This month we want to tell you more about the “Mercy Medical Care” program of the Tanzania Mwadui Lutheran School and Community, recipients of an $68,182 grant from Lutheran Women in Mission (LWM) in the 2021–2023 biennium.

The Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania, which covers the region southeast of Lake Victoria, was created on December 12, 2012. The mission of the diocese is to connect all people to Jesus so that they may inherit eternal life, through preaching the Gospel in word and deed with great emphasis on God’s Word. Their purpose statement includes the phrase “to serve all people spiritually, mentally, and physically through Jesus’ name”.

Mwadui Lutheran School in Tanzania is an example of how they serve people through Jesus’ name. The school is a training place for students aspiring to be pastors, teachers or professionals. The boarding school began in 2010 and currently has over 200 students. The school is a valuable Christian outreach to the community and region known for its pagan spirit and ancestor worship. The school has trained evangelists and pastors while sending professionals, even medical students, to the universities with Biblical-based Christian hearts.

Malaria and other illnesses are still rampant in this region that is poor and lacks adequate healthcare. The nearest dispensary or clinic is fifteen miles from the school. Most members of the school and the Mwadui community do not have transportation available or the funds to pay for transportation to the clinic. Students often become ill living in their close quarters and do not have medical help readily available.

Four years ago, plans began to build a clinic and provide medical care. The construction of the clinic is nearly completed. The next step is to begin this mercy ministry. Medical equipment, medical supplies and medicine to treat the various illnesses need to be purchased. There is a physician ready to serve the clinic when it is equipped.

Money from this grant will provide funds over the next five years to purchase needed supplies. The clinic will serve not only the students of Mwadui Lutheran School but will also serve as a mercy ministry to the community and the region that needs healthcare. The clinic will have the opportunity to witness about our Lord, through care and ministry, helping to spread the Gospel message.

Lutheran Women in Mission (LWM) is the official women’s auxiliary of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Since 1942, LWM has focused on affirming each woman’s relationship with Christ, encouraging and equipping women to live out their Christian lives in active mission ministries and by supporting global missions. For more information on each month’s mission focus, visit LWML.org. Saint John’s Lutheran Women in Mission (Mission Guild) meets the first Tuesday of each month at 10:30 AM in Room 301. All ladies of the congregation are invited to attend.