By Bryce Whiting, Africa/Europe Area Director

TANZANIA – The Hadzabe brothers in the Great Rift Valley used the phone given them by the Park Service and called our evangelists in Tanzania. “Pray for us! We will have a celebration, but we have no food.” The pastors in Tanzania prayed and once again God showed his mercy as the message came back, “we hunted (killed) a fat animal.” It is wonderful how God will use even a birthday party like this to cause young faith to increase.

The first trip to visit the Hadzabe in 2022 is planned for April 6. The goals for these encounters seem to be mounting. Primarily, the Hadzabe are pleading for their respective friendships to continue. Four successful visits were made in 2021, each visit taking no fewer than two weeks with one of those visits lasting for five weeks. The evangelists lived among them and introduced the Almighty God to them, and his son Jesus Christ. As they share the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ many have come to a living relationship with God and have chosen to be baptized. The relationships continue over the telephone but the Hadzabe are most satisfied with face-to-face contact.

Secondly, they are asking for education. They want to read and write; a desire shared in full by the government of Tanzania. The governing authorities have organized schooling opportunities for the Hadzabe, but those lessons received only a single showing before the would-be students backed away, refusing to return. The reason seems to be cultural. The Hadzabe make the complaint, “They are trying to change us.” The desire for education remains strong, but not at the cost of losing much of their cultural identity. In contrast, they trust our brothers Amos, Festus and Johnson, finding them to be more than friends. They have eaten what they eat. They have slept in the same arrangements. They have lived among them and brought to them words of life. These three they can trust.

In the meantime, the government is pleading as well. They have recognized the close connection and the gentle influence our brothers have with this tribe of people. Thus, they have pled with our AC pastors to come as often as is possible to visit them. “Come anytime!” is the invitation.

Thirdly, there is a goal to build a meeting center, i.e. a church building. It would be primitive at best but it would supply a destination point; located within reach of multiple settlements for Sunday gatherings.

The goals continue to mount but God’s grace is sufficient.

Pray for this upcoming venture, that more hearts will be changed and names will be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.