President’s message
Jambo!
There’s a greeting that brings a smile to my face. It’s Swahili for “Hello, I’m an American, and I don’t know any Swahili, but I’m glad to be here!”
Years ago, I made my first trip to Africa. It was a photo safari to Kenya. I’ll never forget the feelings I had while I was there. The smells, the sounds, the sights were like nothing I’ve ever experienced, but yet somehow it was a deeply spiritual feeling. Like knowing this is the right place, but not knowing why. Everyone I talk to that has been relates similar feelings. Perhaps it’s because that continent is where all humans come from, and it’s a sort of homecoming when we go and visit. I do know for sure that my family has been and feels a deep love for the people there, and that helped me answer an important question; “God, You’ve done so much for me, what is it that you want me to do for you?”
We Americans are a great people. We have loads of compassion for those less fortunate. Our nation gives more to charity than all other nations combined. Billions of US dollars are sent and spent all over the world, but there’s an important piece of compassion that we are missing; the sights, sounds, smells of those places where our dollars are going. We know we are fortunate, but we don’t understand what the problems are in other parts of the world. The media never get it right. It’s not all political. I think it all comes down to three basic things that Americans have plenty of, but are lacking in so many other places; education, spiritual growth, and values. Countries like Tanzania are poor, lacking in oil, exportable agriculture, timber, technology, etc. Therefore they have a low tax base, which means the country can’t afford to build classrooms, hire good teachers, provide updated curriculum, and send students to college, and that leads to high levels of uneducated people, inadequate medical staff, and so on. All of this creates a chain reaction of negatives for the citizens there that ultimately keeps them in third world status.
What would happen if all of us could take 10 days or so and go to Tanzania and help with a school or orphanage by building a classroom, teaching a class, working with other teachers there, playing with the children, reading a story to a class of 6th graders, telling a classroom full of 3rd graders what our school is like, our homes, our friends, our God, and letting them share with us about their lives? What kind of impact would that have on those kids? Better yet, what kind of impact would that have on us individually? Would we feel different when we returned to our comfortable homes? What about the things that annoy us so much? Would those same things annoy us as much, or would we feel just a little bit silly? Would we continue to take so much for granted, or would we be a little more content with what we have?
That is what OMEGA is all about. We want to change lives, both Americans and Tanzanians, through cross-cultural experiences and community development partnerships. We want to encourage our Christian brothers and sisters to go to Africa, help children over there with education, build a classroom or a school, and work alongside the local people and understand who they are and show them how Jesus taught us to love our neighbors as ourselves. In James 4, vs. 10; “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up.”
We do this by removing the obstacles that people have for going. We negotiate a good airfare, set up the project and arrange living quarters and meals. We provide transportation, and see to the safety and comfort of our volunteers until they fly home. That is what OMEGA does. When the team or individual goes home, OMEGA staff is still there in Tanzania, seeing that the project doesn’t end there. We continue to partner with schools, kindergartens, orphanages, and other projects by raising money to see to the needs of the many projects OMEGA has selected to partner with.
Omega Mission International realizes that many people can’t make the trip, but want to do something to assist. We welcome those individuals to get involved with us by prayer, telling others about us and helping us recruit teams, sponsoring a team member, and assisting our works financially. We pride ourselves in being good stewards with the donations we receive, and will put all donations to good use at a “grassroots level”.
Please take time to consider getting a group of friends/colleagues together and take on a project in beautiful Tanzania. I promise you it will be one of the greatest trips you’ve ever been on, and it will change your life forever. If you can’t go at this time but can help OMEGA, we ask you to please prayerfully give so OMEGA can continue to grow and host others, and see lives change, both American and Tanzanians.
Thank you for your time, and may God bless you,
Jerry Hale
President, Director of Operations
Omega Mission International, Inc
opportunities
Volunteer in Tanzania
OMEGA is currently looking for individuals to volunteer in education projects across Tanzania. Learn more.
OMEGA Vision Trip
Join OMEGA on a safari trip to Tanzania for those interested in the vision of what we do.
Partner with OMEGA
You can change the lives of both volunteers and children in Africa. If you are unable to join us overseas, consider joining our financial support team.