In 2002, a group of Seattle high school students decided they wanted to know more about the world.

As part of the Northeast Seattle Lutheran Youth Association, they had been on summer service trips to the states of South Dakota and Montana. Their experience learning about how people in different parts of their own country lived made them determined to know more about people in other countries. And they wanted to go to Africa.

Leaders of their youth group and of their Lutheran congregations in Seattle—Bethany, Faith, Maple Leaf, Prince of Peace, and University—began looking for a good way to achieve the students' goal. Pastor Nancy Winder of Faith knew that her colleague Pastor Charlie Mays in Port Angeles, Washington, had a wonderful experience with the people of the Meru Diocese in Tanzania. In fact, Bishop Paulo Akyoo of Meru was going to be in Port Angeles that December.

A meeting was arranged at SeaTac Airport before Bishop Akyoo flew back to Tanzania.

In that meeting, Bishop Akyoo mentioned a new school in the Meru Diocese was just beginning, an amazing project that would prepare students from all around Tanzania to be leaders in their country. The name was Ailanga Lutheran Junior Seminary, a place that would be a shining star for its students and for all who came there. He noted that, although Meru had many partnerships with churches all over the world, he thought the people of the diocese might want to do Ailanga on their own. He would bring the idea of our group partnering with Ailanga to the Meru partnership committee and see what they thought. Pastor Winder shared the idea with the Seattle churches, and we waited to hear from Bishop Akyoo.

In January 2003, we got the great news that they wanted us to be in partnership with Ailanga. Plans began to take shape to send the first group of students to Ailanga that summer. After a delay due to flight cancellations, the trip planning shifted to July 2004.

The 2004 trip was a wonderful and joyful time.

Our students and adults were so overwhelmed by the generosity and hospitality of our Ailanga and Meru hosts. No one on that trip will ever forget the relationships forged or the depth of learning and experience. The Ailanga building was just started, and we laughed with our new friends as we tried to paint walls, walk through the mud and bricks, and, at the same time, celebrate this amazing beginning. Our farewell gathering at Ailanga was an evening to be remembered forever.

From there, the partnership was established. The Meru Diocese asked us to be involved with computer items and with the science building they were hoping to begin. The Seattle congregations, now working together as The Ailanga School Project, planned trips that would be life-changing for students and adults alike. Subsequent youth delegations traveled in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2015, and 2017. A delegation of adults, including two over 85 years old, visited in 2012. Another adult delegation visited in 2019.

In Seattle, we have enjoyed visits from our Meru friends, another way to connect these two places in distant parts of our world.

We are much closer together than our geography would tell. A most important part of this collaboration has been our commitment to pray for each other. In January or February every year, during Epiphany, the season of light, the Seattle congregations have an Ailanga Sunday when the school and the Meru Diocese are particularly remembered. But Ailanga is in our hearts and minds all through the year, when we receive greetings, when pictures and stories are shared, and at the annual events raising funds to support the work of the school.

This is a story of relationships, of sisters and brothers in Christ united in common work, in the way in which the grace of God breaks down any barriers of nationality and culture and simply unites us in love and joy. We have been so proud to walk in the light of Ailanga and are thankful for this tenth anniversary celebration. St. Paul writes this in Second Corinthians 4: For it is God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Ailanga is our shining star!

Through our partnership, we have provided a direct cultural connection for many Seattle area high school students with high school students in Tanzania. With each trip, we have strengthened the bonds between our congregations and the people of the Meru Diocese. Through contributions from our supporters, the Ailanga School Project has provided funds that Ailanga has used to improve their facilities and support their program, including addition of science laboratories that enabled Ailanga to obtain accreditation for advanced level science. Youth and adult delegations continue to travel to Ailanga every two or three years. Many returnees have said that this trip has been a life changing experience. We have been blessed to be a part of that mission with significant support for almost two decades.

We look forward to years more friendship, exchange, and travel between our communities.