A mission team of 9 committed Christians from Canada visited the Diocese of Tarime from July 4-15 to help with construction work in selected parish buildings and short computing and accounting courses for the diocesan staff.
The team was able to work with the local Christians in three parishes and managed to accomplish three specific projects. At Manga parish, the team put a concrete floor in the church building. At Kenyamanyori Parish, the team plastered the walls of the church and put in a concrete floor as well. The team made benches for the Kerende parish church.
At the Diocesan level, two of the team, Prof Janne Chung and Ms Cassie Williams offered accounting and computing courses to our staff. This was greatly appreciated. Also we were humbled to receive equipment and material for God’s work in our Diocese. The team donated 1 motorcycle, 10 sewing machines, 6 bicycles, 3 reconditioned laptops, 8 solar kit units, 7 soccer balls as well as the construction and carpentry tools that were brought from Canada and used during the construction projects. These tools will be used by our Diocesan builder and his
local team.
The presence of the team in Tarime made a huge difference, bearing in mind that we live in a developing country with a poor economy such that Sunday collection in many churches in Tarime ranges between $2-4. However, and even more important, was that the visit strengthened the partnership in international mission between the Diocese and the participating Canadian churches. This visit brought to light, yet again, the fact that the people of God in Tarime and their brothers and sisters in Canada are members of the One Body of Christ and the worldwide Anglican family. "
The mission was been organized by the Rev. Canon Kim Beard, Rector of St Paul's-on-the Hill Church which is located outside the city of Toronto. Bishop Mwita first met Kim when he visited Canada in 2007 to teach at Wycliffe College, University of Tortonto. On January 2009, Kim visited Tarime, then part of the Diocese of Mara, from which Tarime was carved in July 2010. This visit inspired him to organize a mission team to Tanzania similar to the team that has been visiting Kenya for a number of years. Members of the Tanzania team were Jim Charbonneau (team leader), Kristopher Charbonneau, Hugh Sandiford, Janne Chung, Cassie Williams, Joseph Sue-Ho, Jennifer Sue-Ho, Peter Kirwin and Juddy Kirwin-Price.