Missions

Could You Walk In These Shoes?

Joy

Meet Mama #1:  She is the only Christian in her family. She’s 45 years old and has four children. When her husband found out that she was worshiping with the Lord’s people, he forbade her to go.  He insisted that she attend the Catholic church.  She worked around that and worshiped with the Lord’s people later in the day.  When her husband discovered that, he hired someone to follow her and watch her.  She continued to attend, despite the hardships.  He relented somewhat.  And then…she discovered that he fathered numerous children with other women.  In fact, in a town some miles away, he started building another house near his “concubines” and wanted his wife to move there and help take care of his other children.  She wouldn’t agree to that.  Then he put a “down payment”, aka paid a dowry for a second wife.  His business in the other town is not doing so well, and so he wants her to sign over her home so that he can access some more cash. She’s got an inner strength that gives her the ability to keep on going.  She has tried to arrange for her older children to have a Bible study with us, but the father forbids it. She faithfully attends worship, she sings with fervor and she always greets me with a smile. However, behind her smile, you can see pain in her eyes. She carries a heavy burden.

Meet Mama #2:  She is a widow.  She is 47, the same age as me. Three of her daughters are widows, one of them having just become a widow in the last month.  She takes care of two grandchildren, in addition to those children who are still at home. Those children who once obeyed the gospel have fallen away, and others have never obeyed.  One day we visited her in her home.  She was so glad we came.  She served us rice, beans and mchicha. Chickens were running in and out of the room as we ate. I don’t know what she does to support herself, but it’s not an easy life for her. Yet, I think she has the widest smile of all in the congregation.  She sings with vigor and always greets me with enthusiasm. One would never know that she has buried more people in her family than any one person should ever have to.

Meet Mama #3:  She used to live in Dar es Salaam.  Her father lives in a village about 20 km. from Iringa, and on one occasion she came to visit her father.  While she was away from home, she found out that her husband had taken another wife.  She did not return, but stayed with her father.  Not only is she the only Christian in her family, she is the only Christian in her village.  Her humble home – dried mud floor and walls, with a thatched roof, is about 25 kilometers from where the church meets in Iringa.  It took her a year to find the Lord’s church.  Why so long?  There are no yellow pages, no contact information via the internet, and no one in her village would have any idea what she was looking for.  But once she found it, she attends almost every Sunday.  Once in a while she has no money to pay for the ride on public transportation, but she does her very best to get there.  She went a whole year without being able to worship with the saints, and so the time she can spend with fellow Christians is very precious to her.

These three women are what I like to call the “faithful three.”
There are other faithful women in the congregation,
but there is something special about these three.
They have an inner strength that is not had by many.
All of them quickly give glory to God for any thing they have done.
All of them have had repeated heartache in many different ways.
Yet, they don’t complain.
It’s as if they have stiffened their backs, ready to face what is thrown their way.
Their weary feet, cracked and hardened,
are walking in shoes that neither you nor I will ever have to wear.
Their feet are beautiful,
because they are trying to walk in the steps of the Savior.
Could you walk in their shoes?
Chidren's Bible Class

And the Bride Wore…White?

Joy

A short perusal through history will reveal that the white wedding dress is generally a tradition that has become more prominent only in the last 100 years or so. Before Queen Victoria’s wedding in 1840, most brides wore popular colors of the day. At that time, blue was a symbol of purity, and therefore many brides wore blue on their wedding day. Since Queen Victoria wore a lavishly decorated white wedding dress, trends turned at that point. Fancy white wedding dresses were still reserved for the wealthy; ordinary folks certainly could not afford a dress that would only be worn once. After department stores became commonplace, white wedding dresses were much more available and attainable for your average person, and by 1890, the white wedding dress was the acceptable norm. In the early 1900’s, one might have worn a simple white wedding dress, but have it dyed after the wedding, so that the dress could continue to be used.

Although human traditions come and go, white does represent purity in a biblical context.  Revelation 3:5 states that those who overcome are wearing white, and their names will not be blotted out of the book of life. Revelation 7:14 refers to someone whose garments had turned white, because the garments had been washed in the blood of the Lamb. These are just a couple of verses indicating that God chose white to represent individuals who had their sins washed away; those who were spiritually pure.

What about brides today?  White, and sometimes ivory, are still the color of choice for a wedding dress.  While white traditionally symbolizes purity, the reality is that sadly, for many brides the color is meaningless.  How many young women who stand before God in marriage, have already given away  their most precious gift, which should have been saved for her husband, to present to him on their wedding day? How many young women stand before God on their wedding day, with a child already growing their womb?  In other words, how many young women are outwardly adorned in white, but their spiritual garments are stained by sin?

There was a time when becoming pregnant prior to marriage was shameful.  In fact, many times the pregnant young woman was sent away in an attempt to avoid shame and embarrassment for the family. Unfortunately, often there was more concern about how people might view the reputation of the family as a whole, rather than being concerned with and addressing  the spiritual needs of the young couple. 

In this day and age, we’ve had a huge shift in thinking, including in the church. Let me be clear: forgiveness certainly needs to be extended towards those who demonstrate repentance. Young people need to be encouraged and supported as they deal with the consequences of their sin.  The child brought into the world is completely innocent and in no way should that child be held responsible or punished because of the sin of his or her parents.

However, it is not appropriate to minimize the seriousness of the sin and turn it into a celebratory event, complete with baby showers and a constant stream of  “Congratulations..I’m SO happy for you!”  On one occasion, a mother who had recently had her third child related to me how much fun it was to go through pregnancy together with a young unwed mother in the congregation.  On another occasion, I witnessed a quick walk to the front pew to make the obligatory confession, and then by the next service, the unwed mother was proudly rubbing her belly.  On yet another occasion, I was aware of a young woman who became pregnant, and in no uncertain terms let her friends know that she and her boyfriend were happy about it, and furthermore, she did not want any negative feedback. She professed to be a Christian. Somewhere along the way something has become very skewed. 

Both men and women, young and old, will be held accountable for their own choices.  To those who are older and ought to be wiser, what are WE doing to help our young people adhere to biblical standards?  Are we helping them or hindering them? Are we setting an example of purity? Are we teaching them? Do we hold them accountable for their sins or do we reward them? 

When it comes down to it, the actual color of your dress on your wedding day is rather inconsequential.  Colors have meant different things throughout the ages, and to this day they still symbolize different things in different cultures.  What really matters? The color of your spiritual garment. Your purity. Determine that no matter what, you will save your gift and give it only to your husband, after you are married. However, if you have given away your gift but you are not yet married, do not despair.  Through genuine repentance, your tainted garment can be restored to white once again.

What will be the color of your spiritual garment 
on your wedding day?
Chidren's Bible Class

Something to Think About

Joy

Today was a busy, productive day.  I spent the morning doing some housework – swept and mopped the pantry, kitchen, dining room, living room, my bedroom and bathroom. I also spent a little time pulling some weeds.  Since George and I had a Bible study to go to this afternoon, I cooked a pot of beans early in the day, so that they would be ready for supper.  We had a typical Tanzanian supper:  ugali, beans, mchicha, and some fruit.  Very simple but satisfying.  Yesterday we received a couple of boxes of special treats from family in the States; including some chocolate chips, so Linz made some chocolate cookies as a special treat for this evening.

On to the subject at hand.

George and I, along with Charles, George’s translator, went to our usual Tuesday afternoon Bible study.  Several weeks ago one of the ladies of the congregation, Zawadi, invited us to study in her home, and she invited neighbors to join us.  Three different ladies have attended on and off over the last few weeks, but one neighbor lady in particular, Edina, has been faithful to attend class every week.

Some of the things we have covered in previous classes are:  the eternal nature and deity of Jesus who preexisted as the Word before he became flesh, the Old Law vs. the New Law, including some comparisons of the differences in worship under those two different laws, and then last week, the concept of the church was introduced, emphasizing the contrast between the church of the N.T. vs. denominations.  As we were waiting for Edina to arrive today, we asked Zawadi if there was something in particular that sticks out in her mind that she has learned so far in our studies.  She said that she did not know that there was a difference in churches.  She did not understand that there was a difference between the N.T. church and the various denominations.  

 Zawadi used to be a follower of Islam, but was contacted and taught during a campaign last fall, at which time she was “taught” and then baptized.  I have to be honest with you – I am disturbed.  I know that there has been disagreement and debate among brethren concerning what a person must know in order to be genuinely converted and perhaps there is some room for judgment.  However, I simply cannot accept the fact that a person can be added to the Lord’s church, while at the same time, they have no idea what the Lord’s church is.  Unfortunately, this is not a rare incident.

We need to stop and think seriously about the ramifications of such brief teaching.  Is this approach really doing people a favor, if they do not obey with sufficient knowledge, and in the end, they are still in their sins? Should we be surprised when people who have not been taught about the unique nature of the Lord’s church easily drift to a denomination, or never even begin to attend the Lord’s church, but just continue on with the denomination with whom they have been affiliated? (It’s happened).  As teachers of the gospel, we must always be willing to evaluate!

As we teach people the gospel, may we understand the serious nature of the life changing decision we are asking them to consider.  As much as we want people to become Christians, we cannot skim over crucial teachings, so that we can “get them in the water” asap. Simply getting people wet is not a magical formula for salvation. People must have some degree of understanding of who Christ is and his crucial role in making salvation possible. Believing that Jesus was simply another good prophet is not sufficient. People must understand the concept of  repentance and demonstrate it in their lives. This means addressing some difficult issues, including marriage.  Potential converts need to be aware that they are making a life-changing decision; they are making the Lord their Master and through obedience to the gospel, they are being added to the one body for which Christ died.  As Jesus emphasized on numerous occasions, those who want to follow Him need to count the cost.

As far as Zawadi is concerned, we will continue studying, and hopefully through some careful instruction and questions, we will stimulate her to contemplate her own conversion, and we will urge her to do what is necessary to make sure she has obeyed according to knowledge.  As we share the gospel with others, I hope we will teach lovingly, patiently and thoroughly, so that if a person does decide to become a Christian, it will truly be a conversion that changes their eternal destination.

Chidren's Bible Class, In the Kitchen

How Was Your Weekend?

Joy

So, how was your weekend?  Did you do anything particularly exciting?  Ours wasn’t exactly exciting, but it was busy.  Saturday I spent at least half the day in the kitchen, preparing food for both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday evening George, Jacob and I went to town to pick up Charles, our translator, along with his new bride!  They were so cute together; Charles had the biggest grin on his face and his bride, Editha, kept smiling and shyly ducking her head.  We took them home and left them with a few groceries to have for the evening. If you want to see a picture of the happy couple, go to our latest travelblog entry.

Sunday services were fairly typical.  There is no real Bible class time.  We began by singing a few songs, then the sermon was presented, followed by the Lord’s Supper.  Then there is a closing song, a prayer, announcements, and then an exit song.  Everything except for one prayer was in Swahili only.  Charles and Editha rode with us to and from services (about a 25 minute drive), and we invited them to come to our house for lunch after services.  I fixed curry coconut chicken, rice, green beans, sliced homemade bread, and banana pieces.  Kind of a combination between Tanzanian and American food.  Pretty good if I say so myself!

For the afternoon, we all kind of laid around and relaxed or took a nap.  Since our ice cream maker has been repaired thanks to George, Linz had the bright idea of making  homemade lemon ice cream.  The kids worked on that and after it was finished, our family had a devotion time of singing.  We’ve found that it’s harder for us to sing the English songs now, because the Swahili songs have very little range as far as high and low notes.  After singing, we had a bite of supper, followed by homemade ice cream.  It was GOOD!  We ran out of water in our top tank, and the power was out, which means we would have to run the generator in order to pump water from our cistern to the small tank on our house, so dishes had to wait.  Oh well.  Then we went over to the Samfords and watched a couple of National Geographic shows on African wildlife.  How appropriate!  We returned home and got ready for bed with the aid of our oil lanterns.  It was a peaceful way to end the Lord’s day.

Have a great week, everyone!