The Journey to the "Underworld"

The trip was not especially long or hard to arrive at our guest house.  The trip out to a new church was different.  This church was located 5 kilometers off a main road.  When the weather is dry, this trek is not a problem -- the usual "road" was more of a foot/cow/motorcycle path.  But when rain is thrown into the mix, it becomes a challenge of great proportions.  There are two types of soil here that you do not drive on when it rains.  The first is a dark brown/black soil that, when wet, is "slicker than snot" as some have said.  The other is an orange clay that is as slick or even slicker when wet.  Four wheel drive  does not help much.  It is like driving on solid ice.  You have almost zero control of your vehicle.  Both types of soil take days to dry out to make driving feasible again.  The latter orange soil "paved" our way to the church.

Then the rain started -- and continued.

The 5 kilometers to the church consisted of up and down traverses through semi-thick trees and small farm plots -- all plowed and planted -- making the soil even harder to drive through.  After sliding much and experiencing several near stoppages in holes, we made it to the church.

This is the history of the the church that was given to us:

"Emmanuel Laizer, another of our Maasai partners, attended school in Tanga.  He pastors a church in the Losimingori area.  Some of his members moved to the Tanga area near the town of Handeni outside a small village name Kwamatuku.  After they moved, they asked Emmanuel to come and help them begin a new church in their area as there were none.  This church started with one family.  They met under a tree for at least a year.  As they worked together over time, many came to know Christ.  Then the youth of the church decided to cut down some trees and fashion a building out of tree branches, mud, and grass so they could meet even when it rained.  Then they asked God to give them metal roofing and He answered with enough pieces to finish their roof.  In 2013 July, the building was completed".


In this worship time, there were 53 adults and 20 children.

We took Bibles which we traded for Maasai jewelry.
They enthusiastically asked us to bring more Bibles with us on our next trip.


Emmanuel sent us this history, via Gmail, and written in Kiswahili.
We read the Kiswahili and then saw that Gmail would translate it into English.
So, for fun, we chose this option.
To say the least, we got a few laughs out of their "translation".
Their translation of the area of the church location was "the underworld".

Here is an excerpt:

Dear Goto Timothy see in the picture I have just taken to the underworld Korogwe we go Sunday.

The history of this church is to be. When I was in college Tanga 2009, I can kuwaanzisha the church to re-open the Tanga region Handeni district village to the underworld. 

So we were able to go to a church in the "underworld" and deliver light (the Gospel and Bibles) to this most "desolate and unreached" place.

How many others have been able to start and/or attend a church in "the underworld"?

The Greater Work

"Boots on the Ground" uh "Maasai Sandals"

God is doing some amazing things among the Maasai in Tanzania. We are privileged that He has chosen to use us as the "boots on the ground" missionaries. However, we feel that there is a greater group of people out their who make it possible for us to be here. That group are those who pray for us. Without the prayers of the saints we could not be here doing what we are doing and being used by God. Without those of you who are doing the greater work we could not do the "boots on the ground" work.

With this idea in mind and being sensitive to the the fact that we are in a world that is filled with technology I have tried to take advantage of this very real means of increasing our prayer base and expanding the knowledge of what God is doing.

I want to take this opportunity to introduce those of you who view our blog to the various other places you can go to join us in praying for the Maasai of Tanzania and us as we minister with and to them.

Facebook TZ Maasai Connection Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/116586508383372/?bookmark_t=group

Pray!Network TZ Maasai Connection Group http://www.praynetwork.org/group/TZMaasaiConnection

http://www.baptist-volunteer-tz.net/baptist-volunteer-tz/Maasai_Team.html

Twitter @tzmaasaiconnect

Virtual Prayer Walks via Google Maps
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=217898757872739763022.0004887ccfff3c628e992&msa=0&ll=-3.916319,36.817932&spn=1.542671,2.460938
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=217898757872739763022.0004af9063f31a9f27dd6&msa=0&ll=-2.753761,36.03241&spn=1.544495,2.460937
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=217898757872739763022.0004e8371ad7bb72ee056&msa=0

CompassionNet http://www.imb.org/main/pray/searchby/PeopleGroupResults.asp?Hitdate2=Currentdatetime%28%29&PrayerCode=14907&Age=90&submit12=Find+Prayer+Items

To receive our monthly prayer calendar you can email me at prayerthatworks@gmail.com

Won't you join us in praying for the Maasai of Tanzania and enlist your friends to do so also?

What's on the Menu?

Recently, a volunteer team was camping in the Simanjiro district at a local milk processing factory outside the small town of Nabarera.

The camp was set up behind the factory.  There are 2 guards and 2 dogs who provide security.

Each night, we heard various animals "vocalizing" their discontent, wants, and generally broadcasting their messages abroad.

Late one evening, we heard loud barking, snarling, yelping, yelling, and sounds of pursuit.
We waited until morning to get the full story.

It seems that during the night, a hyena came into the camp, engaged the 2 guard dogs and the 2 guards.
When the dust settled and the noise ceased, the camp was short one dog.
The hyena fought with the 2 dogs, killed one, dragged it away and then finished off his "meal" in peace and quiet.

Many places have dogs available as security.

Our dogs are on the menu.

Elijah and Elisha - oops not Elisha but -- William

Two familiar Biblical names and one somewhat common name.
We will concentrate on the first familiar name and then the common name.

Their stories:

Elijah is a Maasai evangelist who was discovered by our recent Calvary Baptist Church team in the Simanjiro District of Tanzania.  As the team commented, "God just led us to him in another of our 'divine appointments'".

He started a church 3 years ago in an area were no churches existed.  He and his wife, Lea, built the first building out of the available materials - branches, grass, mud, and manure.  They have continued to this day and are now building a new building because they have outgrown their first structure.  The team left him a Chronological Bible Storying Cloth, an MP3 player with the stories and the NT in Kimaasai, and a Kimaasai Bible.  The team also gave Elijah some training in storying and follow-up.  We will be visiting him in the near future to see how he is progressing in his ministry.

William is an evangelist who showed up at one of our discipleship sessions.  He said that the spiritual leader of that area tried to contact him via phone and text message about our team leading this training but he never received the information.  Yet, he was there when we arrived for our second day of training at the area leader's boma.  The area leader was not there due to a situation he needed to take care of in the near-by local town.  When asked how he knew to show up at this boma, William simply replied, "God told me to come here on this day at this time and He would show me the rest".  He stayed through the entire training and then invited us to his boma.  We followed him in our vehicle as he piloted his motorcycle down the road to his small local kiosk. We then walked the rest of the way to his boma.  He informed us during our trek that his mother was a Baptist and that he received much teaching from her and her mother - his grandmother (sounds like a Timothy in the Bible).  Now he continues preaching, teaching, and discipling others.  We will invest time, training and materials in this young man who is faithfully serving God in the place He has put him.  Another "divine appointment".

God has placed leaders in different areas in Maasaini.
He is allowing us to meet them in many different ways so that we may get to know them, hear their stories, train them, and then partner with them in ministry.

Old and New Bibles

The discipleship teaching sessions had gone well.  Nairokoki (Nigh Row Ko Key) was proving to be an able and knowledgeable student of the Word.  As we were getting ready to leave, I noticed her Bible.  It had that "used" look that books acquire in the bush -- dirty on the outside, cover missing, re-bound several times with available materials (cardboard in this case) and pages missing.  As I went to the vehicle, Holy Spirit prompted me to action.  I asked Nairokoki if she would trade me her Bible for a new Bible and I would include a zip-up cover with it.  She thought for 2 seconds then gladly agreed.  So, she acquired a new Bible with cover (and all the pages intact), and I acquired a piece of Maasai spiritual history from this faithful disciple.

I am privileged and blessed to have this piece of nostalgia and also to have resources to buy Bibles to use in the Maasai areas of Tanzania.

Youth on Mission Part 2

 When many people hear of others going on a mission trip, many thoughts can run through their minds. However, after actually getting to go on a mission trip across the world only one word runs through my mind: undescribeable. (Im not sure that is a word, but still) 
After returning back to the states to my family, friends, and even classmates, everyone wants to hear about it and often ask, "tell me a story?". Many times I do not even know where to begin because there are SO many stories! I have one for from the time I arrived at the first airport that morning

to stories that make me yearn for the people I met. Usually, I just say okay and tell as many stories as I can untill I notice that they aren't listening anymore. I try to add so much passion that went into making the stories when telling them, yet sometimes it just doesn't sink in. I do know though that I absolutly want to go back, maybe for a little longer and get to know more about the profession of being a missionary and to experiance the people and life changing events again. I loved it there and I can honestly say, not a day goes by that I don't think about and connect my life here to what I learned there; no matter what I'm doing, or how busy I am, or what I want to do in the future, this trip will forever be in my mind. Savannah Reaves

Youth on Mission

This trip was beyond amazing! God works in many ways! Right before I found out about the trip to Tanzania I felt like God was calling me to youth ministry. I knew this would be a great opportunity for God to show me more of what He has planned, I just didn't know how great it really was going to be. I still do not have words to describe this trip. What stuck out the most was how eager the Maasai people were to learn and praise God! They are on fire for the Lord! All I could wonder about is why we, back in America, weren't as on fire as them? On Sundays we worship God, but the rest of the week what are we really doing? I am just thankful that as a 17 year old I had this opportunity and experience! Ethan Stalker