(Tanzania) “Let Us Work Under One Name!”

Acquiring a new religion license; a new path for the Gospel was opened.

“We know how the Good News Mission churches have done the work of the Gospel here in Tanzania. Continue to do the work under the same name.” -Tanzanian Registration Officer

On the 12th of December, God allowed the registration of the church in Tanzania to happen under the name, ‘Good News Mission – Tanzania’. For a long time, there were difficulties in terms of the registration of religion and we had problems doing the mission work on a large scale. But now the Tanzanian government has allowed the registration of the church under its original name, as if saying that we should continue doing the work of the Gospel. The articles of incorporations also changed allowing the Bible School to be named, ‘Mahanaim Bible College’. They could now officially start the school by the registration of the church and through this more workers of the Gospel will arise and teach the Bible to local pastors. This has opened the way for the Gospel to be spread in all the deepest corners of Tanzania.

After the World Camp last August, 75 young people are participating in academies and listening to the Word of God at church and also at universities.

Among them, 30 people took part in the 3 consecutive Overseas Volunteer Workshops and, wanting to receive the assurance of the forgiveness of sin and correct leading of the heart, they are continually attending church. From the Monday after, these Tanzanian volunteers were sent to the churches in southern African countries to do 1 year of volunteer work as well as learning about spiritual life. More than anything, as each and every person shared their hearts in fellowship, it was not only us who were changing but the local people as well.

Moreover, the short-term missionaries from the various countries in the world, now in Tanzania, are preaching the Gospel to thousands of children while attending events for children in over 40 different places. Along with the volunteer work that they do for the youth, if the schools go on holiday, they held ‘Kids Camp’, and spoke about the forgiveness of sin and being born again to over 100 children during over three days. They spoke stammering in English and the local language.

Like this, the total number of children that they have met over one year reaches over 4000. It may be a fact that the story of what Jesus had done for them, spoken by the short-term missionaries, will be their first and last time of hearing it. Therefore, as the short-term missionaries preached the Gospel through hand motions, pictures and skits, in terms of preaching the Word they became fluent in both English and Swahili.

As the season of Christmas is coming in December, from the last week of November, they have been going on tour to 12 places to present the Nativity and teach the true meaning of Christmas, while also handing out school equipment that they had been sponsored by a business. Amongst the various programs the happiest time was the time for group fellowship. As you share the hearts together and preach about the Bible, suddenly, you will begin to forget the blistering heat which is at forty degrees Celsius. There are many short-term missionaries who return to Tanzania, to live, because although their faces may have been blackened, it was a place where their happiest and most joyful memories existed.

Through the much equipment and a piano that the Gracias Choir and the IYF headquarters in Korea sent us, we have been very active in organizing various workshops and academies. Those local people who have come to attend these events now have become Gospel preachers. Even the four Pastors at the Tanzanian church have all come through camps and academies which had led them to give their life for the Gospel. So, with that hope we have held more workshops and academies, although we lack.

From the 21st to the 23rd of November, we invited the first missionary of Tanzania, Pastor Jongduk Kim of Shihung Church in Korea, to hold a Bible Seminar. Coming to Tanzania for the first time in over 3 years, he preached the Word of the Bible and gave his testimony about how God allowed him to root down and trust God, the church and the servant of God. Through the promise of God that had been given to us, in the beginning of the year, we have been able to see the work of God having only the faith in God. We give all the glory and thanks to the Lord!

#Bible #GoodNewsMission #Gospel #Tanzania