2023 Update
Well, I was all packed, ready to leave on the 13th of May, when my phone buzzed. The first flight out of El Paso was delayed just enough that I would miss all my connecting flights. I was bumped a…
Update from the Field #5 El Paso
May 13, 2023 In many ways the most moving aspect of a TATENDA trip is found in the faces of those we visit in the field. So many people have been introduced to me and many others whose names I…
TATENDA Chaparral, New Mexico #3
May 11, 2023 I have been welcomed into the straw-bale home of the Religious of the Assumption, over the mountains from Anthony, New Mexico where I wrote to you previously. The wind is strong here and the heat is powerful…
Update from Anthony, NM
May 10, 2023 Why is it that every mission town, no matter if it is in Africa, Asia, or Central America, has so many similar characteristics? Razor wire, broken down homes, bars on the window, dusty streets, and bleak exteriors.…
Update from the Field in El Paso #1
May 6, 2023 Oh my heavens, we never could have anticipated the welcome and the response from the caregivers here on the border in El Paso. We had over 40 registered (religious women and laity both), but illness took out…
Departure Update for El Paso, TX
May 4, 2023 WE ARE READY! Tomorrow, Cinco de Mayo, we fly to El Paso, Texas, for our first Domestic Retreat for TATENDA International. Our Travel Team, Nicki Verploegen and Wilson Villamar have been preparing with our people on the ground there,…
30 Days of Thanksgiving
Dear Friends of TATENDA International, As many of you know, TATENDA means “thank you” in the Shona language of Zimbabwe. "Thank you" is the common sentiment expressed by the caregivers that TATENDA has served through retreats in various countries…
May 2020
Dear Friends of TATENDA; As our seasons begin to shift, we find ourselves still sequestered safely in our homes, waiting for the virus to pass. With all the swells of the disease around the world, it has become clear that…
Departure and Return from India
July 10, 2019 Departure and Return from India Dear Traveler Supporters- We have concluded our final retreat here in India and enjoyed being dressed in blue sarris by the sisters. They raved about how easily we moved in these flowing…
India Update #7
The Colors and Characters of India July 6, 2019Bangalore, India The Colors and Characters of India It’s late here right now and we heard today about the earthquakes in Los Angeles. Thinking of all those affected by it. We are…