Bible Studies for Women

Women in Sumbawanga (TZ) Mennonite Church discussing
Women of the Bible

On our initial visits to various Mennonite churches, we heard a deep desire among women to have materials that would be written with them in mind. When asked what it was they needed, we soon had a list of the top social and spiritual challenges found in Christian families today. Among these were: problems in marriage, the training and teaching of children, living with an unbelieving husband, infertility, single parenting, adultery, inadequate money, and maintaining faith in desperate times. As I (Gloria) thought about an appropriate way to address these issues from a Biblical perspective, I decided to look at women of the Bible who were examples of faith in the face of these particular issues and developed a basic course called Women of the Bible.

Women gathering for a meeting in Turugeta, Tarime (TZ)

We have observed that in most churches, the majority of believers and regular attenders are women, probably at least two thirds to three fourths of the congregation. In one diocese of Kenya Mennonite Church we were told that at least 50% of lay church leaders are women. However, only one woman has been ordained as a pastor in Kenya Mennonite Church and there are no ordained women in Tanzania Mennonite Church. Women are used in the worship service for prayer, teaching, offerings, occasional preaching and as deaconesses (visitation, encouragement, etc.).

Women in worship in Kayunga, Uganda

As a partial response to this need, I developed a course, Women in the Work of God, giving a history of the participation of women in God’s work throughout the Old and New Testament and challenging the church and women to respond to the task of the Kingdom of God today. The church leaders also are including this issue on their agenda as they rewrite the church constitution. We are encouraged by inclusion of women in recent pastors’ seminars, and pastors are increasingly seeing their wives as important partners in their leadership.

In the past several months, we have begun introducing these courses to women in the congregations where we have been. We are excited to see the enthusiasm in women and other leaders that have been blessed in using the materials. The studies have raised awareness of their call to be and to make disciples. Another course, on Marriage and the Family is partially prepared and ready for translation. Continue to pray for the work of the Holy Spirit to bring fruit from these efforts.

Thanks for your prayers for the church and for the women as they develop their gifts and their vision.

Moving on…

The group of Mennonite leaders meeting in Morogoro.

We have finished up our time in Sumbawanga, where we spent a total of 3 months. It was an enriching time for us of gaining new friends and teaching. In the last few weeks, we presented a 2 session seminar on business as mission, in which we encouraged them to see their daily activities as a way to develop friendships with their neighbors and share the gospel, as well as a way to gain income. We also presented 3 sessions on marriage and family. But maybe we gained the most, as we enjoyed their love and respect, and were refreshed by their commitment and sincerity to follow Jesus as disciples, not just be Christian in name.

Peter Sensenig teaching on understanding Islam.

 On Monday, September 28, we left Sumbawanga, our car loaded to the roof with our household goods, our supply of study materials, and our personal belongings. The following day we arrived in Morogoro for a 3 day seminar for leaders of the Eastern Diocese of Tanzania Mennonite Church.

Debbi DiGennaro teaching, with translator Mary Hagai.

In Morogoro, we presented the TEE program and we were joined by Peter Sensenig, from Zanzibar, and Debbi DiGennaro, from Nairobi. They presented insights on cross-cultural relationships and Islam, and challenged the leaders to understand their neighbors. One participant said, “Before this seminar, I was afraid of Muslims. Now I see them as people like me that I can be friends with. Our faith is different, but we can best share the gospel with them as friends.”

Meeting with leaders of the peacemaking initiative in
Dar es Salaam

From Morogoro we traveled to Dar es Salaam for a meeting to discuss ways to create positive relationships between Christians and Muslims in areas where Mennonite churches are located. Historically, Christians and Muslims have lived together peacefully in Tanzania, and in most areas that is still true, but there are radical persons among Christians as well as Muslims who stir up misunderstandings and conflict. The Mennonite leaders in Dar es Salaam would like to counter the tendencies toward conflict, in keeping with our tradition of peacemaking

From here, we go on to Mombasa, Kenya, for the next 2 months. There is a small Mennonite congregation in Mombasa and the leaders have asked for teaching and mentoring, because they have come from other denominational traditions and want to know more about “the Mennonite way of doing church.”

Pools To Quench their Thirst (Psalm 84:6)

Women in worship at Kayunga

The children sat quietly and listened attentively.

Last week Joe and I had the privilege of visiting the recently developing Mennonite churches in Uganda, a marathon 10 day trip including two days of teaching in two different locations. We were accompanied by one of our Kenyan bishops (Moses Otieno), another newly arrived missionary to Nairobi (Evie Hershey), and the coordinating pastor (Simon Onyango) of the Ugandan churches. At the first location (Kayunga, near Kampala) the congregation was primarily women from three various churches who enthusiastically welcomed us with music, ululations, and dancing. We no sooner were in the tin building structure, and they broke out into simultaneous prayer as a group, worshipping and praising God. Some of these women had walked 6 kms and had slept in the church overnight in order to be there. We could literally feel and sense their commitment to Jesus even though we could not speak to many of them because of the language barrier. Their intense desire to learn and know more was conveyed by their attentiveness to the teaching given and through the questions they asked during the response time. We also introduced our study materials to about 10 groups of women who expressed a desire to study the Bible together, some who were from other denominations. The coordinator’s wife, Alice, will continue to provide leadership and encouragement to these groups. Joe met with the men to discuss and encourage them in strengthening their leadership. Our hearts were blessed and our eyes were opened to the deep need for spiritual nurture and growth. 

Nshure Mennonite Church, with a new addition being built

Women studying the TEE materials

Men in Bible study

The second location was a days drive across Uganda to the western and southern tip to a town called Rukungiri. This was the first place a Mennonite church had been established about 10 yrs. ago. The churches in this area have been struggling because of some conflict among leaders. Although this group was much smaller and less glamourous, we also felt the presence of the Holy Spirit working in their hearts and sensed a deep longing for becoming a people of God. 

During our church service on Sunday, several people felt the need for repentance and prayer. We feel certain God will begin a new thing among them and provide a pool to quench their thirst as they come to him seeking and obeying what he will teach them through the study of the Bible. In these churches, it is the younger people who will be key in helping the older ones to use our materials because they are the ones who know English. Uganda does not use Swahili, so we could only offer English materials that will need to be translated as they work in their small groups. This should produce an interesting interaction and sharing between the young and the old! Pray for the leaders of the groups as they begin to work together in strengthening the church. We have planted the seeds, may God provide the water to quench their thirst!

July - Vacation in USA

"Welcome, Grandma and Grandpa." Kade, Isaiah, and Kathryn,
children of Jon, welcoming us at the Charlotte NC airport.

We spent the month of July on “vacation” in the USA. July has also been a time for other church meetings, especially Mennonite World Conference, which met in Pennsylvania. But we did not attend any of those, since we focused on visiting our family, especially the children and grandchildren in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.

Sherrie and her girls, Mykah, Zoe, and Gloria, at the
Milford DE Dairy Queen - always a favorite.

We also attended reunions with our siblings. The first was around the funeral of Joe’s father, Eli Bontrager, who passed away just before we left Africa. He was within 3 weeks of his 97th birthday and has been longing for his “transition” for many years. He passed peacefully following a short illness. His funeral was early July. Near the end of July we attended the annual reunion of Gloria’s siblings and their families.

It has been a time for remembering and sharing our rich heritage! We are so blessed and truly appreciate the influence of our families on our lives. Hopefully our children and grandchildren will also treasure the relationships and backgrounds from which they come.

Gloria reading to Ivy, Max, and Kaia, children of
daughter Chris

A picnic at Dismal Falls, Bland VA, with Beth
and Brad and their girls, (left to right) Beverly, Lily, Juliet,
Evie, Beth, Brad.

It has been especially enjoyable to get reacquainted with our thirteen grandchildren, ranging in age from 15 years old to 10 months. What beautiful personalities, exuberant energy and noble spirits they display!

We are writing this on our way back to East Africa, and will complete it after we have arrived in Nairobi. Within our first week back, we expect to engage with the new Mennonite churches in Uganda, then a training seminar in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, finally returning to Sumbawanga to complete the teaching we left in June.

Unfortunately we did not have a chance to see many of you this visit, but we are grateful for your interest and support that we often feel as we move around to encourage leaders.

Note: we arrived in Nairobi, all our flights were on schedule, and we are grateful to arrive safely. Our luggage arrived also. But it was a long trip, about 30 hours from Charlotte to Nairobi, with stops to change planes in Frankfurt, Germany and Doha, Qatar.

Disciples Making Disciples

The group of leaders from Sumbawanga Mennonite Church

Sunday evenings we have been meeting with a group of leaders and discussing tools for spiritual growth, and they receive assignments of daily activities for them to do through the week. Subjects included recognizing where God is at work, the importance of both rest and work, relationships that sustain us, praying according to the Lord’s Prayer, understanding and using spiritual gifts, and being disciples that make disciples.

This week we asked them what they have been learning. Here are some of the things they said:

• When I read the Bible now, I begin by asking God to teach me, and I understand what I am reading.
• I have started to read the Bible like the daily newspaper, and I am learning so much.
• I am learning to pray, like Jesus taught his disciples to pray.
• Now when I sing songs, I see references to verses in the Bible, because I have been reading the Bible. Before these studies I did not know where they came from.
• I am challenged that it is not enough that I am a disciple of Jesus, I must also lead others to become disciples.

We will be leaving Sumbawanga for 2 months for holiday with family in the USA and some training events in other places in East Africa, but returning the end of August. While we are gone, the local pastor will continue to lead the group in discussing and applying what they have learned. Keep them in your prayers that their desire to grow will continue.

Why Sumbawanga?

Looking down on the town of Sumbawanga.
(click on the picture to enlarge it)

That is the question some are asking – Why are we in Sumbawanga? It is not the center of Tanzania Mennonite Church, It is not well-known among Mennonites and few leaders have visited. It is located off to the side, only 60 miles from the Zambia border, about 3 days drive from the central church office in Musoma. Sumbawanga is only recently connected to the rest of Tanzania with a paved road, so access has been difficult, especially during the rains. There is a large lake, Lake Rukwa, and several mountains between Sumbawanga and the rest of Tanzania, so there are no direct roads, only around to the north or from the south. People who come here from outside the area do not usually come by their own choice; they are usually assigned by their employer, which is often the government. Yet, some who come for a visit or for work are pleasantly surprised by the area and decide to stay. It is an area with rolling hills, a cooler climate due to its nearly 6,000 foot elevation, good for agriculture, and friendly people.

Downtown Sumbawanga

There is also a small Mennonite church community in Sumbawanga and we saw the opportunity to walk with them to strengthen the leaders. Pastor Ibrahim Samuel arrived just over one year ago to replace the retired pastor and he has brought new energy and vision. His goal is to open 3 new churches this year, and he needs leaders for the new churches, so has been working to develop leaders. He said, “When I came last year, there was no one to share leadership at the church. But now, with the teaching through the TEE program and other training, I have people who can lead worship and preach.” He also started a choir that provides worship music each Sunday morning, singing mostly songs that he has written. Sunday attendance at the Sumbawanga church has doubled in the past year to around 40 adults.

Neighborhood children come to greet and talk with us.

Our activities include teaching Mennonite history and faith to the adult Sunday school class that is open to all. Sunday afternoons we meet with a group of 11 leaders for teaching on personal spirituality and ministry. Friday evenings is a TEE class focusing on leaders but open to all, and we have been discussing Character of the Christian Leader. And recently, we have started driving 120 kms each way every Wednesday to provide teaching to the local leaders of the newly opened church in the village of Kapozwa.

Children lining up for the church-sponsored nursery school.
Tanzanian school require children to attend nursery school
before they enter first grade.

Our first two and a half years we focused on developing the TEE (Theological Education by Extension) program which we introduced church-wide in both Tanzania and Kenya. So for the rest of our time, we felt drawn towards working in a local setting where there is vision, but isolated from the church centers and less opportunity for training and mentoring. We saw that in Sumbawanga. After several months here, we plan to move to another area and provide the same kind of mentoring. So that is why we came to Sumbawanga – to walk alongside and encourage their vision for ministry. 

Church Restart in Kapozwa

Pastor Ibrahim giving words of encouragement.

Sunday, May 10, we worshiped in Kapozwa, a village about 60 miles southwest of Sumbawanga, only a couple miles from the Zambia border. The first Mennonite church in this part of Tanzania was in Kapozwa, started in the late 1970’s by John Sikazwe and several Moravian friends, after they read about Mennonites in a church history book. They contacted the Mennonite church office Musoma, and with their encouragement, soon after organized themselves as Mennonites. Sikazwe was ordained later as the first pastor of the church.

Following the worship service, believers gathered to
choose their leaders.

Pastor Sikazwe moved to Sumbawanga town in 1983 to start a new Mennonite congregation. The church in Kapozwe continued for another 10 years, but eventually closed due to lack of leadership. Pastor Sikazwe retired in 2012.

The new pastor, Ibrahim Samuel, came to Sumbawanga in 2014 with new energy and vision. One of his dreams was to revive the church in Kapozwa, along with starting new churches in several rural villages. The first part of that dream was realized Sunday with the worship service held under a large mango tree, followed by a meeting of local believers to organize the congregation. They selected an evangelist/church leader, secretary, and treasurer by consensus from among their group.

Left side, Pastor Jakob Tanganyika,Treasurer Edod 
Simkanya, Secretary Gines Mumbeya, Evangelist 
Yeremiah Ntokwa, and Pastor Ibrahim Samuel.

Ten families have been identified as participants in the new congregation. We pray that the leaders will build unity and vision among the participants. We also planning with Pastor Ibrahim  to return to Kapozwa  for teaching about Mennonite faith and church leadership.

Kalambo Falls, on the border between
Tanzania and Zambia.

The church acquired land for a church building years ago, but a building was not built. Pastor Ibrahim advised them to begin building the church this year, because that will give credibility in the village and will be a place to begin community ministries, such as a kindergarten.
After the worship service, our hosts took us to see the Kalambo Falls, about 2 miles away, one of the highest waterfalls in Africa, over 700 feet high. The Kalambo River flows into the south end of Lake Tanganyika, about 6 miles downstream from the falls.

Traveling to Sumbawanga

Last week we left the village of Nyabange, near Musoma, that has been our home base for the past two and a half years. We have friends there, from when we lived there from 1978-1982, and we have renewed those friendships over the past two years. At that time it was the central office of Tanzania Mennonite Church. Joe said he feels like Abraham, going to a place not sure of what we will encounter. Gloria said she feels like Sarah.

We were on our way to a town in southwestern Tanzania about 680 miles away, Sumbawanga. There is a growing Mennonite church with a dynamic young pastor who has been there only 1 year and has already brought new energy to the church. But they are isolated by distance from other Mennonite churches. So they are moving forward on their own without a lot of support or resources for growth. We are coming to do more intentional and in-depth mentoring with their leaders.

We had already delayed our move for a month or so because of the rains, and we thought they were over by now. And truly they had stopped. Some of the roads we needed to travel are not yet improved, so rain complicates travel with areas of slippery mud and potholes.

Discussing with other travelers, "Can we drive through?"

The first two days were normal travel. The first night we stopped in Mwanza, the second night in Tabora. And that night it rained. Or should I say it RAINED! Hard. The next two days we would travel over the worst part of the roads. We thought about waiting a day, but there was no assurance that the rain will stop. So we started the third day and traveled 9 hours to go 225 miles due to very slippery roads (that is an average of 25 mph). One place there was knee-deep water flowing over the road and we were unsure if we could pass, but after I walked through it and another vehicle passed through, we also tried and succeeded, then spent the night in the town of Mpanda.

When we left Mpanda, we heard a grinding noise in one wheel, but saw nothing unusual. About 10 kms into our trip, the left front of the car suddenly dropped a couple inches. All the lug nuts had come off and the wheel slipped off the lug bolts, but not off the hub. It was amazing that the wheel did not come completely off.  Accompanied by angels??

I jacked up the car, borrowed lug nuts from the other wheels and we went back to town to buy new nuts and we were soon on our way with no more car problems. There were muddy spots, however, and we were just able to pass a truck and a bus stuck in the road.

The countryside near Sumbawanga.

We arrived safely in Sumbawanga Thursday afternoon and were received warmly. The pastor had located a house for us to rent, which we moved into on Saturday. The house was unfurnished, and we had come with all our belongings in the car, which did not include large furniture. But we have been settling in with makeshift shelves and buying a few plastic chairs and a table and it is feeling comfortable. We plan to spend about 3 months here, with a break during June and July for other commitments and a visit to our family in USA in July. Then back to Sumbawanga for another month and a half before we move to a different location for another mentoring opportunity.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven……

Carrying water by bicycle from Lake Victoria.

We were reminded of these words in the last several weeks through the experiences we’ve had in a visit to Dar and Nairobi. Despite the sweltering heat and the severe dryness of the earth in most of East Africa, we hope in knowledge that there is a time when the refreshing rains will come. People, cattle, and the earth are suffering from the lack of rain. Every effort seems to be focused on surviving--getting water, finding food for cattle and for children and fending off disease. 

Churches too are struggling to survive, trying to find ways to build buildings and develop programs with the scarce funds that can be gathered from here and there. And yet, amidst the drought, new congregations are being formed, new vision is being developed for people outside the normal circle of Mennonites, and a new way of partnering together is being birthed.

Bishop Steven Mang'ana and Pastor Abner Mathube, pastor of
Upanga Mennonite Church, at the opening of the new Kisota
Mennonite Church

Bishop Steven Mang’ana and churches in Dar es Salaam are looking at ways to serve the people of the coastal areas. Bishop Albert Randa in Mwanza is making plans to bring services to rural villages. We recently heard of the growth of Mennonite churches in Uganda. And we are challenged by the spiritual vitality we are seeing among youth and young adults in Tanzania, even as some churches and leaders seem focused on programs and prestige, rather than true spirituality.

We believe God is doing a new thing among us. He has promised, “I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my spirit upon your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring. They will spring up like a green tamarisk, like willows by flowing streams.” Isa.44:3-4

"Clouds without rain, blown along  by the wind." (Jude 12)

Pray with us for refreshing rains for this dry land and for the rain of the spirit to wash and refresh the people of the church. We trust God knows the season we are in and in time will bring us into a fruitful, more abundant season.

In the countryside, the church is growing.

Gloria and Lydia Mbeba outside the
Mbeba home in Magu

Monday morning, the first week of February (February 2-6), we drove the three and a half hours to Mwanza, to join Bishop Albert Randa for a week-long training for 5 candidates for ordination.

On the way, we stopped in the town of Magu to see Lydia Mbeba, whose husband, retired Bishop Joram Mbeba, recently died. She told us how on that day, he wanted to sing the hymn, “Thou my everlasting portion” (Bwana, u sehemu yangu). In the evening he looked up (he has been blind the last few years) and his spirit soon left his body peacefully.

Pastoral candidates and their wives at the seminar in Mwanza,

In Mwanza, we met the pastoral candidates. Four of them came with their wives. This is a new development in two ways. First, a lengthy training for pastoral candidates is not usually held. Second, inviting the spouse to attend is also new. But as we worked with the group, we sensed how much the spouses gained through the training, and how much strength that will bring to the ministry of the new pastor. Only one of the candidates is from a church family. The others are all from villages in outlying areas. Two of them said they came to faith through evangelism efforts in the diocese a few years ago. One of the wives is from a Muslim family. Bishop Randa taught them church polity and practices, we focused on broader leadership issues, such as working together in ministry as husband and wife.

Mwanza Diocese takes seriously the needs of rural villages. Many of the villages in rural Tanzania have little, if any, church presence. But the people are hungry for teaching and worship. These new pastors will be working in those areas. They also face the challenge of constructing church buildings. Two of the new pastors have started building and are working to gather funds to complete them.

Group of leaders and church members gathered "under the trees"
in Turugeta village to hear about Bible training.

The week of February 16-19, we joined Pastor Eliud Munanka in Tarime Diocese in visiting new

churches that have been started in the past year. Last July, a team of evangelists visited 3 rural communities west of Tarime with the Jesus film. The communities were chosen because of their location in an area with few churches. In each of the communities, a group of 30 to 50 people responded with commitment to form a new church. In August, the team visited another village with similar results. They expressed their desire for teaching, and the diocese will be providing the TEE program (extension Bible studies) to them. Since they do not have church buildings, the groups meet in local primary school classrooms.

Pastor Munanka and church elder Aidan Mwita looking at the
plot purchased for a church building in Korotambe village.

The news we hear in developing countries is not always positive, including the church. But in these two areas, the church is growing and people are finding hope in their new-found faith.

Perseverance in Prayer

In seeking a topic for our blog this month I was led to Isaiah 62:6-7. You who remind the Lord, take no rest, until he establishes Jerusalem.

It feels like we (as well as many of you) have been bringing our sister churches of East Africa to the Lord’s attention for quite awhile. We remind Him of their needs, lift them up, seeking direction for them and requesting God’s mercy, grace and power to be displayed on their behalf. Sometimes we get discouraged with the seeming lack of fruit from our prayers. Are our prayers not effective, are we not praying according to the will of the Father? Do we even know how to pray for them? This verse suggests that our job is to remind God--to keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking (Matt. 7:7-11, note present tense). No rest, until HE establishes it. We often forget that our Father is a generous Father, a righteous Father, a Father who rewards persistent prayer. He is not our servant, but we, and the churches we serve, belong to Him and serve his purposes. Perhaps we desire our own agenda more than His, or seek our own answers rather than understanding God himself?

So reminding, is not suggesting, or trying to manipulate God into a certain action, but leaving the need, the work, to Him to perform in his own time and way. But reminding is an ongoing task for us, a persistent cry for His will to be done here on earth as it is in heaven. And our Father is able to establish the church and bring it to pass.

We ask your persistence in prayer for the needs of the churches, the leaders, the Bible College, and the TEE program. Satan is persistent in his attacks on all that we attempt in the name of the Father, so we must counteract his power to destroy and kill. We praise God for already conquering and doing exceedingly more than we are able to ask or think!!