We grieve for our friend Aminirabi Swai

„Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.“ (Gal.6,9)

Dear friends oft he Uraa Vocational Training Centre, dear sisters and brothers in Christ!
Totaly unprepared und deeply shocked we heard today about the sudden death of our friend Aminirabi Swai.
What a sad news, what a shock for all of us knowing him from many meetings in Tansania as well as in Berlin conected us as honourful partners, as sisters and brothers in Christ. What an unbelievable message for the family, his children, his parents und relatives, first of all for Neema, his wife.
We remember him, the Districtpastor of Hai-Deanary. As a very god pastor he always had an open ear for the sorrows and problems of  the people he met, he was strong in working in projects, always giving the best of his talents and possibilities to heal wounds and to bring a balance between the ones who are living in better circumstances and the ones who are living in not so good  circumstances.
In a storehouse on the area oft he Deanarys office in Hai he built some stores for maize, collected from parish in the forest of Kilimanjaro to give it in dry times to the 7 parishes in the Massaiarea to help them to survive.

Once weh ad to wait some time for meeting with Aminirabi beside his Office. After a while, he came out the office and asked us for sorry but the are to families of one village in his consultation who are in struggle with each outher and his job was to bring them together and a friendly way that ist he main think for him at the moment. As a good moderator he was not an hard adviser, he was the one who moved the two parties step by step in a construktive discusion to create peace between them. Aminirabi was very thanful when this worked.
Dean Swai was the moderator of many board-meetings and consultations oft he UVCT. He never started this meetings without a prayer and a short sermon about a song or a vers out oft he bible. First to hear the word of our Lord about the kindness and love of God before working on the other things that he as the former teacher did every time – thank you!
That we managed the building oft he dormetery, „Neema- Hostel“, in between only a few years, that was the result of Aminirabi Swai managment. 
Aminirabi and his wife Neema burnt together fort he idea to help young women from Massaifamilies who flet from home because the should fourced to marry an Man who ist in the age of their own Grandfathers or because of forced circumcition. Many oft hem had find a home in the Swai family during the years.
Aminirabi was a talented organisator in general. He was a mercyful leader of his pastors, he pushed different projects, was the organisator oft he inauguration party of bishop Dr. Shoo as the presiding bishop oft he Lutheran church in Tansania in 2016 in Moshi.
But the same way other things belonged to his personality: He was a very good father and husband, full of love and kindness, he was a good son for his parents as well! Years ago in Berlin, we went shopping. He wanted to buy some shooes fort he twins. „Do you know the right sieze?“ I asked him: „Oh, Yes ..“ and than he took a sheet of paper out of his jacket with the footprints oft he children and he was looking fort he right shooes and was fortune in it.
The last mail he send to me last week, was full of sorrow because oft he dry weather through such a long time. He wrote about a famine that would come if ist not start raining very soon. And he asked me and the friends to pray for it – what we done.
The personal planst o stay some time in Germany was just in the shaddow of this sorrowness.
Not becoming weary in doing good, the apostel has written, that was the headline over the life of Aminirabis Swai. He always was full of hope that the living word of our mercyfulGod will not come back to him empty. It will come back and all the things he promised will have done (Jesaja 55).
I am sure that the harvest oft he things Aminirab Swai did in his life will be great.
Now have to say a last farewell to him as a real friend and we are praying for his familie and all the relatives. They may become comforted step by step after this time of sorrow in trusting in the Living Word of our Lord that there will be space for him in Gods kingdom as Aminirabi believed. May the Lord filled you, dear sisters and brother, with confidence and hope!
God bless you!
Dean Martin Kirchner, Superintendent
Berlin 12.7.2019 

In german >>