Original by Suzanne Jordan, North Wales Pioneer - http://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/172081/communities-across-north…
The Diocese of St Asaph is linked with the Diocese of South West Tanganyika, one of the most rural parts of sub-Saharan Africa. The diocese’s bishop, the Rt Rev Matthew Mhagama, and his wife Skola, will arrived in Wales on Monday and will be staying in the country for three weeks.
The couple will be staying in several towns, many of which have been supporting Tanzanian villages in the St Asaph diocese since the link was established in 2010.
A highlight of the trip will be a gala dinner in Llandudno on Friday which will raise money for the bishop to take back to his diocese.
The Rev Mike Harrison, of Llandudno, who is helping organise the visit, said: “While I’ve visited [the diocese of] South West Tanganyika [in Tanzania] several times, taking essential supplies and establishing projects, this is the first time bishop Matthew has visited Wales.
”He has a busy programme here as so many churches, schools and communities in North Wales have established their own links with parishes in South West Tanganyika and are keen to meet him. These links are important as they remind us of the wide variety of circumstance in which people work and worship around the world.”
On Saturday, three bishops will gather at St Paul’s Church in Colwyn Bay for a special service to name three fishing boats donated by communities in Wales for use on Lake Nyasa in Tanzania.
The Bishop of St Asaph, the Rt Rev Gregory Cameron, will welcome Bishop Matthew along with bishop Stephen Lowe, the Mission Area Leader of Aled which stretches along the North Wales coast from Rhos-on-Sea to Abergele. The community of Colwyn Bay sponsored one of the new fishing boats. Another boat has been named St Asaph, after the Diocese and a third boat, Mathrafal, was sponsored by churches in North Powys.
These 28-foot-long, powered boats, have replaced traditional dugout canoes previously used by communities on Lake Nyasa.
Bishop Matthew will be visiting several schools across the region before leaving Wales on February 27.
Janet said:
'The close relationship between the Dioceses of St Asaph and South West Tanganyika is very important'
'Symbolic of the bond that unites the two areas is the fact that Bishop Matthew Mhagama will be visiting Ysgol Bodafon today to celebrate the school's link with St Mary’s Primary School in Njombe, Tanzania: the Bishop's home town!'
'I am grateful that Mr Lloyd-Owen, Headmaster, is giving the pupils such an opportunity to learn about other cultures and languages, and make friends with children south of the equator'.