Dear friends,
It is good to be back after a very profound pilgrimage to Ghana. You’ll be hearing more about that in the weeks to come. I got home about 10 p.m. Tuesday after a long trek that included a six-hour bus ride from Cape Coast to Accra, and a 10-hour layover in Amsterdam. I was awake for all of it, so I’m still a little groggy. Another good night’s sleep should take care of that.
This Sunday is our annual parish meeting. We will affirm new vestry members, and hear reports/reflections on the past year from our treasurer, Lee Morris; our senior warden, Susie Throop; and me. There will be ONE SERVICE at 10 a.m. The meeting will be part of the service. There is time for you to ask any questions you have about the church. Come and bring a dish to share at the potluck lunch after the service.
On Saturday, May 2, starting at 9:30am, the Grounds Committee will be sponsoring a work day, planting ferns in the forest in front of the church to replace the ivy and also in the St. Francis Garden. If you have ferns at your home that can be divided and shared please let Marilyn Morgan know. We would love to develop a lush growth with a mixed variety of ferns.
Our outreach chair Suzanne Johnson offers this explanation of one of our outreach programs.
Asante Sana from Tanzania
For over twenty years, St. Dunstan’s has been helping to meet the health care needs of the students and staff at Msalato Theological College of the Diocese of Central Tanganyika in Tanzania. We recently sent our annual gift—this year it was $6000. This money is used to buy mosquito nets, medicines, glasses, and to pay a nurse to come to the school several days a week.
The Diocese of Central Tanganyika (DCT) is one of the largest in the Anglican Communion with over 500,000 members. Located in the center of the east African country just south of the equator, it is a largely rural area with subsistence farming and profound material poverty. Already challenging conditions have been exacerbated in recent years by the effects of climate change and reduced rainfall. St. Dunstan’s sent additional support last December because of widespread famine in the diocese.
While many Anglican leaders in sub-Saharan Africa have pulled away from the Anglican Communion and especially the American church, DCT has been a notable exception, developing strong ties with several dioceses in the US. (We began sending funds to Msalato when the Diocese of Atlanta was a partner diocese with DCT.) In 2001 DCT was the first diocese in Tanzania to ordain women to the priesthood; a primary focus of the diocese is health and educational opportunities for girls and women. About a third of the people studying for the priesthood at Msalato are women. The college has recently built a dormitory for female students.
Malaria and HIV/AIDS are huge health challenges in the diocese coupled with chronic and worsening issues of malnutrition and lack of access to clean water. Our support helps the Msalato community be as healthy as possible as they prepare clergy to serve the large and growing diocese.
Msalato always expresses its deep appreciation for our support. Asante Sana—thank you very much in Swahili. Our gift makes a difference.
I look forward to seeing you Sunday!
With love,
Tricia