of Nigeria as of December 2002. She is a professionally trained teacher and has served as a French language teacher at High school level for years. She has a wide range of experiences in ministry to women and youths both in church and in society.
● We are happily married for 46 years and are blessed with grown up children and 13 grandchildren. Our birthdays are: December 09 for Samuel, and August 09 for Grace.
We have accepted the divine call with excitement and have prayerfully resolved to leave all and go to serve the Lord and his people in a foreign country.
After our candidacy for service as Lutheran missionaries got approved by GLO in July 2019, we were assigned to a field of harvest outside our home country. We reasoned that, that was a tall order from the most high God and we could not do it alone, neither must we run away from it. So we turned to mission-minded believers. And you are one of those. Our appeal is that you join heart and hands, as comrades, to fulfill the Lord's great commission (Matthew 28:19-20). This is a clarion call and we expect that you will support our cross-cultural missionary services to the seminary in Tanzania.
Sponsors
We have extended the invitation to mission-minded believers both at home here in Nigeria and in distant lands. This explains why you receive this initial newsletter from us.
Here is how you can join us so we go to Tanzania together:
A. PRAY for us and the work we go to do there.
B. DONATE joyfully to help realize the funds needed.
C. ENCOURAGE some individual (s) group (s) to join in this.
D. Feel free to visit us in Tanzania as God gives you the grace.
On GLO’s terms and conditions, our required tenure is for 2 years, and God knows what follows thereafter. The academic year in the seminary is 2 semesters of 18 weeks each. The first semester is from August to December 2024, when I am expected to begin teaching. And we are putting things together now, anticipating our departure to the field of service in Tanzania before August.
GO
The great command that our Lord Jesus has given to each of his followers is a direct mission/missionary mandate.
“...therefore go and make disciples of all nations”.
The key word is “go”, and the Lord uses it in the present continuous tense. God bless you who join hands to make our going a reality and may he also crown that with continuity.
TO TANZANIA
We have received an Official Missionary Service Invitation (OMSI) from our host Church and the College in Tanzania.
The name of the requestor is the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania (ELCT). The college, is Nyakato Lutheran Bible College, in Mwanza, which is in East of Lake Victoria Diocese (ELVD). The diocese and the institution are under an authorized and respected personality, Bishop Andrew Petro Gulle.
There is a long standing need to be met. Approval was concluded back in 2019 and the vacancy has remained open all these years. The missionary has been eager to deploy but the support discovery has been delayed. That delay was mounted by the global pandemic (Covid-19) and worsened by the difficulties of locating our donors and sponsors. And also raising enough funds to get us out there. By now the green light has been received from GLO indicating that we get going.
Since GLO functions as an “agent” for Lutheran missionaries and not as an employer, all GLO missionaries are considered to be SELF EMPLOYED workers. We count on you!
Three main areas that call for financial support are:
1. Missionary living expenses in a foreign setting.
2. Missionary ministry expenses in a foreign country.
3. Travel and immigration expenses.
It is for the above reasons that you have been prayerfully chosen to give support as we go to TANZANIA.
A little about Tanzania
From our readings, this is a country in East Africa. The full name is The United Republic of Tanzania. Its capital used to be Dar es Salaam. And that was changed to the present day capital, Dodoma.
The population of Tanzania is nearly 62 million people, based on the 2022 census. The official language remains Swahilli and English. The official currency is the Tanzanian Shillings (TZS) . This country is best known for Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa.
Food
Some typical mainland Tanzanian foods are Wali (rice), Ugali (maize porridge), Nyama choma (grilled meat), Ndizi nyama (plantain with meats), and a lot more to eat.
After we settle down in that country, we shall be in a position to bringing you more in our subsequent newsletters. From all indications and considering the donation now dropping into the “Udofia’s Bucket” with GLO Administration, we shall arrive in Tanzania this year 2024 and begin teaching Theology in August when the first semester begins.
May the Lord, the God of missions bless you who stand by us, and who partner with us so that we go to Tanzania.
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