Greetings Fellow Workers:
The picture to the left is Desdery Masawe, a graduate and now teacher at the Andrew Connally School of Preaching, Tanzania, East Africa! In this picture, he is teaching the Ki-Swahili students.
Stephanie and I stand in awe of the love of God and the love and compassion of so many of our fellow saints. Your prayers, visits, cards, calls, e-mails, and your generosity over the past few weeks and months has reminded both of use of the great privilege and joy it is to be a part of God’s family. Stephanie’s mother grows stronger day by day thanks to your many prayers and God’s wonderful provisions. Thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Today was a reminder of the need for commitment to God, His work and being a part of a Biblical plan that has a sustainable, future looking purposed mission. The Arusha congregation invited one of the Andrew Connally School of Preaching students to come and preach.
His name is Lucas Jangandu. He obeyed the Gospel in 1989 in his village of Mombo. He moved to Arusha shortly after that where he influenced some of his family, who also became New Testament Christians. In 1992 the Arusha congregation selected and sent him to Chimala Mission’s preacher training school.
During Lucas’s introduction remarks before he began preaching his (God’s) lesson, he mentioned to Arusha (us) this was not his first time to stand before the local congregation and preach God’s Word. He mentioned the fact that he had sat at the feet of Eddy Gilpin and Cy Stafford at the school of preaching in 1992-1993, in Chimala. He was so delighted to be one of the first to study at the Andrew Connally School Preaching (Ki-Swahili program), that he might increase his knowledge of God’s Word and Will.
When Lucas graduated in 1993, we (Eddy and I) sent him and a co-worker to the town of Tanga (on the cost of Tanzania, just south of the Kenya/Tanzania border). They planted the Lord’s Church there (the first in this region) and it continues to this day.
It is such a privilege to be a small part of God’s eternal purpose. To “go” and “preach” the Gospel and “teach” all things to the good people of Tanzania, is such a blessing. To see God working in the lives of His people here in Tanzania, to witness their maturing in the Faith, and to see them actively propagating the Church throughout East Africa and beyond, is an amazing thing to behold.
This story illustrates in a grand way the providence of God in the lives of His faithful, and how it can change lives eternally. When we trust Him in all our ways, He is faithful to bless our efforts. He gives the increase, we are simply commanded to go, preach and teach!
“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.” (Galatians 6.9 - NASV)
We pray that God will bless all who love Him, His work in Tanzania, and especially all who love and support His mission work through the Tanzania 2000 mission effort.
Please keep the Kambarage family in your prayers. He lost his 40 year old nephew last week. They made a 23 hour journey to Musoma to carry the body to be buried.
In Him,
Cy & Stephanie