Joy is a Choice

MISSIONER NEWSLETTER – Summer 2026

Joanne Miya, Tanzania

Greetings from Tanzania,

I hope this newsletter finds you doing well and staying hopeful. I know many people are facing health issues, the rising cost of living, or the stress of uncertainty. Anxiety can be hard to avoid. Tanzania has taught me that one of our most powerful tools is joy.

Revocatus, a student supported by the Uzima Centre in Tanzania, whose determination and joyful spirit inspire all who know him.

One lesson in the power of joy occurred just a few years after I arrived. I was still trying to understand the abject poverty that existed here in the mid-1980s. On my way to the local market I passed a woman applying a mud plaster to the outside walls of her small hut. Two things caught my attention: she was using her hand rather than a trowel, and she was smiling. While joyfully slapping the mud on, she greeted me. I stopped in awe. If I had to resort to mud-plastering my hut, by hand, by myself, I would have been in the pit of despair — yet here she was, merrily carrying on. I realized that joy is a choice. A smile doesn’t magically make everything better, but it helps lighten the burden.

I’ve also come to see joy as a form of resistance. Revocatus was registered at Uzima in 2017 when he was in first grade. He is now in his third year of secondary school. Growing up in a household of ten people who share two small rented rooms isn’t easy. His mother has a vegetable stall and his father works as a day laborer. Their joint income is never enough. Through Uzima’s Inuka Program, his mother and grandmother have joined a Savings and Loan Group and managed to set aside enough money to start raising chickens. When Revocatus started secondary school he was failing all of his classes. Our social worker made regular visits, both at home and at school. We are seeing improvement and hope that by the end of next year he will pass his final exam. In spite of all his challenges, Revocatus always manages to have a smile on his face. He refuses to let his living situation define him. At Uzima, children like Revocatus can learn, play, and forget their troubles. They learn that peace is a decision.

Ernesti, carpenter and handyman at the Lake House of Prayer in Tanzania, at work in his outdoor workshop.

At the Lake House of Prayer I am greeted by the smiling face of Ernesti, our carpenter and handyman. I’m convinced that Ernesti, who will turn 70 this July, will outlive all of us. As a young man, his family could not afford secondary school, so an uncle enrolled him in a vocational training program. Woodworking and construction would become his life’s work. At the retreat house he is always busy with repairs and carpentry, but unfortunately Ernesti’s workbench is outdoors in the shade of a tree, making it impossible to use power tools. The dream is to construct a small workshop, at a cost of approximately $7,000. If you would like to contribute, please add a note to your donation designating it for the workshop.

I recently led a retreat for a small group of women. They arrived tired and burdened. The theme was Mary’s “Yes” from Luke 1:26-38. Through scripture, reflection, silence, prayer, and sharing they began to find their joy again. By the end of the day they were friends, smiling and hopeful. What a privilege it is to be part of this ministry.

The quote I always return to is from the writer and activist Wendell Berry: “Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts.” Being joyful doesn’t mean being naïve or unconcerned about the state of the world. It is a choice to resist — to face the challenges head on, with a smile.

Students at the Uzima Centre in Tanzania share a joyful moment together.

Your spiritual and financial support have brought joy to so many people. I’m sure that God is smiling too. Thank you and God bless.

Peace, deep breaths and gratitude,

Joanne Miya

Please consider supporting my mission work at the Uzima Centre with a donation through the link below.

I invite you to walk with me as a “COMPANION IN MISSION.” Companions in Mission are friends and generous donors who give financial gifts on a regular (usually monthly) basis. For more information, visit Become a Companion in Mission. Thank you so much for your generosity!