When I first returned from two weeks in Tanzania I began to note some of the lessons I learnt. However, I quickly realised that I found it difficult to articulate what I was thinking and feeling. It had been such an intense fortnight. Our time there has been busy and exhausting, as well as great fun. Given the mixed emotions I was feeling I decided to postpone any written reflection.

Now that more than a month has passed since returning to the UK, I have decided to jot down a few of my reflections. These are still not fully-formed in my own mind, and this blog post will most likely be brief, yet I hope that the process of writing will help me to crystallise my thoughts in a more concise and clear fashion.

Where did you go? Myself and a bunch of others – all partaking in the New Wine Discipleship Year – went to Tanzania for just over two weeks. We went with the Christian organisation Tearfund, who partnered us with the African Inland Church of Tanzania (AICT). We were based in the north of Tanzania, in a town called Musoma.

What did you do out there? It is a little tricky to explain exactly the purpose of the trip, but in retrospect I see the main aims/outcomes of the trip to have been 1) perspective-shifting for us as a team from the UK, and 2) encouraging for all the people we encountered. Let me explain:

1) perspective-shifting – I hope that the two percent of my year that I spent in Tanzania will profoundly affect the other ninety-eight percent of my time in my usual context, the UK. There is value in intentionally purposing oneself to spend time outside of one’s comfort zone. Going to Tanzania meant that I was immersed in a new culture, to which the churches appropriately contextualised. This allowed me to broaden my understanding of the church and God’s mission on Earth, and I could appreciate more of what it means to be part of a global Christian family.

2) encouraging – We were not based in a single location or focussing solely on one task, but instead our time was spread thinly in multiple places. We spent the two weeks visiting schools, churches, families and communities to see the work of the AICT. Hence, our time was very people-focussed with new interactions and introductions taking place daily. Everywhere we went, we looked for opportunities to bless others, build up others, and encourage others in the work they were already doing.

So now that I have covered some of the practical details, allow me to bullet point some of that which I have learnt…

The many people I met were all incredibly generous with their time and resources. In contrast, it seems that the people of England can tend towards being self-centred. We are often incredibly busy people and this make us tightfisted when it comes to the stewardship of that which is in our possession. I have been inspired to be more generous, in a way that was modelled by the people of Tanzania. I hope that I will start choosing to slow down, focus on the people around me, and listen to God’s directing voice concerning the stewarding of my possessions.

It seems that the culture has respect and honour imbedded into it. People make a big deal about greeting each other, and it is normal to talk to strangers in a polite and friendly way. Although this system of greeting each other can seem quite rigid, it is never formal. Furthermore, having a system of greeting elicits conversation between strangers where talking may otherwise be awkward or difficult. Why do the English rarely engage strangers in conversation?

Many of the Tanzanians we met have a kind of material contentment that is unseen in the UK. This juxtaposition made me realise just how strong a grip my possessions have on my heart. What was most frightening was how little I realised this beforehand. Paul, when writing to his mentee Timothy, says that “godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Timothy 6:6). Instead of always striving for more, I want to embrace a mindset of contentment, and trust that it will be to my “great gain".

The mission of God is global. It was incredibly exciting and inspiring to hear that the Mara region still contains villages, tribes and people groups which have not yet been reached with the Gospel. Join with me in praying that God will send out workers into this field ripe for harvest.

As I look to start university in Durham, this question remains on my mind: How can I now act for the sake of the poor and vulnerable? Perhaps this is a question that you ask for yourself as well.