The Lord continues to surprise me in my ignorance of the many blessings that come with serving. From just one act of courage and faith, God has taken the seed I planted and has used it to give growth to the Rufiji children of Nyaminywili (nya-mee-nyee-wil-lee). It is just like what the Lord said through the apostle Paul:

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

I Corinthians 3:6-11 (NKJV)

I had no idea what to expect in August when I went to the church plant in this village. With this, what happened blew my mind and filled me with joy beyond comprehension.

On a nice and hot Tanzanian Saturday, Meshack [my ministry partner] and I set out for Ngorongo. Our plan was to spend the entire weekend doing ministry with Ngorongo’s Pastor Mauka. Saturday’s events went as planned. The weekend started off with the Dinner Club. We separated the kids into groups. The older and younger boys for soccer, and the girls for netball. We handed out jerseys, and then they were off to their games. During this time, Meshack took attendance, as we use this to pray specifically for the names of each kid. This and for them to open the doors of their homes so that we can share Christ with their families.

Soccer was followed by Meshack giving them an English lesson. This involved teaching them to count beyond ten, along with some common nouns and verbs. Afterwards, the Pastor’s wife, Elizabeth, taught them a story from the Bible about Samuel. She knows these kids by name and can create a connection with them far beyond what we are currently able to. She has been a blessing to the ministry. Then, of course, the day ended with the Dinner Club food of rice and beans. This is a favorite among most children. After this, they left one by one. We then rested and began preparing for the church events of the following day.

Sunday arrived, and I prepared to teach the Sunday School lesson while Meshack translated. The children learned about the Good Samaritan. I narrated while some kids volunteered to dramatize the passage, making it more engaging. We showed them what it means to be a good neighbor according to the standards of Jesus. Then, we connected this to showing that Jesus is the ultimate good and compassionate neighbor. He meets us where we are, cares for us, and leads us to salvation in Christ. Remember this passage; it became part of our story in Nyaminywili.

‘But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ ‘

Luke 10:33-35 (NKJV)

After the lesson, we set off to the new church in Nyaminywili. I had no idea what to expect as this was the first time I was to visit it. Last year, I saw the property before the church was built. I was eager in anticipation to see it filled with people ready to hear the word of God. I was not sure how many people would be there. Maybe 10, maybe 15. All I knew was that regardless of how many people showed up, it would be an opportunity to glorify God. As we were pulling up, Meshack asked me, “Do you have a lesson you can teach them?” My mind went blank for a moment as I had no idea they wanted me to teach. Maybe there was a language barrier issue with Pastor Mauka before when we spoke, and I misunderstood him. Regardless, I had to come up with a lesson. After talking with Meshack and hearing his recommendation, I decided to teach the lesson from that morning on the Good Samaritan.

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When we arrived at the church, I did not believe my eyes. Not only were there more than 15 people, but the church was filled with around 200. They heard special guests were coming [Meshack and I], and they wanted to hear what we had to say. It was a church full of women and children. Sadly, there was only one man. Regardless, these were the people God had given us on this special day.

My time came to go up with Meshack and teach them about the word of God. I altered part of the message from that morning to also consider that there were adults. The message still involved the kids doing a demonstration to help explain the parable. Right before I closed off with a prayer, Meshack whispered in my ear, “Do a call [to faith].” As I prayed, I saw many eyes fixating on me, especially the children. Then, I said, “If anyone would like to put their faith in Christ, raise your hand.” I saw six or seven kids lift and hold their hands straight in the air. My heart was instantly filled with uncontrollable and unimaginable joy. Again, I did not believe my eyes. I wanted to scream to the Lord, “Praise God!” As I was finishing the prayer, I said to myself, “I pray that these declarations of faith are genuine. I pray that there will be someone to take care of them through the hardships of the journey in Christ.” After I was done, I could see that the message was received well. The word was proclaimed. Even the Muslim chairwoman who was invited to the service heard the word and prayer.

Afterwards, I just wanted to cherish every moment I had with these people. I knew that not every day was going to be like this. I wanted to take advantage of every moment with them. After the service, I had a chance to dance with many kids when the music started playing. Then, Pastor Mauka, Meshack, and I were blessed with a special lunch prepared by a lady at the church. Before I knew it, the time at the church had finished. Pastor Mauka, Meshack, and I prayed, and then we went back to our homes. Just like that, the day was over.

Through this and other experiences so far, I have seen that the harvest is ready for the word. We are seeing signs in all the villages we’re working in that the door is creeping open. We are seeing that people want something different than what they have been experiencing for their entire lives. Many are done with the hopelessness and depravity they have lived through their entire life. They want hope. They want life.

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A personal prayer for the Rufiji:

“God, give me the strength to hear and respond to the words of Joshua. To be bold and courageous in sharing the gospel with the people of the Rufiji. These people are lost and do not know you. Forgive them their sins. Heal them of their diseases. Feed the starving orphans’ bellies. God, all things are possible through you, and I know that you are with me wherever I go.”

‘Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”’

Joshua 1:9 (NKJV)

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BRIEF HIGHLIGHTS FROM MY FIRST FOUR MONTHS IN THE RUFIJI

It has been a busy and exciting first four months with many challenges along the way. Even though I have been to the Rufiji twice before, this experience has been a night-and-day difference from before. There is a huge difference between staying here for a few weeks compared to living here. I have experienced moments of immense joy and deep struggles as I learn to adjust to this new country and culture. There are many stories to tell, and maybe some of them will be told in future blogs and newsletters. Regardless, God has been there and provided all my needs every step of the way.

For now, let me share with you some of the ministry highlights and wonderful people from my first four months in Tanzania.

If there are any highlights below that you want to hear more about, let me know in the comment section at the bottom of this blog. Maybe it will be my next blog…

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CARLOS and MESHACK – My Swahili teachers and Rufiji ministry partners

First, it begins with my two Swahili teachers and Rufiji ministry partners, Carlos and Meshack. Our work together started in the city of Dar es Salaam, where I spent six weeks learning Swahili at the German Boarding House, where I was staying. Now they rotate coming down to the Rufiji, where we have continued the Swahili lessons, and they help with the Dinner Club and other ministry items as needed. My work here would be nearly impossible without them. Carlos, you cannot remove his inner father in how he cares for others. For Tanzanian soccer, he is a Simba fan, but I forgive him. Meshack is truly a man of prayer, and this is what leads and guides his life.

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IAN – short-term ministry partner (June 1-July 8)

Next, we have the young man Ian from America. A faithful man who has a fire to share Jesus and the gospel with everyone he meets. He helped tremendously in my early adjustment, and the value he brought couldn’t be measured intrinsically. Much of what I can do now is only because of him. He helped with the day-to-day ministries and assisted with the team from Canada that came at the beginning of the summer (more information on them below). I will never forget and will continue to pray for him. I miss him, but I know that God has many great things planned for him in the near future in America. I still remember that special night in Ngorongo with local children Musa, Ally, and Omary.

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Team from Canada – Kipo village (June 27-July 8)

We had a big team, combined from three churches, that came for important work in this unreached village. They taught the children Bible stories, played games, sang songs, and built a playground. They were assisted by a group of six translators, including our loveable servant Carlos. Note that this was done in a village without a church, and where there was no playground anywhere remotely near this village. Every day, the children still use the playground. The slide and swings are popular items for them.

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Sunday School training (September 7-9)

We brought in a trainer from the city to train local Sunday School teachers. We did training in Ngorongo (first picture) and Mloka (second picture), which involved three different churches. They came eager to learn with their big hearts for God and the children in their care. In Mloka, I will be overseeing the Sunday School program. With this training, in Mloka, we just started a year-long lesson program that specializes in ministering to Muslims, which will bring us through the entire Bible. We will also work to get this program started in Ngorongo.

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Water Well Project (IN PROGRESS)

We are just finishing up the construction and installation of three water wells on our Dinner Club properties in Kipugira, Kipo, and Ngorongo. They will be used for the Dinner Club, as well as for local villagers. This will help greatly with water access, and for some, to not have to go to the river where there are crocodiles. We expect this project to be completed within the next couple of weeks. Here is the water well in Kipo village.

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DINNER CLUBS (Kipo, Kipugira, Ngorongo – ON-GOING)

After the wet season ended in June and shortly after I arrived in the Rufiji, we started up the weekly Dinner Clubs for the season in the three villages of Kipo (Tuesday), Kipugira (Thursday), and Ngorongo (Saturday). For Kipo and Kipugira, we are still limited in what we can do, as there is more opposition to the gospel. In Ngorongo village, we can do Bible lessons as the program is more established and is run on the Pastor’s property. In Kipo and Kipugira, we run soccer, netball, and children’s games. For each Dinner Club date, we end with the meal of rice and beans. For most of the kids, this is their favorite part of the program, and an essential reason some of their parents give them permission to attend the program. My love for them continues to grow when I see their smiles and playful spirits. Also, my heart has a sharp pain that won’t go away, as most are malnourished, and many are orphans. This ministry isn’t just about playing and feeding the children, but loving and praying for them.

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ELEPHANTS!!!!!!!!!!! (Going wherever they please whenever they want…)

Did I mention there are ELEPHANTS??? And not just a few, but MANY ELEPHANTS!! I mean the REALLY BIG ELEPHANTS!!!!!! They don’t want to stay in the jungle, but want to come to the safari camp where I live. They even walk right in front of the lodge where I sleep. I LOVE ELEPHANTS!!!!! Maybe all the caps gave that away. Maybe one day they will allow me to be their friend and accept me as their own… A man can dream.

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Thank you for taking this journey beside me. Thank you for reading this blog all the way until the end. My goal is to make monthly blogs for everyone to stay in touch to know about all the amazing work God is doing in the villages. There is so much happening that one blog here or there will not do it justice.

Thank you for all of your support and prayers. May the Lord bless you, your families, your work, and your ministries. May you continue to walk alongside us, as we serve the Rufiji people whom God truly loves. We cannot do this work without all of you, your support, and your prayers.

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SUPPORT RAISING – SHORTFALL

I am still short on my monthly support, as it currently stands at around 75%. If it is on your heart to support God’s work among the Rufiji people, please click on the link below.

https://eastarm.net/seanhenry/

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BIBLE PERSONAL LIFE VERSES

‘But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’’

Acts 26:16-18