Greetings Fellow Servants,
We hope and pray you awoke to a wonderful day, full of thanksgiving and joy, knowing you (we) are the most blessed people on this earth, knowing God desires our worship.
Many of you know of the good being done here in Tanzania and throughout East Africa by the Lord and through the Tanzania 2000 mission effort. When we reflect on the past 15 years and all the good that has been and continues to be done, one knows it is only by the grace of God that it has been made possible. As we have noted before; “what God controls Grows.”
Through our supporters, short-term campaigners, missionaries, fellow-workers here in Tanzania, seminars, campaigns, Bible Schools, the Andrew Connally School of preachers, Safari for Souls, the printed page, Bibles and your prayers, the Lord’s Church is growing day by day.
Our dear brother Theofilo Songie, one of our 120 graduates, is a good example of what the Lord can do when we, “entrust God’s Word to faithful men, who in turn are able to teach others,” (note: 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul’s instructions to Timothy). Note a part of Songie’s recent report: “Brethren, I hope that our Lord is blessing you in all what you are doing in His kingdom. I am doing fine in the Lord. Right now I am visiting brother Francis Wechesa in Uganda. I came to share with him about my plans of taking the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ to Lubumbashi my home town in Katanga province in D.R.C.
After living in Tanzania for 8 years God showed His mercy to me that the Gospel of our Lord Christ was preached to me and I became a Christian. When God opened a way for the Gospel to be taken to CONGO, I was among those who were selected to go. We were sent to the Province of South KIVU in UVIRA town which is about 2,000 klm to Lubumbashi....We have planted six congregations in South Kivu that is, Uvira town congregation, Baraka, Kikwena, Lweba, Fizi, and Mboko. The total number of Christians in these six congregations are about 145 Christians. One Christian has been trained in Uganda by brother Francis and other six are being trained there now and will be graduating next year in May.”
Several of our graduates have gone out and planted and are working with several congregations. These are purely indigenous, self-reliant, self-propagating congregations of the Lord’s people. Yes, “what God controls, Grows.” The number one problem we face today is training enough men to fill the needs of the many new church plants throughout East Africa. With God’s blessings, your prayers and help, we know this can and will be accomplished.
Please remember and pray for our Brother Neil Richey and his team as they make their way back home today. I also solicit your prayers. I leave Tuesday night for one month in the States reporting and fundraising. If you are interested or know of others who would like to partner with us in a great work of God here in TZ, please drop me a note and I will do my best to come by and share with you (others) the good being done and the many opportunities we have. Please keep Stephanie, Granny and the mission team in your prayers as well. Thank you all so very much. Our hope and prayer is that God will bless each of you richly in His grace, mercy and abundant love.
In Him,
Cy, Stephanie and Granny