Christmas in Dar

We are in Dar es Salaam, the largest city and capital of Tanzania. Actually, several years ago they tried to move the capital to another city, Dodoma, but that was only partially successful. Dodoma is the official capital, though. And it is warm here, current temperature at 6 pm is about 91 degrees. It feels good to stay in our hotel room, which is air conditioned. As I am writing this, I hear the Muslim call to prayer. 

Last week we were at the Mennonite workers retreat at a conference center just outside Nairobi, in Kenya. It was good to meet others working with MCC, mostly, and a few with EMM. We had a speaker who talked about transition and transformation. Life is always changing, even when we like the way things are now. He made a comment that "being touched by God is not the same as being transformed by God. Transformation is a process that comes from a lifetime of obedience." 

Overall we are doing well, being received well everywhere we go. It helps that we have previous experience and many that we did not know before have heard our names and seem able to trust us. Since we came in September, we have been mostly traveling around visiting the various church locations and talking with the bishops and pastors about their leadership training needs. We have one more bishop to go, in the city of Dodoma, where we will be next weekend. Then we will get back "home" around January 2, near the town of Musoma. In mid-January we will begin training seminars to begin to implement the program we have been developing and proposing. That will be done in each of the Mennonite dioceses in both Kenya and Tanzania, so we have plenty to fill our schedules for the next several months. The training seminars will be 3-4 day events mostly with local pastors, who will be encouraged to begin having training sessions with their leaders and congregations. 

Christmas here is not so commercialized but there is a little of that. Still, we have been able to avoid most of that, having a mostly quiet day. It has been refreshing to focus on the true meaning of Christmas without the distractions that so often come with the season. This morning we attended church with the Mennonite pastor, in whose home Beth stayed when she was in Tanzania with the EMU semester abroad program in about 2000. It was good to meet them and thank them for providing hospitality for Beth. 

God bless all of you through the Christmas season and in the New Year.

Serengeti

Elephant family crossing the road

Serengeti National Park is always an inspiring experience. It is the vast openness of the plains, the variety and numbers of animals, roaming free in their natural environment. Serengeti is always changing, never the same, depending on the rains, which affects the growth of the grasses and where the animals are.

Herds of zebra, always on the move

Giraffe, always graceful, curious, friendly

From the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, looking into the crater

We drove through Serengeti last weekend - it is on the main road from Musoma to Arusha. It takes us through Serengeti, through the barren area of Olduvai Gorge, where some of the earliest human fossils were discovered, then up and over Ngorongoro Crater, then down into Arusha. I began to wonder, is this what the Garden of Eden was like? Not hard to imagine it. I never really tried to imagine how big the Garden of Eden was. The road we traveled was about 100 miles in the park, which can take 3 hours total if you drive the 50 km/hr speed limit and stop occasionally to view animals.

Mwanza Pastors Meeting

We are attending the annual meeting of pastors of Mwanza Diocese today. Mwanza is the second-largest city in Tanzania, located at the south end of Lake Victoria, a scenic area. Many of the towns and villages outside the cities do not have churches. So the Diocese is taking seriously the challenge to do evangelism and form faith communities in these rural areas.
This is the first we have presented our proposal to a group of pastors. Overall the plan has been received well, but we took some time to answer questions they had. This is a different approach in some ways from the TEE (Theological Education by Extension) that we did in the 1980's. The earlier program depended heavily on teachers and funding from overseas for travel and books, and that resulted in the program stopping when missionaries were no longer involved. So it is a bit difficult for some to visualize how it will be possible without that assistance, without books, and using people who are not trained teachers.
Our proposal is to train local pastors to be instructors, so they will have only their local group and it does not involve extensive travel or additional salary. We plan to use the Bible as the primary textbook and provide them with outlines, so few books need to be purchased. The proposal also focuses on training in character for leadership and for the tasks of leadership, rather than focusing mainly on intellectual learning. So the leaders will be mentors, not only teachers. This is entry-level training, and some will then go on to further training. But the need is there and we hear it everywhere we go, that the lay leaders usually have no training, and their leadership suffers as a result. Some are afraid the training will be too elementary, but we are trying to work within the economic and educational realities.
Keep Mwanza Diocese in your prayer in their efforts to develop churches in rural areas. Pray also for us as we are developing the curriculum and helping them implement a training program.

Bishop Albert Randa, second from right, with some of his leaders in front of  Mwanza Mennonite Church

December update

We have spent the past 3 weeks or so at our home in Nyabange, just outside Musoma, TZ. There have been some house repairs, generally taking things at a slower pace, but also getting curriculum together for the training workshops we will be giving. This week we begin traveling again and will be on the road for about a month. Our travels will include Mwanza, Arusha, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, Dodoma, and Tabora.
Sunday, December 2, we worshiped with the Rwamlimi Mennonite congregation, just outside Musoma town. We were invited by a former neighbor  Rhoda Koreni. The church has been meeting for many years, but they are just now getting around to building their building. For years, they met in a local school, but recently needed to move. The building has foundation and wall, but the roof is not yet on. Still, they meet there, with tarps stretched over poles to give some shade.
One of the challenges we see is church buildings. Some of the materials they can make themselves, such as burning bricks, but purchasing cement, and then the lumber and corrugated metal for the roof, are more of a problem. But it happens, through fundraisers and just keeping at it, little by little. At least, when they are finished it is paid for.
We continue to hear about the need for training for church leaders. In Lake Diocese, which is based in Musoma, we were told that about half of the ordained pastors have no training in Bible or leadership, and among lay pastors, the number is even higher. Most of them have completed only primary school, that is usually grade 7, so the educational level in general is lower. We also read that the literacy rate in Tanzania has actually decreased over the past 20 years, from about 95% in 1980 to about 78% today. Not sure what the reasons for that might be.
We are proposing a locally-based training program in which the local pastor or some other leader is the main trainer. Since many of them have some had some biblical studies, we will rely on them to train their lay leaders at a basic level. We say this will be a "primary school for leadership training" and those who are able can move on to more advanced training later. Even at the most basic level, it will be more than most of them have had. So far our proposal has been received well and there seems to be some urgency to get the program started. The question we often hear is, "When can you come and get us started?" So we are putting together a schedule beginning in January to hold "Training of Trainers" workshops in the dioceses.

Mwanza, Shinyanga Tabora

Last week, November 2-12, we were on a trip of nearly 1500 km to consult with the Mennonite church leaders in the cities of Mwanza, Shinyanga, and Tabora.  Mwanza is on the southern tip of Lake Victoria, the second largest city in Tanzania with about 400,000 population. Shinyanga is near one of the major diamond mines in Tanzania. Tabora was a center of the slave trade in the mid-1800’s and is a major transportation crossroads in the western part of the country. It is also where David Livingstone established a home base and owned property the last years of his life. Mangos are in season and we enjoyed freshly made juice and whole fruit. Along the way we stopped to visit retired bishop Joram and Lydia Mbeba. They are both struggling with health issues, he is nearly blind, and she struggles with the loss of her foot in a train accident 10 years ago, in which she nearly lost her life. They assured us of their continual prayers for us.

We have continued to find a lot of interest, even hunger, for leadership training in all these areas, and we were well received everywhere. The reports we are getting are consistent: “We have had to staff local churches with lay leaders who have had no training in leadership and have little Bible knowledge. And some churches are dying out because we have no leaders to put there.” Most of the lay leaders have completed only primary school (grade 7) and are doing the best they can. We have often thought of our own fathers, who did not complete high school but were successful pastors, mainly self-educated through reading and interaction with other leaders. And it gives us hope for these leaders also.

The shape of a training program is coming together. We are suggesting a diocese-based program for new leaders, using experienced pastors as the primary trainers. We will begin with a “training of trainers” seminar in each diocese, to prepare trainers and to introduce them to the curriculum they will be using. We are taking responsibility to develop the curriculum, either using some materials we have or writing new materials.

This weekend, November 16-17, we will attend the Kenya Mennonite Church bishops’ council to discuss the program and how it might be implemented in Kenya. That is only a 4-5 hour drive to the Homa Bay area, also on Lake Victoria west of Kisumu. On Sunday, November 18, a new church building will be dedicated for the Got Kopolo congregation, near Homa Bay.

Personally, we have been doing quite well, no significant physical problems. We are getting adjusted to living in Nyabange, near Musoma, where we have a number of friends from our time here 30 years ago. Last night we were invited to dinner with Marko, our grass cutter from that time. He lives just below us with his family, but now is nearly blind and has some other health issues. He is 70 years old, but his spirit is bright and optimistic and he said “we have been praying for you every day.” His son Simeon has been helping us with our lawn work and is also a good worker. We feel so grateful for good support from many people, and feeling that we are involved in a task that is needed.

“Two things have changed life in East Africa”

In Kenya, we were told there are 2 things that have changed life in Kenya – the cell phone and the motorcycle. The same seems true in Tanzania. The cell phone has made communication much easier and almost every adult has one. They are often in contact with friends and family members from a distance, or they are conducting some kind of business. And motorcycles are abundant. The government has allowed their import with reduced taxes so they are more affordable and many are used as taxis. It is not unusual to see 3 or 4 adults on a motorcycle that they have hired. There are usually several motorcycles waiting at any bus stand or other town center, available for hire. They have made quick transportation available to those who can pay a little more than they would pay for a seat on a minibus. It makes it a little tedious driving through towns, because the motorcycles seem almost as abundant as mosquitoes, darting out into any space that opens up. In the more developed countries, we tend to take communication and transportation for granted. They provide for efficient, productive interactions between persons, and it is good to see it developing in Africa, where people are motivated and creative, but sometimes hindered by the lack of infrastructure for efficient communication and transportation.

Weekend in Shirati

Last Friday we drove from Nyabange to Shirati, where we lived for 4 years in the 1980’s. We have been in Nyabange almost a week and have been doing repairs and cleaning the house, finding places to put our things, talking to old friends to get reacquainted. It has been a week of many feelings and memories. People ask us if we see changes. There are more houses in the surrounding village, so the population has increased. The main road has been built and transportation is much easier between towns. Yesterday’s trip to Shirati took us half as long as it used to, about an hour and a half.
Yet, life in the village is not easy. Many do not have cash-paying jobs and rely on their gardens to produce food to eat and a little to sell. Water supply is a problem many places. Our house in Nyabange is about one mile from Lake Victoria and there is a supply system, but the pump has been stolen and has not yet been replaced. We do not have “running” water, we have “walking” water. We are grateful for a water tank that catches rain water from the roof and provide us with a regular supply, just not in the pipes that supply the kitchen and bathroom.
Shirati is the placed where the first Mennonite missionaries entered Tanzania in 1934, almost 80 years ago. The tree where they built their first temporary house is still standing. It is also the location of the hospital that developed out of the early efforts to meet medical needs. Today it is a government-supported hospital that provides quality care. It also has a nursing school that has developed a good reputation. The church views the physical care offered at Shirati as a part of the gospel, the good news that God cares for people. They say that Jesus preached and taught, but he also healed physical illness, so therefore both are essential parts of the Good News of the Kingdom of God. And that is the gospel being presented at Shirati.

Kenya Mennonite Church

As of last weekend, we have now visited all seven dioceses of Kenya Mennonite Church (KMC). Most of the Mennonite churches in Kenya are in the southwest, in Nyanza Province. The first churches were the result of evangelism by believers from Tanzania Mennonites who were touched by the East African revival movement and their fellow Luo tribespeople across the border in Kenya about their newfound vibrant faith. The growth of the church was also strengthened by families who had moved to Tanzania for jobs, returned to their homeland after Tanzanian independence.

An early Mennonite church near Muhoro Bay, Kenya, built by missionary Clyde Shenk in the 1970's

Kenya Mennonite Church became formally independent in the 1970’s and has continued to grow. From reports I have gathered from the bishops, the present membership in KMC is about 6,000 members. The churches are located across Kenya, from a small congregation in Malindi on the Indian Ocean, to Siaya District in the west, near Uganda.

With bishop Elisha Osewe and pastor Charles at Kigoto Mennonite Church

In all the churches we visited, the bishops spoke of the need to train leaders for their churches. It is 20 years since the TEE (Theological Education by Extension) training program was offered in KMC, and many of those who participated in that have now retired. A few persons have studied at a residential theological college, either the Mennonite Theological College in Tanzania, or a college in Kenya. But it does not provide enough leaders to meet the need.
We are encouraging the bishops to consider “grass-roots” training that is locally led and focuses on the practical aspects of ministry, instead of relying on resources and “experts” from outside. We are preparing training sessions to equip the local pastors to train their lay leaders, following the example of Jesus training his disciples, and Paul, as he wrote in 2 Timothy 2:2, encouraging Timothy to pass on what he learned from Paul, to “faithful men who will teach others.” It is a new way of looking at leadership development for most of the present leaders, because the normal educational models emphasize academic learning based on lectures. We expect to begin the program in early 2013.

Children gathering for worship on Sunday, October 14 at Kigoto Mennonite Church, Victoria Diocese

Now we are ready to move on to Tanzania and begin a similar round of visits to the Tanzanian dioceses. We are encouraged to see the commitment of the bishops and pastors to strengthen the church through leadership development. Continue to keep these efforts in your prayers. Pray for the leaders in Kenya Mennonite Church. Most are bivocational and are supported by other jobs, since the church does not have funds to pay them, so they often feel stretched and tired. But they are not giving up. We are looking forward to walking with them for the next few years.

Africa Update

We have been in Kenya about 2 weeks now, and will be here for about another week. We had one trip to western Kenya on the first weekend to talk with the Mennonite bishops in that particular area about the needs as they see them for training leaders in their churches. The one that probably impressed me the most is the bishop who said that he oversees 8 pastors, and only 1 of them has any training in church leadership or biblical studies. He also said that he oversees 11 churches, but 2 of them are "dying out" because they have no leader. I asked him if he has plans to start any churches in the next year, he said there are 4 towns he would like to start churches, but he has no one with leadership experience or training to put there. All the leaders I talk to tell me the same thing. So we are looking at ways we can respond to help them provide training.

The Mennonite church was started in Tanzania almost 80 years ago, and now there are about 400 churches and around 60,000 members. By comparison, Lancaster Mennonite Conference dates back over 200 years, and has grown how large? It seems it does make a difference when the church makes it a clear priority to reach out.

It has been a good experience getting acquainted again with the African setting. We enjoy warm days, not too hot, and cool nights. Nairobi is about 1 mile above sea level, so that keeps it from getting too hot. Nairobi is busy city with too many cars and buses, and lots of people. Language has not been a problem, out Swahili came right back. The same with driving on the left side of the road, which is where we drive in East Africa, unless it is to go around a pothole, which there are plenty of! Our days have been fairly relaxed, with occasional meetings with people about some part of church leadership. Tomorrow we leave for another round of visits with church leaders in another part of western Kenya, and we will be gone almost a week. Then we come back to Nairobi, collect our luggage, and leave for Tanzania. We expect to use most of the rest of the year to travel to churches and talk with the leaders about their training needs, and then begin with a program early 2013.

We have been able to stay in touch with our family. A cell phone call from Kenya is only about 3 cents a minute to call the US, so we take advantage of the cheap rates. We have not yet been able to Skype, but we plan to do that once we get a little more settled. The technology available today really makes a big difference from when we first went to East Africa 34 years ago, when we had letters only that took at least 3 weeks to get there, by airmail. Now it is much easier to keep in contact.

We are staying at the Mennonite Guest House when in Nairobi, and it is a sort of oasis in a crowded city, with a large grassy yard,good meals, and facilities mostly up to western standards. But we will also enjoy getting out and enjoy the down-to-earth life of rural Africa. So that is a little glimpse into our world. Thank you for your generous, sincere support of us, and continue to pray - for our safety in traveling, for our physical health, and for clear thinking about how to do our part in strengthening the churches in this part of the world.

Joe and Gloria Bontrager

Sunday, October 7

We are sitting on the veranda at Mennonite Guest House in Nairobi, listening to the birds singing, enjoying the flowers, and the sun is beginning to sink. At the time I am writing, most of our family and friends in the US are in church. We have already been to church, had lunch, and evening is coming. It is a pleasant evening, not too hot, and a light breeze. This morning we worshiped with Nairobi Mennonite Church, pretty much on the other side of the city, and it is where our family attended during the 2 years we were in Nairobi over 20 years ago. It was good to hear the spirited choir and to interact with the people there. Most of the congregation is young adult, some are students, and most of them are unemployed, or only occasionally employed and that makes it difficult to maintain a thriving congregation. Last Sunday we worshipped with a rural congregation in an isolated area where most of the members are subsistence farmers with little cash income. But in all these situations, we see expressions of faith and hope, which carry them forward.
This week, Wednesday, we will drive to western Kenya again, this time to the southern part, to visit 3 more church areas, and we will be there through the weekend. In the places we have visited so far, we have found a good bit of interest in leadership development. The bishops tell us of their plans to start new churches, but they have no one with training to provide leadership. A bishop told us that only 1 of his 8 pastors has any kind of training for church leadership. So a vision is emerging for a locally-based program that will provide the basic training in biblical studies and leadership skills. We have asked ourselves, how did our fathers manage to be pastors with their limited education? They were mostly self-taught and did a lot of reading and study. Here, reading material is limited so there is not much opportunity to learn from others. Our goal is provide access to training that will give new leaders a good foundation for their leadership.
This week we applied for a new passport for Gloria, because her present passport expires in January. Yes, we should have done that before we left the US, but it did not seem so urgent then. But it affects how we get work permits and visas, so we have submitted the application and it takes up to 2 weeks to get here. That will delay our travel to Tanzania, but we are using the extra time to make some contacts here.

Safari to western kenya

Joe Shenk, former missionary to Tanzania used to tell us, "Every safari should be an adventure." We seem to agree that at least here in EA, that this often is true. We pray for safety in travel, we are wished a blessing by everyone before we leave for safe arrival, and even though we sometimes experience difficulty, we can also see God's hand of provision in our travels. On this trip we traveled over roads that needed lots of repair, so frequently we found ourselves off the side of the road on detours while the people walking were on the road surfaces.We also had trouble with the engine overheating several times, so were delayed several hours trying to cool down the engine by any means we had, such as using our supply of drinking water, and asking for assistance from local people who congregated around us. But we did arrive safely at the locations in Songhor and Siaya districts and were received very warmly by our leaders there.

Here is Bishop Moses Otieno and his wife at their home.

The desire for and expectations of our work among the churches was evident. We had conversations and listening sessions in groups of two or three in Songhor and also with a group of 12 leaders in the Siaya district. This is a picture of the Mennonite church at Songhor, including Gloria, the bishop, and several other persons.

Pray that the Holy Spirit will bring together their vision and our vision of leadership training to be one. We thoroughly enjoyed our times of brainstorming, but did sense that it might take a while to figure out a program that is realistic with their resources and our capabilities. We are excited about what we see is already being done and hope to encourage and enlarge their vision.

Taking a rest stop along the way at the Tea Hotel, Kericho.

Gloria, for Joe and the Menno churches in EA!

Arrival in Nairobi

We arrived in Nairobi Wednesday evening, September 26, on schedule. We were thankful to see our luggage come through without a problem. It is a long ways from Dulles airport, Washington DC, to Nairobi, about 16 hours of flying, with a 1 and a half hour layover in Zurich to change planes. After we were met by colleagues at the airport, we were taken to the Mennonite Guest House where we will spend the next few days before we travel by road to Tanzania. There are some people to contact here in Kenya and it seemed best to do that while we are in the country, so we plan to spend about 2 weeks here. This weekend we are planning to go to western Kenya to talk with 2 Mennonite bishops about their leadership training needs, and then return to Nairobi.
The Mennonite Guest House is an oasis in a busy city, with birds singing, flowers, green grass, and good meals. Here is the front entrance:

 Gloria relaxing on the back veranda.

 A nice place to check email and write blog updates.

As in most large cities, security is a concern. This morning Gloria found reassurance and wrote this after reading Psalm 90: "Verses 14-15 jumped out at me. "Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love; let your work be manifest to us; and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us and prosper the work of our hands!' What reassurance, what balm for the weary, jet-lagged servants."

September 16 BBQ Fundraiser

Sunday evening, September 16, we hosted an outdoor gathering at our house that was envisioned and planned by our MST - "a barbecue fundraiser with an African twist." All the local Mennonite churches were invited and represented. We even had family members from out of state. A good estimate is that about 100 people attended. The weather was good, there was plenty of food (barbecued chicken and pork barbecue, many other side dishes), and a display with African items and information. Everyone seemed to enjoy being together. We are truly grateful for our MST who planned the event and for many other persons who contributed in various ways to provide food, setup/breakdown, and those who attended. There was opportunity to write notes of encouragement, and also money contributions. We appreciate the notes, and we are grateful for the more than $3,000 that was received towards our support.
The Delaware Missionary Support Team gathered for a picture.

We continue to be amazed, but also grateful, for the ways our needs are provided. The support and encouragement we feel from others around us is just amazing. We are now on our final weekend before leaving Tuesday evening, September 25. Our travel will take us through Zurich, Switzerland, where we have a short layover and change planes, then on to Nairobi, Kenya by Wednesday evening. East Africa is 7 hours ahead of US, so when it is noon in the US, it is already 7 pm in East Africa.
We look to God for grace and strength as we take care of the numerous details left to be done between now and Tuesday evening.

September update

We are so blessed and grateful for the ways you have shared your interest in our assignment to East Africa. We were required to have 100% of our financial support committed for our first 2 years before booking our flights, and we have reached that. So we are planning to leave Tuesday, September 25, from Dulles airport, Washington DC, flying to Zurich, arriving in Nairobi September 26. It has been a journey of faith, sometimes wondering if financial support will come together, but never doubting the love, encouragement and prayer support of many friends and family. So now we are in the final days of preparation. And we must say that we are eager to arrive in Kenya and begin making contacts with Mennonite church leaders there. We will remain in Kenya for about 2 weeks to consult with Kenya Mennonite Church leaders before traveling on to Tanzania. We are just finishing up a round of visits to our children and grandchildren in Durham and Charlotte, North Carolina. It has been a rich time of connecting more deeply than we can do in shorter visits, and we are so thankful for the opportunity. We invite your prayers for the final preparations and for safety in traveling. Thank you for standing with us and supporting the growth of the Mennonite churches in Kenya and Tanzania.

Thank you!

The email from our support team treasurer yesterday informed us that pledges toward our support now total 99.72%! And there is good evidence of a couple recent pledges not included yet in the report. So that means we are finally ready to make definite plans to travel. We have requested tickets to leave September 25. Needless to say, we are happy to have a definite leaving date, but it also means there is a lot of preparation to be completed. We have been busy sorting, storing and disposing of things that we have accumulated, and not quite finished yet.
We are grateful for all those who have contributed towards our financial support, both individuals and churches. It means a lot to feel the trust and encouragement, and we are confident of continuing prayer for us and for the work will take on in Kenya and Tanzania. For that, we say "Thank you and God bless you!"

World Missions Institute

We are in the middle of a 4 week training event put on by Eastern Mennonite Missions at Lancaster Mennonite High School for persons going out for a mission assignment. It is designed for persons going out the first time, which doesn't quite fit us, but we have not attended this before, so we were encouraged to participate. We have enjoyed the interaction with presenters and also with the rest of the group. We find it refreshing to associate with people who are thinking about cross-cultural life and mission work. The group includes both individuals and families, going to Albania, Botswana, Cambodia, Guinea-Bissau, Montenegro, Peru, Sicily, Thailand, and Tanzania.
The training includes theoretical subjects such as biblical foundations of mission, relating to other religions, and cultural dynamics, and more practical subjects such as conflict management and team building. It has been time to build relationships with a variety of people and personalities and to support each other as we face the uncertainties of the future. We have been reminded that people in missions are ordinary, fallible, vulnerable people with a commitment to follow God and serve others in cultures other than their own.
Following the World Missions Institute is the one-week OASIS mission orientation, held at Black Rock Retreat near Quarryville PA, July 16-20. So keep us in your prayers as you think of us during these events.

Business as mission

On June 4-6 I had the opportunity to attend a training by Global Disciples on Small Business Development. The emphasis is using small business in developing countries as a way to build positive relationships with local people and thereby share the Good News and strengthen the local church. It is designed primarily for persons who are starting churches in new areas. Many believers in developing countries have the idea that persons in business are less spiritual than persons in full-time Christian service, and so they tend to withdraw from involvement in the business world. This training emphasizes that God calls us, not to withdraw from the world around us, but to enter into it as persons sent by God into the world, using "what is in their hand" as the start of the their business venture. It includes organizational tools such as developing a business plan and financial management, and also the spiritual tools such as prayer, integrity and vision for ministry. It encourages believers to use "what is in their hand" and develop a bu
When I visited East Africa in March, I heard requests for this kind of training, both to strengthen the financial base of believers and the church, and also as a way to engage in ministry in local towns.
Theologically, this is an incarnational approach to mission. Just as Jesus took on humanity in order to relate to humankind, this is an example of the messenger taking on the "humanity" of the local community through  entering into the business community and bringing God's kingdom near. I am planning to use this as a tool to strengthen the life and witness of the churches in East Africa.

Update

Sometimes it feels like not much has been happening, that we are in a kind of holding pattern, mostly waiting. In the meantime, Gloria is continuing with her nursing job, and Joe is busy with gardening and keeping up with other, mostly church-related activities. And enjoying the grandchildren whenever we get the chance.

We have visited several churches to give presentations about our Africa assignment, and we have a few more scheduled. We are encouraged with the interest in what is happening in the Mennonite churches in East Africa. We share much in common as we try to be God’s people in our own world and we have much to offer each other.

The need often expressed by the African church is for leaders who are equipped. Three phrases I heard repeated on my recent visit were building capacity, training trainers, and sustainable with local resources. The churches are growing at a rate of nearly 10% each year, but they are not able to train enough leaders. We are looking forward to partnering with the church to “build capacity” for leadership training. That includes training models that can be maintained with the limited resources available locally. Up to now, the training has depended heavily on funding from outside the country. The churches are also looking for ways to improve the economic base of its members, and that will strengthen church finances.

We have had conversations with Global Disciples and also with Mennonite Central Committee’s Eastern Africa personnel to address these two needs – effective leadership and small business development.

Many of you have pledged financial assistance towards our support, and we are grateful to you. We have not yet reached our goal, but the pledges are coming in slowly and we hope to be ready to locate in Africa by August or September this year. We are also grateful for your prayers. Some specific items for prayer are:

§  Pray for the bishops in Kenya and Tanzania Mennonite Churches as they consider the needs of the churches and look for ways to develop leadership.

§  Pray for peace in Kenya. In March, one of the towns in western Kenya experienced tribal violence, probably politically motivated, and Mennonite Bishop Clyde Agola and his church were directly affected. Local authorities are engaging the different parties in dialogue to maintain peace and seek long-term solutions.

§  Pray for understanding between Christians and Muslims in Tanzania. Recently, the president of the country called a conference for dialogue between Christian and Muslim religious leaders. Tanzania is about 1/3 Christian and 1/3 Muslim and so far have avoided serious conflict, and the president wants to promote understanding for the sake of national unity. The Mennonite bishops were involved in planning the conference.

§  Pray that financial resources will be available for this ministry.

Call to Mission 2.wmv

Impressions

In the 2 weeks since I returned from the visit to Africa, I have been sorting through my observations and impressions and trying to put them into a plan for how we will engage. Here are some impressions:

1. Church leadership training and support is a priority for church leadership. According to a 2006 survey, only 12% of Mennonite church leaders in Kenya have formal training in church leadership. In Dar es Salaam, 9 of 16 pastors have theological training. In urban areas, some leaders have secular education, but feel a need for training specific to church leadership and biblical studies.

2. Mennonite Theological College of East Africa (MTCEA) is an important resource for training. Many of the pastors have studied at MTCEA. At the same time, there is a general feeling that MTCEA is not fully meeting the training needs of the churches, both in the low number of graduates and in the training provided. A suggestion that was made repeatedly is to include vocational training in the curriculum to provide church leaders with a source of income as a bi-vocational pastor.

3. Theological Education by Extension (TEE) was effective and provided training for the many lay pastors who lead local churches. It is probably a significant factor in the growth the church has been seeing. Its weakness was that it was not sustainable locally so that within a few years after the missionaries left, the programs ceased to function. Some of the bishops have a plan for extension education in their regions, but there is no large scale TEE program. A program for training local leaders is needed.

4. Several times I heard requests for in-service training and refresher courses for present leaders including training opportunities for spouses, so they can understand what their pastor spouse is experiencing and help them work together as a team.

5. The national economies of Kenya and Tanzania affect the churches’ ability to pay pastors’ salaries. The result is that many pastors need to find other sources of income. Some of the churches have economic development plans to strengthen the church’s income. Nearly all the churches expressed interest in developing the economic base, to benefit both the people and the church budget.

6. Areas of teaching that were requested include basic biblical studies, stewardship, biblical principles of leadership, practical ministry skills, children’s ministry, counseling (especially in relation to HIV/AIDS), economic development, church planting, Mennonite doctrine and history.

Developing these impressions into action plans is the next challenge in front of us. We are continually encouraged by the interest and support we feel from others, and are very grateful. As for financial support, we have been told that approximately 40% of our budget for the first 2 years has been pledged or received, and we are told that is very good at this stage. And the response forms indicate a lot of prayer support. We are making plans to share in several churches, and we are open to invitations. This is a unique opportunity to partner with established churches that are effective and growing, but lacking training opportunities. Again we thank you for your interest.

Reflections

I am sitting in seat 30J of a Boeing 767 somewhere over the north Atlantic on the way home after 3 weeks in Kenya and Tanzania. A full, but rich time. I met with 10 Mennonite bishops individually and several other leaders to hear their vision for training pastors and talk about ways to meet the need. Probably fewer than half of the present pastors have had any kind of specific training to equip them for church leadership. Most of the bishops have aggressive goals to start new churches in their region, but they lack leaders with preparation. It has been inspiring for me to hear them share their vision that they are committed to work towards in spite of limited resources.
It has also felt good just to be back in Africa again. Africa has a kind of wildness, not in a bad way, but in a way that experiences life without frills, where the beautiful and the ugly, the hope and despair, exist together in a rich way. Not much is "sugar-coated" in Africa, you take life as it comes and deal with it, no point in complaining.
Part of the beauty is the richness of relationships. Sometimes it feels like manipulation, that may be part of the ugly, but that is not unique to Africa. But more often, there is the love and acceptance of genuine respect, not because of our accomplishments, but because we are children of the same Father. And the deep spirituality that flavors all aspects of life, not as an add-on, but central to everything they are and do.
So l am returning with a lot of hope, for the future of the African church and for the future of leadership development in Kenya and Tanzania Mennonite Churches. It is personally gratifying for me to be part of this effort and I am looking forward to being involved. I am also grateful for the many who have stated support for this effort. It means much.

Joe Bontrager

Retired Bishop Joram Mbeba

As we began our travel back toward Nairobi, we passed the town of Magu, home of retired bishop Joram Mbeba and his wife, Lydia. We received a warm welcome and a snack of dried whole tilapia fish. We could only stay for a short visit, but were refreshed by their hospitality. Their bodies are aging, but their spirits are bright. We enjoyed relating to them while we were in Africa, and again when they attended Eastern Mennonite Seminary in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Retired Bishop Joram Mbeba (center), his wife Lydia, and I in their home

Tanzania

One of the highlights of my trip was visiting places where our family lived and people we knew. This includes Shirati, a village in northwest Tanzania where the Mennonite missionaries first started. In the first 3 years, they began ministries of evangelism, medical care, primary school education, and training leaders for the emerging church.

Wth 2 young leaders under the tree in Shirati where the first church services were held

From Shirati, we traveled to Musoma and to the village of Nyabange, the location of Mennonite Theological College of Eastern Africa (MTCEA). Again, I met several people we knew from our time there in the 1970's and 80's. MTCEA is facing the challenge of a struggling national economy that affects financial support from the churches. But every place I visited, I consistently heard words of appreciation for the college and the need for education and training for church leaders. MTCEA has provided leaders, but not in the quantity needed for the expanding church. There are buildings that are aging and some need renovation. I met with the college board as they discussed ways to improve the financial base and strengthen the academic program.

Mennonite Theological College of Eastern Africa chapel and library.

Sunday, March 10, we were in Shinyanga, a town further south which has recently been designated as a new diocese. We worshiped in a new congregation, Nguzo Nane Mennonite Church, the second week they met. They have started a small discipleship training school. There were 29 people present in Sunday morning worship and I was inspired by the intensity of their singing and praying.

Preaching at Nguzo Nane Mennonite Church, Shinyanga TZ

Mwanza Diocese has a young bishop who is challenging the churches to reach out to the surrounding communities. They have identified 17 villages without a church where they want to do evangelism and start new congregations. But the big need is training for workers. They emphasize the importance of prayer in engaging in ministry.

Meeting with Mwanza bishop Albert Randa (left) and his leaders

In front of Mwanza (TZ) Mennonite Church with the bishop (center) and other leaders

Kenya Mennonite Church

I have just returned from about 10 days in western Kenya and Tanzania with Mennonite church leaders. Most of my time in Kenya was in the Kisumu area. Sunday morning I preached at Obwolo Mennonite Church, one of the first Mennonite churches in Kenya, and the location of the bishop's office for Kisumu West Diocese of Kenya Mennonite Church.

Gueth Mennonite Church is a new congregation with a building  built using traditional methods

On Monday I had the privilege to visit retired bishop Musa Adongo, who was in active leadership when we were in Kenya 21 years ago.

Retired bishop Musa Adongo (3rd from left) and present leaders of Kenya Mennonite Church

Kenya Mennonite Church is active in the communities they serve with various development programs, including nursery schools for local preschool children.

Gogo (Kenya) Mennonite Church which also provides a nursery school during the week

Update on travelers checks

A few days ago I wrote about the difficulty I am having cashing some travelers checks I have had for about the past 8 years. Apparently these are not the preferred way of traveling with money, now it is the debit card. But today I was successful in cashing them at a Nairobi bank. First, the teller asked me if I brought the receipt where I bought them. Obviously not, which I explained. So she took the checks, I am sure she checked the signature thoroughly and did a background check, and finally agreed to cash them. So I ended up with $100 worth of Kenya shillings, which I will probably need in the next few days. So from now on, it will be debit cards for me.

Nairobi II

I spent most of this week in Tanzania, first in Dar es Salaam and then in Arusha. In both places, I met with the Mennonite bishop and some of the pastors to hear their concerns about training pastors and what will be most helpful to them. I experienced a lot of interest in leadership training and some things already being done. But there is need for better basic training and upgrading the Bible "college" to have better prepared leaders for today's world. Both of these areas have better educated people, many of whom have jobs in government or business and have degrees or other advanced training. Most of them also have internet access. I returned to Nairobi Thursday afternoon and spent today, Friday, catching up with myself. I went to have lunch with a couple we knew from before, Bishop Joash Osiro and his wife, Rebecca Osiro. Joash is bishop in an area in western Kenya, and Rebecca is pastor of Nairobi Mennonite Church, the only female ordained pastor in the Mennonite churches here. It was such a good experience to sit and talk with them.

The traffic in Nairobi is really heavy, and gets very congested as rush hour. I am intrigued at the way they drive, although some might find it scary. It gets especially interesting at the traffic circles. It reminds me of an ice hockey game in slow motion, except they keep from hitting each other (most of the time). It consists of a constant weaving in and out of cars, trucks, motorcycles, buses, and pedestrians crossing the street. I want to call it a "dance" the way they all interact, somehow always aware of each other, and showing respect and waiting for whoever "got there first." Of course, they all try to get there first. Eventually, we get where we are going. If we could learn to give each other space in our interactions with each other day by day, maybe a lot of things would go more smoothly.

Tomorrow I am taking a a bus to Kisumu, a city in western Kenya on Lake Victoria - a 6 hour ride. I will be there for a couple days, first to worship with them on Sunday, and then we have a meeting planned with some of the bishops and pastors of western Kenya on Tuesday. I expect a different experience there than in the cities I have been in so far, because most of these churches are in rural areas, and even the pastors usually have only a primary school education (grade 8 or less). Almost none of them have internet access, although I am sure most of them have cell phones. It is a strange thing, the way the technology has entered the society and is helpful for communication. Following the visit to Kisumu, I will take a few days to visit Shirati, Musoma, and a couple other church centers in the Lake Victoria region. I am not sure how much internet access I will have there.

As I am writing this, it is 8 pm and I hear the Muslim call to prayer. Not a bad reminder. Too often we do not take the time for prayer that we should.

Joe

Arusha

From Dar, I traveled by bus to Arusha, where there are also a number of Mennonite churches. They have a goal to add 3 new churches in the next year. Here is Arusha Mennonite Church with the bishop, Joseph Mutorela.

Arusha Mennonite Church operates a pre-school and works with Compassion International child adoption program. Here is the Compassion International staff in their office in the pre-school building, along with me and bishop Mutorela.

Dar es Salaam

I have just returned to Nairobi from a trip to Dar es Salaam and Arusha in Tanzania. It felt good to be back in Tanzania again, a country we called home for 8 years. I had good meetings with the Mennonite bishops and some of their pastors in both locations. They have a lot of interest and energy to put into leadership development.
There are at least 6 Mennonite congregations in Dar es Salaam city, and a total of 20 churches in the region.Here is a picture of Upanga Mennonite Church in Dar es Salaam, with bishop Steven Mang'ana.

And there is Menno the peacock, a permanent resident of the church grounds.

Trip update - Dar es Salaam

I arrived in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, yesterday after some delays due to a cancelled flight. But I was not under time pressure so I just waited it out and it worked out - only about 5 hours later than the original schedule. The bishop met me at the airport and took me to the hotel. Today I met with the bishop and some of the pastors of the Dar es Salaam area, the Eastern Diocese of Tanzania Mennonite Church. They have planted several new churches in the past year and are well on their way to reach their goal of 10 new churches and 2,000 more members in 3 years, beginning 2010.

Dar does not seem to be quite as congested as Nairobi, people are just a little more laid back. This morning I took a walk through part of the city when I went to find a place to change some money, and came back through some side streets - the only white face around, and probably one of the few that ever show up in those parts. It is certainly not the tourist part of town. 

On Sunday I worshiped at Mathare North Mennonite Church in Nairobi. Mathare is a slum area on the edge of the city known for its poverty and this church has been growing. The church is cooperating with Mennonite Central Committee to operate a primary school grades 1 to 8.

You can check our blog at joegloriabontrager.blogspot.com for updates and a few pictures.

Travelers Checks are not very useful

The day before I left for this trip, I went to the local bank to get travelers checks. That is how I have been taking money when I travel for the past 40 years or so. The conversation in the bank was something like this:
“I would like to buy some travelers checks.”
“We don’t sell travelers checks anymore.”
“Really? How do people take money with them when they travel?”
“I don’t really know. I think they use debit cards.”
“Where can I get a debit card? Do you have them?”
“You can try a drug store. They have prepaid debit cards.” (Really? What are banks for? Maybe someday soon I can buy deodorant at the bank.)
So I went to the drug store and bought a prepaid debit card. Later I found that the card provided is only a temporary card and the real card will come in the mail – not before I leave the next day.

The next part of the story is that I have some travelers checks left from a trip 8 years ago – amounting to $100. So at least I have that much. When I was in Nairobi, I tried to cash them at a bank. “We don’t cash travelers checks. Go to an exchange bureau.” Good, I thought, I am going to the airport in a couple days, I will cash them there. “We are regulated by the government, and cannot cash travelers checks unless you have just come into the country. You have been here 2 days already. You must cash them inside airport security.” Inside the airport, “We can’t cash them here, you must cash them in the arrivals area, after you pass immigration but before you leave the airport.” So I still carrying $100 in travelers checks that no one wants. I will try when I pass through Nairobi airport again later this week. If all else fails, I will try to go back to the bank in USA where I bought them 8 years ago. In any case, I will know the next time.
Joe

I arrived in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, yesterday after some delays due to a cancelled flight. But I was not under time pressure so I just waited it out and it worked out - only about 5 hours later than the original schedule. I was able to let the people in Dar know so the bishop was at the airport to meet me and take me to my hotel. Today, Tuesday, I plan to meet with the bishop and pastors of the Dar es Salaam area, the Eastern District of Tanzania Mennonite Church. My brief conversation with the bishop on the way from the airport is encouraging. They have planted several new churches in the past year and more are planned.

Here I am meeting with the leaders of Nairobi Mennonite churches to discuss their vision for leadership training .

Mathare North Mennonite Church, Nairobi, where I worshipped on Sunday. Mathare is a slum area on the edge of the city and this church has been growing. The church is cooperating with Mennonite Central Committee to operate a primary school, up to grade 8.

Children attending the worship service at Mathare North Mennonite Church.

I had good conversations with church leaders in the Nairobi area. One of the issues that keeps coming up is dealing with the economic problems of the people. Mennonite churches tend to be in poorer areas and members have limited incomes and often the bishops and pastors are unpaid, totally volunteer. This limits the time they have available for church leadership and pastoral care because they must earn a living in other jobs. So that raises the question of how church development is linked to economic development in developing countries. 

I went to downtown Nairobi on Saturday, the day after I arrived. I am impressed with the movement and vitality of the city and the people. Heavy traffic, cars, trucks, bicycles, motorcycles, people weaving in and out, people on the move, along the sidewalks, crossing the street whenever they want to. It is interesting to “feel” the culture at a deeper level, not just what appears on the surface, but the underlying dynamics of personal interactions, mainly. One sees it in how drivers interact on the road, each acting like he does not see anyone else, yet always being able to stop in time or swerve in time to avoid a crash. It is in how people interact on the street, as though they don’t see anyone else, unless it is a friend. But people are always friendly and helpful when you need them. Africa is a relational society – relationships trump all other factors.
Joe

In Nairobi

This is just letting you all know that I arrived in Nairobi this evening, pretty much on time and I will be staying at the Mennonite Guest House. It feels good to get back to familiar places and people. I was also able to sit down with Aram DiGennaro, EMM's East Africa field director, to begin planning the schedule for my time here.

Tomorrow (Satruday) I want to see several people in the Nairobi area and generally get ready for the rest of the visit. Monday morning I fly to Dar es Salaam to meet with the bishop there and some of his pastors and return to Nairobi on Friday.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for safety in traveling, because I certainly experienced that. I plan to share regular updates.

Sincerely,

Joe Bontrager

Zurich

I am sitting in the Zurich airport on my way to Kenya and Tanzania for 3 weeks. While there, I will be talking with the bishops and other leaders about their vision for leadership training.
I am thinking about the importance of Zurich in our own church history. It was here in Zurich that a group of young academics began to question the teachings of the other main denominations and turned to the New Testament and the teachings and example of Jesus for their final authority. They eventually became known as "ana-baptists" - the "re-baptizers" - a somewhat derogatory name at first. They believed and taught that love defines our ethics, that the church is fundamentally a community of faith, and that salvation is by personal choice - all revolutionary ideas at that time that led to severe persecution. It was in Zurich that one of the young academics, Felix Manz, was tied up and thrown into the river, one of the early martyrs. And that same faith continues today, nearly 500 years later, around the world. It has taken root in Africa and it continues to grow.

Joe Bontrager

In January, the history of Kenya Mennonite Church was completed. Kenya Mennonite Church dates its beginnings to the 1940's, when evangelists from Tanzania Mennonite Church were touched by the East African Revival movement and visited Kenya to bring the gospel to their fellow Luo tribesmen. Kenya Mennonite Church was formally organized in 1977 as a separate entity from Tanzania Mennonite Church. In 2006, Kenya Mennonite Church sent missionaries to Uganda to evangelize and plant churches. For a news release from Mennonite World Conference on writing the history of Kenya Mennonite Church, use the link http://www.mwc-cmm.org/index.php/news-releases/151-kenyan-mennonites-make-history-by-writing-it.

Last Wednesday, January 25, I met with a "partnership team" for the Mennonite Theological College of East Africa (MTCEA). This is a group of persons who are acquainted with the College and are willing to invest time and energy to provide support. It became clear the the MTCEA has been in the past, and will continue to be a key part of leadership training efforts for the Mennonite churches in Kenya and Tanzania. The level of support in the partnership team for the College and for our assignment is encouraging. In the meeting, it was estimated that there are around 5,000 baptisms each year in the Kenya and Tanzania Mennonite Churches. Assuming 100 persons in a church, that means 50 new churches each year, or about one new congregation each week. The question is, where will they find leaders for these new churches? Up to now, MTCEA has not been able to supply enough leaders to keep up with the growth, so that many churches are led by lay pastors with little training in Bible and leadership skills. There is also concern about the quality of education provided by MTCEA. That is the need that led to our invitation to return to Africa. MTCEA is only one part of a leadership development plan, because many of the leaders cannot leave home and do not have the funds to attend a residential program. So extension training programs are also needed that reach the leaders in their home areas. Some of the bishops have been working to provide local training to their leaders, but others have not started.

We expect our work to focus on a couple main areas. One is to strengthen, and perhaps expand, the program of the Mennonite Theological College for those who can attend a residential training program. The second area is to develop models and curriculum for bishops to use in their areas to train the lay pastors. A third area will be to provide occasional refresher courses and workshops for pastors to strengthen and encourage their leadership ministries.

Call to Mission.wmv