We planted, others watered, God gives the increase

After all, what is Apollos? What is Paul? We are simply God's agents in bringing you to faith. Each of us performed the task which the Lord allotted to us. We planted the seed, and (John and Ibrahim) watered it; but God made it grow. Thus it is not the gardeners with their planting and watering who count, but God who makes it grow. Whether they plant or water, they work as a team, though each will get his own pay for his own labor. We are God's fellow-workers, and you are God's garden. (1 Corinthians 3:5-9)

Seminar in Shinyanga, Tanzania

As we left Tanzania and Kenya four months ago, we emphasized to the church leaders that we had only planted the seed and given them tools for leadership training, now it was their work to carry on. In many ways it was a challenge to our faith to leave what we had spent four years in planning and producing, in the hands of local leaders. But over and over we told ourselves, this is not our work, but the work of God to carry on through local leaders. We prayed for just a few leaders to catch a vision and burden for further leadership training in our Mennonite churches. We as partners from the West want to continue to support deep spiritual growth in the leaders but also want to see it springing out of local

Participants at the seminar in Shinyanga, Tanzania

initiatives from within the churches.

Missionary Peter Sensenig with his translator

Recently we received Facebook messages that affirm our faith in God's working with the seeds we have planted. Bishop Joseph Nyakyema and Shinyanga Diocese held a seminar for church leaders of Shinyanga and Tabora KMT Dioceses. Pastor John Wambura taught "Leadership Strategies and Tools," Pastor George Nyaundi taught "Mission and Church Planting," and missionary Dr. Peter Sensenig taught "Conflict Resolution among Leaders" and "Christian-Muslim Relations."
Pastor John Wambura wrote to us, “You planted the SEED, I am just watering it! They said ‘We need more practical training for change.’ Your impact is proved by the attendance from Sumbawanga of six participants!!” Sumbawanga is a remote area in southwestern Tanzania where we had spent four months to provide more intensive training!

John emailed us further explaining that he met with the Sumbawanga participants to evaluate their progress and their needs in both spiritual and economic development. Their proposal for working at these areas include building five new churches, training leaders for these churches and helping them to establish financial stability. We praise God for the work he is doing among these leaders and watering the seeds we planted. We pray that it will "yield fruit in its season." Continue to remember the "team" working in the garden!!

Pastor Ibrahim Samwel with five leaders from his district.
Standing (left to right): Pastor Ibrahim Samwel, Elder Lidaness Kipeta, 
Pastor Jackob Tanganyika (Kalambo Nondo), Evangelist Judith 
Namwimanzi, Evangelist Emmanuel Silondwa (Kapozwa), and 
(seated) Evangelist Tabu Michael.

Looking Back on Four Years

It is nearly 2 months since we returned to the United States, and that marks the end of our term. Now we are trying to settle into our retirement in the US.

Four years ago we were making final plans to travel to East Africa, and now we look back on our time with thanks and satisfaction. We are grateful to the Tanzania and Kenya Mennonite churches for receiving us warmly and inviting us to serve among them. We are also grateful to the many persons with whom we have worked side by side, and who have become like brothers and sisters to us. And we have felt God’s presence and grace as we traveled and served. We are also grateful to those who have contributed financially to our support and made our time possible.

Now we have reached the end of that chapter. Many have asked us who will replace us. The answer is, no one will do exactly what we have been doing. We have provided training materials for the bishops and pastors to use and they will pick up the responsibility to train their leaders. We told them, “Here are the tools, they are now in your hands.” They have been given materials they can use, and we have provided training in how to use them. Our task was to plant seeds, others will water and harvest.

However, we have not completely disconnected from East Africa. We are grateful for the trust Eastern Mennonite Missions has put in us in appointing us “non-resident volunteers.” We will continue to write study materials that have been requested, and may make a trip or two in the next couple years to give additional training and encouragement to leaders who are using the materials.

Not all dioceses are using the materials. We know of 3 or 4 places where they are being used. One is in Sumbawanga, in far southwestern Tanzania. Our last report is that the pastor has 5 training locations where he us using the materials to prepare leaders for the new churches he is starting. Another is in Musoma, where a group has completed a series of studies and had a graduation about a year ago, with plans to start a new group.

In the past 4 years, we have traveled about 45,000 miles, led 23 trainings (10 in Tanzania, 12 in Kenya, 1 in Uganda), and completed 13 Bible study courses of 10 lessons each.

At the request of local leaders, we have also organized translation of the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective, into Swahili and Luo. We also sponsored translation of What is an Anabaptist Christian? by Palmer Becker, The Holy Book of God by David Shenk, and assisted with translation of the Sister Care manual for the women’s seminar.

On our last Sunday in Tanzania, we were blessed by one of the church elders with a verse that is our experience and testimony, The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.” (Psalm 92:12-15). Truly God has been faithful, and for that we give thanks.

Farewell at Morogoro Mennonite Church - African kitenge cloth
presented by the women's group

Leaving what lies behind; Pressing forward to what lies ahead; Toward the Prize

During this transition of closing out our work here in East Africa, we are tempted to look back and wonder, "Have we accomplished the task? Have we done our best? Have we been faithful to Christ's call on our lives?"And although we can obviously see that we certainly didn't finish the great task of training leaders, or that we could have done it differently or more effectively, we have tried to be faithful to the leading of the Spirit throughout these four years. We readily admit we have only started to give tools, to plant seeds, to cast vision of the harvest.

Joe leading the weekly class of leaders
of Morogoro Mennonite Church

We have tried to challenge our leaders in the Mennonite churches of Tanzania and Kenya to the task of Teaching, Making Disciples, and Going Out to the ends of the earth. A primary goal we had was to provide affordable study materials from an Anabaptist perspective and to train local leaders to use those materials. We have also felt the need of, and put some effort into, discipling leaders into a deeper relationship with Christ and then living out of that relationship. We hear many local pastors express concern about the condition of the church, and sense that it (and other churches) is at a crossroad of change and new direction. We only pray for the leaders to be sensitive and obedient to the Spirit's guidance and leading. We are confident that the work of God's kingdom in East Africa will continue as faithful people are called and enabled by the Holy Spirit.

Gloria meeting with the women leaders in Morogoro.

We presented certificates to the leaders
who attended the weekly classes in Morogoro.

So we leave behind what has been, and move toward what God has for us in the next chapter of our lives, as we move into something called retirement.  It is not without uncertainty that we enter this phase! Transition of living conditions, community, and meaningful involvement all loom over us like a big question mark. But we are also aware of God’s protection and provision as we have traveled many miles and met with many leaders over the past 4 years. We trust God's continued leading and blessing as we again step out in faith, keeping our eyes on the goal for the prize of our heavenly call in Christ Jesus. Our goal has been the same all along – to live worthy of our spiritual inheritance and to give God glory. And we trust God for strength to continue “running the race” in whatever way and wherever God has called.

Final Approach

Uluguru Mountains, Morogoro, Tanzania

You have heard the pilot say, as you near your destination, “We are now beginning our descent and final approach and we will soon be landing.” That is how we are feeling as we approach the end of our term in East Africa. This last portion of our flight has been smooth and satisfying. A lot of our time has been overseeing translation of some materials into Swahili and writing study materials. With these projects completed or nearing completion, we have reached another important goal.

Translation Review Team (from the left):
Frida Magai, Joe, Mafuru Neke, Pastor Michael Lubingu

Our time at Morogoro Mennonite Church has been profitable. We meet regularly with a group of 10-12 local leaders and we enjoy good discussions. It is encouraging to see persons serious about understanding the Bible and how it applies to them. The church is moving forward under the faithful leadership of Pastor Michael Lubingu.

Pastor Michael Lubingu and his wife Selestina

We have enjoyed living in the town of Morogoro. Our house has been provided by a missionary couple from Africa Inland Mission who is on furlough, so we are “house-sitting” for them. From our back yard we see the beauty of the Uluguru Mountains, and we enjoy watching the changes due to clouds, shadows, etc.

The first weekend of June we will attend an interdenominational and interfaith Peace Seminar in Dar es Salaam, sponsored in part by Mennonite Central Committee. The last week of June we will leave Morogoro and drive to Arusha, then leave from the Kilimanjaro International Airport July 2. As we enter our “final approach,” we are reminded of the many people who have contributed to make this time possible. Thank you sincerely. We feel so blessed.

SisterCare in East Africa

Women from Tanzania attending the SisterCare seminar
(picture by Mennonite Women USA)

My Sisters in East Africa are some of the strongest women I know! I have learned to appreciate their ability to manage their households and feed their families on a very limited income through rigorous hard work in the fields or small businesses of their own that give a very small margin of profit. Life is difficult, and the pressures they face give very little time for rest and selfish pursuits. But this month, forty women of the Tanzania Mennonite Church, and a group about the same from Kenya Mennonite Church had the opportunity to put their lives on hold for a week to participate in the Sister Care Program given by Mennonite Women USA.

Final healing service, anointing and blessing each other
(picture by Mennonite Women USA)

(The women were encouraged to think of themselves as Beloved Daughters of God who

are individually known, loved, and transformed for use in God's kingdom. We were reminded to love ourselves, care for ourselves, and to invite Jesus into the wounds of our hearts. How do women who have always been there for others, learn the importance of taking care of themselves? How do they make sense of the difficult things they have experienced and still believe in the love and presence of Jesus in their lives? In a society of secrecy and no legal rights as a woman, how can one be healed of the injustices done to them? And how can we, who have so little power, be agents of change in the church and in our society?

Sharing and praying for each other
(picture by Mennonite Women USA)

We, the participants in the seminar, were led by the sharing of scripture and personal stories, by reflective thought and meaningful symbolic rites to accept ourselves with our pain and grief and to allow God's healing river to flow into our hearts so that we then could be "healers" of our sisters. I cannot begin to describe the tears of joy, the celebratory worship, and the quiet peace that filled our hearts. Without a doubt, Sister Care, has and will continue to have an impact on the women who attended and on the church as a whole as this ministry continues. (reported by Gloria Bontrager)

We are Mennonites, but what does that mean?

This is one of the most frequently heard questions we encounter as we visit various Mennonite churches in East Africa. What does the name mean? In a culture of many languages, the name “Mennonite” is sometimes misinterpreted due to poor understanding of English, “Men of the night!” Not exactly an association with which we concur.

Print of Dirk Willems saving the life of  a prison guard,
in obedience to Jesus' command to "love your enemies."

We begin by telling the story of the beginnings of our forefathers’ faith during the reformation period. They love the story of the fifteen young men who read the Bible and began following the teachings of Jesus in their daily lives, and who rebaptized each other as a witness to their salvation on the basis of personal faith in Jesus. They meet Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and learn to know of the risks they took for their faith, their persecution and their perseverance even to death. They are shocked by the story of Dirk Willems who loved even his enemy as Christ said he should (for the story, go to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirk_Willems).

And finally they meet Menno Simons who strengthened the believers through his teaching and writing and brought them together into fellowships, and who gave us the name “Mennonite.” From there the story goes on to explain how persecution spread the church through Europe into Russia, to USA and Canada. Later the Mennonite denomination was brought to Asia, Africa and South America through mission efforts that grew out of spiritual renewal in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

Pastors and their wives from Tanzania Mennonite Church,
Eastern Diocese,at a leaders' seminar in October 2015

Of course, hearing the story is not an end in itself. The story raises new questions for these leaders. Can ordinary believers baptize others without being ordained? Is a church without a pastor still a church? What is the Mennonite way of baptism? What is true faith? What does salvation mean? Is it okay if we move, even dance, when we sing? Can a Mennonite join the army or serve as a policeman?

Those questions lead into teaching Anabaptist faith and perspectives, emphasizing that the 16th century Anabaptists were students of the Bible. From hearing radio preachers and others, they ask questions about Sabbath observance, expressions of the Holy Spirit, prosperity gospel, and mode of baptism. Sixteenth century Anabaptists emphasized the centrality of Jesus and his teachings, applied to both faith and daily living. They learn how the teachings were applied in the 16^th century, but we encourage them not to simply duplicate the forefathers’ actions and interpretations but to follow their example of asking what Jesus’ teaching means in their culture and situation today. When they go to the Bible for answers to faith questions, they grow spiritual roots and become more firmly established as they encounter teachings of other faiths.

Pastor Zedekiah Achoro, lead pastor, Shirati Mennonite
Church, and Bishop John Nyagwegwe, North Mara Diocese, 
under the tree where the first Mennonite missionaries set up 
their camp in 1934.

We have developed a course, What does the Bible say?, which helps leaders to go deeper into the foundational beliefs of Anabaptist faith such as salvation, discipleship, church, leadership etc. We have also translated several resources on Anabaptist faith. Our own faith and thinking has been challenged as we have been able to tell the Mennonite Story over and over again and it’s been exciting to contribute to the leaders’ understanding and growth.

Gardening is Gospel

Jackson with son, Meshack

Jackson is a farmer, businessman, and entrepreneur from rural western Kenya. He is also a faithful Christian and a committed Mennonite church member.

Last week we left Migori, drove about 10 miles west where we left the paved road, took a gravel road to the right, a bit later took the right fork, then we turned right onto a lane so narrow that both mirrors on the car were rubbing the bushes on either side. About one mile in, we stopped at the home of Jackson Okanya, a 33 year old Mennonite who lives with his wife and young son on the same compound as his parents, 2 sisters and a younger brother. It is a beautiful area, with rolling hills, fertile soil, and plenty of rain.

Pineapples among the banana trees

In 2010, Jackson graduated from Daystar University in Nairobi with a degree in community development. At the same time he was developing his interest in agriculture. He was not new to gardening, having grown up in a rural area where his family gardened for their own livelihood. But Jackson was interested in learning more effective and efficient farming methods, so he began visiting successful farms and attending seminars about various aspects of agriculture.

Mature banana grove

In early 2013, after working in Nairobi, including a few months as office assistant for the Kenya office of Eastern Mennonite Missions, Jackson returned to his home area to begin developing his dream. First he tried to work through the local church, inviting church members to make a small investment of time and money to start garden plots using better methods. But because of Jackson’s education and outside contacts, some began to say that outside funds would be available. The members stopped paying their fees because they expected help from outside and the project failed. The outside funds had not been promised and none were received.

Jackson in front of a new planting of bananas

Jackson and his brother Samwel with the brick press

When the project with the church failed, he asked his father for several acres on his father’s farm to begin on his own. Using his limited personal savings in the equivalent of US$20, he bought seeds and fertilizer, and, using his own energy, cleared a small plot of weeds, and began his project. When he harvested the produce, he reinvested the profits to expand the garden, introduce new crops, and begin new projects. Today, about 3 years later, he has about 3 acres where he grows cooking bananas, ripe bananas, papaya, passion fruit, pineapples, mangos, onions, and greens for market, in addition to corn and cassava for their family’s use. A flock of chickens gives eggs and meat. He bought a brick-making machine to construct his own buildings and to sell to the community.

Jackson’s vision is to expand to include better mangos, as well as raising goats, pigs, dairy cows, and catfish. He wants to build facilities to process his produce, such as packaging fruit, butchering and packaging chicken and fish, and processing milk. He is exploring making flour from bananas as an alternative nutrition supplement in hospitals.  His 5 year plan is to train his younger brother to manage the farm and Jackson will focus on developing the distribution and marketing through his contacts in Nairobi and other cities.

Jackson, Joe, and father John Okanya

Why is he doing it? Primarily because he sees it as a way to serve the church and the local community. Not only does it provide food, it will also provide employment and income for him and others. It will help the church, as members will gain the ability to support the church financially. Jackson also sees it as an opportunity to demonstrate that economic development is possible without depending on outside resources to get started. It requires vision, hard work, patience, and good management of resources. Jackson considers his project to be practicing the gospel. Finally, Jackson knows he has been blessed by God, and he wants to share his blessings with others, whether it is produce or an example of what is possible with vision and hard work.

Translating the Mennonite Confession of Faith

Computer image of the title page

In our search for study materials needed by our East African churches, we have tried to listen to our church leaders to verbalize what they feel they need and want. We have then developed simple Biblically based studies on subjects which they have requested. One of the most often requested is for a deeper understanding of Anabaptist/Mennonite perspective on issues. Several leaders who are English literate have specifically ask for a translation of the Mennonite Confession of Faith. As this document was written for a North American context, we initially were reluctant to consider it as a totally appropriate document to be used in the African context. But as the leaders continued to press us, we agreed to organize translation of the confession, and see what might be the outcome of their study of the document. We initially chose several persons to translate the confession in Swahili and Luo, as the request came for both languages to be used. Swahili is used more in Tanzania, and Luo is used more in Kenya. This proved to be no small job, as the English used in the Confession is sometimes both intricate and complex in theological thoughts. But even as the translators worked through it, they expressed how deeply it was helping them to understand their faith.Just before Christmas, a group of three leaders, Malachi Oloo, Barak Omollo, and Eliver Omondi gathered with Joe in Nairobi to go over the Luo translation which had been prepared. They were checking the translation for content, appropriate terminology, and errors in words or spelling. This group worked for two and one-half days hammering out the details of the twenty-four articles of the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective! Since Joe’s knowledge of Luo is minimal, his role was simply to help them understand the meaning of the statements and then make the corrections that were needed on the computer. Now we are making arrangements to have it printed.

The Translation Review Team (from left): Barak Amolo,
Malachi Oloo, Joe Bontrager, Eliver Omondi

Most interesting were the discussions which came up while trying to understand the content of the document. One said, “This is so deep!” Another said, “Our church really needs this!” One visiting leader sat in on a session, and later came to us, almost begging for translations to be done in languages of other tribes in which he is working, including Pokot, Kipsigis, Kisii, and Masai.

In the near future, we plan to do a similar review of the Swahili translation and have it printed, but we do not plan to translate the Confession of Faith into other tribal languages. Hopefully, God will inspire some local leaders to pick up this task for the glory of God.