Prayer Letter for Jan/Feb 2014

Juma's Burden For His Village

In the picture above is Juma and his family. They are new members at our church in Mayoka. Since joining the Central Baptist Church of Mayoka, Juma has asked Pastor Pelegrino about the possibility of starting a church in his home village of Kimaga - a village with no church of ANY kind. 

When Pelegrino went to visit this village with the intention of surveying the area for a potential church plant, over 150 people gathered to listen to the Word of God. They had many, many questions about God, the Bible, and salvation. Pele also shared with them he and Juma's burden to start a church in their village. He asked them what they would normally do on a Sunday since there was no church in their village. They told him that some people just stay home while others follow traditional religion and go to the mountain to pray to their dead ancestors. Here is yet ANOTHER Tanzanian village in complete spiritual darkness! What a joy it is to bring the light of the glorious gospel of Christ to places like Kimaga! 

Since that time Pele has been able to return to this village again to preach the gospel to them and ask if there is interest in starting a church there. Pele received an overwhelmingly positive response. We are now in the process of buying some plastic tarps for them to meet under as we begin the initial stages of a new church plant.

Bill & Tammy Brouwer

Tanzania

Sunday School Teachers Training Seminar

We are blessed to have Lisa Newland working with us in Tanzania. Earlier this month she held a Sunday School Teachers Seminar. We are greatly encouraged to hear of Mama Odetta's willingness to be used of the Lord in teaching children! Below is Lisa's blog post about the seminar:

Mama Gervas, Mama Odetta, and Lisa Newland

Mama Odetta

49 years old.  Widow.  Mother of 4.  Saved as a child, though didn’t grow much in the Lord till she joined our church over 10 years ago, and even then her attendance/ growth has been up and down.  Mama Odetta was one of our 11 seminar participants this year.

She shared a testimony at the end of the week:  When I found out that my daughter couldn’t go to the seminar, but that I was invited, I thought, “I don’t know how to teach kids.  I wouldn’t know what to do.”  When I asked my friends they all said, “You should go.  We’ll take care of things at home for you.  Go.”  I felt led to come, but still didn’t think I would be able to do much.  Then in our session on teamwork I learned that if I taught Sunday school, I wouldn’t be alone.  I would be joining a team of teachers, and we could help each other.  That’s when I thought, “Maybe I can do this.”  And now, if my fellow teachers will help me, I want to try to help out as a Sunday school teacher.

AMEN!  We all cheered.  Justa, the pastor’s wife at Mama Odetta’s church and the head Sunday school teacher, said,“We will help you for sure.  We are so happy to have you join us!”

Mama Odetta teaching about the rich man and Lazarus

Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons of the seminar, Justa and I taught a demo class.  We had 15-20 neighbor kids each day.  We sat them down in front of all the seminar attendees and taught an hour-long class (including songs, Bible lesson, review questions, and memory verse).  Then on Thursday we split the 11 seminar attendees into 4 groups, and gave them a Bible lesson and 1 ½ hours to prepare their own 1-hour long class.  I was so blessed to watch Mama Odetta teach those kids.  She got right down on their level and told Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus.   How that living the good life now isn’t that great.  Instead, God is looking for people who will walk by faith.   And this taught by a women who has suffered and struggled and kept her faith in God.  

His name be praised!!!!!

Kenya - Harambee!

It was Saturday morning, Eastern Standard Time, when I saw the first Facebook post concerning the terrorist attack at a mall in Nairobi, Kenya. Shortly thereafter my daughter called to ask me to pray for one of her schoolmates and his father. Both were trapped inside the Westgate Mall while terrorists killed those who could not prove they were Muslims. Then I read of another missionary mother and her children who were hiding in the mall. THANKFULLY both families made it out alive. However, that cannot be said for the 60+ people who died, and the hundreds that have been wounded. 

We were not in Africa when this took place, but this mall is a place we have shopped at during our trips to visit our daughter who attends school an hour outside of Nairobi. This is the mall we took our nephew Steve to last December. It is where we spent some time in July, just prior to our return to the States for our furlough ministry. We ate outside at the Art Cafe that was shown many times on the news. We shopped in the Nakumatt where many hid from the terrorists.  Therefore, it really hit home to watch this on TV and know that it could easily have been us at that mall. It could have easily been us being gunned down for our faith in Christ.

As we mourn for Kenya, we also rejoice to hear reports of Kenyans joining together to help and support one another.  Their response lives up to Kenya's national motto "Harambee!" - which means, "Let's pull together!"

God Cares For Individuals

Many times in church-planting we see the big picture. A village with no Gospel witness. Thousands of lost souls without an opportunity to hear the plan of salvation.

What we may lose sight of is the fact that these villages are made up of individuals who need Jesus Christ in their lives.

Pascali is one such individual who lives in the village of Kikano where we planted a church just last year. Previously, this village had no Gospel-preaching church. Through the witness of this new church Pascali received Jesus Christ as his personal Savior.

Recently Pascali testified that before the church was started in Kikano he was a hopeless drunk. He was unable to provide for the needs of his family. As a matter of fact, he was a heavy burden to his wife and children because of his sinful lifestyle.

However, Pascali gave glory to God by testifying that Jesus has dramatically changed his life! He has stopped drinking. He is faithfully attending church and is now meeting the needs of his family.

Because of a new church plant in a remote village, just think of how this entire family will be changed by the power of the Gospel!