For more than thirty years the people of the Saint Paul Area Synod, ELCA and the Iringa Diocese (DIRA) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania have been walking beside one another as companions on the journey of God’s mission. Bega Kwa Bega is the phrase we use to describe this companionship. Meaning “shoulder to shoulder,” it describes the way in which we accompany one another in a spirit of mutuality, inclusivity, and vulnerability.

Celebrating that rich history, choirs in Minnesota and in Tanzania are being formed to participate in a joint choir tour in Iringa in July 2019. Together, singers will share music from their own culture while learning the music of the other’s culture. Over the course of a week, together we will rehearse, explore Iringa, and perform in four different areas around the diocese. Deacon Mark Ertl (Shepherd of the Valley) will conduct the synod choir, and Lupyana Samwell (Cathedral) and Elia Kitomo (Kihesa) will conduct the DIRA choir.

Whether you’ve visited partners in Tanzania before or are considering traveling there for the very first time, you will experience the warm, gracious hospitality of our Tanzanian family in Christ. Singing and worshipping together, you will experience the vibrancy of the fast-growing Tanzanian Lutheran Church. Through planned activities and serendipitous encounters, this journey will deepen your appreciation and broaden your understanding of the life we share as companions.

Find more information at www.spas-elca.org/kuimba-singing-shoulder-to-shoulder.