UPDATE: AUGUST 7, 2020
Again, due to the generous giving of the saints, well over one ton of food was given to support 18 families this week in Tanzania. Each family receives 30 kilos of rice, 25 kilos of flour, 15 kilos of button beans, 3 and a half litres of cooking oil and a little cash for fresh vegetables. The food was received with deep gratefulness, tears and joy!
Good news. Fortunatus who had been furloughed with hardly any pay is now back at work in the city-centre hotel in Dar Es Salaam.
I would appreciate prayers for my next trip to Tanzania. I had planned to go in June but the present corona virus situation put paid to that. The next 'window' of opportunity would be November, but of course that too is hanging in the air with the continuing uncertain situation. I have no doubt that the Lord is over all and in control, but I am also in no doubt that we should pray without ceasing and 'bathe' everything in prayer. Many thanks and love to all,
David
At the beginning of this month I sent money to support pastor Mwita and Fortunatus (who has been furloughed by the hotel without pay, and who has had to travel to the north of the country because of the death of his father).
When pastor Mwita got to church the other week at 4 PM for a late afternoon meeting he found three pastors there who had been waiting since 8 o’clock in the morning for him. They had been fasting for three days as they had run out of food for their families and had been praying for God to meet their needs, so I was able to send money to supply them with good month’s worth of supplies. Subsequent to that, another pastor who pastor Mwita was visiting told him that he hadn’t been able to provide food for his family for three days, and later that day another pastor came to him and shared with him that his family hadn’t had food for two days. So I was also able to send money immediately for them and pastor Mwita said they received the food with tears of gratefulness. There is a young Christian man called Marco, who I have known for some years and who has been struggling at this time. He sold his smart phone so he could set up a kiosk/stall to sell fruit and veg and begin a small business to sustain himself. But he needed money to buy his first stock of fruit and vegetables, so he was overjoyed when I sent him £40 for this – the same day he started to make a bit of a profit.
Pastor Mwita and his church had decided to do a week’s evangelism at the village of Yowe, where pastor Nestor is. Yowe is deep in hill country near Morogoro about six hours journey from Dar Es Salaam. Someone had lent him a car to transport the team and the speakers. They had contributed most of the money themselves to cover the cost of this trip and I was able to make up what was still lacking. They arrived there on Monday and held their first meeting on Tuesday at which 15 people responded to the Gospel! Yesterday (Wednesday) a further 7 people responded for salvation. The mission continues for a week.
Many thanks for your continued support, love and prayers, which has made all the above provisions possible. I include photos of all the above.
In the midst of the hardship caused by the virus, the Gospel continues to be preached by pastor Mwita and others, and souls continue to be saved! Praise God! Do continue to pray for pastor Mwita that the Lord will give him strength, grace, wisdom and the empowering of His Spirit, and for the work at Yowe, that those who turn to the Lord will be nurtured and truly established in Christ. Remember our brothers and sisters for whom the corona virus situation in their country has brought great hardship and hunger, that their faith fail not, and that they might know the Lord’s provision, encouragement and comfort. May they be a testimony to those around them!
Above: Five pastors receiving food for their families.
Below: People listening to the Gospel in the remote little village of Yowe.
ABOVE: Pastor Mwita preaching and baptising. 22 responded to the Gospel and 17 were baptised during that one week.
BELOW: A new believer donated a plot of land which is very near the village centre, and even while pastor Mwita was still there over that one week of preaching, they constructed this make-shift church building! Pastor Mwita is in the middle holding the microphone and on his right is pastor Nestor. Pastor Nestor used to be in pastor Mwita's church in Dar Es Salaam but he then returned to his home village of Yowe. He invited pastor Mwita to come and preach the Gospel last year in his village, and a small church was formed! After this visit the Lord has wonderfully added more people to His church!
UPDATE: JUNE 2
Thank you to everyone for your love, prayers and support!
Last week I sent money again to help those who were struggling because of the corona virus in Tanzania. The great bulk of this was used to buy food, but a small part was also used to help a family who were having problems with paying rent because the husband had been furloughed on half his pay and after this month no pay, and the landlord was insisting on an advance of 3 months’ rents as his own business was failing because of the situation! The money for the food was sent over the weekend and this morning (Monday 1st June) pastor Job Mwita set out without delay to the market to buy the food. By 3 pm he was sending me photos of the distribution of the food. He has proven himself diligent and faithful in this work – and he loves serving the Lord’s people, and he is tireless in doing this! Pastor Mwita has been appointed to oversee and be responsible for teaching ministry to parents in about 60 churches. Before that, when he was living in a different part of Dar Es Salaam, he oversaw the youth work of that area, which encompassed about 70 churches. (He therefore was able to invite me to speak every day at a 5-day youth conference of about 300 young people.) So, all in all, he has a good idea of which people are in greatest need, and before I knew how much money I could send, he told me that there were 15 pastors and 7 others who were in particular need. With the money given, we were able to help these 22 and 2 others as well. Praise the Lord for his provision! Each person received 30 kilos of rice, 20 kilos of flour, 20 kilos of beans and a tub of cooking oil, as well as about £5 pounds for vegetables and the fare to get all this back to their individual homes. The aim is to give support that should last a month or more for a family, depending on its size. Pastor Mwita conveys the grateful thanks of all those who received this help for the generosity of those who have given this support. For those who do, please continue to pray for Pastor Mwita that the Lord will keep him in all the responsibilities that he seeks to fulfil.
The situation in Tanzania regarding the coronavirus is unclear! The government is saying they have defeated the coronavirus and asked churches to have 3 days of thanksgiving over this last weekend! However, the government stopped giving daily updates of cases and deaths about 4 weeks ago. So cases have stood at about 509 and deaths at 21 for the last 4 weeks! There is evidence to suggest things are not as well as are being officially reported! Pastor Mwita told me he knew of two pastors who died having coronavirus type symptoms, but they were neither tested nor treated for coronavirus – so they were never registered as coronavirus victims! Schools are going back this week and the president is welcoming tourists back into the country without the need of checks or imposed isolation. This relaxation is causing some people to think it is over when it might actually be more active than ever, and they are starting to go out normally without taking any precautions. The situation is confused at this stage and potentially dangerous with regard to the spread of the virus among the population.
However, the Lord is over all, and those I communicate with are very much putting their trust in Him.
Pray that the Lord’s people will know God’s provision at this time, and that they will know Him and His grace and protection. Knowing God and knowing what His word teaches is a great need in Tanzania – but I could say the same for England….
Because of the extreme teachings that have been going around in Tanzania because of the coronavirus, I decided to try and give a biblical context to this pandemic! I would never have dreamt of doing anything like that as I wouldn’t have had the confidence that I could do so! But my main aim was to counter the extreme teachings that were causing fear and confusion – and in the process of searching the scriptures, I found out some interesting things. So I wrote a rather long article/study and posted it in various Swahili Christian facebook groups - and this got quite a response, with a few hundred likes and various comments. During one week I got nearly 100 friend requests from Tanzania and one from Kenya.
The person from Kenya is called John Mugo. He contacted me last week after coming across my article on the coronavirus and other teachings. He is doing some kind of pastoral internship at a large reformed Baptist church in Nairobi. He is in his second year of a 3-year course of training. We also spoke for about an hour via whatsapp. He seems to be very open and would like to meet up with me when I next go. He said he felt the contact with me was quite significant for him and he wants me to send him further teachings.
Thank you so much for your love, support and prayers,
David
UPDATE: MAY 4
In Acts Acts 11:27-30 we read that Agabus prophesied that there would be a great famine throughout the world. Their response is interesting because it is instructive. Faced with an immanent crisis, what was the response of these early Christians, which included notable figures with a Jewish background, who would have been aware of the connection between natural crises and God's judgement in their history under the Old Covenant.
Now, if they held prayers meetings to humble themselves before God conceringing the failings of the church, or the sins of the nation(s) in order to avert or minimise the disaster, then the scriptures say nothing of it. If they held sessions of rebuking the devil's work in order to restore peace and normality, then again, we read nothing about it. All these scenarios are widely propagated in Tanzania. Now although the account in Acts is just an EXAMPLE of how these early Christians handled one situation of this kind, nevertheless their reaction to the impending crisis is illuminating! So how did they deal with the situation. They immediately thought of the predicament of poor believers in Judea and decided to send financial support to buffer them against what was coming. That's it. They just thought of believers who will suffer because of the famine and determined to send relief.
Well, due to the same disposition among Christian friends today, I was able to send money to buy food supplies for 24 families - and they are extremely grateful! The coronavirus situation is biting hard in Tanzania, with people being laid off work without pay. There is no lockdown but schools and universities were closed early on, and I a told it is mainly government services and offices that are operating normally. People are afraid to venture out much and many shops, businesses and industries have had to close, or have chosen to close, resulting in real hardship for many people as there is no government support for individuals.
So, many thanks to all who contributed to alleviating the suffering and hunger of some, whose photos are below!
UPDATE: APRIL 25
Was able to send help for basic food supplies for another ten pastors at the beginning of this month. They are hugely grateful!
The Corona virus continues to hit the poorest hard. Prices have rocketed because of the corona virus pandemic, which has come on the heels of the floods which partially destroyed the last season’s crops - and continued heavy rain now hampering the sowing of the coming season’s harvest. The government intervened today to put a cap on the price of sugar, which has double recently. The government says the hike is due to deliberate hoarding on the part of the sugar industry. However, prices have gone up across the board.
The coroana virus is now taking a foothold with 299 cases and 10 deaths and the situation is becoming extremely difficult for many. Although schools and colleges were closed early on, there is no lockdown as yet – but trying to implement a ‘lockdown’ in Tanzania would have far harder consequences for the population than here, where we can stock up for a week etc. Many, many people live hand to mouth in Tanzania and the effect of a lockdown could be quite devastating and perhaps to some extent unenforceable. Things are already very tight economically with many finding it hard to make ends meet. Even those who might be considered better off are being affected. A close Christian friend of mine in Dar Es Salaam works in an up-market hotel. He has been furloughed this month on full pay, but for May and June he will only get half his pay and if the situation continues, there will be no pay after June. And obviously, there is no help from the government on any level.
However, from the conversations I have with the believers there, they certainly pray and put their trust in the Lord.
Please continue to pray the situation and the believers there, that they may know God’s provision, comfort and encouragement, and that they may have wisdom in how to handle their daily living.
Thank you for you love, prayers and support,
David
Tanzania Update: FEBRUARY 26, 2020
Was able to send help for basic food supplies for another five pastors at the beginning of this month. They are hugely grateful!
The Corona virus continues to hit the poorest hard. Prices have rocketed because of the corona virus pandemic, which has come on the heels of the floods which partially destroyed the last season’s crops - and continued heavy rain now hampering the sowing of the coming season’s harvest. The government intervened today to put a cap on the price of sugar, which has double recently. The government says the hike is due to deliberate hoarding on the part of the sugar industry. However, prices have gone up across the board.
The coroana virus is now taking a foothold with 299 cases and 10 deaths and the situation is becoming extremely difficult for many. Although schools and colleges were closed early on, there is no lockdown as yet – but trying to implement a ‘lockdown’ in Tanzania would have far harder consequences for the population than here, where we can stock up for a week etc. Many, many people live hand to mouth in Tanzania and the effect of a lockdown could be quite devastating and perhaps to some extent unenforceable. Things are already very tight economically with many finding it hard to make ends meet. Even those who might be considered better off are being affected. A close Christian friend of mine in Dar Es Salaam works in an up-market hotel. He has been furloughed this month on full pay, but for May and June he will only get half his pay and if the situation continues, there will be no pay after June. And obviously, there is no help from the government on any level.
However, from the conversations I have with the believers there, they certainly pray and put their trust in the Lord.
Please continue to pray the situation and the believers there, that they may know God’s provision, comfort and encouragement, and that they may have wisdom in how to handle their daily living.
Thank you for you love, prayers and support,
David
UPDATE (See post below): Last Thursday evening, I sent. some money to pastor Ayubu Mwita for his support and to help five other pastors in hardship as well as his mother. Having received the money in the evening, the next day - Friday - he set off in the morning to buy food provisions for four pastors that live more locally. One of the pastors hadn't had any food for his family for two days and another Pastor and his family were surviving on a basic porridge for 3 days! They were all thrilled to receive flour, beans, rice and sugar. This should last each family several weeks. Mwita said that they wept as they prayed with thanksgiving for the provision! I have received copies of the receipts as well as photos - some of which are posted below? Mwita also sent money to a pastor in the Morogoro region to buy seeds to plant for the next July crop, and I have received a copy of the transfer receipt of this as well. Many thanks for your love prayers and support!
TANZANIA UPDATE: NOVEMBER 8
First of all, thank you very much to those who have been praying! The Lord is blessing graciously and abundantly on every level! It has been a full and blessed time! Things are working out very well with transport and interpreters – better than I had anticipated! The person who agreed to interpret for me is a pastor and when one of his congregation heard he was interpreting for me, he lent the pastor his car and he was then able to take me to the churches so I didn’t have to hire a taxi each time. Another member of his church offered to pay for all the petrol! It has been such a blessing to have this provision!
Both Roger and I have generally felt great liberty in speaking and the people having been listening with great attention and many have seemed really affected by what was preached. On many occasions the blessing has been evident on their faces and in the response of both the pastors and the believers. In practically all the churches we have separately visited, the story has been the same – the pastors have been saying after the first meeting that two or three days of teaching is not enough; they say that the first day has been just a foretaste and then the next day is already the final day! Nearly all the pastors are saying we must come again for at least five days next time. Roger spoke over the weekend at the church of a senior bishop of the EAGT churches, where I have spoken previously. At the end of the weekend, the bishop said he would like Roger to teach at the regional EAGT Bible college for one week when he next comes! The bishop is in charge of running the Bible college.
Pastor Ayubu Mwita, who I am closely linked to and who has created all these opportunities, said within a week of Roger being here that he has an ‘open door’ to preach in the EAGT churches, particularly if he wished to do evangelistic missions – and truly Roger does have an open door here quite independently of me! I thank God that what has been on my heart over the last few years does seem very much to have been the leading of the Lord, that is, to invite Roger to Tanzania. In addition to ministering the word, we have also been blessed in fellowship with pastors and others.
On a personal level, it has been such a blessing to have Roger here! We have enjoyed blessed times of fellowship, prayer and sharing. It is no wonder that the Lord sent them out in twos. It just seems such a good and ‘healthy’ thing for there to be two – where possible.
Roger and I were particularly encouraged and thankful to the Lord for the healing of an infant we prayed for. He was totally listless, with his eyes slanted permanently to the left and not responding to any stimulus. The doctor had said it wasn’t malaria but but wasn’t able to treat him! That evening, pastor Mwita told us that the child had been healed and was behaving normally. I asked again after a few days and the child was still doing well!
Last night in the church I was speaking at, a young man came forward for salvation after the service. It was the first time he had been to that church! After the pastor had prayed for him, I went up to him to encourage him and he was deeply moved and had tears running down his face. His name is Costa. Please pray for him.
I am extremely grateful to the Lord that my knee has healed so quickly! As I said, after having my knee bandaged and getting medicine, things changed significantly within 24 hours – and my knee has been improving noticeably every day.
There is a ‘richness’ and ‘fullness’ about this visit that is difficult to put into words – a sense that it is the Lord who is at work in all these things, a sense of his presence and support. We are both deeply grateful to the Lord for his grace in all these things.
Again, many thanks to all who are praying and be encouraged that the Lord is working wonderfully in answers to prayer!
Love and thanks to all,
David
BELOW: SOME OF THE CHURCHES VISITED ON THIS TRIP:
UPDATE: OCTOBER 29
We have only been here for 3 days but it seems like almost a week because so much has been packed in with both of us speaking! Over the 3 days we have both spoken four times. So far it has been an extremely blessed and encouraging time with people listening with great attention. I spoke at the pastors' conference on Saturday and Monday and Roger spoke at the church from Saturday to Monday. Roger is fitting in like hand in glove and his preaching is very much appreciated and finding great response from the hearts of the people. There were only 30 pastors present at the pastors' conference but it was a very good time indeed.
Roger and I arrived in Dar es Salaam Friday evening, and as we were being taken to our accommodation the car we were in ran out of petrol! The driver maneuvered the car to the edge of the road right beside a concrete flood water channel which was about 4 foot deep and 4 foot wide with sloping sides. It was dark so when I got out of the car, I didn't see the channel and as I started to walk along the side of the car I fell in. It was quite a painful fall with me first landing on my left hip and then I must have turned on my right leg and sprained my knee badly. When we eventually got home they had some packed ice that I could put on the knee. After that I I was able to walk but with great care as any wrong movement or turn resulted in excruciating pain. I sort of managed the next day but on Sunday morning I could hardly bend my leg at all and the slightest wrong movement resulted in extreme pain. So a brother took me by car to search for a pharmacy that might be open on Sunday morning but in the end we found a little private hospital where I got everything that I needed - anti-inflammatory medicine, a gel to rub into the knee and had the knee properly bandaged up. And the whole thing only cost £15! The improvement after that was dramatic! By the end of the day getting around was much easier and pain free as long as I was careful and I was able to sleep well. During the following day I hardly noticed the problem at all and was only reminded about my leg when I made a sudden wrong movement. It has been wonderful to be virtually free of pain all day long! I am so thankful to the Lord that the fall didn't result in a worse injury, which it easily could have done! I'm also extremely grateful to the brother who virtually forced me to go into the private hospital because I had been reluctant to do so because I thought they would charge the earth! And now I just can't believe how quickly and dramatically things have improved within a couple of days! The Lord is good! Praise His name!
TANZANIA TRIP 24 October – 18 November 2019
By God’s grace, I shall be leaving for Tanzania on the 24th of this month, arriving in Dar Es Salaam on the 25th. The invitations from EAGT churches (Evangelistic Assemblies of God Tanzania) continue to increase, and because of these as well as invitations from other churches, I have asked a good friend from the Wirral, Roger Jacobs, to join me on this trip. Roger used to be in the church here in Exeter and he also spent many years in Malawi as a missionary with his wife, Helen. It will be a joy to have him with me. We will be travelling out to Tanzania together but he will be returning four days earlier than me (on 13th November) because of other commitments.
On this trip we will be visiting EAGT churches around the city of Dar Es Salaam and not going further afield. Roger will be visiting churches where I have been before and I will be visiting churches where I haven’t been before! We will be spending between two to four days at each church, preaching virtually every day. We will be together at the same venue for about four or five days, but otherwise we will be speaking at different churches. However, we will be staying at the same accommodation and will be together all of the time except when we go to speak at our different venues. Please pray for Roger that he may ‘fit in’, in every sense, and that he will be a blessing to the people there, and that the Lord may open up the way for him to have continued input in Tanzania.
We would both appreciate prayer for health, strength, safety and for the empowering of God’s Spirit in speaking! It is also the beginning of the season of the ‘lesser rains’, so would appreciate prayer for good weather – few roads are tarmacked! I also have to arrange or ‘juggle’ transport for Roger and myself to the various venues with meetings starting at the same time each day – at about 4:30 pm, and 10:30 Sundays. We should have the use of a friend’s car, and one of us will take a taxi. Normally, there will be a driver available for the friend’s car, but if not, I will have to drive it or take a taxi! Dar Es Salaam is a busy, congested city so please pray that transport arrangements go smoothly!
In particular I would appreciate prayer for a pastors’ conference that has been organised. We arrive in Dar Es Salaam in the evening of Friday 25th October, and the pastors’ conference starts the next morning! This was the only spot that fitted into the itinerary that our contact and host, Pastor Mwita, was organising. This conference continues for one more day on the following Monday. Please pray for this event, that the Lord will really speak and work in hearts and create meaningful and fruitful relationships through it. There may be anywhere between 30 and 80 pastors present.
Please continue to pray for pastor Mwita and his family. He is a ‘key’ figure and works diligently in creating schedules from the many requests he receives from many churches for me to come and teach in Dar and in other parts of Tanzania, as well as organising other events such pastor and youth conferences.
Pastor Gondwe, who has assisted me for many years as interpreter, will not be with us on this trip. His wife is also quite ill in hospital at the moment.
However, I have been able to get two interpreters for Roger and myself – it has worked out remarkably well and I am very thankful to God for his provision! Please remember them in prayer – Anderson and Carlos by name – that they will also know God’s enabling and blessing! I would particularly appreciate prayer for Carlos Kirimbai. He is a pastor of an independent church and preaches against the tide of false teachings that abound in Dar. I don’t know of any other pastor who teaches so solidly as he does from the scriptures. Pray that the Lord may truly unite our hearts in His work beyond his help with interpreting!
Many thanks for your prayers, love and support,
David
BELOW: SOME OF THE CHURCHES VISITED ON THE JUNE TRIP:
At Bishop Nyenye's church, Dar Es Salaam.
At the Maasai church at Luhindo, Morogoro region.
With Archbishop Mwakipesile in Dodoma - Head of EAGT churches.
At Archbishop Mwakipesile's church, Dodoma.
At Bishop Kuguru's church just outside of Dar.
TANZANIA VISIT JUNE 2019
FEEDBACK ON TANZANIA TRIP OCTOBER 2018.
Firstly, thank you to all who prayed! It was a wonderfully, if not an exceptionally blessed time and very much a case of prayers being answered! The points that I mentioned for prayer were fulfilled beyond what I expected!
I spoke every day over three weeks except for one day but was kept fit and healthy - for which I am extremely grateful to the Lord.
Also, I had great liberty in speaking and very much felt God’s enabling in this. As ever, I believe this is the result of God desiring to feed his people with food convenient and relevant rather than anything special about me! But it would be true to say that in virtually every meeting people listened with great attention and interest and their hunger to hear the word of God was evident on many faces and almost tangible. People were responsive during the meetings and also afterwards. It is difficult to convey in words the blessing that attended these meetings.
As I mentioned previously, pastor Mwita is a key figure and we are becoming close friends. He is a pastor in the Evangelistic Assemblies of God church Tanzania. After speaking in his church last year other pastor friends of his also invited me to speak in their churches, and my June visit to Tanzania consisted largely of visiting these Assemblies of God churches. However, there were still other pastors whose churches pastor Mwita wanted me to visit. So I allocated about 9 days for these churches, three days to other churches and had then planned to go to visit the Morogoro churches where I hadn’t been for two years. As I said, the meetings among these Assemblies of God churches were exceptionally blessed, and what was very marked this time was the warmth and friendship of the pastors and their genuine, if not urgent desire that I should come again next time to hold a conference for at least five days at each of their churches.
Towards the end of these visits, a well-known Tanzanian billionaire was kidnapped, and early false reports stated that it was white men who abducted him. Immediately, roadblocks were set up in and out of Dar Es Salaam. To avoid possible disruption to my visit, both the pastors in Dar Es Salaam and in the Morogoro churches all advised me strongly not to journey to Morogoro. I was still inclined to go but since they were all unanimous and insistent that I didn’t go, I yielded! This turned out to be a great blessing! Within a day pastor Mwita filled up the gap in my timetable (six days) with further visits to other Assemblies of God churches.
At one of these churches, I touched on the subject of relationship within marriage. Afterwards pastor Mwita told me he thought this was very much God’s leading as the pastor of this church neither liked his wife nor really wanted her! However, the message touched his heart and convicted him so that he arranged to talk to pastor Mwita. He confessed that his heart was wrong and that he now wanted to get right and arranged to come with his wife for further counselling with pastor Mwita! What a wonderful thing! I thought that if this husband and wife get reconciled and their marriage restored it was well worth going to Tanzania just for this! Please do pray for this pastor and his wife.
At another church, I was again able to speak with great liberty and there was a tremendous response the end. A Muslim lady also came forward for salvation. However, they ended the meeting with the ‘choir’ coming forward to ‘sing’. This consisted of them putting on a CD that blared out music and lyrics to which the choir mimed! However, the main part of all this is that ‘choir’ dances to the music in a way that is reminiscent of backing dancers to solo pop artists! And it goes on interminably! This is a growing custom in Tanzania. I thought that this is doing a good job off un-doing everything that gone before!
The next day, Sunday morning, I was due to speak there again. The pastor had already been insistent that not only should I come again for a longer time but that I should also stay at his house - which in fact was a very nice house indeed. However, I was by no means sure of this after sitting for a whole hour in the Sunday morning meeting watching a variety of ‘choir’ groups perform their dances to CDs with the speakers blaring out deafening music! Anyone who knows me will know that this is not my cup of tea!
Let me hear interject to mention something. I have repeatedly been told by pastors and others that sexual sin is a significant problem in the churches. As in the West, so in Tanzania, the preaching of clear Gospel that leads to true repentance and true conversion is on the wane as pastors and leaders seek to appeal to young people, as well as to others, by ‘softening’ or ‘diluting’ the Gospel and providing what amounts to entertainment. It is small wonder that young people are coming into churches carrying over all sorts of issues in their lives that have in no real way been dealt with. It is the reason why at times in my preaching I simply reiterate what the Gospel is and what true repentance is. I decided to do so on that Sunday morning as well as touching on the holiness of God! What happened next astonished me.
The pastor got up and reiterated the main points of my preaching, declaring that they had heard the TRUE Gospel that morning! He then got on his knees and repented for having been wayward in his preaching and leadership of the church. He then invited the church to follow him in repentance for their waywardness and carnal ways! This lasted several minutes. But he went further still. He got up and told the church that no one was to bring CDs to the church anymore. If people wanted to sing, they would have to use their own voices. He also said that an elder would be present from now on at choir practice and at youth events to guide and give advice! I was quite amazed. I wondered whether he would lose some people but my friend and interpreter, pastor Gondwe, believed he would be able to carry the church with him. We shall see! Please pray for this pastor and his church.
When we got back to the pastor's home for lunch, he told me that about three weeks earlier God had spoken to him that he been through difficult times because he had been doing things in his own way and in his own energies, and that God was going to lead him in His ways. He believed that my coming to his church for those two days was an integral part of what God was doing in his life and that it was completely God’s providence that I had not gone to Morogoro! He again reiterated that when I come again he would collect me from the airport and that I should stay with him and that he would transport me to my various preaching venues!
What was also striking was that pastors were rejoicing because they believed that they were hearing the 'true Gospel' again! “This is the Gospel we heard in the beginning. This is what we preached in the beginning, and now we’ve got it back”, is what was being said by some! All sorts of teachings had gotten into the churches and what I was preaching reminded them of their origins!
And as a result of all this several of the pastors would now like a pastors’ conference organised for when I next come, as well as further invitations to other Assemblies of God churches.
My third prayer request before the Lord was that through this visit friendships would be deepened and strengthened, and all the things above highlight how God has been answering prayer in amazing and unexpected ways! There has been a real sense of relationships being formed and strengthened, which by God’s grace will lead to having greater input that can bear real fruit in many places.
Again, may thanks to those who pray!
TANZANIA TRIP JUNE 2018: FEEDBACK AND PRAYER UPDATE.
First of all, thank you to all who prayed! Regarding the prayer points that I gave before leaving on the trip, I can only say that the Lord has answered these prayers in an abundant way. All in all it was a wonderfully blessed time!
Firstly, the Lord gave me great freedom in speaking and a real sense of the Spirit’s empowering. Virtually every place I visited, the response was positive and encouraging with people being very focused and attentive to what was being said. This was highlighted at the 5-day youth conference that I spoke at. I was one of four speakers who were each given one hour to speak on a particular subject - mine was sanctification! On the second day I was asked to speak for an hour and a half! When my pastor friend and interpreter later asked why they made the change he was told that one of the speakers couldn’t make it on that day and the young people had already asked if they could hear more of me! I only mention this because one is not always sure how things are really received but this seems to be a real indication that what was being preached was appreciated! Also, after I had finished preaching on the first day, an opportunity was given for people to respond in prayer, and immediately several people, including one of the local bishops of the AOG church who organised this youth conference, went down on their knees in prayer with faces to the ground. At the end of the conference there was a unanimous and enthusiastic response from all 300 young people that I should attend again next year. This is very encouraging to me as it is a great opportunity and privilege to be able to speak to so many young people about the things that are most important. In addition to this, I also had two extremely good meetings with engineering students on campus. Had great freedom in speaking and students were more responsive than last year, though that visit was good too.
Secondly, as I mentioned in my last update, I had felt it more on my heart to focus on Dar Es Salaam if the Lord should open doors there - and that is exactly what seems to be happening! I spoke in ten different churches representing five different denominations over 20 days, speaking every day, bar one. Most of these were churches that I hadn’t been to before. Where do these invitations come from? They are all the result of the teachings that people come across on my website! In some instances, it is a church member who contacts me after reading the articles or listening to the sermons. They then make recommendations to their pastor who is then happy to invite me. In other instances, it is pastors themselves who come across my website and then personally invite me speak at their church.
One of these denominations is a Tanzanian Assemblies of God church - and here I would like to mention a pastor from this denomination, who is called Ayubu Mwita. He invited me to speak at his church last year after a church member’s recommendation and after visiting his church he set about recommending me to other pastors. On my first day in Dar Es Salaam on this visit he organised a meeting with several pastors, all of whom wanted me to speak at their churches. It was a wonderful time of fellowship together but I was not able to accommodate every church in my schedule. Nevertheless, I was able to speak at 3 of their churches. Pastor Mwita is also in charge of the youth work in a large area of Dar Es Salaam, and it is he who opened the way for me to speak at the youth conference. While there, further invitations came from other churches, including the church of one of the regional bishops of the AOG in Dar Es Salaam.
At the AOG youth conference, when I met with several pastors over lunch, one of them said, “We don’t need you for a youth conference, we need you for a pastors’ conference!” I don’t know how viable that is, but it is an indication of the sense of need among them for some sound teaching! I would really appreciate prayer for these openings and contacts, that things would proceede with wisdom and grace and that genuine bonds of fellowship and friendship will develop.
As I said, pastor Mwita has been instrumental in so much, but above and beyond that he is a uniquely humble and spiritual man - exceptional in terms of the people I have come across. Please do remember him in prayer because he and his family live in hardship regarding the basic necessities of life, more so than many other pastors in Dar Es Salaam. He is married with 4 children but also looks after a young relative. They live in a kind of hut structure which has 3 rooms in a row, each one measuring about 7 foot by 6 foot! His three sons sleep in one room and the daughter and relative in the ‘sitting’ room and he and his wife in the third room. It is difficult for them to make ends meet and at one stage they had nothing to eat at all for 3 days until an anonymous person arrived at their door with an envelope that contained £30, which was a huge amount for them. But he and his wife serve the Lord with gladness and are wholly given to the church. The other thing that is stretching them now is that they have been given a plot of land for their church - but this plot is far away from where they live. To have your own plot of ground in Dar Es Salaam is indeed a great blessing and provision as it saves you having to pay rent or being evicted from rented premises for whatever reason! They have already erected a semi-waterproof structure to meet in on the plot, but the journey to and fro is also a drain on their resources and energies. Please do pray that the Lord will open a way for them to find better accommodation near the new church site, and that pastor Mwita will truly be encouraged and blessed by the Lord in all he has to do!
Several other churches from different denominations have also invited me back, with one church wanting a five-day conference next time. So as I said, doors are really opening with the prospect of meaningful and hopefully enduring relationships. Do pray for God’s guidance in these matters.
The third thing I had asked prayer for was for my health and safety, and I must say that I hadn’t felt so fit and well for several years as I did on this trip! I’m very thankful to the Lord for this and for your prayers!
Another bonus and blessing was that I didn’t have the expense of staying in a hotel. A university professor who has been supportive of my ministry accommodated me and pastor Gondwe (my interpreter) for the first half of my stay and then quite unexpectedly a relation of one of the Christians who I got to know because of my website also offered us accommodation in their large house! This was a tremendous bonus as it released money for other needs in Tanzania.
I had for some time considered going again in October a serious option. In view of this last trip and the fact that I haven’t visited the churches in the Morogoro region that I am closely connected to for 2 years, and still also have other outstanding invitations, I have now booked my flights for my next visit to Tanzania, which, God willing, will be 10th – 31st October. Please do pray for God’s guidance and wisdom as I plan this itinerary!
With thanks and love to all who pray,
David
Pastor Mwita's rented house.
His family.
In front of the 'church' after a meeting.
Pastor Mwita and his wife.
2018. GOD IS WORKING IN THE MIDST OF DIFFICULTIES.
I had noted in a previous update that there had been conflict between the Maasai pastoralists and the Tanzanian farmers. Due to the shortage of grazing land, the Maasai had let their cattle feed on the farmers’ crops. This conflict has resulted in a number of deaths among both the Maasai and the ‘Tanzanians’. When the troubles began, pastor Gondwe managed to avoid the spears thrown at him by the local Maasai as he journeyed back home on his motorbike after preaching at the Maasai church that he looked after. However, his motorbike was damaged when one of the Maasai was able to hit his motorbike with a club. He hadn’t been able to go back for about a year and a half, and only now is it relatively safe for him to visit the church again. During that period a Maasai pastor from Bishop Francis’ church tended the Maasai church.
Bishop Francis is respected both locally and regionally as an upright and peaceful man. He was invited to join a government reconciliation project between the Maasai and Tanzanians that involved him visiting remote Maasai communities. However, during such travels Francis also preached the Gospel to them! In a remote community called Luhindo, the Maasai began to respond to the Gospel, with a number turning to the Lord. Last Sunday week Bishop Francis was invited by those Maasai to come and preach again. He went with another pastor from his church (Mathayo) and they had a very blessed time!
The preaching is having such an impact that Bishop Francis was invited again to come last Sunday, and Pastor Gondwe went with him. This time there were many more people there from the surrounding area, which included not only Maasai, but also members of similar tribe but who tend to remain more isolated, called the Mang’ati, or the Tatoogo in their language. Astonishingly, there were also ‘Tanzanians’ present! Given the recent animosities, this is a highly unusual coming together! It was an extraordinary occasion. Both Francis and Gondwe said they had never witnessed anything like it – in terms of the response to the Gospel and the mixture of peoples that were present. People from all three groupings were responding to the message. People prayed for were also healed of various ailments. It was a wonderful time of blessing. There are photos from both Sundays and one of Gondwe praying for a pregnant woman who wanted to receive salvation.
There is a strong desire among the new converts to have a building to meet in. At the moment they meet under a tree, which is OK at the moment, but when the main rainy season starts in March (and lasts till June), gathering there is not really viable! One of the Maasai has gifted one acre of land for them to build a church on, and they have already started to clear the area (see photos). One man has already given two bags of cement and the new converts have collected about £140. This might not sound like much but many people have to live on half of that amount (or less) per month, and only twelve times that amount covers the cost of the building of the church.
Francis and Gondwe are now organising weekly visits to Luhindo to nurture this work, to give Bible teaching and to help them with organising the building of a church. They are also looking to the Lord for someone to be able to live locally and be a pastor to this church. It is very difficult to find faithful men to pastor a church, so please pray concerning this need! To get to Luhindo, Francis and Gondwe (who live in different locations) have to catch buses and then hire motorcyclists to take them deep into the bush, which they are more than willing to do but it is not a long-term solution. Generally, it is safe to travel there but Francis says two going is still better than one person on their own! Please do pray for these matters and for this infant work, which God seems to be blessing in an extraordinary way. Pray that God will keep them and continue his blessing that the work may grow, for the safety of those who travel there and for wisdom for Francis and Gondwe in overseeing all these matters.
Thank you to all who pray!
TANZANIA TRIP MAY/JUNE 2017.
Sorry for the delay in this update! The main reason for this is that I had no internet access for my laptop in Tanzania this time. Throughout my stay in Tanzania I was kindly offered free accommodation through friends. This proved to be a great blessing but it meant that there was no Internet access for my laptop, so I am having to do a write-up retrospectively!
During that first week I was scheduled to speak on the Saturday and Sunday at a church where I had spoken on a previous visit. However, in my preaching I tried to correct a common error in many churches, which is simply superstitious in nature. Many people believe that God’s real blessing is on a church if it has a beautiful expensive building and where the pastor dresses in expensive clothes, lives in a luxurious house and drives an expensive car! I only touched on the subject when preaching but nevertheless when we got home to where I was staying, the pastor phoned us to say that although the teaching was very good and deep, he and the elders thought it would be best if I didn’t come the next day!
It would be true to say that everywhere I preached, the congregation listened incredibly attentively, with great focus and even hunger. And so it was at this church. The great sadness is that the people are keen to hear more but it is the pastor who can be the hindrance! So much depends on the pastor! However, in this case the spare Sunday was put to excellent use as we returned to minister at the Mabibo church, who were more than happy to have us again and which turned out to be a great blessing! (Just to say, that my interpreter, pastor Gondwe, who I’ve known for about 20 years, accompanies me throughout my stay in Tanzania. In Dar Es Salaam, a University Prof of medicine, Denis Russa, also accompanied us throughout my time there. He had specifically taking his holiday period to coincide with my visit and very kindly put pastor Gondwe and me up in his lovely house during our stay in Dar es Salaam, as well as driving us to and from all the venues in his car!)
DROUGHT AND FAMINE IN TANZANIA 2016 /2017
God willing, I shall be going to Tanzania departing on 4th
of June and returning on 5th of July. I shall be spending about 3 weeks in Dar
Es Salaam and about one week in the Morogoro region, as well as 3 or 4 days in
the political capital city of Dodoma.
In Dar-Es-Salaam I shall be visiting a number churches of
the Evangelical Assemblies of God Church Tanzania (known as EAGT). Doors have
opened up significantly to this denomination through pastor Ayubu Mwita, who I
have mentioned previously. On this occasion, I shall be visiting some churches
for the first time as well as re-visiting some others. This will include a
5-day youth conference.
I have been praying for some time that God would open up an
'effectual door" in Dar and this is what really seems to be happening now -
in terms of the response that there has been in the meetings and from the
hunger and desire from believers and the pastors for more teaching. And this
last week things have gone one step further. Pastor Mwita was summoned to
travel 300 miles to visit the national leader of the EAGT (the Archbishop), who
wanted to find out more about me. He had heard good reports from others
including local Dar-Es-Salaam Bishops of the EAGT. The national leader was
really pleased to hear that I was preaching a 'clear gospel of sanctification
and holiness' - this is how they have put it! And for them this is of real
importance as - without going into any details - there is a great need for this
in the churches. In June the EAGT has an annual conference of 4 days for all
300 regional leaders (bishops) in Dodoma, the political capital of Tanzania. (There
are reported to be about 4500 EAGT churches
in Tanzania.) I spoke to the national leader this week and he invited me to
come to this gathering in June so that he can introduce me to all the regional
leaders and for me to speak on one day. The timing of this exactly fits in with
my itinerary, as I will then be in the Morogoro region, which is more than half
way to Dodoma from Dar es Salaam. So it works out very conveniently. As you can
imagine this is of some significance. However, it is early days and anything
can happen, so I would very much appreciate prayers for this, that the Lord
would undertake – in every way - and guide things for the most profit!
In the Morogoro area (about 120 miles inland from Dar Es
Salaam) I will be speaking in a small group of churches that I am directly
involved with, called The Fellowship of Gospel Churches (FGC). I help oversee these
churches together with Gondwe, my interpreter and pastor Francis.
I will be speaking at least once every day virtually for the
whole time I am there. There has been such great blessing on previous trips and
people have told me that they had been praying, so I do appreciate and value your
prayers! Please do pray for the empowering of the Spirit when speaking and that
I might be directed to teach on things that are truly relevant to each
situation - particularly for the youth conference and the time with the
regional leaders - should that transpire! Also for grace and wisdom as I
encounter different situations out there. Two great 'distractions' that draw
people away from the truth as it is in Christ and life in him is a love for the
spectacular - anything spectacular - or
the temptation to live by outward rules and regulations rather than knowing an empowering inward
spiritual life. Pray that the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ may truly
penetrate into people's hearts!
Things can and do change sometimes when I'm out there so do
pray that God will direct things to make the time the most profitable. Two
people it would be good to remember in prayer are pastor Gondwe, who is my
interpreter and close friend and who helps tremendously on every level, and
pastor Mwita, who is the EAGT pastor and also now a close friend who has been
and is being so instrumental (without really trying to!) in opening so many
doors. As always, I value prayer for both health and safety as I travel around.
With many thanks to all who pray and those who support the
work,
David
FEBRUARY 2019
TANZANIA UPDATE: The rains which were one of the main reasons for me not going to Tanzania this month, have now also resulted in flooding in various parts of the country, including Dar es Salaam. Heavy rains have been affecting the country since October but as they have continued they have caused widespread flooding. Pastor Mwita also told me that this has affected crops and food prices which have gone up steeply, which hits the poorest particularly hard. Some pastors are living on one meal a day, and his mother's house in the north of the country was flooded (while she was a church!), which destroyed her food store. The situation is dire for many in East Africa because of these heavy rains.
Please pray that they might know God's provision at this time and be a witness to him whatever trials they pass through. I knew the rains were heavy but I have now checked up online and was surprised to see how bad the situation really is - and has been for some little while now. Pastor Mwita's account to me is completely born out by the news reports even to the extent that the hike in food prices which he mentioned coincide more or less exactly with what has been reported in the news. I include a few links relating to the flooding and food prices. You can get an impression by looking at a couple of them if you want. Many thanks for your love and prayers!
FEEDBACK ON TANZANIA TRIP OCTOBER 2018.
Firstly, thank you to all who prayed! It was a wonderfully, if not an exceptionally blessed time and very much a case of prayers being answered! The points that I mentioned for prayer were fulfilled beyond what I expected!
I spoke every day over three weeks except for one day but was kept fit and healthy - for which I am extremely grateful to the Lord.
Also, I had great liberty in speaking and very much felt God’s enabling in this. As ever, I believe this is the result of God desiring to feed his people with food convenient and relevant rather than anything special about me! But it would be true to say that in virtually every meeting people listened with great attention and interest and their hunger to hear the word of God was evident on many faces and almost tangible. People were responsive during the meetings and also afterwards. It is difficult to convey in words the blessing that attended these meetings.
As I mentioned previously, pastor Mwita is a key figure and we are becoming close friends. He is a pastor in the Evangelistic Assemblies of God church Tanzania. After speaking in his church last year other pastor friends of his also invited me to speak in their churches, and my June visit to Tanzania consisted largely of visiting these Assemblies of God churches. However, there were still other pastors whose churches pastor Mwita wanted me to visit. So I allocated about 9 days for these churches, three days to other churches and had then planned to go to visit the Morogoro churches where I hadn’t been for two years. As I said, the meetings among these Assemblies of God churches were exceptionally blessed, and what was very marked this time was the warmth and friendship of the pastors and their genuine, if not urgent desire that I should come again next time to hold a conference for at least five days at each of their churches.
Towards the end of these visits, a well-known Tanzanian billionaire was kidnapped, and early false reports stated that it was white men who abducted him. Immediately, roadblocks were set up in and out of Dar Es Salaam. To avoid possible disruption to my visit, both the pastors in Dar Es Salaam and in the Morogoro churches all advised me strongly not to journey to Morogoro. I was still inclined to go but since they were all unanimous and insistent that I didn’t go, I yielded! This turned out to be a great blessing! Within a day pastor Mwita filled up the gap in my timetable (six days) with further visits to other Assemblies of God churches.
At one of these churches, I touched on the subject of relationship within marriage. Afterwards pastor Mwita told me he thought this was very much God’s leading as the pastor of this church neither liked his wife nor really wanted her! However, the message touched his heart and convicted him so that he arranged to talk to pastor Mwita. He confessed that his heart was wrong and that he now wanted to get right and arranged to come with his wife for further counselling with pastor Mwita! What a wonderful thing! I thought that if this husband and wife get reconciled and their marriage restored it was well worth going to Tanzania just for this! Please do pray for this pastor and his wife.
At another church, I was again able to speak with great liberty and there was a tremendous response the end. A Muslim lady also came forward for salvation. However, they ended the meeting with the ‘choir’ coming forward to ‘sing’. This consisted of them putting on a CD that blared out music and lyrics to which the choir mimed! However, the main part of all this is that ‘choir’ dances to the music in a way that is reminiscent of backing dancers to solo pop artists! And it goes on interminably! This is a growing custom in Tanzania. I thought that this is doing a good job off un-doing everything that gone before!
The next day, Sunday morning, I was due to speak there again. The pastor had already been insistent that not only should I come again for a longer time but that I should also stay at his house - which in fact was a very nice house indeed. However, I was by no means sure of this after sitting for a whole hour in the Sunday morning meeting watching a variety of ‘choir’ groups perform their dances to CDs with the speakers blaring out deafening music! Anyone who knows me will know that this is not my cup of tea!
Let me hear interject to mention something. I have repeatedly been told by pastors and others that sexual sin is a significant problem in the churches. As in the West, so in Tanzania, the preaching of clear Gospel that leads to true repentance and true conversion is on the wane as pastors and leaders seek to appeal to young people, as well as to others, by ‘softening’ or ‘diluting’ the Gospel and providing what amounts to entertainment. It is small wonder that young people are coming into churches carrying over all sorts of issues in their lives that have in no real way been dealt with. It is the reason why at times in my preaching I simply reiterate what the Gospel is and what true repentance is. I decided to do so on that Sunday morning as well as touching on the holiness of God! What happened next astonished me.
The pastor got up and reiterated the main points of my preaching, declaring that they had heard the TRUE Gospel that morning! He then got on his knees and repented for having been wayward in his preaching and leadership of the church. He then invited the church to follow him in repentance for their waywardness and carnal ways! This lasted several minutes. But he went further still. He got up and told the church that no one was to bring CDs to the church anymore. If people wanted to sing, they would have to use their own voices. He also said that an elder would be present from now on at choir practice and at youth events to guide and give advice! I was quite amazed. I wondered whether he would lose some people but my friend and interpreter, pastor Gondwe, believed he would be able to carry the church with him. We shall see! Please pray for this pastor and his church.
When we got back to the pastor's home for lunch, he told me that about three weeks earlier God had spoken to him that he been through difficult times because he had been doing things in his own way and in his own energies, and that God was going to lead him in His ways. He believed that my coming to his church for those two days was an integral part of what God was doing in his life and that it was completely God’s providence that I had not gone to Morogoro! He again reiterated that when I come again he would collect me from the airport and that I should stay with him and that he would transport me to my various preaching venues!
What was also striking was that pastors were rejoicing because they believed that they were hearing the 'true Gospel' again! “This is the Gospel we heard in the beginning. This is what we preached in the beginning, and now we’ve got it back”, is what was being said by some! All sorts of teachings had gotten into the churches and what I was preaching reminded them of their origins!
And as a result of all this several of the pastors would now like a pastors’ conference organised for when I next come, as well as further invitations to other Assemblies of God churches.
My third prayer request before the Lord was that through this visit friendships would be deepened and strengthened, and all the things above highlight how God has been answering prayer in amazing and unexpected ways! There has been a real sense of relationships being formed and strengthened, which by God’s grace will lead to having greater input that can bear real fruit in many places.
Again, may thanks to those who pray!
TANZANIA TRIP JUNE 2018: FEEDBACK AND PRAYER UPDATE.
First of all, thank you to all who prayed! Regarding the prayer points that I gave before leaving on the trip, I can only say that the Lord has answered these prayers in an abundant way. All in all it was a wonderfully blessed time!
Firstly, the Lord gave me great freedom in speaking and a real sense of the Spirit’s empowering. Virtually every place I visited, the response was positive and encouraging with people being very focused and attentive to what was being said. This was highlighted at the 5-day youth conference that I spoke at. I was one of four speakers who were each given one hour to speak on a particular subject - mine was sanctification! On the second day I was asked to speak for an hour and a half! When my pastor friend and interpreter later asked why they made the change he was told that one of the speakers couldn’t make it on that day and the young people had already asked if they could hear more of me! I only mention this because one is not always sure how things are really received but this seems to be a real indication that what was being preached was appreciated! Also, after I had finished preaching on the first day, an opportunity was given for people to respond in prayer, and immediately several people, including one of the local bishops of the AOG church who organised this youth conference, went down on their knees in prayer with faces to the ground. At the end of the conference there was a unanimous and enthusiastic response from all 300 young people that I should attend again next year. This is very encouraging to me as it is a great opportunity and privilege to be able to speak to so many young people about the things that are most important. In addition to this, I also had two extremely good meetings with engineering students on campus. Had great freedom in speaking and students were more responsive than last year, though that visit was good too.
Secondly, as I mentioned in my last update, I had felt it more on my heart to focus on Dar Es Salaam if the Lord should open doors there - and that is exactly what seems to be happening! I spoke in ten different churches representing five different denominations over 20 days, speaking every day, bar one. Most of these were churches that I hadn’t been to before. Where do these invitations come from? They are all the result of the teachings that people come across on my website! In some instances, it is a church member who contacts me after reading the articles or listening to the sermons. They then make recommendations to their pastor who is then happy to invite me. In other instances, it is pastors themselves who come across my website and then personally invite me speak at their church.
One of these denominations is a Tanzanian Assemblies of God church - and here I would like to mention a pastor from this denomination, who is called Ayubu Mwita. He invited me to speak at his church last year after a church member’s recommendation and after visiting his church he set about recommending me to other pastors. On my first day in Dar Es Salaam on this visit he organised a meeting with several pastors, all of whom wanted me to speak at their churches. It was a wonderful time of fellowship together but I was not able to accommodate every church in my schedule. Nevertheless, I was able to speak at 3 of their churches. Pastor Mwita is also in charge of the youth work in a large area of Dar Es Salaam, and it is he who opened the way for me to speak at the youth conference. While there, further invitations came from other churches, including the church of one of the regional bishops of the AOG in Dar Es Salaam.
At the AOG youth conference, when I met with several pastors over lunch, one of them said, “We don’t need you for a youth conference, we need you for a pastors’ conference!” I don’t know how viable that is, but it is an indication of the sense of need among them for some sound teaching! I would really appreciate prayer for these openings and contacts, that things would proceede with wisdom and grace and that genuine bonds of fellowship and friendship will develop.
As I said, pastor Mwita has been instrumental in so much, but above and beyond that he is a uniquely humble and spiritual man - exceptional in terms of the people I have come across. Please do remember him in prayer because he and his family live in hardship regarding the basic necessities of life, more so than many other pastors in Dar Es Salaam. He is married with 4 children but also looks after a young relative. They live in a kind of hut structure which has 3 rooms in a row, each one measuring about 7 foot by 6 foot! His three sons sleep in one room and the daughter and relative in the ‘sitting’ room and he and his wife in the third room. It is difficult for them to make ends meet and at one stage they had nothing to eat at all for 3 days until an anonymous person arrived at their door with an envelope that contained £30, which was a huge amount for them. But he and his wife serve the Lord with gladness and are wholly given to the church. The other thing that is stretching them now is that they have been given a plot of land for their church - but this plot is far away from where they live. To have your own plot of ground in Dar Es Salaam is indeed a great blessing and provision as it saves you having to pay rent or being evicted from rented premises for whatever reason! They have already erected a semi-waterproof structure to meet in on the plot, but the journey to and fro is also a drain on their resources and energies. Please do pray that the Lord will open a way for them to find better accommodation near the new church site, and that pastor Mwita will truly be encouraged and blessed by the Lord in all he has to do!
Several other churches from different denominations have also invited me back, with one church wanting a five-day conference next time. So as I said, doors are really opening with the prospect of meaningful and hopefully enduring relationships. Do pray for God’s guidance in these matters.
The third thing I had asked prayer for was for my health and safety, and I must say that I hadn’t felt so fit and well for several years as I did on this trip! I’m very thankful to the Lord for this and for your prayers!
Another bonus and blessing was that I didn’t have the expense of staying in a hotel. A university professor who has been supportive of my ministry accommodated me and pastor Gondwe (my interpreter) for the first half of my stay and then quite unexpectedly a relation of one of the Christians who I got to know because of my website also offered us accommodation in their large house! This was a tremendous bonus as it released money for other needs in Tanzania.
I had for some time considered going again in October a serious option. In view of this last trip and the fact that I haven’t visited the churches in the Morogoro region that I am closely connected to for 2 years, and still also have other outstanding invitations, I have now booked my flights for my next visit to Tanzania, which, God willing, will be 10th – 31st October. Please do pray for God’s guidance and wisdom as I plan this itinerary!
With thanks and love to all who pray,
David
Pastor Mwita's rented house. 
Below are photos of various churches I spoke at as well as the 5-day Youth Conference.
2018. GOD IS WORKING IN THE MIDST OF DIFFICULTIES.
I had noted in a previous update that there had been conflict between the Maasai pastoralists and the Tanzanian farmers. Due to the shortage of grazing land, the Maasai had let their cattle feed on the farmers’ crops. This conflict has resulted in a number of deaths among both the Maasai and the ‘Tanzanians’. When the troubles began, pastor Gondwe managed to avoid the spears thrown at him by the local Maasai as he journeyed back home on his motorbike after preaching at the Maasai church that he looked after. However, his motorbike was damaged when one of the Maasai was able to hit his motorbike with a club. He hadn’t been able to go back for about a year and a half, and only now is it relatively safe for him to visit the church again. During that period a Maasai pastor from Bishop Francis’ church tended the Maasai church.
Bishop Francis is respected both locally and regionally as an upright and peaceful man. He was invited to join a government reconciliation project between the Maasai and Tanzanians that involved him visiting remote Maasai communities. However, during such travels Francis also preached the Gospel to them! In a remote community called Luhindo, the Maasai began to respond to the Gospel, with a number turning to the Lord. Last Sunday week Bishop Francis was invited by those Maasai to come and preach again. He went with another pastor from his church (Mathayo) and they had a very blessed time!
The preaching is having such an impact that Bishop Francis was invited again to come last Sunday, and Pastor Gondwe went with him. This time there were many more people there from the surrounding area, which included not only Maasai, but also members of similar tribe but who tend to remain more isolated, called the Mang’ati, or the Tatoogo in their language. Astonishingly, there were also ‘Tanzanians’ present! Given the recent animosities, this is a highly unusual coming together! It was an extraordinary occasion. Both Francis and Gondwe said they had never witnessed anything like it – in terms of the response to the Gospel and the mixture of peoples that were present. People from all three groupings were responding to the message. People prayed for were also healed of various ailments. It was a wonderful time of blessing. There are photos from both Sundays and one of Gondwe praying for a pregnant woman who wanted to receive salvation.
There is a strong desire among the new converts to have a building to meet in. At the moment they meet under a tree, which is OK at the moment, but when the main rainy season starts in March (and lasts till June), gathering there is not really viable! One of the Maasai has gifted one acre of land for them to build a church on, and they have already started to clear the area (see photos). One man has already given two bags of cement and the new converts have collected about £140. This might not sound like much but many people have to live on half of that amount (or less) per month, and only twelve times that amount covers the cost of the building of the church.
Francis and Gondwe are now organising weekly visits to Luhindo to nurture this work, to give Bible teaching and to help them with organising the building of a church. They are also looking to the Lord for someone to be able to live locally and be a pastor to this church. It is very difficult to find faithful men to pastor a church, so please pray concerning this need! To get to Luhindo, Francis and Gondwe (who live in different locations) have to catch buses and then hire motorcyclists to take them deep into the bush, which they are more than willing to do but it is not a long-term solution. Generally, it is safe to travel there but Francis says two going is still better than one person on their own! Please do pray for these matters and for this infant work, which God seems to be blessing in an extraordinary way. Pray that God will keep them and continue his blessing that the work may grow, for the safety of those who travel there and for wisdom for Francis and Gondwe in overseeing all these matters.
Thank you to all who pray!
Sorry for the delay in this update! The main reason for this is that I had no internet access for my laptop in Tanzania this time. Throughout my stay in Tanzania I was kindly offered free accommodation through friends. This proved to be a great blessing but it meant that there was no Internet access for my laptop, so I am having to do a write-up retrospectively!
First of all, I am very thankful to the Lord for my ‘health and safety’ while abroad, as well as all the blessings experienced in the meetings and also in fellowship with God’s people! Thank you to all who prayed!
I spent a full month in Tanzania this time and the trip proved to be a great blessing and also a time of developing and building relationships with people and with new churches. Most of the first week was spent teaching in a small church in a suburb of Dar Es Salaam called ‘Mabibo’. This church had only just started several months ago and one of the church members (who had started communicating with me because of the teachings on my website), recommended me to the pastor, whose name is Ruge. So this led to an invitation to teach there. It was a time of real blessing and fellowship together. We also had question and answer times that proved to be very beneficial, and a real bonding seem to take place between us all! When I left I was followed to the car by several of the church members all wanting assurance that I would come again to their church when I was back in Dar es Salaam! The church is not legally registered yet (which is a requirement in Tanzania for any church) and the pastor has now asked if he can join our group of churches. As I have mentioned elsewhere, I helped the group of churches among whom I mainly work to register - and we are called the ‘Fellowship of Gospel Churches’. This was done because it was a legal requirement, but this in effect results in establishing a new ‘denomination’, which other churches can then join. This saves such churches a substantial amount of money and also helps them to totally bypass a bureaucratic process which could take two or three years! So the Mabibo church will now become part of the Fellowship of Gospel churches.
I spent a full month in Tanzania this time and the trip proved to be a great blessing and also a time of developing and building relationships with people and with new churches. Most of the first week was spent teaching in a small church in a suburb of Dar Es Salaam called ‘Mabibo’. This church had only just started several months ago and one of the church members (who had started communicating with me because of the teachings on my website), recommended me to the pastor, whose name is Ruge. So this led to an invitation to teach there. It was a time of real blessing and fellowship together. We also had question and answer times that proved to be very beneficial, and a real bonding seem to take place between us all! When I left I was followed to the car by several of the church members all wanting assurance that I would come again to their church when I was back in Dar es Salaam! The church is not legally registered yet (which is a requirement in Tanzania for any church) and the pastor has now asked if he can join our group of churches. As I have mentioned elsewhere, I helped the group of churches among whom I mainly work to register - and we are called the ‘Fellowship of Gospel Churches’. This was done because it was a legal requirement, but this in effect results in establishing a new ‘denomination’, which other churches can then join. This saves such churches a substantial amount of money and also helps them to totally bypass a bureaucratic process which could take two or three years! So the Mabibo church will now become part of the Fellowship of Gospel churches.
The Mabibo church has several young people whose only trade it is to try and sell goods to drivers caught in tailbacks on the busy Dar Es Salaam roads! They were not able to finish their secondary education (which is not uncommon in Tanzania) but they have a great zeal to follow the Lord! They meet three or four times a week, which for them involves a 1 to 1 ½ hour journey by public transport! Despite their poverty there is no lack of dedication in serving the Lord! Please do pray for this church and its pastor! Their ‘building’ consists of a canopy of plastic sheeting – when it rains you have to play musical chairs! UPDATE: This little church has been told they can no longer meet on the premises they were renting very cheaply. They can use the premises only till October. Please pray about this.
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| THE CHURCH BUILDING AT MABIBO |
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| SOME CHURCH MEMBERS AT MABIBO |
It would be true to say that everywhere I preached, the congregation listened incredibly attentively, with great focus and even hunger. And so it was at this church. The great sadness is that the people are keen to hear more but it is the pastor who can be the hindrance! So much depends on the pastor! However, in this case the spare Sunday was put to excellent use as we returned to minister at the Mabibo church, who were more than happy to have us again and which turned out to be a great blessing! (Just to say, that my interpreter, pastor Gondwe, who I’ve known for about 20 years, accompanies me throughout my stay in Tanzania. In Dar Es Salaam, a University Prof of medicine, Denis Russa, also accompanied us throughout my time there. He had specifically taking his holiday period to coincide with my visit and very kindly put pastor Gondwe and me up in his lovely house during our stay in Dar es Salaam, as well as driving us to and from all the venues in his car!)
The next venue we had was to engineering students at the University College. We had three days there which were exceptionally blessed particularly in view of the subject matter! I had asked prayer for these meetings and I’d like to thank all those who did pray, as most university students have been deeply affected by teachings on prosperity and the power of positive thinking - and this was no exception! The exception perhaps was the student leader of this student Christian organisation. He was very sympathetic to what I was teaching and I spent the three days dealing with these topics and answering questions which seemed to prove very beneficial and a blessing to at least some if not many!
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| SPEAKING TO ENGINEERING STUDENTS |
During this time, I also received a sudden invitation to another church where the pastor was keen to have me come and preach. This also came about through a recommendation of a church member who had been corresponding with me after reading the articles on my website. I didn’t have any free days at that time but as the student sessions were at 7 pm, the pastor asked if I could come to speak at his church at 4 pm before going to the student venue. So that’s what I did over two days! The pastor was so taken with the teaching that he asked me to speak at the all-night youth ‘prayer’ meeting, which was to take place on the Friday before I left to return to England. I was to speak at 11:30 pm for one hour! As I was free at that time of night I readily agreed! There were about 200 young people there from various churches from that part of Dar Es Salaam. Although it was billed as a prayer meeting, when I arrived there was a lot of singing as well as dancing and the noise level was through the roof! I wondered how I would manage with this group of young people! But the Lord undertook wonderfully! I was not only able to speak with great freedom, but the young people were very attentive and appreciative, even though the message was serious and challenging. The two adults who were leading the meeting were extremely supportive of what I had spoken on and there was apparent immediate enthusiasm on the part of everyone for me to come again! However, one of the leaders who was also the treasurer, was absolutely dumbfounded when I said I didn’t want a collection taken up for me at the end of the preaching! Please do pray about this opportunity and for the pastor who leads this work whose name is pastor Ayubu Mwita.
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| SPEAKING AT ALL-NIGHT YOUTH PRAYER MEETING |
During this time in Dar Es Salaam I was also invited to meals at the homes of pastors and church members and it was a rich time of fellowship and of drawing closer to one another.
We then travelled to Arusha which is in the North of the country. Here I spoke at three churches, two of which now want to join our group of churches. This was a very blessed time indeed where again I felt great freedom in speaking and the people listened with great focus and attention, seeming to ‘drink in’ what was being said. One was a little church that had been going for a few years and they were waiting to find a group they could join with who wouldn’t try to exploit them financially, control them or bring in false teachings. After reading the articles on my website the pastor invited me to come and preach and they have now asked to join FGC. One of the other churches, where the pastor was a friend of pastor Francis (who works together with me and pastor Gondwe), was much larger and was also looking for a denomination that they could join. After speaking there for two days they too now want to be linked with us. The reception from the congregation was incredibly warm and appreciative. (They had found themselves ‘without a denomination’ after their bishop had been arrested for illegal trafficking in alcohol! It wasn’t viable for them to remain within that denomination after that. This may be surprising to us – it was to me – but it is how things are in Tanzania.)
The third church I spoke at was an Assemblies of God church, where the pastor was extremely thankful for the teaching and he very much wanted to maintain contact with us! Here also, the time was filled with visits to pastors and church members. It was a time of rich fellowship and of building relationships.
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| Pastor Israeli (far left) and other church members at a small independent church where I spoke: Arusha. |
I’m very thankful to the Lord for his provision for us in Arusha! It was a friend of a friend who let us have a lovely two bedroomed cottage in nice grounds for free for the duration of our stay! Although this family didn’t know me personally they couldn’t have been more friendly and hospitable!
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| Tanzanian AOG church. Arusha. |
The final church I visited in this area was in a Maasai community a three-hour drive away from Arusha deep into the bushland. I was very much looking forward to this but it turned out to be rather sad and disappointing. The people again were incredibly attentive but the pastor preached nothing but prosperity! On the Sunday, the church treasurer had his accounts book in front of him telling the people how they had to contribute to the new building project. He told them, “I’ve got all your names here and if you don’t pay we will know and we will chase you up!” Many other things were said which were simply heart-breaking because they were so far from anything that the Lord Jesus Christ represents. By the end of the weekend the pastor had got the ‘measure’ of me and I wasn’t surprised when he simply said, “God bless you” when we parted instead of the customary, “Karibu tena”, which means welcome again! I find it sad, to say the least, when I see people hungry to hear more, but it is just the greed of the pastor that prevents the people under his ‘care’ from being blessed by the word. However, I do know that some people were touched by the message because they themselves told me! I have since written to the pastor and pray that the Lord might soften and change his heart.
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| Larger independent church: Arusha. |
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| MAASAI CHURCH NEAR LONGIDO |
I then returned to Dar Es Salaam for the few days I had left. Here I was invited to speak at a Calvary Pentecostal church where I had been before and where the pastor is very supportive of what I teach and uses the material to teach others in Dar Es Salaam and in other parts Tanzania. Again, this was a very blessed time, and we had a meaningful time of fellowship with the pastor who was able to share some of the difficulties they were passing through. His name is Peter Julius.
Thank you to all those of you who pray. It is greatly appreciated, and judging by the rich blessing that characterised this visit the Lord has certainly answered prayers.
A final matter for prayer is the on-going situation regarding the shortage of food. They have started harvesting the July/August crops but businessmen are buying these up and are sending the produce to Kenya where they get greater profits! I have been told the president is now looking into this. In the meantime, basic maize flour still remains relatively scarce and the prices are therefore inflated. This is particularly hitting the poorest hard – and many in the churches in the Morogoro region are such!
DROUGHT AND FAMINE IN TANZANIA 2016 /2017
Tanzania (including other areas of East Africa) has suffered
from late rains and flash floods over the last four or five years. In some
areas they have had to give up on the normal two-year crop cycle and put their
efforts into securing the mid-year crop. This year the situation has only got
worse. The ‘lesser’ rains which should have started in early November have not
appeared at all yet! There is drought, crops due to be harvested in February
have failed and cattle are dying. The poor are hit doubly as the cost of maize
flour is rocketing above what they can afford. Morogoro (where I am involved
with several churches) has been hit
hard. Bishop Francis, who is Maasai and has some cattle, has already lost some
of his cows to starvation. Pastor Gondwe, who is my interpreter as well as a
dear brother, can only provide one meal a day for his family at the moment –
but the situation will only get worse in the coming months. The next crops are
not due till about June of next year. The need is huge and the brothers and
sisters there need prayer on ‘every level’ – that their faith fail not; that
they will know God’s comfort in their hearts; that the government send relief
and/or provide maize flour at reduced prices; and that God will meet their
needs in other (unexpected) ways! Please pray.
Below just a very few extracts from what is being written in
Tanzanian newspapers at the moment:
“Dar es Salaam — The government should urgently evaluate the
impact of drought and make short, medium and long-term interventions to save
people's lives.
The proposals followed reports that drought has killed more
than 3,800 livestock in Kilosa District, MOROGORO Region, and was being felt in
several other regions.
Evergreen Agriculture Tanzania Executive Director Deusdedit
Kiiza said the government should release food from the national reserve to
stabilise skyrocketing cereal prices.
Measures should include supplying relief food to households
worst affected by food shortages, supplying more food to the market to
stabilise prices, restricting cereal exports and importing cereals to boost
National Food Reserve Authority (NFRA) stocks.”
Thank you for your prayers!
MAY / JUNE VISIT 2016
MAY 20: Arrived in Dar Es Salaam to hear the story of Matayo, who is an elder and an assistant to pastor Franicis in the village of Kibaoni. Matayo is a lovely Christian and a faithful brother in the church. I know him well. The leader of a neighbouring church offered to build him a house if he left pastor Francis and came to be his assistant. He refused, despite being poor and having a large family who all live in a mud hut. Matayo is Maasai and as is their tradition, he had 10 cows and some goats. A few days ago he had to take them some way from home and crossed a river to get to an area where the cows could graze. Then there was a sudden downpour which continued for hours. He and a helper made their way back and found that the river was flooded and flowing quite rapidly. He thought he would be able to get the cows across and sat on the back of one to help him cross! However, the current was stronger than he thought. All the cows and goats were swept away, including the one he was riding on! He and his helper were swept along by the current helpless but about 200 yards downstream there was a fallen tree which they were able to grab hold of! Eventually there were some people passing to whom they called out to and they were able to be rescued. We thank God that Matayo's life was spared together with his helper's. Please pray for Matayo and his family who are left with no means of livelihood. For the Maasai their cows are their main if not only source of provision and income. When I get to Morogoro, I shall see what help I can give him. These things touch you more closely when you know the person well! This is also just another witness to the destruction caused by floods this year and the trials people are having to face.
MAY 18: Arrangements to have at least one meeting at Dar Es Salaam University seem to be going well. Please continue to pray for this event. It could be a great opportunity as many students already have questions and misgivings about what is being taught with regard to money and 'success'.
APRIL 29: Sent money for food for struggling families at this time of famine in the Morogoro region. The money sent has been distributed among 36 families and will provide staple foods (maize flour, beans and cooking oil) for one month. Thank you so much to those of you who gave!
MAY / JUNE VISIT 2016
JUNE 13: Haven't had suitable internet access until today, so shall recap from last post! On the last day of the university sessions we had a very profitable time of questions and answers, which went on for two and a half hours and was very appreciated by the students! Several want to keep in contact, and the Christian professor might form a group for an ongoing Bible study based, at least initially, on the articles in the two booklets I have written. Please continue to pray for this.
(I also met with a student from a university in Morogoro who had been so blessed by my teaching on giving and money that he came to see me at the bus station when I was leaving Morogoro to go back to Dar Es Salaam. He said the same kind of things that another student from Moshi (in the north of Tanzania) had told me just a few weeks earlier. There is a vast amount of abuse and exploitation by pastors and leaders in Tanzania concerning tithing and offerings. Some university students, who haven't yet fallen under the spell of these teachings, find themselves isolated in their views and criticised if they don't follow the accepted traditions. Upon finding my articles, they say they (the articles) have brought them freedom and encouragement. Other students who haven't thought about these traditions before are equally blessed by what the scriptures actually say about giving. For example, at the church of one student, you are required to fill out a form stating your salary. Not only does the church require you to give 15% of your salary, but also 15% of any gift you are given - and 15% of your student loan! Often there is no declaration as to where the money goes! It is a normal practice throughout Tanzania for pastors frequently to tell the congregation that they will be cursed of God if they don't pay 10% of their income to the church! In fact, the editor of a Christian newspaper in Tanzania, who has serialised and published all my articles, is keen for me to write even more on the subject of money and giving. On my return to Dar Es Salaam from Morogoro, I spoke at a pentecostal church and two students there said they would be able to organise some meetings at their university when I come again. So the thirst, particularly among university students, to learn what the Bible actually says about these and other things is quite strong. So again, I would value your prayers for opportunities to open among students!)
Spent about a week in the Morogoro region. Had a very blessed time speaking in different churches. Three of these were Maasai churches which I visited for the first time and who have now joined with us, coming under the umbrella of the Fellowship of Gospel churches. It is a real privilege to be able to see the work of God among these people in utterly remote locations! Their joy in the Lord is quite obvious! Exceptionally, one of these churches has a young Maasai man named Esiah. Pray for him that he may stay firm in the faith, as it is a real challenge to maintain discipleship when they are back in their Maasai community environment. These churches are about 20 miles west of Morogoro, one being in an area called Malela and the other two at an area called Mkata.
None of these Maasai churches (including the ones to the south of Dar Es Salaam) have any Bibles - except for the pastors. Many do not know how to read at all. It is only those who are attending secondary school that are able to read. Have arranged purchase and distribution of Bibles and New Testaments for these churches. The dedication of the pastor here is also impressive - he cycles three hours one way to serve two of his churches and then of course three hours back!
Matayo, who I mentioned earlier, not only lost all his cattle but also his mud house! He had moved with his whole family from Kibaoni into temporary 'accommodation' in the area where he went to graze his cattle. During this time his house in Kibaoni disintegrated - it was a mud and grass structure! So he lost literally everything - home and all his cattle. Because of the generosity of others, I have been able to help him buy 3 cows, one of which is pregnant! He is overjoyed! Not only does this provide an immediate source of sustenance and income (from the milk) but it also removes the indignity and shame of him as a Maasai man not possessing any cows! I have also given him money to start building a new home at Kibaoni - once the wooden structure is up I will be able to provide the corrugated tin sheets for the roof to complete the work. His family think all this is an absolute miracle and they could never have imagined anything like this happening!
At Kibaoni we had a two-day leaders' conference for FGC (Fellowship of Gospel Churches). I spoke 3 times on the first day. It was exceptionally blessed! At the end of the third session I had literally just spoken the last word when without a pause heavy rain suddenly hit the tin roof with deafening noise! (In Tanzania rain in the dry season is a token of blessing.) I couldn't say another word! Someone started a song and all of us joined in to what turned out to be a time of exceptional blessing. It was like heaven had opened in a spiritual sense as well. We spontaneously continued in praise and then worship. Somehow people then started praying and calling on the Lord. I opened my eyes and people had dispersed in the room finding a place of their own, some standing, many on their knees, with some weeping in prayer! It was an extraordinary time, where God's presence seem to overwhelm us! I had spoken on the topic of our need to grow, change and bear fruit and not just to go on in the same old way in our Christian lives. We trust the that day will contribute something to that effect!
During my visits to these places I also bought food and gave money for medical treatment to individual believers who were in particular or immediate need of such help. One such case involved pastor Gondwe, who is my interpreter and who is with me all the time when I visit Tanzania. We were at the 'home' of a pentecostal pastor, Julius Peter, which was one room, 3 metres by 3 ½ metres. Everything was in that one room! The bed, fridge, cupboard, sofa, bookcase etc. And they have two young children! The pastor's wife cooks in the corridor which is shared with 5 other families who also have just one room each! It was remarkable - but the pastor overflowed with joy! What a witness! Anyway, Gondwe went outside to take a phone call. A few minutes later we had to leave for the meeting and we met Gondwe, who had just finished speaking on the phone. I noticed he was rather subdued an asked him what the matter was. He said a friend had just told him that his sister had been bitten by a poisonous snake and that they were at the doctors but the doctor was refusing to administer the antivenom until she paid 30,000 shillings (£10)! The friend was in tears as she relayed this information. I told Gondwe we had to deal with this immediately and so I gave him the money, which he was able to send to his sister and her friend within five minutes. In Tanzania there are kiosks where you can not only top up your phone voucher but also use the network to send money anywhere within Tanzania. These kiosks are everywhere and there was one just yards away from where we were walking! His sister had the money within minutes and was administered the antivenom - without which she would have died. It is amazing but this kind of behaviour is normal in Tanzania. However, the new president of Tanzania is taking steps to address all manner of abuse and corruption in the country.
MAY 31: Very blessed and wonderful meeting at the University of Medicine here in Dar-Es-Salaam? Thank you for praying if you did! The event wasn't organised by a Christian Union of any kind but one of the professors who is extremely keen on my articles just put up some posters. Wouldn't have been surprised if half a dozen had turned up, so was very thankful to the Lord (as well as a bit nervous!) that about 40 turned up. Spoke for and hour and a half without anyone looking bored - very attentive throughout and as time went on students began visibly to relax and soften and became very responsive to what I was saying. Supposed to have a meeting every evening for three days but at the end they asked if I could speak on Friday as well! There was virtually a scramble for the booklets of my articles that I had printed here - 14 among 40 students. Will print more tomorrow. Please continue to pray as this could also be a significant opening in more ways than one in the future. I have more to write about the last few days but thought I would just post this quickly!
MAY 22: Wonderful day visiting Maasai church. It is only about 75 miles south of Dar Es Salaam but it took us about 4 and a half hours to get there – getting through the Dar traffic, being stopped by the police who claimed we had been speeding (after some discussion they ‘forgave’ us and said we could carry on) and then negotiating a dirt track deep into countryside. Had we gone by public transport it would have taken six hours, but the university professor who is trying to arrange some meetings with students at the university when he heard we were going very much wanted to join us and take us in his car – for which he wouldn’t take any money at all! When we arrived at the Maasai community in the village of Nganje, we were met by the friendly Maasai women with genuine smiles and open, bright faces! That this wasn’t just their nature was proven during the meeting that followed! There heartfelt devotion to the Lord in praying and singing was immediately evident. It was a real work of God among them. Wonderful to witness! I have never come across a Maasai church like this and rarely any other church in Tanzania like this for shear abandoned love and devotion to the Lord. Most of the women over 20 can’t read and none of them have a Bible or New Testament, so this week I will be getting some New Testaments for them. Pastor Jonathan, who started this work, lives in Dar and he goes down there every Wednesday (for Bible study and prayer) and Saturday (so he can take the Sunday service). The journey by public transport takes 6 hours one way, so he has to sleep there each time. When finances allow he goes with his wife. He has no job - he tries to survive on very small entrepreneurial enterprises) but is given to this work. It was a privilege to visit this work and to speak there, and we had a wonderful day of fellowship (professor Russa, Gondwe my interpreter, Pastor Jonathan and his close associate and myself) and discussing the work and our possible involvement. It seems something was being ‘born’ out of the discussions we had. Pastor Jonathan is coming on Tuesday to talk further about this. Would value your prayers for him as he has some decisions to make with regard to his own circumstances now which will affect the way the work is to go on. Also, as I have mentioned in this blog, it is rare to see a Maasai man turn to the Lord and remain faithful, so this continues to a matter to pray for.
(I also met with a student from a university in Morogoro who had been so blessed by my teaching on giving and money that he came to see me at the bus station when I was leaving Morogoro to go back to Dar Es Salaam. He said the same kind of things that another student from Moshi (in the north of Tanzania) had told me just a few weeks earlier. There is a vast amount of abuse and exploitation by pastors and leaders in Tanzania concerning tithing and offerings. Some university students, who haven't yet fallen under the spell of these teachings, find themselves isolated in their views and criticised if they don't follow the accepted traditions. Upon finding my articles, they say they (the articles) have brought them freedom and encouragement. Other students who haven't thought about these traditions before are equally blessed by what the scriptures actually say about giving. For example, at the church of one student, you are required to fill out a form stating your salary. Not only does the church require you to give 15% of your salary, but also 15% of any gift you are given - and 15% of your student loan! Often there is no declaration as to where the money goes! It is a normal practice throughout Tanzania for pastors frequently to tell the congregation that they will be cursed of God if they don't pay 10% of their income to the church! In fact, the editor of a Christian newspaper in Tanzania, who has serialised and published all my articles, is keen for me to write even more on the subject of money and giving. On my return to Dar Es Salaam from Morogoro, I spoke at a pentecostal church and two students there said they would be able to organise some meetings at their university when I come again. So the thirst, particularly among university students, to learn what the Bible actually says about these and other things is quite strong. So again, I would value your prayers for opportunities to open among students!)
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| Some of the students at the University of Medicine Dar Es Salaam |
None of these Maasai churches (including the ones to the south of Dar Es Salaam) have any Bibles - except for the pastors. Many do not know how to read at all. It is only those who are attending secondary school that are able to read. Have arranged purchase and distribution of Bibles and New Testaments for these churches. The dedication of the pastor here is also impressive - he cycles three hours one way to serve two of his churches and then of course three hours back!
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| Worshippers at the Mkata church. |
Matayo, who I mentioned earlier, not only lost all his cattle but also his mud house! He had moved with his whole family from Kibaoni into temporary 'accommodation' in the area where he went to graze his cattle. During this time his house in Kibaoni disintegrated - it was a mud and grass structure! So he lost literally everything - home and all his cattle. Because of the generosity of others, I have been able to help him buy 3 cows, one of which is pregnant! He is overjoyed! Not only does this provide an immediate source of sustenance and income (from the milk) but it also removes the indignity and shame of him as a Maasai man not possessing any cows! I have also given him money to start building a new home at Kibaoni - once the wooden structure is up I will be able to provide the corrugated tin sheets for the roof to complete the work. His family think all this is an absolute miracle and they could never have imagined anything like this happening!
At Kibaoni we had a two-day leaders' conference for FGC (Fellowship of Gospel Churches). I spoke 3 times on the first day. It was exceptionally blessed! At the end of the third session I had literally just spoken the last word when without a pause heavy rain suddenly hit the tin roof with deafening noise! (In Tanzania rain in the dry season is a token of blessing.) I couldn't say another word! Someone started a song and all of us joined in to what turned out to be a time of exceptional blessing. It was like heaven had opened in a spiritual sense as well. We spontaneously continued in praise and then worship. Somehow people then started praying and calling on the Lord. I opened my eyes and people had dispersed in the room finding a place of their own, some standing, many on their knees, with some weeping in prayer! It was an extraordinary time, where God's presence seem to overwhelm us! I had spoken on the topic of our need to grow, change and bear fruit and not just to go on in the same old way in our Christian lives. We trust the that day will contribute something to that effect!
During my visits to these places I also bought food and gave money for medical treatment to individual believers who were in particular or immediate need of such help. One such case involved pastor Gondwe, who is my interpreter and who is with me all the time when I visit Tanzania. We were at the 'home' of a pentecostal pastor, Julius Peter, which was one room, 3 metres by 3 ½ metres. Everything was in that one room! The bed, fridge, cupboard, sofa, bookcase etc. And they have two young children! The pastor's wife cooks in the corridor which is shared with 5 other families who also have just one room each! It was remarkable - but the pastor overflowed with joy! What a witness! Anyway, Gondwe went outside to take a phone call. A few minutes later we had to leave for the meeting and we met Gondwe, who had just finished speaking on the phone. I noticed he was rather subdued an asked him what the matter was. He said a friend had just told him that his sister had been bitten by a poisonous snake and that they were at the doctors but the doctor was refusing to administer the antivenom until she paid 30,000 shillings (£10)! The friend was in tears as she relayed this information. I told Gondwe we had to deal with this immediately and so I gave him the money, which he was able to send to his sister and her friend within five minutes. In Tanzania there are kiosks where you can not only top up your phone voucher but also use the network to send money anywhere within Tanzania. These kiosks are everywhere and there was one just yards away from where we were walking! His sister had the money within minutes and was administered the antivenom - without which she would have died. It is amazing but this kind of behaviour is normal in Tanzania. However, the new president of Tanzania is taking steps to address all manner of abuse and corruption in the country.
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| Pastor Julius and family at 'home'. |
MAY 31: Very blessed and wonderful meeting at the University of Medicine here in Dar-Es-Salaam? Thank you for praying if you did! The event wasn't organised by a Christian Union of any kind but one of the professors who is extremely keen on my articles just put up some posters. Wouldn't have been surprised if half a dozen had turned up, so was very thankful to the Lord (as well as a bit nervous!) that about 40 turned up. Spoke for and hour and a half without anyone looking bored - very attentive throughout and as time went on students began visibly to relax and soften and became very responsive to what I was saying. Supposed to have a meeting every evening for three days but at the end they asked if I could speak on Friday as well! There was virtually a scramble for the booklets of my articles that I had printed here - 14 among 40 students. Will print more tomorrow. Please continue to pray as this could also be a significant opening in more ways than one in the future. I have more to write about the last few days but thought I would just post this quickly!
MAY 22: Wonderful day visiting Maasai church. It is only about 75 miles south of Dar Es Salaam but it took us about 4 and a half hours to get there – getting through the Dar traffic, being stopped by the police who claimed we had been speeding (after some discussion they ‘forgave’ us and said we could carry on) and then negotiating a dirt track deep into countryside. Had we gone by public transport it would have taken six hours, but the university professor who is trying to arrange some meetings with students at the university when he heard we were going very much wanted to join us and take us in his car – for which he wouldn’t take any money at all! When we arrived at the Maasai community in the village of Nganje, we were met by the friendly Maasai women with genuine smiles and open, bright faces! That this wasn’t just their nature was proven during the meeting that followed! There heartfelt devotion to the Lord in praying and singing was immediately evident. It was a real work of God among them. Wonderful to witness! I have never come across a Maasai church like this and rarely any other church in Tanzania like this for shear abandoned love and devotion to the Lord. Most of the women over 20 can’t read and none of them have a Bible or New Testament, so this week I will be getting some New Testaments for them. Pastor Jonathan, who started this work, lives in Dar and he goes down there every Wednesday (for Bible study and prayer) and Saturday (so he can take the Sunday service). The journey by public transport takes 6 hours one way, so he has to sleep there each time. When finances allow he goes with his wife. He has no job - he tries to survive on very small entrepreneurial enterprises) but is given to this work. It was a privilege to visit this work and to speak there, and we had a wonderful day of fellowship (professor Russa, Gondwe my interpreter, Pastor Jonathan and his close associate and myself) and discussing the work and our possible involvement. It seems something was being ‘born’ out of the discussions we had. Pastor Jonathan is coming on Tuesday to talk further about this. Would value your prayers for him as he has some decisions to make with regard to his own circumstances now which will affect the way the work is to go on. Also, as I have mentioned in this blog, it is rare to see a Maasai man turn to the Lord and remain faithful, so this continues to a matter to pray for.
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| Matayo and his wife at their house. |
MAY 18: Arrangements to have at least one meeting at Dar Es Salaam University seem to be going well. Please continue to pray for this event. It could be a great opportunity as many students already have questions and misgivings about what is being taught with regard to money and 'success'.
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| Food being loaded onto truck. |
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| Food being distributed to poor Christians. |
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