Walk the talk ...

It is never easy for a farmer when he is preparing land; removing rocks, and roots, and eventually leveling it all up ready to sow some seeds. And it doesn't help it either when some of the seed take months to germinate, and years and years of growing before they can produce the first bloom.  After attending a mission conference with Kenyan missionaries in Kenya a month ago, I couldn't hold myself still with the excitement of seeing and hearing what God is doing through Kenyans in Kenya. Great things are not just happening in Kenya, they are happening all over and around the world through people who have said yes.  I understand that most people's expectation on missionaries is to bring people to Christ - more about conversions.  This is something very beautiful and all Christians, missionaries or not, should spread the Truth and the Love of Jesus to everybody. But one thing i have come to learn is that missionary life is not just an event, but a process that could take many years before seeing a seed germinate. Just like it's a process for us to become like Christ so is missions. I listened to very interesting stories of missionaries who have been in an area for more than ten years and now it's when they are just starting to capture the attention of the local people. You wonder, "they haven't brought, not a soul to Christ"? Well, the truth is for ten years they have lived among these people learning their language and preaching Christ through their lifestyle -through their walk more than talk. Pamoja is here not only to disciple individuals but to disciple different generations with media, to challenge people's lifestyles and culture so as to become true followers of Jesus Christ. The result we want to see will obviously take time. Just like some plants do. But we do not give up! What should we do then in the meantime? I believe -and this applies to all of us- that we should start or continue to engage ourselves in meaningful conversation with people around us especially those that do not know Christ. It is time to listen and get involved in their stories. In listening, it's only logical that they would also want to hear our story. A much as conversions are necessary, let's ask ourselves, how many conversations have we initiated with our neighbors. As we have found out, this walk of faith is really a process rather than an event. Conversations produce believers and more conversations produce disciples and teachers. We are the salt and the light of the earth. We represent Christ on earth.

To this group of Maasai people, a tree has just produced the first fruits. They have labored in the Lord reaching out to their own people with evangelism and development. Now in a very dry land, where nothing really grows, they have started an English medium school, where they are empowering the young generation with Knowledge - the most rear commodity in the area among others. About two hundred Kenyan missionaries at a mission conference receiving missionary care and debriefing. We love you all friends and we do not stop praying and thanking God for you. It's always nice to know that there is somebody on the other side making all these happen. With your prayers and support, the kingdom of God is thriving. Please keep in touch with us, write to us and ... Karibu Pamoja!!   Copyright © 2016 Pamoja Ministries, All rights reserved.

Goodbyes ...

Family of the month ...

It is never easy to say goodbye. Especially if you have lived and worked together with this precious family for two years.  Diana and Tony Radaslavov together with their three kids arrived from Bulgaria to Pamoja Ministries two weeks after out arrival. It is correct to say that we somehow learned the ropes together, and now they must go back.   The good thing is that they are already a piece of Pamoja and however far away they will be from Arusha, the great projects they leave behind having been accomplished by them, the marks they leave of love and fellowship, the many jokes and laughter and tears they've shared with us will always remain in our hearts forever. And we are confident that their lives will cross Pamoja's path some day if not soon. Other news ... A group of Sunday school kids have brought together their few coins and donated swings for Pamoja Kids.What a blessing it is for us all living here and you who will be visiting us :) It would be nice to add that on the land upon which the swings stand was also bought not so long ago through donations from generous individuals like you, which marks as a huge prayer answered. Please pray with us for more donations to build houses for missionaries. We need missionaries at Pamoja big time, but we also need a place to keep them.

Kids enjoying the newly built swings The new land for housing missionaries Great news! We are doing the last edit in the Swahili Comic Bible. Never been happier!  Pamoja Ministries has been crafted from God's own hand and this is true because of the amazing people God has brought into contact with Pamoja. The support that sustains the ministry and the missionaries, the many prayers, thoughts and words of encouragement that come from YOU, truly, literally, all that make this place stand and run all for the glory of God. We are humbled and honored to have you as friends ... Friends of God.    Goodbye for now!!

Mission Updates

Hello friends!! We hope you are doing fine. We here in Arusha are well, God has kept us since the last time we talked or met with you. We are confident that it's your prayers and financial support that has kept us going and because of you, we are proudly representing the Kenyan church in the mission field. It was only a month ago we were in Limuru, Kenya for a Global  Pathway Seminar, where these dedicated men of God were teaching pastors 'the steps to the mission field'. We did send some pastors invitations through the post office, and those that managed to come, I am sure they were thoroughly equipped to prepare and send out missionaries. The joy in this is that we translated and edited the Go to Nations books and we could witness how valuable the work was to the kingdom of God. Go To Nations has been doing these seminars in many places around the world like in Russia and they are now focused in E.Africa.

This past few months have been very exciting for us here at Pamoja! We finally finished translating and editing the Action Bible. As you know, this is a picture Bible that has been available for many years in English. In God’s planning and timing, we at Pamoja were honored to be the ones translating it and making it available in Kiswahili for the very first time!! We marched around the office block, around our work table, and even marched around a flower garden singing, “ I’m in the Lord’s Army” !! All that to say, hurray!! We did it!     Some of our other projects... Wewe Nami children series also done!! We are hoping to create a Sunday School Curriculum based on the Series. And hopefully in the future create a second season! Financial Literacy Project is doing great! Together with Vision Fund- a Microfinance by World Vision, we give away 10,000 copies of 40 pages, 13 modules comic books that have been animated and teaching people how to spend money wisely and with a Biblical perspective. We are now capable of doing our own printing, with like 20 printers running at a go.  Njia Njema Puppets series is also being wrapped up. Amazing kids from our church volunteered to sing while we recorded and filmed the theme song for the series.   Movie showing is one of the ways we get connected with the local church. All our video products; Wewe Nami, Njia Njema, FinLit, music videos, Yoeli, and our full feature movie Nipe jibu continue to be effective ministerial tools. Twice every month we visit a village, a church, a school, or a youth group and share with them the gospel through these mediums.  We thank God for his grace, but even more so for you. Because we are your hands and feet in Tanzania and you make it possible for us to be here. Together let's keep the gospel spreading. Please continue supporting us and praying for us. John 1:5, The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Yours in Christ, The missionary girls.

Copyright © 2016 Pamoja Ministries, All rights reserved.

Christmas!

It's Christmas ...wrapping up the year with Love.

Merry Christmas to you!! Many many thanks to you our supporters and friends. We have come this far because of your prayers, friendship, moral and financial support. This year would not have been as great without your participation. We can never thank you enough. Surely our work here is being accomplished by the brothers and sisters in our home country. May God bless you richly!! We had a great time in Kenya and got to meet many of you. It's so encouraging to have someone to visit and share life and ministry experiences. After two months of visiting churches and friends in Kenya, raising support and encouraging the Kenyan church to embrace the call to missions, we are finally back at Pamoja. We have now officially finished filming Wewe Nami.  Part of the main crew, you see in the picture above. It has been fun, educational, challenging, we can never be thankful enough to God for helping us pull this one through within the limited time we had. Almost all of the families at Pamoja have left for their furloughs and we are trying hard to get used to the new normal till we cross over to the new year and they start coming back. Otherwise, work goes on as usual. We are knee deep on a new project, translating and editing of the Graphic/Comic Bible. The exciting news here is that the Graphic Bible a Bible story book illustrated with cartoon will be available for the first time in Swahili. The youth of Tanzania if not the whole of E-Africa will definitely get a hold of this and understand bible stories in a fun way.  Please keep praying with us and the work at Pamoja. More missionaries and volunteers from East Africa and the rest of the world are needed in order for us to proceed to disciple cultures through media. Here is a link to a short clip of an intro to the Wewe Nami Series:  https://youtu.be/PhGdnAnIFBE Down here goes pictures of work and life at Pamoja:

It's Christmas! That means we are very close to ending the year. As we wrap it up, let's not forget to wrap up gifts for friends, family, and even strangers. Yes, I said strangers! You never know, in doing so you might be entertaining angels. Let's us all spread the love, and not just in the season but out of season. Love you all very much and thinking and praying for you always. Some of you have visited us. Keep coming na Karibuni sana Arusha!! again ...MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Copyright © 2016 Pamoja Ministries, All rights reserved.