Revival in Fumagira!

It was a busy week for Fumagira. Pastor Pelegrino, Pastor Petro, Pastor Naftary, and Kitabo organized a week long evangelistic meeting that led into a special combined service on Christmas Day. I'm going to let the pictures do most of the talking...

Nightly Evangelistic Meetings

Each evening there was preaching. This is Kitabo preaching.

Of course there was singing. 

This lady in the middle got saved during these meetings. More on her story in another blog.

The Jesus Film or another Gospel film was shown to a large crowd each night.

Christmas Day Combined Service

Fumagira hosted this year's Christmas service. They started in February saving money to decorate. 

Sure looks festive!

Christmas morning people started arriving from each of the six churches. Boy can they pack a truck!

Each of the choirs from the six churches sang specials they have been working on for some months. Many even had matching outfits made!

The most important part of the day is the PREACHING. Here is a 20 second video clip of Pastor Naftary preaching in Kiswahili and then Kitabo translating it into the mother-tongue of most of the people, Kisukuma

This is one of the 57 who were baptized after the service. What a joy to see so many older people who have trusted Christ as their Savior and then followed in believer's baptism!

And of course we train them to be good Baptists by having a meal afterwards.

Church building requriements...

Land? Building permits? Surveying fees? Architectural drawings? Zoning clearance? How about a  MANGO TREE...

Back in May of 2012 the church in Fumagira helped Bonifice start a new church plant in the village of Kikano. They began meeting under a mango tree. 

At the beginning of the rainy season we purchased a tarp so the church could continue to meet in spite of the rain. Each week Bonifice arrives early in order to put up the tarp. And at the end of the service he takes it down and carries it back home. (This is done so that it is not stolen during the week.) 

Boniface continues to be faithful.  The church is now averaging 50-60 each Sunday. There are 30 baptismal candidates attending classes in preparation for our next baptism being held on Christmas Day.

Cupcakes with sprinkles

Yesterday I made cupcakes with sprinkles for Joseph's 4th birthday. Joseph is Pendo's (our houselady) son. We try to do little things for her kids, so Abby and I frosted some cupcakes and put some colored sprinkles on top. Sprinkles I picked up at Walmart, for next to nothing, during out last trip to the States. They are available here, but cost about $7 for a bottle. Needless to say, with them being that expensive, most Tanzanians have never had them before. It was a special treat for little Joseph and his brothers.

When Pendo arrived to work today she told me how happy Joseph was and how he enjoyed the crunch of the sprinkles. He went from person to person and chewed on them so they could hear them crunching. He wanted to share his joy to all who would listen!

It truly is the small things in life that will bring us joy if we let them. What little things can you find joy in as you look for them? I'd love to read in the comments the things God shows you today. Be like Joseph and share your joy with me!

Witchcraft in Tanzania: CNN Report

Click here to view an article/video by CNN 

concerning witchcraft in Tanzania. 

Over the years we have tried to express the spiritual environment that we face as we bring the Gospel message into villages steeped in witchcraft. We have tried to describe and explain the nature of the witchcraft practiced in Tanzanian villages.  We found this CNN "Inside Africa" report to be fair and accurate. There is one part in the report where an actual witchdoctor is interviewed, and  she performs a ceremony of spirit cleansing on camera. Listen to her as she talks about the spirits that control her. Satanism and witchcraft are real, and we fight real demons as we seek to bring the light of the Gospel into villages where Satan has held these people in bondage for hundreds of years.

By Errol Barnett, CNN

October 8, 2012 -- Updated 1655 GMT (0055 HKT)

Casting out demons

Today we heard a commotion just beyond our backyard fence. After listening for a moment we could recognize the all too familiar words of "TOKA, TOKA, KATIKA JINA LA YESU, TOKA!" In English this means "out, out, in the name of Jesus come out!" 

Casting out demons is a huge practice in Tanzania. I'm not saying there isn't demon possession and obsession, especially in a  animistic society like Tanzania. However, it is often screamed over and over again, only to be done the following week because it didn't work.

As we heard the lady crying out and the man shouting toka, Bill decided to take Pastor Pelegrino with him to see what was going on. They found a woman tied up and flailing in the dirt. The man casting out the demon was shouting loudly, with sweat dripping down his forehead. This went on for some time when he finally gave up. 

That is when Bill stepped into the kibanda (little open hut) with his Bible. As soon as he began sharing from the Word of God the woman stopped wailing and flailing in the dirt. They untied her and she sat up in her right mind. She was able to listen and answer questions. Bill proceeded to share the gospel with her. She didn't get saved, but she definitely heard the Truth!

Afterward Bill pulled the man aside who had been trying to cast out the demon. He told him, "Brother, you have no power in yourself to cast out a demon. It is the Word of God that has power! You just saw for yourself the power the Word has."

Now we can't say if this woman really and truly is possessed by a demon. However, we do know that God uses His Word and we'll continue to wield the powerful Sword of the Spirit as we fight against our enemy!