NYANZWA TANZANIA UPDATE
What an amazing time it has been for our partners in Nyanzwa!
Radio Furaha has been celebrating their 10 year anniversary this year with a big project—a broadcast tower of their own on Mafifi Hill. This tower means they will no longer have to lease space on a tower and would be more sustainable financially into the future. Radio Furaha’s board reached out to Easter Lutheran Church about the building project and with thanks to God and to celebrate Radio Furaha’s broadcasting the Good News of Jesus Christ, Easter Lutheran Church has donated $5,000 to this important project.
From Deacon April Trout who visited Nyanzwa Parish on Easter Lutheran Church’s behalf JULY 24, 2020:
Pastor Msigwa and I visited Nyanzwa parish on behalf of the members of Easter Lutheran Church, who had planned a visit this year but were unable to travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
After the lengthy but uneventful drive on the Tan-Zam Highway, we turned north onto the dirt road that carried us to the main station. This ride was a bit more adventurous than usual, as the heavy rains earlier from this year had created some deep puddles and ruts where diversion had to be created. We were required to leave the road and meander through the bush a few times before reaching our destination.
At Nyanzwa Church we were greeted by Pastor Yeremia Mponzi and a small group of church leaders (we specifically requested a limited number of church members for our visit in keeping with the COVID-19 precautions still being observed in DIRA parishes), who joined us in the car for the ride to Majengo preaching point. The evangelist’s house is under roof and now needs doors, window glass, and inside finishing (flooring, plastering, painting).
We then drove to the preaching point of Mpilipili, where a new foundation has been laid. Bricks for the walls are being made and donated by the congregation members. (All of the bricks in the phots were donated by one single family.
Returning to the pastor’s house at the main station, we took tea and noted the improvements that had been made with funds from Easter: a plastered decorative ceiling, a tiled bath and toilet, and electricity. Following tea we moved to the church for the partnership meeting.
The parish leaders showed us the new sound system, which they said has helped them greatly with evangelism. They purchased a second generator for the system along with horn speakers and a keyboard. Each Sunday they load these components on a truck or bajaji and take them “on the road” to another preaching point, playing Christian music along the way. Sometimes people will follow the truck! They report that membership at Mpilipili preaching point has increased from 30 to 300 with the help of the sound system.
Pastor Msigwa explained the purpose of our visit and we read the letter of greeting from Pastor Brandon. In lieu of a parish report, they provided answers to the many questions he posed in his letter.
Scholarships:
How many kids need scholarships? They would like to send six additional students to school each year, particularly for vocational training. (Vocational education falls under secondary scholarships.) They voiced a need for those with building skills – e.g. carpenters and masons – and for a sound engineer and/or musician for the sound system.
What is the cost to go to post-secondary school? DIRA school tuition is 1.5 million tsh per year. Other private secondary schools are about the same, while government secondary school tuition is free – but if it is a boarding school, there will be hostel fees, usually less than 500,000 tsh per year.
What happens if a child does not go to post-secondary school? If the student has passed the Form IV exam, he/she may choose at that point to leave secondary school to obtain vocational training or a certificate course (usually six months to a year) at a vocational school (this can range from sewing and mechanical trades to tourism and hospitality). He/she can also take a diploma at university. Or the student may simply choose to go home and/or try to find a job.
What happens after a student completes post-secondary school? They try to find a job – though there aren’t many to be had. Teachers have an especially hard time, particularly if they wait for the government to assign them to a school. Some have waited two to three years or more.
How does the leadership team decide which students get scholarships? Each evangelist identifies needy students within his preaching point and brings those names to the partnership committee. Awards are made by the committee according to the amount pledged by Easter. The names are then passed through the Pastor and the District Pastor before coming to BKB.
Strategic Plan Updates:
Katya preaching point: The church building is complete, but they do not have pews; members bring their own chairs or stools. The well at Katya is not working. They have 50 worshippers now. The evangelist is Obedi Mpangwa. He lives in Nyanzwa and travels to Katya, but transportation is a challenge.
Sound system at Nyanzwa: Has it made an impact? Yes!!! As discussed above.
Evangelist house at Majengo: discussed above. Photos available through link below.
What are their hopes for the next few years? Their current priorities will remain the same; their first priority is now the renovation of the rest house. They have already presented a request for these funds to BKB; however, they will come with an addition to this request for repair of the roof, which recently sustained storm damage, and to add a security gate.
Within the parish they will raise funds to put fans and a railing in the main station church and to replace the altar with a built-in one made of stone or cement. They would like to buy a Toyo (a small pick-up-like vehicle, a wagon bed attached to a motorcycle) to transport the sound system so they don’t need to hire a truck each weekend. They would like to establish a SACCOS to be run by the church.
Have they been affected by the corona virus? Not at all. Everyone is well in the parish.
How are Pastor Mponzi and his family doing? They are all fine.
How is Pastor Maketa? He is doing well. He has been caring for his son who is ill.
The evangelists and their families? All are well.
Prayer requests: for the ministers and evangelists, for the students with scholarships (to do well in their studies), and for the partnership between Nyanzwa and Easter.
We left the church to visit the rest house. It appeared to be occupied by several people or small families. Many of the rooms, as are the toilets, are in a state of disrepair or disintegration. The parish would like to add some roofing in three areas where the buildings join in order to create some protected outdoor cooking spots. There is some visible damage to one corner of the roof where the iron sheets were lifted up by the wind.
Returning to the pastor’s house for lunch, we ended our visit with the filming of a short video of Sofia Mbena, evangelist at Mpilipili preaching point, who shared with us what gives her joy in her life, what her favorite Bible verse is, and what she would like you to pray for. The video and other photographs from the visit are available using the following link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/TWCWjCCqJsB9sDiM7.
Thank you for the opportunity to make this visit on your behalf.
Let us pray, for the ministers and evangelists of Nyanzwa parish, bless them in their ministry and their health. Be with all the scholarship recipients as they continue their studies, including Adonia Masambuli, Alfred Maketa, Benardo Mkingami, Chila Ngalali, Crinton Masambuli, Ebron Ng’eve, Elia Maketa, Eliabu Kitwange, Elida Masambuli Faina Ngalali, Fensia Luhale, Florian Masambuli, Geophrey Fute, Irene Mlowe, Jamali Kayugwa, Jefune Mkwandu, Joseph Ng’eve, Kasimu Nganje, Martin Hapila, Masihi Ngalali, Mely Tovagonze, Miriam Msisi, Najima Hapila, Nathaniel Ngalali, Ratifa Omary, Ringson Kitime, Ronerick Kidumla, Sadoki Magembe, Salome Masanula, Shefani Maketa, Stela Maketa, Wille Kinigu, Yusta Mtalula, Zainuru Malenda. Thank you God for keeping the people of Nyanzwa healthy during the pandemic, we pray in the name of your son our savior Jesus Christ, AMEN.