The Road Home to Iringa………………………….

As we prepared to leave the village of Mlafu yesterday afternoon, one of the Evangelists asked if we could give him a ride to town. In this country we are careful about picking people up along the road, but this man was the Evangelist from the Preaching Point of Masimike, about four kilometers from Mlafu. So we added him to our crew of four and started on our way.

A little about Evangelists. These are people, men and women, some old, some young, that have taken some training in theology, and serve the people in their community. Typically a village that doesn’t yet have a church. There can be just a few, or many, like ten serving from one Church. They work under the direction of the Pastor at their Church.  Picture a wheel, with spokes extending out to the surrounding areas where they erect small places of worship to bring the Gospel to the far corners of the world. I don’t know if they receive any pay, not likely. They will receive payment in due time.

Before we left Minnesota (cold there they tell me) our friends at River of Joy, a small ELCA congregation of the St. Paul Synod, asked us to purchase a bicycle for an Evangelist. Sounds like a simple task. The need here is great. Giving away a bicycle shouldn’t be much of a challenge! Our struggle was who to give it to? We visited congregations across the Iringa region, and always there were Evangelists in the crowd to greet us and listen to our advice on how to improve their yields from their fields. Then along comes Nenason Msola, delivered right into our vehicle for a ride to Iringa Town. How many times have I heard it, “God works in mysterious ways”.

I started asking questions as I drove down through the hills heading for the main road that would lead us back home, to Iringa Town. Nenason Msola is married with five children. His oldest is a son, 22, attending form 6, the equivalent of a senior in high school. A daughter of 16 is in form 4, sophomore to us. Three more 14, 12, and 11 all are attending school. Don’t be confused by the fact that a 22 year old is in high school, called Secondary School here. When the opportunity arises, you take it. Secondary School is not free, and few families can afford to send their children without help from a sponsor somewhere to help. This son had to take exams for a week to ten days to demonstrate his knowledge and move on from form four. Very difficult and tremendous pressure, as those who do not pass are done with their education.

I felt a little bad about giving this poor guy the third degree. I wondered what he thought, who is this crazy Wuzungu asking all these questions? I had Gabriel, our Tanzanian friend taking it all down for me, and told him about River of Joy. A small congregation, evangelizing, bringing the Gospel to corners of the world not so far as away. I told him they want to help him in his mission to preach the Gospel, because they are doing the same thing in Minnesota. First stop in town was the bicycle store, and we got the best one they had. Thanks to River of Joy!

Nenason Msola and His New Bike

Don