Field Report from East Africa

Kitui, KE conference participants

 TOT in Eldoret, KE

Dickson Laizer and Joram Ibrahim

 

 The following is the report I sent from the field while I was in East Africa recently:

I am now in Tanzania in the process of doing four conferences on biblical stewardship. Next up will be an important meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, of about 25 leaders from all over East Africa, including Southern Sudan.

Kitui and Eldoret, KenyaI began this trip in Kitui, KE, about 200km east of Nairobi. I had never been there before, but the groundwork had been laid by good all-African teachers. That, of course, points up the importance of equipping the indigenous pastors and church leaders, so that they can teach this material well to others.

George Kariuki, Robert Mwago, and I did a biblical stewardship conference to about 36 participants. The number was fewer than had been anticipated, primarily because it is planting season in Kitui. The fact that such seasons may vary slightly from area to area even in the same country is something we need to take into account in scheduling.

The conference itself went well. We were transported and assisted by Bishop Nicholas Mulea. The host pastor, Rev. Syslvester Kiema, is part of an inter-denominational pastors fellowship that includes several of the participants. He encouraged me by saying that they would be meeting to discuss how to implement what we had talked about in the conference. That is vital.

From Kitui we took the long bus ride to Eldoret in western Kenya. There, George, Bob Mwangi, and Dickson Laizer and Joram Ibrahim of Tanzania all taught a biblical stewardship conference, while I led a 1 Timothy TOT for about 14 pastors. We had spirited discussions on a host of important issues facing the church. We raised issues that generally are not thought about too much. People were challenged. I think it will make a difference. I hope so, because in my view the church, as the embodiment of the gospel, is the last, best (and only real) hope for humanity and our different societies. But to realize that hope, the church needs to change and start applying the gospel in ways that it clearly is not doing now.

Musoma, TanzaniaMusoma, along with my other Tanzanian venues, is near Lake Victoria. As I write this, we have finished a stewardship conference with 30 serious and committed pastors and an important bishop. They were challenged in many areas, and I think all see the need for change and for much greater involvement of the church in "real life."

Please pray for them. I am now in Mwanza, TZ. We have a 3-hour trip early in the morning to our next venue. Also, please pray for the strategic-planning summit coming up in Kigali in less than 2 weeks. I will report again after my return home. God bless you, Jonathan

Report from Tanzania

TOT group in Dar es Salaam, TZ

 Queueing for lunch in Chamwino, TZ

 Randy Pizzino teaching in Magugu, TZ

The following is the report I emailed from Tanzania during my recent trip to East Africa:

Greetings from Tanzania. It has been a good trip so far. Began with a 1 Timothy conference in Magugu, between Arusha and Babati. I was joined by EPI's new full-time staff member, Randy Pizzino. Randy was a pastor for 41 years before joining EPI. He taught well, and also experienced the joys of eating copious amounts of pili-pili!
    
Chamwino. Randy left us after the Magugu conference to return to Nairobi, from which he would be going to Uganda. I took the 6-7 hour bus ride to the central TZ city of Dodoma, one of the seats of the government. From there we went to the nearby village of Chamwino, which is also the site of government offices, and thus a strategic place. We held another 1 Timothy conference. After the small group discussion time, which focused on the issue of the church as a family, the participants were so moved and convicted that they had a spontaneous time of repentance before God. They also firmly resolved to form an inter-denominational pastors' fellowship, and begin working together in practical ways to show the love of Christ within their community. This could bear great fruit in the future, particularly as the government spends more time in the Dodoma-Chamwino area, and sees real Christian fellowship and concerted, loving action.

Dar es Salaam. We arrived in the coastal port city/national captial of Dar es Salaam for an TOT on Biblical Theology. The participants are seeing the connections between the OT and the NT, the fascinating ways in which the OT pointed forward to Christ, and how the NT fulfilled the entire OT, often in surprising ways. My friend and EPI-TZ coordinator Joram Ibrahim remarked at how powerful this is (and I agree). 
 
Dickson Laizer. One of the issues I have had to deal with is the organization of EPI here in TZ. One of my co-national coordinators was not fluent in English, which prevented me from communicating well with him. Consequently, I asked Dickson Laizer, Secretary-General of Grace Evangelical Church to be the EPI-TZ national coordinator. Dickson is a good man, experienced in teaching leaders, with a passion to do so and a true pastoral heart. I think he is God's answer to this situation. Randy recognized that this was a good choice, and I just received an email from one of the other TZ coordinators to the same effect. Knowing Dickson as I do, I think he will be able to work well with the others in the TZ leadership team, and help move EPI forward in TZ. I am looking forward to the future here, as the Tanzanians are getting well-organized, with some good and competent people.

Zanzibar. I am now in Zanzibar in the middle of a marriage conference. I pray for God's blessings on you, and will report back to you after I return home in mid-July. Best regards, Jonathan

Return from Kenya

Pastor Joseph and church members in Siakago, KE


Forgiveness and Reconciliation TOT group in Murang'a, KE


Student preaching in Murang'a, KE


JMM and EPI-Kenya coordinators

I returned from Kenya two days ago. This trip concluded very successfully, and important steps were taken organizationally for EPI in Kenya, which I hope can be replicated in the rest of East Africa.


The Biblical Stewardship TOT in Embu was very powerful. One woman, who has both money and connections, wants to facilitate implementation of the things we discussed. The group as a whole demonstrated their seriousness by agreeing on a date and time to re-gather to discuss how they can work together to apply what they learned. This type of commitment and action is what I long to see all over East Africa. I then preached on Sunday at a growing church in Siakago, near Embu.

In Murang'a we did both Forgiveness & Reconciliation and Expository Preaching. As had been the case in Nairobi, some of the stories told by the Forgiveness participants were heartbreaking. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit brings healing in amazing ways. The material we discussed enables the pastors not only to forgive and bring reconciliation in their own lives, but also to show and teach their people. Bob Mwangi, one of EPI-Kenya's regional coordinators, discussed with me his plans to convene an inter-tribal Forgiveness & Reconciliation TOT prior to the upcoming national elections. This type of endeavor is being called for by the government, as a way to help prevent a recurrence of post-election violence. Thus, all of the participants recognized how strategic and timely EPI's work concerning Forgiveness & Reconciliation is.

The Expository Preaching TOT is also bearing fruit. The preaching by the four student preachers was better overall than I have seen in most Expository Preaching TOTs; they all incorporated some or all of the important concepts that I have been emphasizing. One of the participants, who had not preached in class, preached Ezek 37:15-28 (one of the texts we had worked on) in his church the following Sunday. He told me that afterwards people came up to him and complimented him on how focused and powerful his sermon was. That was encouraging to him (and to me). I listened to George Kariuki preach at the first service in his church on Sunday. He obviously understands what we are talking about, and preached a fine sermon (I preached at the sencond service).

Because KLM had cancelled my return flight and rebooked me to leave a day earlier than I originally had planned, I cancelled the last TOT I was going to do (Bob Mwangi and George Kariuki will themselves lead it). Instead, I met in Nairobi with all of my EPI-Kenya coordinators. We discussed financial matters, accountability, transparency, and structural issues. We came up with a more systematic financial plan for compensating the Kenyan teachers and coordinators for their time and work. We also established financial oversight committees, both regionally and nationally. Thus, EPI in Kenya now has a structure that is both sound and not dependent on any specific individuals. The Kenyans then met and mapped out a host of all-African conferences they plan on doing this year. What they intend is that they will do the conferences and, when I come to Kenya, I will concentrate on doing TOTs with the really sharp people they identify at their conferences. That is exactly what I think will maximize both my time and EPI's impact.

Finally, I met with the representatives of a printing company in Murang'a, and discussed printing our materials in paperback book format, rather than photocopying them as we have been doing. Printed books will, of course, look better, last longer, can be stored more easily on bookshelves, etc. The books also can be fairly easily transported throughout Kenya and to other East African countries. I think printing and shipping can be done cost-effectively. I am excited about the possibilities, as this also should increase our effectiveness and impact in Kenya and the rest of East Africa.

Thank you for your prayers and support. You ARE making a difference. God bless you, Jonathan

Greetings from Kenya

Preaching in Malaba (note the fancy pulpit)

                                                                        Biblical Stewardship TOT group in Misikhu

                                                               Forgiveness and Reconciliaton TOT group in Nairobi

The following was the report from the field I recently sent from Kenya:

I am here in Kenya, and have been doing all TOTs. They have been productive and interesting. We began in Malaba, on the border with Uganda, doing another round of Expository Preaching with selected members of the Katakwa Diocese of the Anglican Church of Kenya. Isabellah Inyele, my coordinator in that region, is one of the most competent, organized people I know. She is also an excellent preacher. The group seemed to be learning the preaching format I have been suggesting. The critiques of the sermons we preached were particularly helpful. In fact, the students' critique of my sermon on Ezekiel 37:15-28 caused me to make some revisions, deletions, and change the order of certain things. One pastor suggested that I return and that we do nothing but preaching and critiques, so that everyone gets a chance to preach and be critiqued. I think that is a good idea.

We then moved to Misikhu, about an hour inland, for a TOT on Biblical Stewardship. One pastor commented, "Your teaching is not like the Whites. They came to steal our blessings." Another added, "This is foundational. This can change Africa." I think (and very much hope) that he is correct.

Following Misikhu I took the long bus ride down to Nairobi. The trip was complicated by the fact that about 2/3 of the way through, the bus broke down, and we sat for 1 1/2-2 hours until my group was picked up by another bus.

In Nairobi we did a TOT on Forgiveness & Reconciliation. This proved to be very powerful. Many of the pastors shared some very deep wounds. Some had lost everything in the post-election violence of 2007-2008. Others had other, very damaging experiences. Yet they all talked of their being able to forgive the perpetrators and find healing. One woman said that she had come sick at heart to the TOT and had remained that way for the first 2 day. By the end, however, she had felt healed and empowered, and committed to go to the person with whom she had a significant problem and reconcile.

One of the organizers told me that several people had come up to him during lunch and shared how healing the whole TOT had been. The organizers are going to follow-up and will be leading this seminar themselves in various places. Forgiveness & Reconciliation is particularly important, not only in light of the recent post-election violence, but also given the fact that Kenya will be having general elections again at the end of 2012 or beginning of 2013. There has been lots of talk in the media here about increased tribalism in connection with the upcoming elections. Please pray for Kenya and this whole situation. The Gospel, when believed and applied in our lives, truly changes and heals people, and is the deepest and best way to avoid a repetition of the troubles our Kenyan friends have experienced.

I am now in Eastern and Central Kenya, doing a Biblical Stewardship TOT, to be followed by Forgiveness & Reconciliation and then Expository Preaching. Because my return flight was canceled and moved up one day, I have decided to cancel the final 1 Timothy TOT and instead meet with all my Kenya EPI coordinators in Nairobi. We need to discuss financial, budgeting, accountability and structural matters. This will, I think, be very important as we move forward. Please pray for this. God bless you all.

Jonathan leaving for Kenya on March 30

My time at home has flown by. Since I returned home just over a month ago I have completed some major additions to my notes on Biblical Theology (the equivalent of approximately 25 pages of new material, including three new appendices: the Bible in chronological order; Jesus as fully God and fully man; and Jesus and the sign of the prophet Jonah). I also finished revisions to Biblical Eschatology (equivalent to about four pages of new material). Between these two books alone, I think that you will have a very good understanding of the biblical storyline, and how the Bible fits together, from beginning to end. Check them out on the "resources" page of EPI's website: www.equippingpastors.com.

I have also been proofing a number of translations in Kiswahili, Kikuyu, Kamba, Luo, and Maasai that I have received. As the final edits are made, I will post them in the "African Languages Resources" section of EPI's resources.

You might be interested to know that Theophile Rugubira, EPI's Rwanda-Burundi national coordinator, has begun a weekly radio program in which he is teaching through EPI's course on Biblical Stewardship, will field questions from listeners, and discuss our material with local pastors. This is an opportunity to potentially reach well over a million people each week. We chose Biblical Stewardship because that course essentially concerns applying biblical pinciples to all areas of life. It is very practical, and thus I expect it will have a wide appeal.

I will be leaving on March 30 for 3 1/2 weeks in Kenya. While there I am planning on doing 7 TOTs (trianing of trainers), as follows: April 2-4, Katakwa Diocese-Expository Preaching; April 5-7, Western Region-Biblical Stewardship; April 9-11, Nairobi-Forgiveness & Reconciliation; April 12-14, Eastern Region-Biblical Stewardship; April 16-18, Central Region-Forgiveness & Reconciliation; April 19-21, Central Region-1 Timothy; April 22-24, Murang'a-Expository Preaching.

As always, I will try to send you a report from the field while I am there. Thank you for your prayers and support. Both matter, and both make a difference.

Return from Rwanda & Burundi

Small group discusion at Nyamata, RW

Pastor Emmanuel teaching at Nyanza, RW
Forgiveness & Reconciliation TOT group at Kigali, RW

I returned home Sunday afternoon from the trip to Rwanda and Burundi. I am happy to say that the food poisoning and malaria have healed. Thank you very much for your prayers. I'm just a little under the weather, but that is more nose and throat, related (I think) to flying in airplanes for about 24+ hours with lots of other people and recirculated air.

Nyamata & Nyanza, RW--Biblical Stewardship
Following my last report, we did 2 Biblical Stewardship conferences, in Nyamata and Nyanza, RW. The second one, I thought, was more productive in that the vast majority of the 42 participants were actual pastors. They were engaged, asked quite a few questions, and committed to apply what they learned. At the first conference about half of the 40 participants were not actual pastors, but were deacons, youth leaders, women's group leaders, etc. Of course, none of our teaching is "wasted." Nevertheless, I want to focus my attention on equipping those who are in the position and authority to actually implement the changes we talk about at the conferences.

Kigali, RW--Forgiveness & Reconciliation TOT
We concluded with what I thought was a very productive TOT on Forgiveness & Reconciliation in Kigali, RW. It was the first time we had done Forgveness & Reconciliation. As you might imagine, there is a great need for a good understanding of forgiveness and reconciliation--and how to practically do those things--given the genocide that took place in Rwanda 18 years ago, as well as all the "normal" inter-personal conflicts that plague people. The 14 TOT participants engaged in many lengthy and spirited discussions concerning all aspects of forgiveness and reconciliation. I think we all have a much better understanding of this, and they seemed eager to teach their people about the important principles we talked about. It was an encouraging way to end the trip.

EPI on the Radio
Theophile Rugubira will be following-up in a few months time to assess the impact of what we did. Further, he now has the opportunity to host a radio program every week in which he will teach EPI's material (probably beginning with Biblical Stewardship), field questions from the audience, and discuss our material with pastors whom we have taught and others. Thus, we have the opportunity to be heard by millions. The cost will be $100 per month. This is a cost-effective way to get EPI's teachings out to a large number of people. As always, your tax-deductible donations to EPI (which can be made online at EPI's website [http://www.equippingpastors.com/] or checks can be mailed to me at 714 S. Summit St., Appleton, WI 54914) will prove important as we begin this new venture.

Thank you for your friendship, prayers, and support. I will be home until I leave for Kenya on March 30. During that time I want to make a number of additions and revisions to my materials on Biblical Theology, and a few to Biblical Eschatology, as well as work on proofing translations, and other things. If you have any questions, please feel free email me. God bless you. I will keep you advised of all major developments. Jonathan

Report from Rwanda & Burundi

Anglican Bishop opening the Marriage conference in Muyinga, BU

Theophile teaching in Buhiga, BU

Expository Preaching grop in Kigali, RW

Here is the report I emailed to friends and supporters "from the field" about 2 weeks ago when I was in Rwanda and Burundi:

I have been in Rwanda and Burundi for 2 weeks. Here are some highlights of this trip:

Kigali, RW--Expository Preaching TOT I did round 2 of expository preaching with about 15 pastors from both RW and BU. We concentrated on 2 passages that implicated both the OT and the NT: Ezek 37:15-28 and Luke 11:29-32. I had sent them to the participants in advance, with suggested relevant parallels, and asked them to read and think about, so we could hit the ground running. Unfortunately, very few did that. I have to get used to this, but it is hard to. Their actual sermons showed greater attention to the form I am trying to teach them, but I am sorry to say their analyses of the passages missed the big points of the passages, which we had spent 2 days talking about. {sigh}

Buhiga & Kobero, BU--Biblical Stewardship Burundi is the least developed (both spiritually and technologically) of the 5 countries of the East African community. In both places the pastors seemed to be at a very low level theologically. Further, in Buhiga only 3/47 were actually paid, and Kobero only 1/48. Incredible. Yet, in both places they were serious, and clearly wanted to learn. In Kobero, where we had been last year, they said that, as a result of last year's conference, they had formed an interdenominational pastors committee, which they had never had before. In both places several pastors gave testimonies of how they had been teaching and applying 1 Timothy (which we had taught last year). They both promised to show positive evidence of applying our stewardship material when Theophile Rugubira follows up with them in a few months. In Buhiga they gave Theophile, Frederic (my translator) and me flashlights as a token of the light which we have brought them.

Muyinga, BU--Occupational Hazards Theophile and I then traveled to Muyinga, BU to do a Marriage & Parenting conference, scheduled for this last Mon.-Wed. Unfortunately, the Saturday afternoon we arrived in Muyinga I became very ill. I was diagnosed by a doctor as having some malaria and a bad case of food poisoning. I basically spent the next 3 days shuttling almost every hour between my bed and the toilet. I seemed to turn the corner Tues. afternoon when I was able to eat a little avocado and banana, my first food in 3 days. That night I actually was able to spend the night in bed, without the usual shuttle. I'm now on the mend. Theophile taught the first 2 days of the conference by himself, and from all reports did an excellent job. I chipped in by teaching one unit on Wed. morning, the last day of the conference.

That whole experience confirmed 3 things for me: (1) It demonstrated the absolute necessity of developing good core groups of African teachers of EPI's material. I always have at least one (usually more than one) African teach with me. If I didn't do that, this conference would have been scratched. EPI is not about Westerners coming to teach the Africans, but about both of us working in partnership until, God-willing, there will be so many well-trained African teachers that Westerners won't be required to come at all. (2) This also confirmed what I have long perceived: Marriage is so highly culturally-influenced that I think it is far better that all marriage conferences be conducted entirely by Africans, without any Western teachers at all. Although there are some units in this course that can be seen as less culturally-influenced, I think that any Westerner faces a huge uphill battle of overcoming the (unspoken) perception that, "You may say you are just teaching what the Bible says about marriage, but what you are really doing is imposing on us Western culture and the 'Western' way of doing marriage." Theophile was, of course, able to teach in the local language, and stimulate LOTS of Q&A, testimonies, and discussion, which I or any Westerner simply could not have done. On the last day he was able to deal with and discuss lots of questions regarding contraception, polygamy, and divorce from both an African and a biblical perspective that any Westerner simply cannot do. The misinformation and absence of theological and other knowledge regarding sex, contraception, and other aspects of marriage, as a result of the culture, is simply astounding. I think that well-trained Africans, who of course already know the culture but also know the Bible and EPI's material, are in a vastly better position to deal with that misinformation and ignorance sensitively, without the risk (that most Westerners would face) of being patronizing. (3) On a more positive note, my experience in Muyinga proved to be a very effective way to lose weight! Not too pleasant. But effective. Just trying to be helpful in case you're having trouble losing those last 10 stubborn pounds.

God bless you all. And for those of you who were aware of my illness and prayed, THANK YOU. Best regards, Jonathan