When persecution is endured...

“To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure …”   “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”                            
1 Corinthians 4:11-12 and Matthew 5:10

Ten years ago, a miracle began.  With a handful of believers, in a mud stick structure, Sezakofi Baptist Church was planted.  Pastor George, impressed by God to make an impact among the Zigua of Sezakofi village, began ministry.

“At the beginning there was much stress. We prayed a lot because the rest of the village was ignoring us. We were cheated in the shops and life was very hard.”
The difficulties culminated in the burning of the church structure through arson.

However, today, through the providence of God and the enduring love shown through the pastor and believers present, Sezakofi Baptist Church is making an impact in the village which ten years ago was 99% Muslim.


“Today almost 20% of the people in the village are believers.”  

The church has begun a faith garden, selling the harvest and using the proceeds for a new brick church building.

Water is a major problem in the area of Tanzania where the Zigua live.  These 20 litre containers are trucked in full of water, unloaded in the village and sold for $0.30 each.  With an income of only $1.00 a day, $0.30 is a lot to pay for five gallons of water.  I know that my water usage habits would change drastically living in these conditions.

Ministry among the Zigua will take commitment; results are slow in coming and the earthly rewards are meager with persecution likely; but God calls us to the ends of the earth, engaging every tribe and tongue.


*Ask God to move among believers giving them a burden for the Zigua people.

*Pray against persecution for those believers presently living among the Zigua.

*Pray for the Holy Spirit to move over Zigua villages opening hearts and minds ready for the truth of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Renounce or Die

“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed…”                              2 Timothy 3:12-14


A recent crusade resulted in several Zigua making decisions to follow Christ/the truth. A few days after the crusade, these new believers were visited by the local Imam threatening them, “return to the mosque or lose your life.”

Forced out of his family, one young believer moved to another village in order to live in peace.

Local evangelical churches face these spiritual and cultural battles as they reach out to the Zigua.

Living in northeast Tanzania, the Zigua practice folk Islam, mixing traditional religion along with Islamic religious practices.  With their population slightly over 600,000, the Zigua is one of the larger unreached groups in Tanzania. While there are evangelical churches among the Zigua, most Zigua have never entered a church.

Facing persecution and hardships, nevertheless stepping out in faith, the small Baptist churches have had limited success as they seek to reach the Zigua and surrounding tribes.

God’s gift of love and the only way to heaven through faith in Jesus Christ is shared through the book of John. Spiritual truths and living at peace with God through Christ is shared through the book of Mark. Both Gospels (Mark and John) are available in the Zigua language, but only a few are able to read.

*Pray for unique and creative ideas enabling believers to reach the Zigua people.

*Many Zigua are Muslims by day and traditional religionists by night. Ask God to send dreams and visions to the Zigua causing them to seek council for spiritual questions from knowledgeable Baptist pastors.

*Pray that Baptist pastors would be filled with knowledge and spiritual insight, that they would speak the words of God and live the life of Christ among the Zigua.

Uvinza salt

“Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again?  Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”  
                                 Mark 9:50


Historically, known for its salt flats and salt production, Uvinza, today, is just a medium-sized rural town.

While salt continues to be produced here, it is not the big enterprise of long ago.

Centuries ago, these salt and mineral deposits were very valuable resources, especially for the tribes living in the middle of Africa so far away from the salt and minerals that the oceans afford.

The road to Uvinza has been paved and it is a lovely drive from Kigoma east and south as we head out toward Nairobi.
We will stop in Uvinza as we travel today and look at the engagement status of the Vinza people.




As we reach Uvinza the nice tar road ends, leaving Uvinza town with rough dirt roads and tracks through town and the surrounding area.


The Vinza people are predominately a Muslim people group. 

While there is a church presence in Uvinza and some of the villages where the Vinza people live, because they are a Muslim group, evangelical Christians live beside the Vinza without ever testifying to them about the awesome grace of God’s salvation through His Son Jesus Christ.

The above is a section of the Injili.  This is the New Testament translated into Arabic. The left side is Swahili and the right portion is Arabic.  While most Muslims in Tanzania cannot read Arabic, if they can read at all, they can read Swahili.  This portion is John 3:16-17.  God’s promise of a Savior and Redeemer fulfilled.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”     John 3:16-17

An amazing statement of God’s love to us – a fact that the whole world needs to hear;
God loves us.
God made a plan for our salvation.
God does not condemn us.
God wants to save us.
Amazing isn’t it?

*Pray that the churches among the Vinza people of Western Tanzania would be salt and light to the Vinza people; sharing with them, the Gospel of truth.

*Pray for dreams and visions among the Vinza leading them to search for spiritual truth.

*Pray for an opening within Vinza communities enabling churches to reach out ministering in love and power.

…here in Your presence…

So you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God by walking in His ways and by fearing Him. For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in valleys and hills…                         Deuteronomy 8:6-7

Recently a wonderful opportunity was presented to Debbie to join women from all over the continent for a three-day conference called Joy in the Journey.
This opportunity does not come often.  The last meeting like this was in 2007 – so you can understand the wonderful refreshment this affords.

The meeting was paid for through special gifts – especially from women and we want to thank each one for their sacrificial giving to make this meeting possible.


A few well-known Christian women were invited to lead the conference, but those plans fell through enabling some of our own ladies to lead out in the conference, adding a level of understanding that would not have been present otherwise.

Sisters from our Zimbabwe days.

While much learning is being obtained, joyful fellowship is also being experienced, and it is so good to catch up with friends and co-laborers from years back, as well as making new friends from those who have recently come to the field.



God is good – His love endures forever.  Providing us with times of fellowship and refreshment, He supplies our needs – my cup overflows.




Pray that missionaries across the globe, who, living in a culture not their own, and perhaps living in areas of danger and unrest will be refreshed today either through God’s word, a colleague or co-worker; a refreshing that will renew their strength and commitment to be obedient to God.

Will the Wagoma seek His face?

You have said, “Seek my face.” 
My heart says to You, “Your face, LORD, do I seek.”      Psalm 27:8

A mosque designated specifically for the Wagoma people

Living in and around Kigoma in the western part of Tanzania, the Wagoma people are not seeking the face of Christ.
They do not realize that Christ is the living God who came down to live on the earth so that humanity could know how to have relationship with God.






As we search for information on the various people groups in and around Kigoma, we are introduced to a believer who is also Wagoma.  We will call him “Paul”. (This is not his real name, but, as he is a Muslim background believer, we do not want to put him in any danger of persecution by revealing his true name.) I choose the name Paul because he is bold in his witness; however, he is careful as he witnesses within the Islamic community.

Paul leads us to several villages containing Wagoma people. There are no villages with only Wagoma people; they live intermingled with other people groups.  Therefore, while there may be churches in villages where the Wagoma live, the Wagoma do not attend.

As we travel together, he relates to us his understanding of the history of the Wagoma people.


 

Historically, coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Zoba people crossed Lake Tanganyika and settled in and around the Kigoma area becoming known as the Wagoma people.

The Wagoma are a Muslim people group.

Today, those living in the urban areas surrounding Kigoma are businessmen, while the Wagoma living along the shores of Lake Tanganyika are fishermen.

While friendly, the Wagoma are not open to Christianity nor to the witness of truth.  It will take strong committed believers with the knowledge of Muslim evangelism to make inroads into the Wagoma community.




*Pray that God would visit the Wagoma people in dreams and visions sparking spiritual questions and discussions.

*Pray that God would orchestrate the coming of strong believers into the Wagoma community bringing answers to those spiritual questions.

*Pray that as individuals in the Wagoma community witness the love of Christ, they will open their ears to the truth of the Gospel message -- that they would SEEK HIS FACE.