By Francine Thomas, Empower Missionary
Some of us might occasionally wonder if our ministry actually makes a difference. This is especially true for those of us who expend much time, energy and expense to participate in global missions work. In July my husband Dan and I answered that question for ourselves when we traveled to Kondoa, Tanzania.
Although we visit annually this trip was unusual in that we took along our 16 year-old granddaughter, Bethany. It was her chance to do something special without siblings around. Of course, we were eager for her to meet the people for whom God has given us such an overwhelming passion. At the same time we wondered if the Holy Spirit might fire her imagination with possibilities for a similar future. My mother was passionate about mission work, and through her example and prayers this has become a major focus of my ministry as well. Would such a spiritual gene also be passed on to our grandchild? Only time will tell, but I hoped this trip might be the catalyst to spark such a desire.
As usual, we spent a considerable amount of time visiting remote churches where we preached, fellowshipped and offered personal stories of redemption and love through Jesus Christ. Our visit to the village of Mpendo is one I will never forget, however. The road we travelled to reach our destination was long and arduous. In fact, it was the very same dirt path once traveled by Arab traders in the late medieval period as they marched chained African slaves to port cities to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. This was also the same 80-mile stretch of road Bishop Given Gaula traveled on a bicycle as a young evangelist to buy whatever meager supplies he could afford each month. This dangerous road with its eroded and steep shoulders twists and turns its way through the thick bush infested with swarms of tsetse flies even as it did centuries ago.
Our 10-passenger Land Cruiser on this day was filled to capacity with Dan and myself, the Bishop’s family and an elderly Anglican canon under whose supervision the Mpendo congregation is thriving. I thought he looked familiar, but couldn’t quite remember where or when I had met him.
It wasn’t until we sat together at lunch some hours later that I was able to place this godly man. At one point during our conversation around the table I heard him say the words, Mume Mpya, Mke Mpya, Maisha Mapya (New Man, New Woman, New Life). Mama Lilian Gaula leaned over to complete the translation. “We must always live as new men and women just as we were taught.” The canon grasped his wife’s hand and held it above his head with a broad smile.
Aha. Now I remembered. This dear man of God had been in our very first class of the “New Man, New Woman, New Life” (NMNW) seminar in 2012. I turned to glance at his wife, Margret, realizing this was the same woman who unknowingly launched a brand new ministry for women in the diocese. It had been during a breakout session during that visit that I had taken special notice of her, because she had been sitting quietly with eyes averted and head bowed, not participating at all. I had quickly taken Lilian aside to find out if Margret was literate. One thing led to another, and soon, we had discovered there were several others who could neither read nor write. As a direct result, the Women’s Empowerment Center was established a year later on the diocesan compound—a place where young wives and mothers, and an occasional male, are able to come for six months of literacy, Bible and life-skill training classes.
A short while later as the service got underway the Canon stood to introduce the Bishop’s family. Before he did, however, he gestured to my husband and I sitting on the platform. He explained to the congregation how we brought a teaching to Kondoa that would forever change the dynamics of their marriage, family and ministry. As he elaborated a bit the congregation erupted into thunderous applause. He followed up by urging each couple to attend a future seminar so that their marriages and families might also be transformed.
So, is it worth the time, energy and expense to carry the teachings of Empower International Ministries to other lands? I would answer a resounding, “Yes!” The ministry’s legacy is undeniable. Each time we return to Tanzania we come across graduates who are living a life of mutual respect and love freely given rather than coerced. We believe there is no greater eternal investment than to financially, prayerfully and physically support this Spirit-inspired, biblically based work. God continues to use Empower in an unparalleled way to bring love and redemption to those who so desperately need the kind of freedom that only He can give. Who knows but that one day our own granddaughter will carry Empower’s teaching to some distant land.