Partners in Celebration

CHRIST KISWAHILI LUTHERAN MISSION

12/8/2022

Since 2009 Christ Lutheran church expanded the ministry to people of African descent located in the Nashville Tennessee area. The ministry targets immigrants from the Kiswahili speaking nations of Africa, and currently includes immigrants from Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi. During its formative years, the Kiswahili ministry began with offering a worship service in Kiswahili. To meet holistic needs of new members of the church and the community at large, Kiswahili Service started a Christ Closet to assist families being resettled in the community with household items, offered Bible studies in Kiswahili language, provided family support and encouragement in a variety of ways including school registration, immunizations and other services that enhanced assimilation into their new community. We also engaged in outreach and evangelism to the larger community. In January 2012 the Kiswahili Ministry became a Synodical authorized worshipping community and became namely Christ Kiswahili Lutheran Mission.
 
How Kiswahili Mission is addressing the challenges faced by our refugee / immigrant communities.
Kiswahili Mission plays an important role in welcoming refugees and immigrants to new communities. Training and Education: We have coordinated leadership training for a select group of refugees to equip them to lead their communities. English education is provided through our Amka Pamoja tutoring program for children and ESL program for adults.

We have provided hands-on cultural training by pairing a refugee with a local to assist in grocery shopping, to help them find foods which they are accustomed to, introduce them to American foods, cooking methods, and provide for any other needs that arise after their arrival. We have provided income tax filing assistance; assist in arranging identification for check cashing, driver training and licensure as well as help in resolving issues as they arise. Kiswahili Mission has been an important source of support and encouragement to refugees and immigrant community. Furthermore, Kiswahili Mission has played a central role in advocacy, by engaging our community leaders and state representatives to address the challenges and support needs of our Swahili speaking refugees in Middle Tennessee. 

Amka Pamoja (Rise Together) Tutoring Program
The Amka Pamoja (Rise Together) tutoring program provides tutoring services to immigrants and refugees in the Nashville area. The service includes English language tutoring for children as young as 5 years old, and English as a Second Language (ESL) program for adults. The services offered are not limited to congregational members. We have opened our doors to the immigrants and refugee's community across the Nashville area. Amka Pamoja Tutoring Program meets every Saturday for three hours, while ESL meets twice a week, for three hours a day.  Kiswahili Mission has been using volunteers to provide tutoring services.
 
KLM PAMOJA SOCCER -SEACH FOR ONE PROGRAM (PASOTE SOP)
:"For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search and find my sheep. I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. I will bring them back home to their own land of Israel from among the peoples and nations. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the rivers and in all the places where people live. Yes, I will give them good pastureland on the high hills of Israel. There they will lie down in pleasant places and feed in the lush pastures of the hills. I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign Lord. I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak..." Ezekiel 34:11-16
PASOTE was formed in October 2022 to bring together young girls and boys from refugee and immigrant communities for purposes of mentoring them and helping them grow their Christian faith. During the heavy days of COVID19 most families together with their children spent most of their time indoors and this affected most children and hence the idea of forming the PASOTE young girls’ and boys’ team after things started opening up. 
PASOTE   include 10-20 ages’ refugees and immigrants in our community with a mission of glorifying God and seeing lives transformed by sharing the message of Jesus Christ. 
PASOTE‘s main methods of evangelism and discipleship are through organized soccer teams, soccer camps and soccer tours and sports ministry training. Also training leaders to be sports ministers and sending them out to partner with other youth in our community. 
 PASOTE‘s theme verse; 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”   
Worship: PASOTE start with 15-20 min songs, word, and prayer  (Holy Communion once per month) and after game they close with prayer.

KLM COMMUNITY GARDEN
The majorities   of the families are new immigrants with   refugee status and are learning to adjust to living in a foreign culture. The main characteristics of this   population   are    low   income, low on no education and large number of growing children under 18 years of age. The   adults have poor health and suffer from chronic diseases including diabetes, vascular diseases (heart diseases, hypertension etc) and   obesity. The children show symptoms of poor health. Their diets include foods high in starch, fats and meats and very low consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits. They have been holding on to cultural foods and foods that are promoted as healthy are often seen as foreign. This cultural identity is contributing to the disparity in health as compared to the of majority in the US population.
 The main goal of the Food and Nutrition Education is to enable underserved minority ethnic immigrant families who are part of the Kiswahili Lutheran Mission community of worshipers to acquire new knowledge as a necessary tool to overcome apparent health disparities due to low income, low or no education, biased cultural preferences, and new environments. At the end of the year, the families should be able to know the nutritional values of foods, able to understand the nutritional labels and follow the recommended USDA diet. Furthermore the gardening will encourage participants to plan and establish a community garden as a source of fresh vegetables and fruits. The overall outcome is making better food choices and developing a new diet plan that helps to reduce the risk of chronic diseases.