Carl Bergstrom finds Tanzania is closer than we think

The distance is great from Iowa to Tanzania, it’s 9000 miles, yet Carl Bergstrom finds there are definitely ties that bind. 

He has made seven trips over the course of the last eight years. 

In 2006 the Western Iowa Synod of ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) having a mission emphasis directed to health, education, clean water and agriculture, created a nationwide partnership with Tanzania. Different synods would be paired with a diocese in Tanzania. Local congregations could then have companion congregations in Tanzania if they wished. These companioned congregations were then encouraged to meet each other, travel if they liked and do joint projects.

In January of 2006, David Bergstrom (brother of Carl and an ELCA minister from Iowa’s western synod) thought his big brother needed a retirement project. He encouraged him to get involved in the project.

Through some research with farmers in Tanzania, it was discovered that agricultural farmers here and in that distant land had the same issues to consider: the cost of input, volume of inputs such as fertilizer, feed and chemicals, and the success or failure of the crop. The only difference being the much smaller scale of Tanzanian farming.

For the complete story, see this week's issue of The Ogden Reporter.