Often, I get questions about the specifics of how our Tanzanian pastors minster to the Hadzabe. Here’s a breakdown of how these trips usually go:
The journey to Mang’ola takes a full two days of driving. The pastors once used public transport but due to frequent breakdowns and risky drivers, they no longer use that method. Thanks to private donations, our brothers pay a church member who owns his personal vehicle to get them to Mang’ola.
Once they arrive, they rent a bush taxi and driver for two weeks and they establish Initial contact with the Hadzabe people.
The missionaries then face whatever situation is before them. Below is a list of what they’ve encountered so far:
- Illnesses which are treated with prayer. Healing is expected.
- Hunger which is met with food. The pastors purchase large sacks of food which they bring to each village.
- Physical conflicts which require peace-making. These could be conflicts within the tribe, particularly when tensions break out between villages. They could also be conflicts between tribes, which sometimes result in serious and even fatal injuries.
- Children who refuse to stay in school receive special attention and encouragement. Teachers are likewise instructed on how to deal with issues surrounding Hadzabe children.
- Marital conflicts which are given counsel.
- Desperate requests from government officials are honored
- Power encounters from practicing witchdoctors are handled with prayer and faith.
Then the missionaries visit four to five settlements or villages. Johnson refers to them as families. There they teach, preach, pray together, sing and dance, call people to corporate worship at the church building in the bush and cast a vision to expand the ministry.
They then begin the journey home. Sadly, if their journey home has gone without event (i.e. breakdowns, accidents, corrupt police checkpoints, thievery, etc.) things at home seem to come under attack. Here’s a brief list of things that have happened upon their return:
- Their wives have experienced pregnancy difficulty, financial hardship and overall stress due to increased responsibilities in the absence of their husbands.
- Their children have suffered the curses of witchdoctors.
- Their possessions and livestock have been stolen.
- Many times they have returned to find the entire family sick. The missionaries themselves are ALWAYS needing time and medicine to recover from stomach ailments they pick up from eating Hadzabe cooking (or lack thereof).
Each trip is accompanied by great spiritual reward but not without great physical and spiritual sacrifice. We praise the Lord of the Harvest for some faithful living sacrifices who have chosen not to remove themselves from the altar. Let’s continue to lift them in prayer.
