TANZANIA

"A LEAP OF FAITH FOR ALL OF US"

 

 

STEVE: Please allow me to explain the title. An African pastor from Tanzania named Clement Mwaitebele met a man named George Straub on a train in Switzerland in the summer of 2002. They talked for a while about Workers Together With Him, the Weapons of our Warfare seminar, and the possibility of working together in Africa; and then they parted company.

GEORGE: The adventure in Africa began for me almost a year ago, when I met Pastor Clement Mwaitebele for the first time in Switzerland. It happened on a beautiful day in September. I was about to catch a train in a small but very nice town at the lake of Zurich when I received the clear and distinct message from the Lord not to return back home the same way as I came. I gladly accepted this information; and as such things do not happen to me every day, I was expecting to see something special.

After a short time of reflection, I decided to go to the lake, but I had no idea how to return home until I saw a ship arriving at the landing stage. The timing was so perfect that my expectations were growing. It was a modern middle-sized ship with only a handful Japanese tourists on board. I felt very pleased when I realized that the next stop was a city on the other side of the lake about fifteen minutes from where I live. On board, while I was asking myself why this few Japanese people were so excited, the thought came to my mind that I would meet someone soon. After I arrived at the train station, the Holy Spirit moved me to talk to a Pastor from Africa. He was very happy to meet me and it seemed that he had expected me for a long time. And indeed, as he told me later, his journey led him first to the USA where he fervently started to pray to God asking help for his work in Africa. But there was no answer to his prayers in America, and there was no answer later in Europe, neither in the Netherlands nor Germany, until he came to Switzerland!

Since we had the same destination, we got together in the train where he immediately after we set down started a wonderful prayer which touched my heart. Later at home I felt deep inside me that this all was truly arranged by the hand of the Lord Almighty and a silent joy began to grow in my heart.

STEVE: After months of prayer and pondering on the part of Pastor Clement, Rev. Tim Sullivan received an email. It was an invitation to go to Tanzania in East Africa and teach. This issued in more months of prayer, pondering, emails, and preparation on both sides of the ocean on three continents.

TIM: On 22 November, 2002, I received an email from George, telling me of his meeting with Rev. Mwaitebele. “About two or three months ago, I met a very dynamic and enthusiastic Pastor from Tanzania,” he wrote. “After I told him about your ministry, he asked me several times if it would be possible to introduce him to you. He also asked me if I would go with him to Tanzania to work there!” I wrote back to George and Rev. Mwaitebele, telling them of my own excitement to be part of such a venture.

I sought the counsel of the other directors of Workers Together With Him at our annual board meeting. We all knew that such an undertaking could only be successful if it were done in the will of God. We also knew it would require a considerable amount of money, not only for traveling expenses, but also for our expenses while in Africa. Rev. Mwaitebele had sent me a detailed estimation of costs for the seminars. I wrote him back, telling him of our united enthusiasm, but also asking if there was any way to cut back on some of the expenses. He wrote back in agreement.

In the meantime, I had spoken with a few of my brothers in Christ, asking them to consider being a part of this adventure. I was thrilled when my friends Evan, Steve, George and Jerome Lucas of England made the commitment to join me on this trip.

STEVE: On July 10, 2003, at about 10:00 PM, five men, two from Europe and three from the USA, stepped off a plane in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. We’d had no communication with Pastor Clement Mwaitebele for over a month. Except for George, he didn’t know us and we didn’t know him. But we all believed that this endeavor was of the Lord. We were all taking a leap of faith.

We cleared immigration and then… oh blessed moment, all of our baggage had arrived. Passing through customs without any inspections, we came to our next blessed relief – Pastor Mwaitebele and three other brothers were waiting for us. What a sweet warm welcome. We were now in the care of our African brothers.

TIM: We spent our first night in Tanzania in Dar Es Salaam, at the Msimbazi Catholic Centre. I let the shower water run for a long time before I realized it was not going to get warmer. I thought of my wife, Nelly, back home. She’d never believe I could survive a cold shower. She thinks I don’t bathe, I cook.

The next morning, we assembled for our first meeting with Pastor Mwaitebele. At this time, we also met a wonderful woman of God, an evangelist named Nyambilila Lwaga, who would be a great blessing to us in the weeks to come. We also learned why we had not heard from Bro. Clement for awhile, as he had suffered a personal tragedy in the very suspicious death of his sister and helper in the Gospel. I, too, had lost my youngest sister, Robin, just a few weeks before I left for Africa. Thank God for His promise of eternal life that makes all the sufferings of this present life bearable.

We joined in prayer for our days in Africa. I was very impressed to see how well-prepared Bro. Clement was. Every detail was thought-through.

EVAN: Being roughly 30% Muslim and 30% Christian, Tanzania is clearly at a crossroads. As we traveled the entire width of this incredibly beautiful land and left the heavily Muslim coast behind us, we began seeing a great number of well-built Mosques. Many of them, though brand new, have no members and have never held services. It is my understanding that these have been built all over the country using Arab money as part of their grand plan to dominate Africa. Should Tanzania become a truly Muslim country, Christianity would likely be illegal, and the church would need to go underground. So, this is a critical time for the Church to rise up and fulfill the Great Commission in Tanzania and throughout the world.

GEORGE: On the trip from Dar Es Salaam to Kyela along the highway from the East to the West of Tanzania the beauty of Africa left deep traces in my soul. The charm of this continent was filling the air I breathed in. It is difficult to resist the originality and simplicity of the land and the people and not to be touched by their sweetness and gracefulness.

STEVE: As we drove across Mikumi National Park en route from Dar Es Salaam to Iringa in the southern highlands (the halfway point in our trip to Kyela), we saw a zebra and a herd of impalas. Tim thought he saw a lion. That’s when the radiator hose blew off. No kidding! Pastor Clement was obviously concerned, and once we’d made some temporary repairs, he hurried us back in the vehicle. “It is dangerous here,” he said. “There are many lions.”

JEROME: I firstly want to thank my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for the opportunity that I have had to be a part of the trip to Africa. I also thank Rev. Tim Sullivan for inviting me along.

The point that hit my heart the hardest was: that those who seem to have so little, appreciate what they have been blessed with, to a much greater degree than those of us who have been blessed with so much more. I personally did not see anybody begging in the streets, but I did not see many Tanzanians over the age of fifty years either. How thankful we all ought to be to live the way we do in the West, where hospitals, health care and medical expertise are so readily available, and not take things so much for granted. We are encouraged by our Lord Jesus Christ to be content with such things as we have, and more and more it becomes evident in our society that people strive to have more and more, instead of striving to be Christ like.

STEVE: On Saturday night, July 12th, we attended a special opening service at the Moravian church in Kyela where the first class was to be held. As we approached the church, we heard a choir of ‘angels’ singing. It was so beautiful that I was moved to tears.

EVAN: I was greatly impressed with the believers in the seminars at both of the locations where we ministered. There is a culture of dignity, honor, and respect in Tanzania that has sadly been lost here in the United States. The saints there are quite familiar with the scriptures. And, I am sure other contributors will wax rapturous in their description of the beauty of the singing and worship we experienced there. It was very humbling to minister among such people. Yet, it is clear that these precious saints are in great need of sound Biblical teaching in the use of the spiritual gifts and in other practical areas of the Christian walk. I am convinced that the truths preached and taught there have helped equip our friends to fight a good fight.

GEORGE: The Lord opened to us the door to another world. But even though the world was new to us, we realized very soon that there is only one family and one God and we all are one body in Christ. We have seen our brothers and sisters in Africa. We have shared their lives and we have been witnesses of their faith. And as the Lord Jesus commended us in Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth,” we were witnesses to them of the Lord and His power, not with words alone but with words and power. As Paul said, “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5).

JEROME: Another aspect of life which impressed me greatly was the respect and honour we were shown by the people we met. Many times we were introduced to clergy and important officials by our host Rev. Mwaitebele, and we were welcomed with great warmth and given great hospitality. It really had a great impact on my heart to see that their honour and respect for the Lord’s servants and for the work they do. People are valued and treasured, and I felt very humbled to be treated in such a respectful way. This has encouraged me to be mindful of how God’s people ought to be treated. I was reminded not to take for granted our brothers and sisters who stand with us. The price of a soul in God’s sight is incalculable.

TIM: Isn’t it amazing? Every time the modern church tries to “improve” on the Gospel, they move further and further away from the truth. We think we’ll get more converts to Christianity by cultivating a more “casual” atmosphere in our worship services, and succeed only in diluting the Word of God and forsaking the fear of the Lord. In Africa, the worship services were conducted decently and in order, yet without a hint of being stagnant or stifled. Their respect for God was reflected in their respect for truth, and for life.

STEVE: On Sunday afternoon, we attended another special service at the Lutheran Church in Kyela. I wrote in my journal, “I’m sure I’ll never be able to say enough about the singing in these churches. So gorgeous, so African, so anointed.” It was here that I realized that this area was ripe for Holy Spirit revival and that the Lord was allowing us to be part of the movement, His movement!

EVAN: Now that I am home, I’m not quite sure how to react to the many luxuries and comforts of life in the West. I appreciate the comforts to be sure, but I feel like I am missing something. I am not railing against these comforts; but I have to ask, aren’t we missing something? Honor, respect, patience, hospitality, and dignity are qualities I found in rich supply in Tanzania. I’m not saying these qualities do not exist in the Western world, but they are increasingly rare. In this regard I can say that we are poor and they are rich. In material goods, luxuries, comforts, and conveniences, I can say that we are rich and they are poor. Which of those sounds like real riches and true poverty? We’ve become so casual and so obsessed with personal comfort that I fear we’ve lost our sense of occasion, our sense of the importance of a thing.

I noticed that the Africans we met tend to speak of important things in sweeping terms. They use noble language, which sounds like it is intended for posterity. Perhaps this is because life is so fleeting and the little comforts just do not exist. But guests dress to honor their hosts. Hosts greet their guests with great respect, pouring water over their hands out of a pitcher. The guests have probably just walked a great distance. There is no television or movies for entertainment, so people gather, and often. And they make music, glorious music. I am no Luddite (one who eschews all the trappings of modern life), but I do hope to recapture, in some small way, the nobility, warmth and grace of life I experienced in Africa.

STEVE: There were at least six pastors from various denominations present for this seminar; all of whom voiced great enthusiasm. There is so much to tell about the hunger of the people for truth, the power with which the Lord poured it out through Tim and the interpreters, (He seemed to mold them together at times) and the joy and challenges of helping rather large numbers of folks take that step of faith and speak in another tongue.

The number of students who attended every class session was about forty-five. Others showed up, I believe, as they were able, as there were some that I recognized who arrived at the same time each day. Still others came some of the time, so that by afternoon the number swelled to around 200. Many young people came as well, after school I presume.

EVAN: Pastor Mwaitebele and his ministry are poised to make a huge impact in the Mbeya region, throughout Tanzania, East Africa, and beyond. Though Pastor Clement is himself an official in the Moravian Church, the seminars were an ecumenical effort, with the participation of pastors and members from local Moravian, Baptist, Lutheran, and Anglican churches. Honestly, I think a move of the Holy Spirit in these mainline Protestant churches is a hallmark of Brother Tim’s ministry.

STEVE: By the end of the first week, I awoke feeling the strain of being in Africa. It was strange moving about the extremely foreign town of Kyela. I had difficulty sleeping. Three times a day we’d make trips over a rough “road” for our meals. Feeling the pressure of the expectations of many people, the frustration of not understanding Swahili, and the sweet neighborhood children who always wanted to hold our hands as we walked calling out, “Wazungu (white men)”– well, all this kind of wore me out after a while. When I think that this is just the slightest glimpse of what the Lord’s life was like, I am a bit ashamed.

TIM: Saturday morning, I finished up the teaching of the first class. Evan and I ministered the blessing of the Lord to well over fifty church elders. George and Steve joined us for a healing service that lasted well over an hour.

STEVE: I must say this was a new and challenging experience for me. It’s one thing to lay hands on one, two or three people and speak as the Lord reveals things, but to do so for person after person for 1½ hours with the aid of an interpreter was quite another thing indeed. Thank you for stretching me, Lord.

TIM: On Saturday evening, we celebrated the conclusion of the Weapons of Our Warfare class in Kyela with a fantastic night of singing. We were all more than a little fatigued, but just as it had done all week long, the music rejuvenated and refreshed me. It seemed that no one (but the Lord) was orchestrating the service. First one group, then another, would begin to sing. When they were finished, they simply sat down again. There was no ego, no “showboating.” Their thought and intent was plainly to glorify the name of the Lord.

A few years ago I attended a church concert of the Vienna Boys Choir in Austria. Honestly, I thought I’d heard music as good as it could get. But I’ve never heard music that so touched my soul (even though I did not understand the words!) as the songs of the African Christians. Evan and I plan to bring professional recording equipment the next time we go. The Christian world would be greatly served to hear this joyful noise.

The next morning, we once again divided up to visit different churches. On our first Sunday in Kyela, Steve and George had shared at the Moravian Church, Jerome taught at the Kyela Town Baptist Church, and Evan taught at the Baptist Church pastored by Rev. Jacob Zachariah. I taught at the Lutheran Church, pastored by Rev. Jackson Mwakibasi. Brother Ans Mwambepo served as my interpreter. On our final Sunday, Evan taught at the Moravian Church, with Rev. Frances Swebe serving as his interpreter. Steve taught at the Kyela Town Baptist church, Jerome taught at the Lutheran Church, and George at Rev. Zachariah’s church. Me, I enjoyed having the day off!

We had the great joy of meeting a man of God from Uganda named Henry Musana, who joined us to be part of this class. This young missionary’s love for the Lord, and dedication to serve Him was an inspiration to us all; and I anticipate wonderful times of working with him in the future.

STEVE: On Sunday afternoon, July 20, we left Kyela to travel to our next class location of Tukuyu. As the Land Cruiser left the table land and began to climb into the cool air of the mountains, our spirits soared and we began to feel refreshed and filled with anticipation for the next class.

While in Tukuyu, we were guests of the Rungwe Mission. It was wonderful to be in a quiet place and to be free to walk about unescorted. (Our personal safety was a great consideration to our hosts in Kyela.)

The second seminar began on Tuesday, July 22. It didn’t take long for Tim to connect with this group of about 100. They seemed so ready to receive what he was bringing to them.

When class ended, we had tea at the pastor’s house and then drove back to Rungwe (several miles away). We had evenings off. Hallelujah! This was the first time we’d really had the chance to relax.

TIM: I don’t know what I was expecting the food to be like (roast zebra?), but I was pleasantly surprised to find it not that different from the Southern cuisine of the United States. My only disappointment was that I’d hoped to lose some weight on this trip! We ate fish, chicken, beef, and pork cooked in a variety of ways, served with rice, pumpkin greens, fried bananas and a sort of tortilla. Usually, after a delicious meal, we’d take a long walk, enjoying a stunning view of the Milky Way and the sea of twinkling stars.

EVAN: The morning of the final day of the seminar in Tukuyu, Brother Tim gathered us early, well before breakfast. The Lord had graciously granted him guidance for the day, including knowledge of precisely how the day would unfold. And the day unfolded just as the Lord had said. The teacher was anointed and the ministering was with great power. I expect to hear great reports. When you have the word of the Lord regarding a situation, faith is not a problem. Elijah had no problem with faith when he confronted the prophets of Baal. He already knew exactly what would happen, in what order, and which actions he was to take. Elijah’s bold move of commanding that the barrels of water be poured over the sacrifice was no mere bravado. He simply carried out what God already showed him would happen.

TIM: When the time came to close the seminar, I was inspired to close with “Aaron’s blessing” of Numbers 6:24-26: “The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” But instead of asking Frances, my interpreter, to read along with me, I asked Rev. Isaack Mwakipesile, the District Chairman of the Moravian Church where the seminar was held, to join me at the pulpit, and we read together, he in Swahili and I in English. Later, Frances told me that not only does every service at the Moravian church close with a reading of this blessing, but, because Rev. Mwakipesile was the presiding elder, if I had asked Frances to read that verse, it would have been highly out of order. How wonderful is the hand of God to guide us!

EVAN: Working together with these African men of God, we are all poised to make a big difference in the Kingdom of God. I can think of nothing better to support in prayers and finances than this great work that faces us right now.

Honestly, the biggest revival that I experienced in Tanzania was in my own heart. Through the fabulous worship, the examples of my fellow travelers and the African saints and much teaching and preaching, the Lord graciously worked a work in my heart. I was brought to a deeper repentance. No longer content to comfortably coexist with my hidden sins, I am, by God’s power, taking new territory in my heart for the King of kings. And though I was wearied by our travels, I am refreshed in Spirit and full of confidence in the Lord. I feel like God has given me another chance at my ministry. All thanks and praise to the Lord!

GEORGE: The Lord is worthy to be praised. Through His grace alone our journey to Africa came to pass. When we arrived at our final destination, we were welcomed at the Church like kings. But the deep joy in the hearts of the people to see us, their hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God, and their willingness to receive our message let us understand more than ever that the Lord does not want us to be kings but true, obedient and humble servants of Him. I have seen this kind of men and I had the privilege to be a part of their team. And the Lord indeed blessed my life for allowing me to spend the time in Africa with them.

EVAN: Before I sign off, I must acknowledge the sacrifices and hard work of Rev. Clement Mwaitebele. He hosted us at great personal risk and expense for the furtherance of the gospel. He worked extremely hard, much of it behind the scenes, to insure that our journey was safe and that the gospel would not be hindered in any way. There are many hardships, dangers, and enemies; but Pastor Clement was never deterred. Our translators, Jacob, Frances, and Ans were not only faithful and skilled translators, but they translated under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. And they are wonderful friends. To all of my African friends reading this, Mungu Akabariki! I love you all very much. And I can’t wait to return!

STEVE: Time and paper fail me to tell of numerous powerful visitations of the Holy Spirit in our midst, of healings and repentances, of problems and pressures. I could say so many things about the remarkable people who labored with us, the interpreters and others who helped and took care of us, great people who I felt I should be serving in the humble ways they served us. I pray that we’ll get to return and for grace to serve our African brethren in greater measure.

TIM: And I have to mention this, because it is so funny to me, and yet so typical of the Lord’s ways. George has since told me that, up to the point when he met Rev. Mwaitebele on the ferry boat in Lake Zurich, he was having a very bad day. God bless you, George, and thank you for obeying the Lord even on a bad day!

 

 

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From the September 2003 edition of the Vine & Branches