The First Conference

Saturday we finished the first conference with nearly 70 pastors from the Mwanza area. They were very engaged and asked a lot of questions. Some of the pasters were among those we have already worked with and could give testimony to what God has done in their ministry because of our work together.

At the end of the evangelism training, we went out into the nearby neighborhoods and saw more than 40 people pray to recieve Christ. Some of the pastors had never done this and were very excited to see God use them like that. We pray that will translate to their churches.


One of the greatest blessings of working with these guys is meeting the next generation of leaders. Among them is Billy Brown and James Kulokea. We call Billy "Billy Graham" He is probably one of the best interpreters I have ever used. Tanzania has a bright future with young men like him. He is pictured above on the left.

Thanks for your prayers. They mean more than anything. Pray for safety as we travel to Mugumu. I do not know what we will find there as I have never been. But there is another group of pastors waiting to be trained, so we go.

For the Harvest,
Phil

FONELISCO

Fonelisco is an orphanage founded by Joseph Mabinga in 1997, pictured here with his fiancée Maria. He was a Catholic seminary student with a heart to help children.

Without waiting, he began to minister to street kids while he was still in school. He also worked part-time as an interpreter for some exchange students while they were here. It would be those students who gave Joseph his first real shot at his vision by loaning him $600.

Fonelisco is almost an acronym and stands for the FOundation of NEw LIfe for Street Children and Orphans.


Since 1997, they have moved from their first location and now lease a five bedroom house with plenty of classroom space on the first floor. It also has a guest house with three additional bedrooms. They house the children, feed them, teach them basic skills such as reading and writing, and give them chores that keep up the grounds. The older children are provided a bicycle so they can ride to secondary school.

They are currently working on the purchase of 13 acres by the lake (Victoria) to develop crops and animals to sustain the orphanage and teach the children life-skills.

Joseph allows for both Christian and Islamic services to be held at the orphanage as many of the kids come from either background.

I have thought a lot about Joseph's story and how it might be duplicated, only with an emphasis on reaching those children with the gospel. Lord willing, tomorrow I will tell you of another approach to reaching homeless children being done by a group of churches on the west side of Lake Victoria.

For the Harvest,
Phil

Wednesday Evening 1-24-07

Just when I think of complaining about roads in the 'States . . . Here is a picture of a new culvert washed out by the recent rains. Last year this road was being built and the ground was not firm enough to withstand the pressure of the water during the rainy times.

I spent the day with Elias pouring over maps and visiting villiages we have worked in before, taking notes along the way. God is bringing these works along very well. The people are faithful and working hard.

Today we concieved the idea of a large conference in Dar es Salaam, which is the main city and on the coast. The idea is to bring together key leaders from each region of the country in order to train them as trainers of the Evangecube and use them as key contacts for future church-planting campaigns. Currently, we are planning to do this in January of '08.

We also met some Methodist missionaries who live a couple of hours from here who specialize in health training--particularly with water. They are also producing a natural water purifier which weighs about 200 pounds and sells for about $55 US, but can produce 60 liters of water per hour. (almost 16 gallons). This is invaluable for villages that are ravaged by water-borne diseases. In a few days I will tell you how a water well opened the door for the gospel in a village near the Serengeti.

Thanks again for your prayers.

For the Harvest,
Phil

Wednesday Morning 1-24-07

I feel MUCH better after a good night's sleep. Mwanza is a growing city and will soon have an international airport, or so they say. The air is already warm and you welcome whatever breeze comes.

Today we'll be meeting with Elias who is the former head of the Tanzania Baptist Convention. He is a nice man and very humble. We will talk strategy for the whole nation and I will pick his brain regarding his experiences in Tanzania. I'll bring maps and we'll try to get specific. More to come on that.

Mwanza is also known for good Tilapia because of it's location on the shores of Lake Victoria; which supplies Tilapia for many countries in Africa. This is a fishing town, where you find all kinds of fishermen. There were even guys fishing with poles from a rock outcropping across from a restaurant we were eating at last night. When they catch fish, they try to sell it to the restaurant.

I've never been to Galilee, but I often think of it when I come to Mwanza. Jesus' parables and word pictures fit perfectly here.

The roads are mostly horrible, unless you are on a main thoroughfare. The rains ensure that all dirt roads will have plenty of potholes and the going is slow. Foreigners from India and Europe are abundant, as well as American tourists. It is not at all uncommon to meet Americans here doing mission work.

On the Ground

Made it safely. Thanks for your prayers. It's been a long two days--from Dallas to London 8.5 hrs., 10 hour layover, London to Dar 9.5 hrs., 4 hour layover, Dar to Mwanza, 2.5 hrs. A good nights sleep--priceless.

I was able to spend some time with Peter who is our main contact in Mwanza and who helps us prepare logistically for the teams we bring. We kicked around some ideas for small businesses that would help the ministry here. The city is growing and the economy is as well. There are plenty of opportunities to give a pastor to earn a living while he preaches the gospel; especially if his church cannot afford to support him fully.

Much to do, but my time at the cafe is running out. I will write more after I've had some rest.

signed, Sleepless in Mwanza,
Phil

Why I Go

Everyone has a reason for doing mission work. Hopefully the main reason is to reach people for Christ and glorify God. This is true for me, but there are other reasons in addition for me.

Believe it or not, some go because it gives them a feeling of superiority. I feel exactly the opposite. Its humbling. I have to face my own struggle with prosperity, my own culture. Brennan Manning wrote a book called "The Ragamuffin Gospel" and I have been working through it for several months now. I recently came across this observation:

"We get so preoccupied with ourselves, the words we speak, the plans and projects we conceive that we become immune to the glory of creation. We barely notice the cloud passing over the moon or the dewdrops clinging to the rose leaves . . . We avoid the cold and the heat. We refrigerate ourselves in summer and entomb ourselves in plastic in winter. We rake up every leaf as fast as it falls. We are so accustomed to buying prepackaged meats and fish and fowl in supermarkets we never think and blink about the bounty of God's creation. We grow complacent and lead practical lives."

So when I work with and among those who have the tiniest fraction of creature comforts I take for granted, and hear them laugh from their bellies and smile from their eyes, I am confronted with the fact that not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions. Once again I must separate the American definition of success from the gospel. In other words, I don't just tell people about Christ because they are unhappy. Many of them are quite content though they have far less than our poorest. I tell them because Christ commanded me to, and their eternal soul depends on hearing the gospel.

So I also go because it keeps me grounded. It helps me to put in perspective all God *has* given me.

For the Harvest,
Phil

Believing in Miracles

Welcome to the Habari Safari Web Log. This is a blog I can update from the field and hopefully I will be able to do so. Sometimes I don't know when I can eat, much less dodge into an internet cafe and update the ole' blog. But I can try. I know many are praying for this trip and I want you to be able to see what God is doing as it happens.

There is also an opportunity to share my musings while I am on the field. I think and dream about reaching the world a lot and really intensively when I am on a trip. It is non-stop and I have to pinch myself to prove I'm not dreaming. Can God really be doing these things? Yes!

I also plan to share prayer requests so you can pray for us in real-time. Hopefully the pictures will keep coming as I plan to actually carry my camera, which I almost never do. It gets in the way and I really dislike stopping down and snapping a shot. But I will get over it if it means you will pray more for us. Deal? Deal!

For the Harvest,
Phil