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.