August Short Report

 

Grace and Peace to you friends.  Today I am happy to share a note from one of our deans, Desdery Massawe: “‎Let God be glorified and the great things He has done for us. ‎The whole month of July was the month of the staff or faculty of ACSOP to take their time and visit the second year students at their home congregations and see how they are helping the sister congregations to mature. ‎Most of the students we visited were found to be very active in the work of the Lord. So we are very excited about them and we are so encouraged. ‎They were so busy preaching the gospel of Christ and bringing souls to Christ and others were busy building church buildings for the new planted churches. ‎Thank you for your prayers and support to make sure that the work of the Lord must be done.” Today I also have a treat to share with you in the form of a short video from our Co-director, Ahimiwe Kimaro. You can find that HERE. Thank you for being a valuable partner in this good work!  May God bless you. Till all have heard, Daniel Gaines Mission Coordinator Tanzania Missions

Donations Can Be Made Out To: "Hoover Church of Christ" - be sure to mention TANZANIA MISSIONS in the Memo line and  Send To: 3248 LORNA RD. HOOVER, AL 35216

Summer Short Report

 

Grace and Peace to you friends. Today, I’d like to share some highlights from this summer’s travels in Tanzania. The theme of this update is finding a healthy balance between providing help and encouraging independence in young, growing congregations. The church is a global body, interconnected in so many beautiful ways. Yet, it can sometimes be challenging to know how to help in a way that fosters maturity rather than unintentionally hindering it. Our experiences this summer offered some wonderful examples of how that balance can be achieved. Tabora: A Church Plant Gaining Ground One encouraging example comes from our visit with brethren at the Tabora church. One of our ACSOP graduates, Shadrack, has been working diligently to plant a congregation there, and it’s experiencing healthy growth. In an impressive show of personal commitment, Shadrack purchased a piece of land with his own funds and donated it to the church. (You can see a photo of this land in the side column.) Thanks to the support of generous donors in the U.S., we will soon be able to construct a church building on that land—a wonderful step forward for this young congregation. Nyama Koma: Local Initiative Bearing Fruit We also witnessed a powerful example of self-driven progress from our brothers at the Nyama Koma church in Misungwi. These Christians have been working together and pooling their limited resources for some time. Despite the economic challenges they face, they have managed to lay a foundation and build the walls for their own church building! Their determination is truly inspiring. (Their efforts are pictured in the side column as well.) They still need about $5,500 to complete the building—with a roof, floor, windows, and doors. Would any of you like to reward their initiative and sacrifice by helping them cross the finish line? Tanga: Generational Growth in the Gospel In Tanga, we saw another exciting form of growth. Meet Amos and Dennis Kuchizi—a father and son who represent two generations of ACSOP students. Years ago, Amos graduated from ACSOP and has since done tremendous work for the Lord in Tanga. Now, his son Dennis is halfway through his senior year at the school. I’m proud of this faithful family—and even more encouraged by what their story represents: a maturing church in East Africa where second-generation preachers are now rising to carry on the work! Simiyu: A Church in Its Infancy At the other end of the spectrum, we visited a brand-new congregation in the remote village of Simiyu, where our ACSOP student Sylvester Bugota is laboring tirelessly. Despite his significant mobility challenges, Sylvester is undeterred. He is passionately advocating for the gospel and working to establish the Lord’s church in his home village. Please keep him and this young congregation in your prayers as they take their first steps in faith. These stories have been a great encouragement to me, and I hope they are to you as well. So much becomes possible when God’s people work hand in hand. May He be glorified through every effort. Please continue to keep the church in East Africa in your faithful prayers! Till all have heard, Daniel Gaines Mission Coordinator Tanzania Missions

Donations Can Be Made Out To: "Hoover Church of Christ" - be sure to mention TANZANIA MISSIONS in the Memo line and  Send To: 3248 LORNA RD. HOOVER, AL 35216

July Short Report

 

Grace and Peace to you friends.  I hope that you are doing well and that you’re having a great summer!  Today I’d like to share a quick ACSOP update from Desdery Massawe:     Ecclesiastes 12:1 “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, 'I find no pleasure in them.”     ‘It is my pleasure to write to you a short report concerning the work that has been done.  We had a youth seminar for a whole week at ACSOP. There were more than 150 youths from various places and different congregations around Tanzania. They  learned a lot concerning the whole life of a youth as Christian. For example, how to abstain from the things of the world which can cause them to be separated from the world.  We also taught them how to become a Christian and about the New Testament church. Then six of them obeyed the gospel. The youth seminars like this help churches to grow and the school will get more students from this group in the future days. So a lot of seminars are needed. We keep saying thanks to our supporters. May the Lord continue blessing them!” Even when school isn’t in session, there are still great things going on at ACSOP!  Thank you for being a part of this work.  Please continue to labor with us through your prayers! Till all have heard, Daniel Gaines Mission Coordinator Tanzania Missions

Donations Can Be Made Out To: "Hoover Church of Christ" - be sure to mention TANZANIA MISSIONS in the Memo line and  Send To: 3248 LORNA RD. HOOVER, AL 35216

June Short Report

 

Grace and Peace to you friends.  I hope this note finds you well and your faith thriving. I’m sitting in an airport right now, waiting on my flight to Tanzania, and I wanted to share with you this message from our Dean of Student, Desdery Massawe:     “Brethren, I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I would like you to know that this is the end of the second quarter and all students are already going back to their home congregations, ready to work with their local congregations. This year we have 34 students from 34 different congregations around East African countries, especially Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. There are 3 students from Uganda, 8 from Kenya and 23 from Tanzania The first year has 19 students and the second year has 15 students. All students are performing well, but at the end of each second quarter we have to note the best student  in each class who performed well more than others. This time brother Derick Emmanuel Kidava is the best student in the first year class and the second year is Amaniel V. Amaniel. The school is closed on the 23rd of May and will be reopened on the 16th of August. I will continue to give feedback to each student of what he is doing to help his local congregations to grow during his holidays.    “On the 17th of  May, school staff and students all did a personal evangelism day at the Kisongo church of Christ. The Lord blessed the work and the results were good. Forty Four new bible classes were established and two souls were saved by being baptized into much water. The preacher at Kisongo and other christians committed themselves to make follow up for those classes and we believe that more fruits will be produced. Thank you for your prayers and to all who committed themselves to support the work of the Lord here in Tanzania.”   Please join with me in constant prayer for the school and for our students.  May God be glorified through their training and subsequent ministries. Till all have heard, Daniel Gaines Mission Coordinator Tanzania Missions

Donations Can Be Made Out To: "Hoover Church of Christ" - be sure to mention TANZANIA MISSIONS in the Memo line and  Send To: 3248 LORNA RD. HOOVER, AL 35216