Stone Upon Stone

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Posted by Stephen Shepherd on

I have just returned from a four-day trip to Haiti. I travelled with two people from St. George's Episcopal Church, Fredericksburg. Their names are Carey and Linda. Carey has been to Haiti several times and Linda was making her second trip. As we flew into the airport I was struck by the city of...

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The Living Bible

Posted by Stephen Shepherd on

Today I am narking one month of my time in Tanzania. I will fly to Dar es Salaam today to meet Tami and begin our safari adventure. The past month has been very busy and an incredible experience. I have baptized 27 new Christians, named a church (St. Mary's), started another church, and taught...

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Worship in Mwitikria

Posted by Stephen Shepherd on

Yesterday we worshiped at a village called Mwitikria. The service lasted for four hours. No, it wasn't the preacher's fault the service went that long. My first sermon effort in Tanzania went well as I learned to work with the swahili translator. It felt like we were verbally dancing. There...

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Greetings from Tanzania

Posted by Stephen Shepherd on

I have arrived safely in Tanzania. The first leg of the flight was 13 hours from Washington to Ethiopia then a connecting flight to Dar es Salaam of 2 hours. After an overnight stay in in Dar, I had a 9 hour bus trip to Dodoma. I have been here for three days now and my sleep is finally...

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All My Bags are Packed....

Posted by Stephen Shepherd on

Well not quite packed yet. On Monday June 25th I will fly to Tanzania and begin that part of the sabbatical adventure. Today I am finishing up my first sermon which I will be preaching on July 1st. I need to email it early to them so my translator will have an idea what I will be preaching...

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Learning Swahili

Posted by Stephen Shepherd on

As week four begins, I have begun learning some important words and phrases in Swahili. I learned that "doctor" is "daktari" and am reminded how much I loved that television show as a kid. Most of the details of my time in Tanzania have been worked out. They include spending time with the...

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Memorial Day

Posted by Stephen Shepherd on

As Memorial Day passes and stories of wounded and dead soldiers from the last ten years are shared, I am praying for the end of war in Afghanistan and wonder if the cost in lives is worth whatever was gained. I am thankful for all the soldiers, like my father who received a Purple Heart in WWII...

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CREDO Conference - NC

Posted by Stephen Shepherd on

So here is the first post to my sabbatical blog. From May 14-21st, I was at Trinity Center in North Carolina attending a conference called CREDO2. CREDO2 is a program funded by the church pension fund and focuses on clergy wellness. I had attended CREDO1 about six years ago. Trinity Center...

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