Church planters persevere, see results in hostile Tanzania region
Tanzanian church planters Solomon and Sarah Kipi have endured loneliness, persecution and tribal warfare in their efforts to establish a church in a hostile region along the coast of their country, but they are finally beginning to see fruit from their ministry.
“On Christmas, they had 251 people come to hear the Gospel under a tree,” said CMF missionaryGary Woods. “And several weeks ago, 50 people from all three tribes received Jesus as Lord and Savior.”
The work has not been easy. The Kipi family moved to the area two years ago to minister among the Parakuyui, Sakuma and Wagogo tribes in the middle of tribal unrest that has seen up to 70 people killed, according to Gary Woods. There are no churches in the area and the local belief systems have made people opposed to the gospel. Additionally, tensions have been high because of the fighting between herders and farmers.
As Tanzanian missionaries Megan and Michelle Moss recently reported in their newsletter, however, “Satan attempted to thwart their plans and discourage them, but nothing would cause them to give up, not even trouble in building a house and being outsiders in a new community, Sarah being severely burned after being sold gasoline instead of kerosene (for cooking), and (tribal) killings in their community.”
“New people in that area are looked at as outsiders, not guests or visitors,” added Michelle Moss. “They must take a long time to get to know people, especially the village leaders, and establish relationships built on trust and friendship. But while this is a very difficult and time-consuming process, it is actually a fantastic tool in presenting the gospel.”
While there is still conflict between those fighting in the area, Solomon and Sarah have become well-respected by the village leaders.
“When some of the men trying to cause trouble locked Sarah in her house and threatened her while Solomon was out of town, the village leaders sought them out and told them to never do such a thing again,” said Michelle. “This is just one example of their being accepted by the leaders. So after the ongoing storm for the last two years, the Lord is using Solomon and Sarah in amazing ways to further His Kingdom!
Here's a video about Solomon & Sarah! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtDLsxTRt48
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