Tanzania '05 Report
By Rev. Evan B. Pyle
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
It hardly seems possible to me that this was our sixth trip to East Africa as well as our second to the Maasai people of Tanzania. Though I hear people comment on the hardships we must face on these trips, I can say that the difficulties seem as nothing compared to the glory that God reveals when, in faith, people dare to take Him at His word. I consider it the highest privilege to be allowed to travel and minister in Jesus’ name, especially to a people that God has prepared and called to do great things for their own people and many others.
Our American contingent, consisting of Tim Sullivan, Steve Monahan, Jay Pearson and Dave Duris, and me, flew from New Orleans to Amsterdam, where we met up with our Swiss brothers David Mantock and Daniel Bucher. From there we flew on to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. This time we took the train from Dar es Salaam west to Rujewa. In the past we’ve taken the bus for this part of the journey and always have started our ministry efforts quite exhausted. The twenty hour train ride allowed us to sleep overnight en route to our destination, which was a great blessing.
From Rujewa, we traveled out to Matebete, the Maasai village where Tim and I ministered last December. After a brief time of greetings, celebration and fellowship, we loaded up and made the trip out to Mohango, destination of Tim, Jay, Daniel and Dave. After greetings and a brief meeting, Steve, David and I loaded up for the long journey to our village, Mwanavala. This village is situated on a dry, windblown plateau in the Great Rift Valley. It quickly became apparent that the people of this village have a very tough situation as they have no water. Their one well has long been bad and the nearest water is an 8KM trek. This affected the schedule of the seminar since a group of warriors left at 4 each morning with donkeys and bicycles to fetch water. They did not return until at least 11 a.m. with a load of muddy water. In view of this, we generally had class at 11 a.m. and again at around 3:30 p.m. Most evenings we held a one hour lesson at around 9 p.m. under the light of a lone kerosene lantern. Through all these hardships and the demanding schedule there were never any complaints. These fine people wanted nothing more than the unadorned truth of the Bible, which they received with gladness. When it came time to receive the gift of tongues, they received in simple faith and without hesitation.
Besides our group of three, we had with us, among others, Yohana Ole Ngekee, the pastor whom we met in Matabete last year. We also had as our interpreter Paulo Kurupas, son of Elyakim Kurupas, the now-retired chief of the Matabete village. Yohana actually grew up in the Mwanavala area but had to flee when he became a Christian many years ago. For decades he wandered the Great Rift Valley preaching and teaching the gospel to his own people without any visible means of support. Pastor Ngekee contributed valuable teaching during our seminar lessons. It was during our time together that the pastor told Paulo of Eliakim’s faithful support through those difficult years. Elyakim was a wealthy man, but he secretly gave away his wealth supporting the propagation of the gospel among his people. Paulo was overwhelmed and wept to hear these stories of his own father.
Also particularly touching was Paolo’s desire to receive the gift of tongues. After that lesson, he expressed that he wished he could be on “the other side” with the people receiving, though he knew he was needed for translation. That night, in our little dwelling, Rev. Monahan beautifully and lovingly led him to receive the gift. There was great rejoicing and thankfulness, as well as many tears, that night in that place! It was a joy and privilege to work with Paulo, whom I consider to be an honorable man of God.
The Maasai have a tightly organized society and exhibit great discipline. Their young men are trained warriors, called Morani, and they live their lives in service to their community, regardless of the task. They were the ones fetching water, pitching a tarp covering for our class site and herding cattle, among other tasks. It strikes me that God has reserved these people and this culture for such a time as this. While the Western world seemingly drowns in selfish consumption, the Maasai live in service to their families and community. To paraphrase Ans Mwambepo, “It is the Maasai. But not the Maasai; it is Tanzania. But not Tanzania; it is Africa. But not Africa; it is the world.” This is the kind of vision I carry as we minister in this faraway place. This is much bigger than Bible teaching in a remote village in East Africa. This message is equipping a people prepared by God to make a huge impact in their own culture and far beyond. I sincerely believe the work we are doing among the Maasai will reverberate across the globe, calling people to repentance and to a life of self-sacrifice and service to the King of kings.
Ans came with a vehicle to pick us up at the end of the week. We had a particularly difficult trip back to Matabete, getting stuck several times. We finally managed to get there in the wee hours, thanks in part to some clever engineering by our own Steve and Dave. The next day was a time of celebration and worship and touring parts of the village we’d not seen before, including the medical dispensary and the primary school. That evening we had a lovely time of singing in the church. The beauty of the singing that night was almost overwhelming.
For me, the most significant event of the day was a time that Rev. Sullivan asked Pastor Ngekee to pray for us. We seven dropped to our knees and this great warrior of the Lord prayed a prayer that amounted to a commission to assume the mantle of his ministry to the Maasai people. It’s safe to say that we were quite shaken up afterward. Our God does the unexpected at an unexpected time and place. People of God, let’s be ready!
Early the next morning, the Lord favored Matebete with the most incredible sunrise and rainbow. Dwarfed by such majesty in such a place, I really felt that His favor was upon us. We loaded the van with 27 (yes, 27!) people and ambled off on the four-hour trip to Tukuyu for the ordination of Ans Mwambepo. It was a blessing to be accompanied by so many Maasai, who came along just to honor Ans, who has ministered so faithfully among them. An added blessing was that they filled the van with beautiful singing along the way. The ordination of Ans was a formal and solemn occasion. I know we all felt honored to be a part of the ordination of such a fine man to the Christian ministry. Ans has a vision for the message of Workers Together with Him and all praise belongs to God who arranged for our paths to cross and bring us together at this critical time. May we continue only as God directs and walk through those doors He opens to us.
Even our journey back to Dar es Salaam for the flights home was anything but routine. After passing a number of terrible wrecks I was reminded again that my every moment is in God’s hands. There is nothing much I can do to preserve my life. So I must trust in the Lord to preserve me for the appointed days of my life.
Thanks to all of you who support Workers Together. You are giving support to a significant work that is poised to impact the world. And thanks to the brothers with whom I traveled and worked. And special thanks to Ans Mwambepo for organizing and arranging every aspect of this mission. It was very hard work that will bear much fruit in the future.
From the December 2005 edition of the Vine & Branches
© Workers Together With Him, Inc.