Francine and Dan Thomas have returned safely from Tanzania. Below is Francine’s fascinating report of their trip:
Having grown up in the church, Dan and I were well versed with Christ’s call to each of us to “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation” (Mk. 16:15, NIV). We naturally accepted that the “good news” spoken of in Scripture was primarily reflective of the promise of redemption and forgiveness of sins with the hope of eternal life. All that is certainly true. But until our recent overseas mission trip, we did not fully grasp all that this “news” might entail for those so tightly bound by destructive cultural practices. In fact, we were taken aback by the revelation that even though many African women suffered because of their gender, they seemingly accepted that things could not, would not change.
We were simply astonished, however, to see that by publicly broaching the subject of oppression for both men and women, a vent was opened that allowed steam to spew forth in great relief. Women shared the physical hardships threatening not only their health, but also their very lives. One poignant example presented itself when we visited a remote parish church where a young mother told us of horrendous abuse at the hands of her husband—a minister, no less. She showed us where he had cut her throat. Then she uncovered her head to display a most terrible wound. Her husband, wrongly suspecting her to be unfaithful, had chewed off the entire bottom of her ear. Some of us might find it difficult to relate to such a sad life, but for many women in Africa, it is all too real. We cannot help but praise God that the “New Man, New Woman, New Life” teaching is designed to bring hope to people just like this woman! Our trip to Kondoa, East Africa, was obviously orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. The time was right; the teaching was right. We have no doubt that the Holy Spirit even chose the right people to attend. In short, this trip was ordered of the Lord!
Expressing Surprise
More than a few of the 60 workshop participants expressed great joy when they finally realized that they were not cursed as previously thought. No matter what sins or atrocities were committed in the past, people can truly be forgiven, even women! The men saw for the first time that they are called to emulate Jesus by respecting and elevating women despite any cultural taboo that might dictate otherwise. A number of pastors bravely admitted that they have treated their own wives as tools rather than as partners in the past. Now they understood that they unity in marriage and ministry is only possible if they sincerely love, honor and respect one another in humility—“naked and unashamed.” Imagine our joy and gratitude when several stood to their feet to commit to a new way of relating to their spouses and children, one that will bring honor to God. Our prayer is that their example will inspire others to do the same.
Embracing the ‘Western’ Teaching Style
The content and methodology of the workshop, which allows the participants to explore the relevant scriptures in a small group, make their own cultural application, and then lead the entire seminar in a discussion of the material, was paramount. What the participants called, “the American way of teaching,” although totally new to them, proved to contain the exact formula needed to give voice to much frustration. We listened as both husbands and wives expressed their hurts, doubts, sorrows and onerous burdens. It was astonishing to see their reactions as they began to wonder why they had never questioned even the most inhibiting aspects of their traditional culture. Almost without missing a beat, they allowed the Holy Spirit to open their minds and hearts, the exact request we had placed before the Lord. What joy we felt at watching them so quickly embrace Christ’s abundant “good news.”
We urged the entire class to engage each group that reported out by asking questions, challenging the results and, in general, to voice their own opinions. In this way, everyone was exposed to all the studies. Such an approach proved to ignite a lively and fruitful exchange of ideas. We quickly realized that by allowing them to come to their own conclusions, along with guiding their thinking where necessary and proposing perhaps a different way to see things than they might have thought of on their own, much ground was gained. It was simply astounding!
Modeling Course Content
As my husband, Dan, and I took turns presenting the material, we modeled exactly what we were teaching about partnership in marriage. When a particular concept seemed to confuse the class, this partnership provided visuals to help. For instance, God’s design for equality and unity in marriage and ministry as portrayed in Genesis 2 refers to the creation of woman as a “help suitable” for the man. These words are often taken to mean that the woman was created to be a subordinate “helper” – the housemaid and childbearer. But the word translated “suitable” or “as a partner” literally means “facing.” Dan and I stood side-by-side, shoulder-to-shoulder at the front of the classroom. Then we turned toward each other to illustrate that “helper” meant being face-to-face and eye-to-eye, working in harmony, each person no more powerful or important than the other. And when I grasped my husband’s hand to say that he was my best friend, first a look of amazement and then a crescendo of applause arose from women and more than a few men. This, in most cases, was accompanied by the jubilant, distinctive ululation cry so often heard in the Middle East. It was an overwhelming and very humbling experience.
Stressing the Importance of “Senders”
This brings me to another important aspect of our trip. Without giving it much thought ahead of time, I fell into the habit of sending regular email updates to our prayer partners. I did not realize at the time what a tremendous spiritual tool this would prove to be. Many people reported that they actually “felt like we were there with you.” It appears that this, too, was an integral part of the Holy Spirit’s own design. A number of people have already told us that they read our accounts numerous times and in so many instances, what we relayed tracked with the focus points on our prayer calendar. Was this the hand of the Lord? I would definitely say that it was! He knew what we did not and could not know ahead of time. Perhaps this was a blessing, for it allowed us to be free of any anxiety or fear. In truth, the prayers of faithful Christians made it possible for us to do the job we were sent to do.
Bringing In the Harvest
Our more than two-week stay in Tanzania showed us that the time is ripe for the fresh winds of freedom in Christ to blow throughout all of Kondoa. It does not hurt that the new Bishop of Kondoa and his wife, our dear friends, Given and Lilian Gaula, are already making plans for the “New Man, New Woman, New Life” teaching to reach even the most remote churches in the diocese. This portends great hope for the future, for this is the promise of abundant life in Christ. The call of Africa beats within us, and we are already anxious to play an ongoing role in spreading the word and expanding God’s Kingdom! And since I managed to contract a strain of malaria not covered by our preventative medicine, I feel as if I truly have African blood in my veins. But that is a story for another time.