Our EPA & GNJ Tanzania team returned home a few weeks ago, exhausted but exhilarated. Their stories are a living witness to the truth Paul proclaims in Acts: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Our team of eleven bold travelers left the very same day the EPA Annual Conference ended. Their mission: travel to Tanzania to host a pastor’s school and witness the work of God as United Methodists in Tanzania gathered for their Annual Conference.

After days of travel, they arrived in Tanzania on May 25th, where church leaders gathered to welcome them. They then traveled to Mwanza, a city on Lake Victoria, where the Annual Conference would be held. The team quickly got to work. While the Annual Conference met from May 25–27, members of the team ministered to children.

Rev. Eunice Vega-Perez, District Superintendent for GNJ’s Skylands District, brought a suitcase full of toys, games, and puppets. Her mission: to lead Vacation Bible School programming for the children who accompany their parents to the Annual Conference and pastor’s school. She set to work making the Gospel come alive through play and puppetry. “Everybody is going to be a puppet!” Rev. Vega-Perez told the team.

The Vacation Bible School curriculum mirrored the Bible lessons that pastors were unpacking during the pastor’s school. On the same day their parents heard the story of the Good Samaritan, the children heard it too.

Rev. Dawn Taylor-Storm, Director of Connectional Ministries for EPA & GNJ, shared the story of how the Vacation Bible School first began:

“There were many children who came to the mission site with their parents, who stayed outside while the school was taking place. We felt a call to engage all generations in learning. The Vacation Bible School was one way we could do that. What was really beautiful was that many local teachers and youth leaders participated in leading with us, and are now taking that model back to their congregations and communities.”

On the third day of the Annual Conference, the team witnessed a powerful Ordination Service: nine clergy were ordained as deacons and three were ordained as full elders. Among them was Pastor Isaya Matiku of the Yatosha Deaf Ministry, who became the first Deaf Deacon in the Tanzania Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church on May 27, 2025. Rev. Matiku pastors the Viwege Deaf UMC in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

Once the Annual Conference adjourned, the team turned their attention toward teaching and learning alongside pastors in Tanzania. Leaders from EPA & GNJ, along with local clergy leaders, led a pastor’s school, teaching on discipleship, conflict resolution, evangelism, and marketing. Pastors also had the opportunity to practice leading infant baptisms and communion in the United Methodist tradition—deepening both their theological understanding and practical ministry skills.

It was a transformational experience for everyone involved.

Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi was awestruck and deeply grateful for the blessings she encountered on the journey:

“Our connection is such a blessing. To be in mission with folks who have a different understanding of who God is, to worship with your whole body, to hear children playing outside while people were interacting with them, to see the growth—that is such a blessing. To see the excitement people have about being in ministry; to participate in a three-and-a-half-hour ordination service was a blessing. And to ordain the first Deaf clergy person—such a blessing.”

Perhaps the greatest blessing of all was the opportunity to witness how the Holy Spirit is moving in and through the United Methodist Church in Tanzania.

While there, the team saw a growing church in a thriving neighborhood. When the church first bought the land, there was nothing else around. Now, an entire community has grown up around it. Through careful listening to the Spirit and the dedicated work of those on the ground, they knew where to buy and where to build—so that the church would be there to share the Good News of Christ with the community.

The team returned home with hearts on fire—renewed in zeal and purpose.

Pastor Suzette Douglas-Brown shared:

“I was moved by the passionate faith of the leaders we encountered—especially the passion of so many young pastors. Their zeal wasn’t just a fleeting emotion; it was deeply rooted in an unshakeable love of God, a steadfast commitment to faith, and a vibrant vision for the future of the United Methodist Church in Tanzania. Witnessing their profound faith and enduring spirit has been a transformative experience that renewed my resolve to follow God’s calling on my life.”

Moselle Jules, a young adult from GNJ, also returned with a renewed sense of wonder in our United Methodist connection:

“One ‘Wow, God is amazing!’ moment for me was during the confirmation service. I was in awe as the young people processed in with the bishop. The worship team, made up of students from Wesley College, led with so much energy and purpose. As a young adult myself, I was deeply encouraged by how excited they were to carry forward the traditions and mission of the United Methodist Church. It was a powerful moment of hope, showing how God is continuing to raise up leaders in every corner of the world.”

That moment renewed her commitment to lifting up the voices and experiences of young people in the Church.

While there is much to celebrate, the work is not yet finished. We dream of raising enough funds so that every pastor in Tanzania might receive a living wage. We have not yet fully realized that dream. To date, we’ve raised $41,740 of our $50,000 goal.

We invite you to prayerfully consider stepping into the water and amplifying the ripple of blessings by making a donation today.To give please visit, epaumc.org/fortanzania