Mama Jerii -- the end of an era

Mama Jerii (jerr-EE) is the constant element at our church, Mwimuto (Mwee-moo-toe) Baptist. Today, we are having a “sending off” celebration for her as she moves to a small town in the Rift Valley called Mai-Mai Huu. (My – My – Hew)
 A widow, she was married to the pastor of our church, and has been part of the church for decades.

Six years ago, when our pastor, her husband, was brutally murdered as he walked home from visitation one evening; the church decided to allow her to continue living in the three small rooms behind the church which constitute the parsonage.  In retrospect, this was a God-directed decision.
Mama Jerii’s home, always open, as the wife of the pastor, now became the hub of many activities.



Whenever we pass by we find her home full of people of all ages.  Older women, like herself, but also young women, youth and children gather to visit, pray, sing and fellowship.  She is a second mother to many, not only in the church, but also in the community.  She will be missed greatly.

At the end of the book of Romans, God inspired Paul to write personal greetings and encouragement to folks. Paul did this in many of his letters to the various churches.
Verses 1 and 2 of chapter 16 is about Phoebe, but this could also be written about Mama Jerii as she makes her move to Mai Mai Huu.

“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea.  I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me.”    Romans 16:1-2

*Pray for Mama Jerii, this will be a big change for her.  Ask God to give her a ministry in her new location.

*As God transplants her, pray that the people in Mai-Mai Huu will receive her and help her as she has been a great help to so many people.

Twende!

We would like to introduce you to a new website which has just come online  www.twende-eastafrica.org

This is the new website for the East Africa Engagement team.

TWENDE (Twhen-day) is an acronym meaning:

Together
We
Engage
Nations
Discipling
Everyone.

Twende is also a Swahili word meaning "let's go." This epitomizes our spirit of wanting to take the Gospel where it has never been. We hope that you are willing to partner with us to share the Good News in East Africa.

We invite you to visit the site.  Some of what you see you may recognize from our trips; but there are new things which we hope will peak your interest as well.

Three of us from the IMB currently comprise this engagement team.  Our prayer is that God will grow the team adding national and U.S. partnering churches to reach the unreached and unengaged people of East Africa.

Pray for open doors of research as we, together with partners, make research trips to discover unreached and unengaged peoples.

Pray for national and U.S. churches to have a vision for engaging unreached and unengaged peoples.

Ask God to keep everyone focused and committed to the task of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ to all peoples, for His honor and glory  -- That the earth may be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea!                                                                     Habakkuk 2:14

Pray for the Rangi people of Tanzania

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth; It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it”.    Isaiah 55:10-11

Ninety percent Muslim,  Rangi history tells us that only the Rangi people living in the Haubi (Ha-oo-BE) valley chose not to convert to Islam, deciding instead to build a cathedral and become Catholic.  Today there are very few believers among the 350,000 Rangi people.   Traditional African beliefs are prominent within their practice of Islam and Catholicism with sacrifices, sorcery and witchcraft common activities.

In recent years, Wycliffe Bible translators recount the amazing story of Kijuu (KEE-Joo), a Rangi man helping translate the book of Mark into the Rangi language.

While attending his uncle’s funeral, he shared his translation work with his family and friends.  He had brought with him the only copy of three chapters in Mark translated in Rangi. Upon hearing about his work, everyone wanted to hear the translation of God’s word. As Kijuu read all three chapters the people were astonished, each insisting that they take the copy of God’s word to their village in order that others could hear it as well.  As this was the only copy, they all agreed that each person would take one page.  Now there are several Rangi villages that, for the first time, have a few Bible verses in their own language.

Pray for fervor, among the Rangi people, for God’s Word.

Pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to fall upon Rangi hearts; that as they hear God’s Word in their own tongue they would see the attributes of God’s holiness, mercy and love cultivating a desire to know more about our great and glorious Father.

Pray for obedient hearts to bring God’s Word and understanding to the Rangi people of Tanzania

2014

2014 – The year is upon us – what will you do with this new year which God has allowed you to see?

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor…”  Isaiah 61:1-2

This year will be the year of the Lord’s favor for those who hear and accept the good news of Jesus Christ.  Is God calling you, in 2014, to encourage the brokenhearted – to share His grace and mercy with someone held captive in sin – to witness to someone walking in darkness, lighting their path to the Savior?

Mwimuto Baptist Church began 2014 on just such a note!  It was decided that on the first Sunday of the New Year we would allow God to use us to encourage a broken heart.


We have been praying that not only would the English congregation continue the vision of giving and encouraging, but that the Swahili congregation would catch the vision as well.  So our small group was encouraged as the Swahili congregation also took advantage of the opportunity and participated along with us.

As hands were placed on this one and hearts were bowed, a prayer was offered up that God would be with her throughout this year, that He would be her source of strength and refresh her spirit, that she would understand that God is her loving Heavenly Father and she could trust Him with the coming days of 2014.

How about you -- will you trust your Heavenly Father with 2014?

Pray for Shosho (grandmother)  Hannah that God would make Himself known to her in amazing ways -- that she would testify to His loving kindness.

Pray for Mwimuto Baptist Church as we gather this Sunday to discuss the exciting ideas we have for ministry this year.

Pray that the Swahili congregation would catch the vision and join us as we minister to people in and around the village of Mwimuto.