The WTWH Mission to Morogoro,
Tanzania, July 2006

By Rev. Tim Sullivan

Workers Together With Him was founded in 1999, soon after the birth of my youngest son, Brandon. That makes it very easy for me to remember how long I have been working in this ministry. This September begins our seventh year. I thank God for His grace and mercies that have sustained us throughout the years gone by, and I pray that we will see our mission through to its end.

We recently returned from our fourth trip to Tanzania in East Africa, where we presented the Weapons of Our Warfare seminar in three Maasai villages located in the southern
highland region of Morogoro. My traveling companions on this mission were Evan Pyle and Jay Pearson from the US, David Mantock from Switzerland, and Henry Musana and Joshua Wamala from Uganda. Upon arriving in Tanzania, we were met by Ans Mwambepo, who had spent several months laying the groundwork for this mission. Once
again, Ans gave of himself tirelessly throughout our time in his country.

Evan, Jay and I met at the airport in Baton Rouge on the morning of Wednesday, 19 July. We expected to rendezvous with David in Amsterdam the following day, and from
there, travel on together to Tanzania, arriving Thursday night. This would give us a night to rest before we began our road trip to the Maasai villages. A series of insignificant problems caused our flights from the US first to be delayed, and then rerouted through London. Thankfully, we were able to notify David that we would not be meeting him in Holland. Instead, we three arrived in Dar es Salaam early Friday morning with just enough time to shower and shave before we all – the three of us, along with David, Henry, Joshua and Ans – boarded the bus for the 3 hour ride to Morogoro.

In Morogoro, we were met by several of our Tanzanian friends from past visits. The girls from the Tukuyu choir “Suenda in Machweo for Christ” were there, immediately insisting that they relieve us of our luggage and carrying items. In most places, a singing group of such remarkable talent would be insisting on “star treatment.” Yet there they were, having themselves made a long and taxing journey to join us, now so eager to help in any way possible. I don’t think we Westerners will ever grow accustomed to the loving
service of these Christian handmaids. We have had to learn to overcome our feelings of awkwardness, and graciously accept their servitude to us. I remember one past trip when I ignorantly hurt them by refusing their offer to launder my clothes. Over the next two weeks, these ladies contributed immeasurably to the success of our mission, both through their wonderful song service to the congregation, and also behind the scenes, cooking and cleaning and generally watching over us. Once again, asante sana. Thank you very much.

Other friends were there as well, including Rev. Yohana Ole Ngekee, the man who pioneered Christianity among his Maasai brethren, and our co-workers Paulo Ole Kurupashi and Irene Lobara. Being reunited with them, we felt our fatigue melting away.

After a quick meal, we continued on our journey to the Maasai village of Mabwagele. After all our previous trips to Africa, the frequent vehicle breakdowns were tedious, but
not unexpected. We reached Mabwagele as the sun was setting, where the Assistant Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, Pastor Jacob Ole Mameo,
officially welcomed our mission.

After an hour or so, David, Joshua, Ans, and I, along with some of the girls from Suenda, climbed back into the van for the next leg of our journey, the 3 hour drive to Parakuiyo village. By now, it had been about three days since I’d had a good night’s sleep and I was beyond tired. All I wanted to do was rest. But when we finally arrived in Parakuiyo sometime after midnight, we were greeted by a church full of people who had been patiently waiting for us to arrive so they could begin their own welcome ceremony, a meeting that lasted several hours. Around 3 AM, we were taken to the home of the Parakuiyo Village Government Chairman, Lekileng’o Kibasis. A very gracious man, he vacated his house so we could use it during our stay. Needless to say, sleep came very easy that night.

The next morning, Saturday, 22 July, the classes began. In Mabwagele, Evan was the teacher, presenting the entire seminar himself for the first time. Once again, Paulo Kurupashi served as his interpreter. In Parakuiyo and later in Malela, I was assisted by David Mantock, who did a fine job teaching several of the sessions, and Edward George Dodo who was our interpreter.

I will leave it to Evan to tell you about his experiences in Mabwagele. From what I know, it was a glorious time indeed. I could see it in the faces of Evan, Jay, Henry and Paulo when they joined us in Parakuiyo the following Thursday. They sat through the closing
ceremonies of the Parakuiyo class, and then after lunch we all climbed into a pick-up truck for the two-hour drive to the next village.

Three people – the driver, David and I – were in the cab of the truck. About twenty others, along with all our luggage and supplies for the next class, were in the back. By the time we arrived in the village of Melela (and remember, I was one of very few people with a seat), I was again very tired. Then I watched with amazement as the girls of Suenda climbed down from the back of that truck and began unloading the vehicle themselves, and then sang a song to begin the welcome meeting!

It was wonderful to be reunited with Saning’o Galahenga, whom Evan and I had met on our first Maasai mission to Madunguru village in 2004. It was providential that we met the first time; this time it was by his invitation. His village is situated not too far from
the Morogoro-Iringa highway that travels east and west across Tanzania. Back in 2003, when WTWH first visited Tanzania, I saw villages like Melela from our vehicle, and wondered what it would be like to visit one. Here we were. It was amazing!

After the welcome meeting and meal, Evan and Jay left with Ans for Morogoro, about 37 kilometres away. There they would spend the night before leaving for Dar es Salaam and their flight home the next day. It was strange to see them leaving. But for the rest of us, our mission was only half over.

It is only now that Rev. Pyle is fully participating in the presentation of the Weapons of Our Warfare seminar that I feel free to say that I believe this seminar is very unique and highly beneficial to the Church of Jesus Christ. It is not the messenger; the blessing of God isupon the message. Through the systematic presentation of the Scriptures, we have been able to help people from extremely different backgrounds and cultures, within and without the ranks of denominational Christianity, from the Swiss Alps to the Australian coastline, from internationally famous cities like London to obscure villages in Africa. People who came to this seminar knowing little to nothing about Jesus made heartfelt commitments to serve Him. Young people and grownups, people with highly advanced education and people who could not even read, have all been touched by the
Lord during this seminar. Even people who have sat through this seminar repeatedly recognize that no two presentations have been identical, as each sought to minister to the particular students in that class. If your Christianity has been “dead in the water” for too many years and you are seeking to “stir up the gift of God which is in thee” (2 Tim. 1:6), this seminar could be the very thing to put some wind in your sails.

I soon recognized that many of the people who attended the classes in Mabwagele and Parakuiyo had joined the class in Malela was well. The Lord had graciously followed us with signs and wonders, letting His people know that this wasn’t just another class. From the fleeing of the witchdoctors to the season-defying (and much needed) rainstorm, they saw the hand of God. They could see that we were truly working together with Him.

From the very first session of the class in Malela (which began the next morning) I knew that God was going to work with me like never before. He led me step by step through the class presentation, exchanging Scriptures I’d generally used for different ones, giving me fresh and vivid illustrations on the spot. I have long believed you must use the gifts of the Spirit to teach the gifts, but this was different. I felt as if God was holding me accountable for everything He’d ever taught me about spiritual warfare. If He said, “Give them this verse,” I knew I was expected to know where to find that verse, remember what was written before and after it, and be able to quickly and simply relate that information to the class. All in all, it was absolutely thrilling, an experience beyond anything I’ve known in my years of ministry. If that seminar in Melela turns out to be the last class I ever teach, I could retire with contentment.

On Thursday morning, we held a very special healing service. Our healing services begin with a call to repentance, and a request for forgiveness from sin. The Lord was with us that day, of that I am sure. I left that meeting feeling spent, but exhilarated. After lunch, we reconvened for the ministering of a word of prophecy, the Blessing of the Lord over the many pastors who were in attendance.

It was difficult not to be overwhelmed with feelings of unworthiness around these pastors, men and women who had endured great hardships for the sake of Jesus, many of whom “have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 15:26). So many denominations were represented, this itself a sign of the Lord’s presence with us. Truly, we were one in Christ. I was a little concerned because I had never begun such a service already feeling so tired. (I realize that this confession of tiredness is starting to repeat. What can I say? Mission work is hard work, even on these relatively
short trips. Our bodies never quite get regulated to the time change, jet lag takes its toll, and we eat food that is different from what we are accustomed. I don’t mind adding to that list that neither am I as young as I once was. But I would say that most of the fatigue comes from the strain of wanting to do the right thing.)

I called Henry to the front of the church and whispered in his ear, “Do not stop praying for me!” My friend was faithful to his assigned duty, and with the help of Ans interpreting, that service concluded almost 3 hours later. From what I have heard, those who were present recognized the Lord’s hand in the prophecies. It was like the testimony of the woman at the well who said, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” (Jn. 4:29). Don’t misunderstand me. I certainly am not the Christ. But true prophecy is the word of Christ to that person or congregation.

The next morning, we officially closed our mission. Pastor Mameo returned and blessed us all with a wonderful message. Afterwards, he told me how thankful he was for missionaries like us that go to the villages, and not the cities like everyone else. “It is like they are taking water from the well to the sea,” he said. I loved him for that statement.

I’ve been home a few weeks now, long enough to once again grow complacent about all the niceties that come with living in a prosperous nation. But part of my heart, I now realize, never returns home with me from Africa. It stays there, waiting for me to rejoin it.I thank God for allowing me to experience Him, to know Him and serve Him. I thank God for giving me a wife whose own commitment to the Lord fortifies her in the times I am away. I thank God for my children – my daughter Jessica and my sons, Michael and Brandon, who are all the apple of my eye. They too have graciously accepted my absences while I am off on missions. To be surrounded by such a loving family is a joy
unsurpassed. God willing, they will all join me on an Africa mission one day. On top of that, I thank God for my friends around the world who love me, and who love this ministry. And I thank Him especially for those of you who, through your faithful support, allow this ministry to be a blessing and a service to others.

 

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From the September 2006 edition of the Vine & Branches