I am writing to you from Mwanza, on the north side of Tanzania, on Lake Victoria. It was quite a road trip to get here! After arriving in Dar es Salaam (the economic capital) on Wednesday, we took a 12 hour (500 km) road trip on Thursday (had anticipated it would be a six hour road trip) to Dodoma (the political capital). There we had a two day foundational workshop on Friday and Saturday, and then drove 12 hours to Mwanza (700 km). Flying had been suggested but with four of us, this seemed more economical.
But the fact that it is a beautiful country, and I was with delightful company, made the trip enjoyable. I was with Pastor James Kamau, Pastor Anthony Kayombo, and Dr. Walker (pictured below), and with the four of us over 24 hours, we shared, debated, laughed, sang, and prayed. The car did break down about seven hours in to our trip to Mwanza (pictured below) - and I happened to be driving at the time :( - but after about an hour, it started again (and I was the one who happened to turn the key when it started, which made me feel better!).
One of the reasons for the longer drive to Dodoma was a stop made on the way to a Masai village, deep in the bush. There were actually no roads to this village and we drove on a pathway. This village is one that our DML team has been reaching out to and visiting regularly for the past year. There is no church in the area, and during the recent drought (which I
shared about this past December), they lost many cows. For the Masai, cows are life. Because of the sustainability projects that we have been able to do through our partners and with your generous support, we were able to give thirteen cows to four different Masai men in this village. This opened the door to have conversations with them, as they were astounded that cows would be given as gifts, with no strings attached. Over time, the team was able to show the Jesus film in the village, and a number of men and women from this village have given their lives to Christ. A number of people from this village are still viewing this team with great suspicion, but many came to greet us and they allowed us to take a picture with them. It was a great privilege to be a guest in that place.
The workshop in Dodoma went well, and there seems to be a good group that is growing in their capacity to be leaders and trainers in DML going forward.
It is DML's first time in Mwanza so we shall see how it goes here!
On Wednesday, we fly to Kenya, which will be the last leg in this journey.
Thank you for your prayers!
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| Participants in Dodoma, held in a Free Pentecostal Church. |
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| Pastor James Kamau, me, Dr. Walker, and Pastor Anthony, enjoying a quick stretch after seven hours of driving. |
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| But shortly after that, the car broke down. Here Dr. Walker pretends to fix it while Pastor Anthony can't help but laugh. |
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| But we had a beautiful view and after just over an hour of waiting, the car started again and we made it safely to Mwanza. |
