\u201cI never would have dreamed that God would lead me to marry a dynamic ministry leader from a small village in Tanzania and that together we would establish an international ministry,\u201d said Regina Horst \u201981 Chacha in chapel on February 24, in presentation, \u201cLean Not on Your Own Understanding, or \u2018How I Became Mama to Over 100 Children.'\u201d<\/p>\n
Chacha lived in the Maplewood high school dorm and attended EMHS from 1979 to \u201981 from her home community in Winchester, Va. In addition to sharing in chapel with grades three to 12, she spoke with 12th grade Kingdom Living, eighth grade environmental science, Global Christianity, and 10th grade Bible classes. <\/p>\n
\u201cAll the growth and changes are fun to see,\u201d she said at the end of a full day. \u201cI am impressed with the good things happening here!\u201d<\/p>\n
Chacha\u2019s unexpected journey took her from EMHS to Eastern Mennonite College (now University) in the mid 1980s where she studied home economics education and met her husband John Chacha, an international student from Kenya who knew nothing about Mennonites and whose father had warned him not to come home with a \u201cMuzunga\u201d wife (Swahili for \u201cwhite.\u201d) \u201cLittle did anyone know!\u201d she laughs, recalling her own parents\u2019 support, but also cautions about the challenges of cross-cultural marriage.<\/p>\n
The relationship flourished after college, despite visa challenges that took them to Canada for their marriage and early months as a married couple \u2014 Regina has dual citizenship \u2014 before they settled in the United States.<\/p>\n
In chapel, Regina shared about their call to her husband\u2019s family village, Ntagacha, in rural Tanzania. Together, they founded Teamwork Ministries\u2019 City of Hope in in 2007. Today it includes two schools with some 500 students, a home for 100 orphans, and Amani \u2013 \u201cpeace\u201d \u2013 Medical Center, located where rival clans once fought.<\/p>\n
Together, Regina and her husband raised six children, three biological and three adopted. \u201cI never would have dreamed I\u2019d be a mother to six and mama to 100 in the orphanage,\u201d she told students.<\/p>\n
She also never would have dreamed, she told them, that she would be a widow at age 51. Tragically, John was killed in a 2015 vehicle accident. Another passenger \u2014 a girl from their orphanage \u2014 was also killed. The driver and her daughter survived. Since then, Regina has served as president of Teamwork Ministries. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been hard, of course,\u201d reflected Regina. \u201cI\u2019m so grateful for my family and our shared ministries.\u201d All six of the children are involved in some aspect of the programming.<\/p>\n