We started on Monday, teaching Bishops’ wives from the Tanzania Assemblies of God a spiritual renewal course called Being Renewed. We had the privilege of teaching the Bishops last November. Then we head to the village of Manyoni, where Elly lives, to conduct a Timothy Project Phase 1 training where we teach pastors very basic Bible study skills and how to prepare sermons and lessons using what they have learned.
This past week has been difficult but God has done great things. I can’t even imagine what it would have been like if Brad Felce had not been here to deal with all of the teaching logistic issues and help me get around. In Africa things are never convenient or easy. Getting things done is slow and sometimes, just doesn’t happen.
The night before we started the Being Renewed Conference, for 96 bishop’s wives from the Tanzania Assemblies of God, the power was out in the conference hall. It was on through the rest of the college campus but not where we were supposed to meet. I was to be at a meeting with the leadership early the next morning for prayer and instruction but went to bed not knowing if we would have power for the projector. Somehow Brad and the rest figured something out and all was ready. By Wednesday our interpreter Daniel, who is one of our team and has been interpreting for me for the past 3 years, received a phone call that his father had died and so he left immediately to be with his family. Please pray for Daniel and his family.
The Being Renewed Conference was so well received. The place was filled with women dressed in their most colorful and finest apparel. The singing and worship was so beautiful. It was a joy to get to be with them. We have received reports that some of the bishop’s wives had realized that they had never been saved and were just doing church. What a blessing to be able to see God pour out His Spirit into their hearts.
We said good bye to Dodoma Bible College and headed for a village a couple of hours away called Manyoni. We will be conducting a Timothy Project Phase 1 here and expect up to 50 pastors from various denominations. We said good bye to Dodoma Bible College and headed for a village a couple of hours away called Manyoni. We will be conducting a Timothy Project Phase I and expect up to 50 pastors from various denominations. We will be taking the top students through a certification process to become Ancient Promise Trainers to add to the Tanzania team as we seek to expand and establish God’s Kingdom and His truth. It is truly a blessing to see them making plans to go in pairs to Zambia, Cameroon, Burundi and Rwanda without us, taking the tools to study and teach the Bible to those pastors who will never have formal Bible school training.
Please pray for us as we begin to prepare for the following two-week course. Village life is different. It is even more unpredictable than life in the bigger cities. But I can’t imagine being anywhere else in the world right at this moment.