Overall Impression
The overall impression we had was a mixture of affluence with extreme poverty and deprivation with Christians working hard to make a difference, preaching the Gospel, changing society for the better. This is being done through community based projects and Church Planting.Each Church, organisation and outreach project we visited was cash limited even to the basics of food supplies, water provision, basic accommodation. Overall they are winning but very slowly. They are on their own, with Government reluctant to be involved in poverty relief and even withdrawing aid previously given or imposing arbitrary decisions re planning permission retrospectively. In these churches outside aid from the USA, Australia and UK has declined to a very low level. In contrast the Lutheran, Orthodox and Mega Churches from Nigeria appear to be thriving with money flowing into Tanzania.
Bethlehem Pentecostal Church, BOKO,
Dar-es-Salaam
Run by Pastors Phanuel and Sayuni Shekihio,this Church is the parent for several planted to the North . They have a large leadership team. Some are termed "Pastors" others "Elders" all excellent people and each with specific roles in Ministry. The Ministry is aimed at reaching the poor and accompanied by poverty alleviation programmes such as community banks. This is proving an excellent way of reaching Muslims. The picture on the left shows that their building has been "condemned" as being too near a water main recently placed near their plot. 
The building has to be demolished and realigned with no compensation . They plan to rebuild twice as big and the planning is under way. The big basket is for the building fund! They will rebuild to an impressive plan.
One of the leaders runs a "hospital/clinic" in one of the most impoverished villages nearby. They have a high regard for leadership development and many are taking degrees by remote learning from USA. All the Church is going through "discipleship Training" in groups following the Sunday Services. The material was written by one of the Pastors in English and then translated. I have a copy available.
We stayed at a Catholic Convent which is also a training centre. We are planning to hold a Pastors Training Conference at this location in February 2015 and I started the planning process while there. This is one of many conference rooms - this one sitting 70 people with accommodation for several hundred in residence - we are aiming for about 30 senior pastors from the JK network plus a few coming from Malawi and the Boko Pastors.
Morogoro Via Bagamayo
We decided to travel North and then South West to avoid traffic jams in Dar-es-Salaam and passed the spot where David Livingston entered the country from the sea (about 1850) so commencing the spreading of the Gospel in East Africa.We stayed at Morogoro for three nights and made the "Arc Hotel" our centre for visits to Berega Hospital-Orphanage and Schools and our day off at Mikumi National Park.
We were met by Fred Chingwaba an old friend, and Dean of the Cathedral of this very large diocese. Bishop Godfrey is studying for a BA in South Africa another example of the regard for professional education. He has been given 3 years leave of absence to do this.
Then we met Bishop Dudley an old friend of Margaret - now retired and living with his many animals in a house the Church (including ours) helped to build. He continues to encourage by his wisdom and care .Next, the cathedral compound is a hive of activity as they have set foundations for a massive administration block to replace the existing one.
This diocese thinks big and looks to the future through facility and self made resources.
We were introduced to the "Kagula Bible Translation Team" who meet here for one week each month to translate the Bible into a local language. They are led by a Baptist Minister from Arusha - 2 days bus away and are a team of professionals and lay reviewers.
The NT has been published and they aim the publish the OT in three years time. Introduced them to our Stephen Levinsohn who has been in communication since.
Next stop was the Berega Hospital compound which includes a Nursing School then to the Bible School, Orphanage, Nursery School and newly formed Primary.The complex is built in a remote village area well off the road. It is a general hospital but most of the cases are maternity. Each patient is accompanied by relatives who have to provide food and look after the patient. Adequate but very old facilities.
The Nurses school was started to provide nursing staff and the schools in order to attract and keep doctors with families.
We saw many examples of how Operation Tanzania is supplying many of the clinical and educational needs of these projects including uniforms for nurses. They also send many boxes of clothes to the orphanage for children aged 0 - 3. Margaret and Helena came away with a large list of current needsThe picture below is of incomplete shops which they are building as an income production venture. The government has recently reduced aid for supply of drugs etc and they are faced with a challenging future.
We met the local pastor who is serving the village, the nature of which, has been completely changed by the presence of the hospital.
The overall impression of Berega is a complex with huge needs but doing such magnificent work despite the needs. The needs could be met if we could communicate them on a UK basis, matching needs to discarded NHS resources. They completely understand "self sustaining" but need an injection of capital to continue what has been started.
Diocese of Ruaha centred at Iringa
After a long journey through the spectacular gorge that runs up from Morogoro, we arrived at our next stop at Neema Crafts, Iringa which has craft centre employing 120 disabled people and conveniently has 19 guest rooms and a cafe. After a tour and shopping at their retail outlet, we had a meeting with Bishop Joseph to arrange the rest of the visit.
Ruaha is the latest Diocese in Tanzania, having been upgraded from an "outreach zone" with Bishop Donald the first incumbent.The whole ethos of the diocese is to "preach the Gospel and BE good news for the poor and disadvantaged in society. Bishop Joseph explained that being disabled in Tanzania was a disgrace to the family and considered a curse from God. This aim is to show this is not true and and bring dignity, empowerment and ability to earn income to these people.
The work started by founding the "School for the deaf" and then Neema crafts, originally a UK Charity but now integrated into the Diocese.
Key to the Bishop's strategy is to have a stream of qualified and well taught Evangelists (catechists) who partner with Pastors in village parishes. Each Parish would have 3 to 5 evangelists pushing out into the villages away from the village church. Amani Christian Training Centre and Bible School was founded to train for this ministry.
So next day Bishop Joseph took us to Amani where we visited the computer class, sewing school and carpentry workshop.The students were on holiday but we again saw the evidence of all the equipment that had been shipped to Amani over the years and still kept functioning.
Bees
On behalf of Harry Inman and John Hammond, I enquired whether they knew of any bee keepers in the locality.
It turns out they have themselves 20 hives of which 10 are functioning but are suffering from the effect of termites. They were fascinated when I explained Harry's patent hive design which gets over this very problem. Honey is considered a luxury and well worth the effort to produce.
There is a possibility that Amani CTC could become a centre for beekeeping training and production of equipment (hives, press and clothing) as an income producing course. Pastors or other people from all over Tanzania (Including Newfrontiers) could be invited to a week residential course with fees paid either by the Diocese Saccos or in the case of Newfrontiers by setting up a similar loan scheme as has existed with the Anglicans since we set them up 8 years ago. We (ANCB) would need to establish a ministry fund for travel and the initial set up costs.
It turns out they have themselves 20 hives of which 10 are functioning but are suffering from the effect of termites. They were fascinated when I explained Harry's patent hive design which gets over this very problem. Honey is considered a luxury and well worth the effort to produce.
There is a possibility that Amani CTC could become a centre for beekeeping training and production of equipment (hives, press and clothing) as an income producing course. Pastors or other people from all over Tanzania (Including Newfrontiers) could be invited to a week residential course with fees paid either by the Diocese Saccos or in the case of Newfrontiers by setting up a similar loan scheme as has existed with the Anglicans since we set them up 8 years ago. We (ANCB) would need to establish a ministry fund for travel and the initial set up costs.
The next stop was the unique "School for the Deaf" run by the diocese just outside Iringa and along the bumpiest road ever! It is supported by Operation Tanzania and this picture shows the happy recipients of "loom bands" made by Rhianna.Its an amazing place to be. Every child looks at you with rapt attention.
The school has 120 children all in ability classes rather than ages. The number includes 9 deaf-blind children who are taught crafts based upon touch only.
The Bishop explained what a privilege it is to care for these Children. Their academic results are impressive and the school is the highest among the three such Schools for the Deaf in Tanzania.
The school exists on minimal government grants which are the same per head for any other primary school. The whole "special needs" and upkeep of the property is a drain on the diocese.
The Bishop seemed almost depressed when he saw yet another structural crack in a wall we passed.
Iringa to Mbeya
We met JK at breakfast on the Saturday and soon had a group of Pastors from the JK network meeting with us including Isaya and Charles. As we waited for the car from Iringa to arrive ((on Central African time!) we chatted and prayed and chatted and prayed and then the big moment getting the luggage (6 large suitcases) plus JK and all of us into "Noah" . So off we sped with Isaya following by motorbike taxi!
The first stop just outside Iringa was at Pastor Kibiki's Church at Mololo
A service followed! Fantastic drumming by a few lads and energetic Praise-Dancing. A fantastic and warm welcome by all including the matriarch of the Church!
The pastor had a very productive plot of 4 acres of which only 1 acre was producing - he desperately needs a diesel pump for irrigation in order to make the other 3 acres productive.....and a motorbike.The next stop was at Pastor Isayas Church at Mafindi I have a great respect for Isaya as he has always supported what we are doing at Ndaga by his presence and encouragement, although he speaks very little English. Isaya is also a farmer and has planted several other Churches further off the main road for which he needs, of course, a motorbike...
Seriously, transport is key to success in Church planting in these rural areas. If there is anyone who wants to feel involved in Tanzanian Church Planting, a donation for a motorbike would gain a thankful friend for life.
Isaya has built a very large Church which is complete apart from the floor. I felt I had a word for him, which could be the obvious, that he should put all his efforts into growing a large church base at Mafindi rather than Church planting at this time. I wonder how that will be received when/ (if) JK passes it on. We said hello to Pastor David Mkwawa at Inyala as we passed, arriving late at Mbeya. We had dinner with Edward and Mercy and so to bed in "Paradise Inn"
Bethel Church, Mbeya
A real time of worship led by Edward and then the children's turn to sing/dance what they had been taught including a large group from Ndaga. This particular group of children impressed us with the intensity of the song "Baba....Father". I brought greetings from All Nations and then settled down as David did the hard work of preaching from Ezekiel's "Dry Bones" .David made an appeal and I am not sure why not but nobody responded. JK was about to conclude but asked me if I had anything to bring. Something had been going off in me, so I invited any young men from Ndaga who wanted to give their lives to Jesus, to meet me in the counselling room afterwards.
I only got it part right because when I got there, there were eight young ladies and two young men. They all confirmed they wished to become Christians. So I asked them all to respond line by line with a prayer of commitment. Pastor Forman followed by asking them all to come to a class on Wednesday evening at Ndaga orphanage.
Inyala and Ndaga
The Church in Inyala, under David Mkwawa, is going to produce food for the orphans at Ndaga. This will be in addition to the 5 acres of potato growing at Ndaga and is to take the pressure off of Forman who is now pastoring, farming and looking after increasing numbers of children. We saw the plot we have purchased which is scrub land near a valley carrying the Tazara Railway on its way to Zambia. Work is about to commence to clear and cultivate the land in preparation for growing the maize .
They also showed us another plot which they would like us to buy (see comment later) and like the one pictured which has the advantage of irrigation from the river. The idea would be to produce 2 crops per year of vegetables and fruit.
So we arrived at Ndaga, my fifth visit. The non school children were all there and soon the primary school children started returning, which they do between 12.00 and 16.00 depending on age. The overall impression I got at this visit , compared to the other orphanage we had seen on the way, was that Ndaga was primitive and under resourced both in terms of the childrens clothing, sleeping accommodation, kitchen facilities and washing facilities. The very large communal room is working well although it is now very apparent that the side walls need to be built up because it is very cold. (Quite a project in itself). We were sad to see that many of the beds remain unrepaired since our last visit and the promised mosquito nets had still not been sent from Dar. (A gift from a Tanzanian).
The children had a very joyful time, playing with balls the Maddock family had brought and they all were given loom bands as well. We may well have started a loom band craze in Tanzania.We had our usual formal meeting with Pastor Forman who said the numbers in residence had gone up to 75 and the total numbers being fed and cared for, had increased to 260. The others sleep in the village.
We then visited two of the 6 plots under cultivation and sampled the fine potatoes almost ready for harvest.
Later we had a separate meeting with the Bethel team, regarding everything that is happening and the needs at Ndaga and this will be the subject of the next blog.
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