We arrived in Tanzania on February 1st, and have settled in at the YWAM base near Mount Kilimanjaro. Monday thru Wednesday are spent resting and preparing for ministry. Then on Thursday we leave for the bush or literally the middle of no
where! The road we are driving down becomes more of a path, which may or may not lead to plain old off-roading until we find another path or road. At least that’s what is sometimes seems like! While in the bush, we are camping. Our “bathroom” is an outdoor squatty and bucket baths are available, but I typically wait until we get back to the base because the water doesn’t look that much cleaner than me and maybe I’m just too lazy! But I don’t think I will ever be able to take a real shower for granted, what a luxury!
Local church members typically prepare meals for us, but we also cook sometimes. Breakfast consists of bread, peanut butter, jam, eggs, peanuts, bananas or mangos. Lunch and supper is typically rice, beans, cabbage or maize/beans or rice with meat soup or pasta or potatoes. I have been amazed at how good the food has been in Africa, especially since 
I’m a picky eater!
Ministry in the bush tends to involve door to door evangelism and prayer in the mornings. A “seminar” in the afternoon, with one of us speaking and sharing. Then the evening starts around 7:30pm with (entertaining) African music videos of worship songs, one of us sharing a message, and then showing a film in Swahili, such as the Jesus film or Passion of the Christ.
The first week of ministry, we spent in King-Ori. A beautiful setting on a hillside, camping beneath two towering trees of shade. These people understand sacrificial giving. They have nothing, even lacking enough food for their families, yet they serve us abundantly. I was brought to tears during the church service, because during the offering a lady brought up a live chicken. I know that’s kinda weird for us, but when a chicken is all you have to give, it is a true blessing. We actually ended up with three chickens, because the people were so appreciative of our presence and prayers.
I can’t begin to describe the atmosphere of worship with this body of believers. What a strong example of what Church is. These people worship like no one else is around, only them and God. Singing and dancing with passion and exuberance. Crying out to God in prayer and song. The love of God radiates off their faces. Why is it that the poorest people seem to have the most love and happiness? If you have never experienced worshiping God outside in His beautiful creation, you can’t imagine what you are missing out on!! Especially in a tiny African village, with chickens pecking the ground around you and donkeys braying nearby. Children coming and going, sometimes to herd their family’s sheep or goats. An old women sitting in the back, fast asleep. People sitting on benches, rocks, a handful of chairs, or the ground. God is here. The Holy Spirit is alive and evident in the lives of this Church! Is it even possible to picture such an image? Yet in the midst of this amazing Church, there is brokenness and struggles that most of us have never experienced. This congregation holds fast to their faith, a faith that withholds hardship, pain, broken families due to alcoholism, hunger, and many other life struggles. These people walk for miles just to worship God together.
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