Engaged! -- Zinza and Ikoma peoples

"O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens. When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him?"  
Psalm 8:1, 3-4


A recent research trip to Tanzania was conducted to investigate the engagement status of two people groups living near Lake Victoria in and around the Serengeti.

As we look across Ngorongoro crater, the vastness of Tanzania is evident – the work of God’s fingers is made clear.

The purpose of our trip is to gather information on the Ikoma and the Zinza people.
Both groups live near the massive Serengeti National Park and Lake Victoria.

Because of the location of Ikoma villages, we are blessed to travel through the Serengeti -- the Great Wildebeest Migration occurs here every year between the Maasai Mara and the Serengeti National Parks.

The wildebeest migrate spontaneously  according to the rains, so the dates are flexible; however,   as we drive through the wildebeest are spread out and seem content where they are –they are not migrating very far today!



As we move about in Ikoma villages, God places people in our path who are knowledgeable about the engagement of the Ikoma with the Gospel of Christ. We discover the Mennonite church has been engaging the Ikoma since 1948. What a tremendous blessing!  Giving a clear gospel witness, the elder of one Mennonite church stated emphatically that salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven.  We joyously received the witness.

Our time among the Zinza people was just as encouraging as we met with folks from the African Inland Church (AIC), an evangelical, interdenominational mission organization, who are actively engaging the Zinza people. There is a Bible school among the Zinza and Zinza believers are planting churches in villages and even on the islands near the southern shore of Lake Victoria.

We had thought that these two groups were engaged; yet, we needed to confirm these thoughts with feet on the ground, seeing for ourselves the work of the Lord among these two people groups.

*Pray for the efforts of the Mennonite and AIC church leaders as they live in some difficult circumstances, rough village conditions with little access to amenities.

*Ask God to embolden believers afresh with an urgency to reach those who are living in darkness.

*Praise God that He is mindful of mankind.  He cares about every aspect of our lives.

Engagement!

“When He went ashore He saw a great crowd, and He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.  And He began to teach them many things.
Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.’”                                                          Mark 6:34 and John 14:6

Do you remember back in June, we went to visit the Vidunda of Tanzania?  That visit was in preparation for a vision trip planned for August.

The August vision trip went as planned and was a great success.

Pastors from churches in the Baltimore, Maryland area formed a team in order to seek out an unengaged people group in Tanzania.  They and their congregations have been praying about God working through them to help fulfill the great commission – sharing the love and sacrifice of Christ to a people walking in darkness.

While difficulties arose on the trip – God saw them through and blessed their obedience.

While these men witnessed first-hand the physical challenge and the sacrifice of comfort that must be endured to reach the Vidunda people, they also saw the great need for the Vidunda to know Christ as the way, the truth and the life. The Vidunda need to know and understand that God’s gift of salvation comes not from the works of man but out of God’s great love.

Now these churches are joining together in force to reach the Vidunda of Tanzania with the gospel.

*Pray for God to prepare Vidunda hearts for the first of many engagement trips.

*Pray for good preparation and orientation for the ones preparing to embark on this mission.


*Pray for each person in these churches to stand beside those going in prayer and giving to make this engagement possible.

*Pray for the power of God to infuse strength and wisdom to each one that they would see the mission of reaching the Vidunda for Christ accomplished.

Praise His Holy Name!

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.

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.

Kigoma, Tanzania

Sitting on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika, Kigoma, the largest town in northwestern Tanzania, is the regional capital and the location for government offices of the region.

Kigoma is also steeped in the history of the colonization of East Africa.  Ujiji, a small town adjacent to Kigoma is where Stanley met Dr. Livingstone and the famous phrase, “Dr. Livingstone I presume” was uttered.
While in Kigoma, we have the opportunity of visiting the museum in Ujiji telling the story.











We can see that while standards are trying to be kept, let’s face it, this is still Africa, thus it is very basic. The exhibits are interesting but not special or unusual for a person familiar with African culture.
It is notable that they continue to plant a mango tree near the spot where this plaque is placed.

Another plaque reminds us of two other colonial explorers, Burton and Speke, who, attempting to find the source of the Nile River mapped Lake Tanganyika as well as the existence of Lake Victoria, naming it for the then current Queen of England.

The hub for much of western Tanzania, Kigoma is also a port town for vessels crossing Lake Tanganyika from D.R. Congo and cargo vessels that run from Zambia up and down the lake.

Kigoma is the arrival town for ministry among the UUPG’s in this part of Tanzania. Churches ministering to the Vinza, Holoholo, Wagoma, and Tongwe people groups would begin here.

Kigoma is also the town to get supplies while ministering in the outlying villages.

These young fellas ran up to get their picture taken!

As is the case in the south, the western side of Tanzania is less developed.  There are fewer services available – only Kigoma has somewhat reliable electric and water services. The roads are in a very poor condition with some villages totally inaccessible by car.  Medical facilities are very basic and sparsely spread throughout the area – you want to stay healthy if you live out here!

However, folks are happy and enjoy life here.  The weather is very nice, not too hot, never too cold – wonderful.

Pray for the UUPGs in and around Kigoma.  The people groups living here are blinded, mostly by Islam.  They need to understand the truth of Jesus Christ.  He is not just a prophet – He is the Son of God – the way to salvation – and believing in Him is eternal life.

Light to the Tongwe

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”      Matthew 5:14-16


Due partly to the slave trade in Tanzania’s history, Islam is fairly well ingrained in the western part of Tanzania. Some of the people groups migrating from the Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo)  crossing Lake Tanganyika, settled on what was then the Arab slave routes; becoming involved in the capturing of other tribes, they worked with the Arabs to transport slaves to Bagamoyo, Tanzania for shipment out to Europe.  Back in the day, this was a big enterprise and many different people groups were involved.  This explains why, today, there are so many Islamic people groups in Tanzania, even in the interior.

Rural Mosque among the Tongwe people.

Living along the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika in Western Tanzania, while not specifically part of the slave trade, the Tongwe are an Islamic people group.

Our plan, as we set out today, is to travel along the eastern lakeshore road, hoping to meet some Tongwe people.


As with most people groups in Tanzania, the Tongwe live alongside other people groups. So the villages we visit will not be exclusively Tongwe people – there will be a mixture of people groups within them.

The drive is beautiful along the lake, even though the road is rough – poor Jerry, he does not get to see much as the driver must keep all of his attention on the road so we do not break an axle.

How would you like to wake up to this picture every morning?
Beautiful, isn't it?

While the Tongwe grow the food they eat, those living along the lakeshore are fishermen as well. As we pull into the village of Lubengela (Loo-ben-ghe-lah) and look out across the lake, we see them at work in their hand-dug canoes.

Evangelical congregation.

There is an evangelical church in this small village but the Tongwe do not attend. To be Tongwe is to be Muslim.

Living in relative harmony, the members of this small congregation do not understand the importance of witnessing to their Tongwe neighbors, not even just a little bit.




*Ask God to burden the hearts of believing villagers for their Tongwe neighbors, that they would let their light shine forth.

*Pray that God would visit the Tongwe with dreams and visions, that they then would seek council among believers, asking questions about the God of the universe.

*Pray for God’s appointed messengers to gird themselves with the armor of God, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit/Word of God to minister to the Tongwe.

The Rungwa people

Today we are making our way north from Sumbawanga to visit the Rungwa people.

While the Rungwa are on our unengaged people group list, we have heard there may be some engagement by a Great Commission Christian group, so we need to check it out.

Transforming from tropical and beach-like at the shores of Lake Tanganyika, to mountainous and high plateau, to plains and savanna grasslands in just a short distance from west to east, the terrain of the Rukwa region where the Rungwa people live is very diverse.


Since the road goes north and south, we only glimpse the mountains in the distance; nevertheless, these mountains are the culprits.












Our plan was to go west earlier this year, with a volunteer couple; however, with the rains, the water coming out of these mountains washed much of this road away.

Places such as this (pictured on the right) still remain, months after the rains have ended giving a glimpse of how unpassable the road must have been back in March.





The Rungwa live alongside the Fipa and Sukuma peoples.  There are even some Pimbwe people living here.  They are farmers with rice being a major crop.  Cultivating rice in the low marshes at the foot of the mountains, they utilize the water from a good rainy season.

The Rungwa are indeed being targeted by PEFA (Pentecostal Evangelical Fellowship of Africa).  They have a small compound in the heart of the Rungwa people.   This sign says, “PEFA mission church. We sell Bibles for a good price. (meaning cheaper) Everyone is welcome for worship at 8:00 a.m.”
(Some day we will have to explain the concept of telling time in Swahili for you)


While it is good to know that PEFA is here, we would like to talk to a few folks and find out the extent of the ministry.

Going on further down the road, we find a small group of men in a nearby village and get out to chat with them.

While friendly and very willing to pass the time of day with us, these men are not all attenders of the local church.  That is okay – seeds are being planted and God is faithful.






*Pray that God would burden hearts about the Rungwa people and their need for a true and faithful witness.

*Pray that God would empower Christians in the community to be bold and speak out about salvation through Christ.

*Ask God to bless His work among the Rungwa so that all will be witness to the awesome power of God.

Sumbawanga, Tanzania

A town on the north to south trek along the western side of Tanzania, Sumbawanga has the feel of a place trying to bust out and become a major hub.

It is the place to begin if you are reaching some of the under-engaged people groups of southwestern Tanzania such as the Pimbwe.  


Very little is easy in Tanzania, and getting to Sumbawanga is no exception.  It is at least a four-day drive from Dar es Salaam over half of which are on dirt roads – or you can fly.

Sumbawanga has an airport- although it is a challenge to reach on the rutted dirt road.  There is a grass runway and one local Tanzanian commercial airline arrives three times a week.









While accessible during the dry season, May-October, this year, Sumbawanga was a town cut off, for a time, during the rainy season -- roads and bridges washed away and the transport of goods and people ceased for a time.

            Hoping to remedy the situation, a major road building effort is underway.

For us, the highlight of Sumbawanga is the Moravian Conference Center.  It is our place to stay while researching this area of Tanzania.  There is a bible in each room and no smoking, drinking or carousing allowed; they also invite everyone to join in their prayer meeting – wonderful!








With fewer people living here and a somewhat harsher climate, the western side of Tanzania is far less developed than the east. While there are plenty of game reserves here and that is a nice thing, they shift people off their tribal land and affect access to villages.  The Pimbwe and the Rungwa are two people groups forced to relocate in the 1950's - 1980's to make way for national game reserves.

Pray that the churches in Sumbawanga would see their responsibility in sharing the gospel message with the people groups within their reach.

Pray that they would not just look inwardly with a desire to use God’s resources for their own benefit, instead they would look at the great commission and desire to use those resources to witness and disciple those around them.

Pray that the knowledge of God’s glory would cover Sumbawanga.

The Pimbwe people and hot water

Maji Moto (Mah-gee Moe-toe), the name of a Pimbwe (Pea-m-bway) village in southwestern Tanzania, means hot water in Swahili. Actually, there are a couple of Maji Moto villages in Tanzania. You would expect this as the Rift Valley runs directly through the country.  The Maji Moto village located in eastern Tanzania near Mt. Kilimanjaro is commercially developed.

The maji moto springs where we find ourselves today, as we visit the Pimbwe people, is not commercially developed at all.  In fact, historically, it was rather a hindrance to the people as the hot water emerging from the earth was seen as a product of witchcraft and the Pimbwe people the holder of that power.

Entering the outskirts of Maji Moto -- everyone is headed
to the market.

Today is Sunday and as we approach the village we realize that Sunday is market day rather than the Lord's day here in Maji Moto.  The place is over-run by people from the surrounding areas.

Large groups from different tribes crowd around stalls of produce and dig through piles of clothing holding up various items asking the price.

Obscenely loud music blares from several stalls selling cell phones and cell time. Looking ahead, there is no way through the hordes of people -- the place is a zoo!


While Maji Moto is a Pimbwe village, Sukuma and Fipa people are prospering the most, not the Pimbwe.

Wishing we had come on a different day, we turn down a path, away from the village center, and look for accommodations. We will not stay here tonight, but when a church engages the Pimbwe people, Maji Moto will be an ideal place from which to base.

Removed from their traditional hunting grounds in order to carve out Katavi National Game Park in the years following Tanzania's independence, the Pimbwe transitioned from hunter/gatherers to farmers. Corn, the main crop, with beans, peanuts and other vegetables in accompaniment are grown on small sections of land tilled with a hoe, by hand – subsistence farming. They also sell honey, brew beer, and harvest timber to make a living.

Today, while geological knowledge explains the hot springs, the Pimbwe have yet to put their faith in Jesus Christ -- they are not being educated in the things of God.
Instead, they are educating themselves in urban/western lifestyle, the power of money and economic prosperity, this seems to be the main goal of many in Maji Moto.

Pray for the Pimbwe people, that they would see their need for a Savior.

Ask God to prepare Pimbwe hearts, much like they themselves prepare the soil, so when the seeds of the Gospel are sown they will take root and flourish.

Pray for those whom God is calling out, that they would be faithful to come and plant the Gospel message in Pimbwe villages.

Our lot in life ... the Konongo of Tanzania

“O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by Your power, having armed Yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.  Those living far away fear Your wonders.”
Psalm 65: 5b-8a

Round barrel type, contraptions hang from trees in the forests surrounding Konongo villages.  Known as the beekeepers of Southwestern Tanzania, the Konongo hang these to house beehives that produce the honey they eat and sell.

June and July are harvest months for the Konongo and the harvesting of their tobacco crop is underway. Honey and tobacco are cash crops for the Konongo; however, subsistence farming doesn't bring much money.  After this harvest the men will wait until October or November for the rains to come and planting will begin again.

Living in very small, rural villages with less opportunity for good education, the Konongo are marginalized; overlooked by larger, more educated people groups in Tanzania, so they settle for their lot in life with very little initiative, many spending their days drinking home brewed alcohol.

There is a Catholic Church in every Konongo village and most Konongo, if they are churchgoers, attend the Catholic church.  Attending the Catholic Church affords the Konongo the opportunity to continue their traditional ancestral worship, which is synchronized into their religious practice.

Moravian, Seventh Day Adventist, Assemblies of God, Pentecostal and Lutheran all have a presence in Konongo villages, but they are reaching the surrounding people groups, not the Konongo.

Pray for the Konongo of Southwestern Tanzania.

Ask God to open the eyes of the Konongo to the hope of God through Christ, understanding that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life; there is no other path to God.

Pray that God would bring together engaging partners with the vision to reach the Konongo people of Tanzania.

Reaching the Konongo

“I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need…."   Philippians 2:25

God’s work is astounding.  He puts people in our path to guide us, or we meet someone who knows someone who knows something – it is just amazing!

This verse from Paul’s letter to the Philippians speaks of Epaphroditus – we want to introduce you to Faraja (Fa-rah-jah).  He is a brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier. He is God’s appointed guide as we seek to go to Konongo villages.

Faraja together with his sister run a local restaurant.  (Actually, I think his sister does most of the running! – Faraja is in charge of procuring the food for her to cook.)  Rice, beans and a bit of beef in a tomato broth is on the menu today and it is quite tasty. Sitting outside in plastic chairs that have the words “Glory to God” imprinted on them, we discuss the Konongo people.  Both Faraja and his sister are believers; however, their father is not. 

Welcome to Inyonga

We will talk more about the Konongo people next week.  Today we want to look at Inyonga town, the largest town in the Konongo area with dreams to expand.

With many shops, adequately stocked, Inyonga is reminiscent of a big village; there remains the quality of everyone knowing everyone else.  For sure, everyone knows we are here.

The market opens early and we are in search of breakfast.  Afterwards, we are to meet Faraja and head to some Konongo villages.

While not bustling this early, some sellers are open and the little restaurants inside the market area all seem to have a fairly brisk breakfast business.

Yesterday we had chapatis and tea here. We could have indulged in chapatis with boiled chicken and broth; this seems to be what most of the customers (men for the most part) are eating -- probably the only thing they will eat until late at night when they get home from work.

This morning we walk around hoping to find something different and we are rewarded for our diligence.

We find a small establishment in the corner of the market – a bakery of sorts. The bread rolls, already baked for the day, are in the display case while the mandazis are being fried.

Sitting down, we watch the early morning market activities with a cup of sweet masala tea and some bread rolls, spreading on peanut butter that we bought at a stall just outside the restaurant.

Freshly ground peanut butter
from the market

Schoolchildren especially seem to come and buy a roll or two as they head to school -- probably their lunch.





There are Konongo people in Inyonga town, there are also several churches. The Moravian church in particular would like to help reach the Konongo.  Faraja is from the Moravian church. We stopped at the church yesterday, meeting the current pastor and the retired pastor.  Both are excited that someone is interested in ministering to the Konongo people.

*Pray that God would open the hearts of His ambassadors to step out of their comfort zone and reach the Konongo people with the truth of salvation by faith in Christ.

*Pray that God would be readying the hearts of the Konongo people for the Word to be planted; that they would see the futility of their ancestral worship and understand the truth of God in the face of Christ.