Category Archives: Uncategorized

Going shopping is a little different here at Msalato. The biggest change to adjust to has been that there is nothing like the one-stop shopping you can do in the US. Stores here are generally specialized – you can’t buy minor office supplies at the place you buy food, and if you want a printer, your best bet is to hunt down a printer store – not an easy feat!… continue reading

In Tanzania, no one is eager to return home from church for NFL kickoff or a coveted brunch reservation.  Church is the main event, and it is an all-day affair.  Last Sunday, Elizabeth and I accompanied three other American missionaries to Mvumi Makulu, a large, relatively prosperous village about an hour’s drive from campus over bumpy dirt roads.  This was our first real immersion into African Christianity, and it was certainly an exciting experience.  This particular Sunday was a special day, since the parish priest, Father Daniel, was leaving his post to come to Msalato to study for his Bachelor’s Degree.  The service lasted well over four hours.… continue reading

The most common question that our friends and families have asked us since we arrived is where we live. We’ve been extremely generously welcomed into many of the homes of fellow missionaries, some who arrived on campus just a week before us and some who arrived as many as seven years ago. Now we want to welcome you into ours – virtually for now but we hope in person for many of you.… continue reading

Egypt - our first view of Africa. It was too dark to take a picture of Tanzania. Click on the images to enlarge

It was Wednesday evening after dark when we flew into Tanzania and saw the country for the first time. And the first thing we noticed was that it was very dark! Unlike flying into US cities where dense grids of orange lights sprawl around the airport at night, lights in Tanzania were more spread out, fewer innumber, and generally whiter.… continue reading

Photo: The road to Msalato Theological College from Dodoma

We have reached our fundraising goal, and are ready to fly to Tanzania this Tuesday, August 21!! We want to thank all of our exceptionally generous donors whose gifts will allow us to teach and serve in Tanzania!  We have been struck by just how much support we received not only financially but also in offers of counsel, prayers, and encouragement. … continue reading

Ugali, coconut beans, and other Tanzanian Food cooked by the Steffensens

Elizabeth and I recently enjoyed our first taste of traditional Tanzanian food.  And we loved it!

Deacon Leslie Steffensen, her husband Kirk, and their children, Greg, Henry, and Charlotte invited us to dinner in their Virginia home to tell us about their experiences at Msalato Theological College.  They lived there during the 2006-07 school year, doing similar work to what Elizabeth and I expect to do there this year.… continue reading

Sermon for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi
Sunday June 10, 2012 | St. Paul’s Parish, K Street, Washington D.C.
Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 1 Corinthians 10:1-4, 16-17, John 6:47-58

Click here for sermon audio recording

“For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.”

Today we celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi, when we give thanks and praise to God for the gift of the Eucharist, the Sacrament of Jesus Christ’s own Body and Blood.… continue reading

On Saturday, June 2nd, I was ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons. Throughout the service there was a phrase that stuck in my mind. It came from the bishop’s examination: “In the name of Jesus Christ, you are to serve all people, particularly the poor, the weak, the sick, and the lonely.”

When a person is made a deacon they are, in a particularly intense way, conformed to the servant nature of Jesus.… continue reading

Even though Elizabeth and I have not been to Tanzania yet (or anywhere in Africa, for that matter!), we still want to showcase where we hope to live and work. Once we arrive in Tanzania, we will be sure to chronicle our journey with regular photo gallery updates. In the mean time, please enjoy these photos we have borrowed from others who have lived at the seminary.… continue reading

Missionary work is kind of a crazy thing to do. Leaving family and friends, home and career to travel halfway across the world and try to find a place in a foreign culture. Plus, there are scary snakes.

And today, Christians exist in every country, even when they are a small minority. In some ways it makes the most sense to stay where you are, and reach out in service and love to those who share a common culture and language with you.… continue reading