CHAPEL CONSTRUCTION TEAMS

Each of the last two years University Lutheran Church has sponsored construction teams to build chapels among the Maasai in Tanzania. Approximately $25,000 has been raised over that time frame to build four pole churches in the bush and to help finance an Evangelism Center to house evangelists as they undertake their travels to serve some of the 95 preaching stations which are active in the Mission District of the Morogoro Diocese.

Pastor Herb Hafermann has served for 45 years as a teacher at the Morogoro Junior Lutheran Seminary and as an evangelist among the Massai. Through his efforts and the blessings of God he has baptized thousands of children and adults and has provided the structure for their worship community. He has enlisted and trained many evangelists and assists them with their day to day function among their congregants. He also travels to each church several times a year to bring the Sacraments and to support their spiritual growth. Those of us privileged to work among the Massai have been uplifted by worshipping with Pastor Herb and a hundred or more new Christians in their pole and mud churches, under the trees in God’s open spaces and, in a dozen or so cases, in the newly constructed pole churches that are being built with the combined efforts of the Massai and visitors such as our Lutheran teams who find their way to Tanzania.

As can be seen from the brief description above, some work has been done but so much more needs to be done. While there may be a dozen pole churches built at this time that leaves perhaps 80 or more congregations waiting to team up with us to build their house of worship. If each of you could be present to hear their voices lifted in song and prayer as they dedicate their simple houses of worship it would truly be an inspiration for you as it has been for us. If you wish to read more about our previous trips please visit the following website where a daily chronicle of our trip has been recorded. It captures the excitement and joy of the construction and worship and fellowship experiences. www.ulcsc.org/tanzania

Would you please help us in this venture?

1. You may join us for our next trip which will be held during the middle of June of 2007. Dates are not yet firmed up but we could use a few more people and, if we have a large response we can add additional teams. The cost is approximately $3,000 which includes everything except for incidental expenses. Please contact Paul Kleine at pfkleine@ou.edu for more information.
2. Please consider making a tax deductible contribution to the construction building cause by sending a check to the following address:
   
   The Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod
   Note On Memo Line of Check: Chapel Construction Fund
   6931 66th East Ave., Suite 310
   Tulsa, OK 74133