news from tanzania

KILOSA
The Bible is the Book for today. It contains answers and solutions to today’s questions and problems. It relates to youth and old age, rich and poor. Its principles are eternal. History has verified its predictions and archaeology sustains historical record. Its words are charged with light and life. Its wisdom is pre-eminent in all the world. Give your attention to it, reader, for in it lies your only hope of spiritual abundance here, and life in the world to come.

God has stated the plan of salvation in such terms that the most humble can understand it by faith. But the simplicity of the gospel has suffered much from theological debate and ‘expert’ analysis. Were the uncertain and indirect reasoning of the theologians scrapped and the simple statements of Christ and the prophets taken at their face value, the honest seeker for truth would find in them light and life. That is why Paul speaks of salvation as a secret made known through the living witness of Christ. Only the earnest seekers, whom God calls, can understand it. All such accept the promises of God by faith and find them to be a living reality. Thousands living and dead have found satisfaction at the fountain of living waters.

Men have tried everything else and found only faint flickers of fleeting fancy. They have tasted the apples of Sodom and found them ashes. "Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come all to the waters, and he that has no money, come, buy and eat; come buy wine and milk without money and without price" (Isa. 55:1)
Bro. Alick J. Noah 

IFAKARA
One of the main supports I received after my baptism seven years ago were the editorials Duncan wrote. The wide range of topics they covered and the things they taught must have helped many in the entire brotherhood. Please collect them in a book so that they are better preserved and send me a copy.
Bro. Kimimino Mnzava

KIGOMA
We at the ecclesia of Kibinzi do feel a great need for translating periodicals and other materials into Kiswahili for the following reasons: about 60% speak only Swahili, these are typically our members or potential members. So, many of our members can’t speak or write English. We feel that if there were to be a good number of translations of our materials there would be a smooth spread of the word. We put this as a request. Also, we request the book titled, ‘Where There Is No Doctor’ for our ecclesia.
Bro. Abed Edward 

KIRUGU
We received the box which had books and an English Bible. We have rejoiced so very much and thank you. I would like to inform you that I have a heavy burden of cooking the porridge instead of tea and loaves of bread to feed the Sunday School pupils every Sunday. The number of pupils increases day after day and, personally, I have no ability myself, and nor has the ecclesia the funds, to feed them. Please, I need your suggestions, to look after this group of Sunday School fledglings.
Bro. Jerome Bukambo

Comment. I think one has to be cautious in providing a meal for children and it would be best to consult with your Linkman. If he approves I think the Save the Children Fund, P.O.Box 25651, 195 Wellington Road, South London, On, Canada N6C 6B3, might help. MH

Photo: Members of Kirugu ecclesia

KYELA
Thanks to the CIL for their weekly exhortations and Bible studies which are very informative and understandable. I appeal to all my fellow Christadelphians that, when they exhort, their exhortations should be faithful and generous with mercy, and especially when preaching the gospel. We should teach people to turn to JESUS to be saved, not to ourselves, as politicians do at their meetings. Read John 1:19-23 "This is the testimony of John the Baptist when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites and asked him who he was. He confessed freely, I am not the Christ." It was not necessary for them to know who he was. He didn’t like people to admire him, but Jesus only. He was an ordinary man. We should not let people respect us because of our positions in our ecclesia, instead we should tell them to respect Jesus Christ our Saviour.

In Matt. 12:15-16 Jesus told those healed not to make him known, "warning them not to tell who he was". Verse 18 reads, "Behold my servant whom I have chosen", this shows that Jesus came as a servant of people, not as a master. Listen to what Jesus says, "Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave" (Matt. 20:26,27). So here again Jesus still insists that he came to serve, not to be served. John denied being the Christ; his testimony is in John 1:23, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, Make straight the way for the Lord". He was the voice that sent the message of the coming Lord. The voice would have no importance without the message. We ought to be a voice that proclaims the message so that people can hear and turn to Jesus. We should use our voice and proclaim our message that Jesus is for the lost ones, that he is the one who takes away their sins. In verses 29-34, we read that John told them that he had been sent before the coming of Jesus and when Jesus appeared, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world". We are to be the witnesses. Look how people have despaired, and are dying without hope of inheriting eternal life. Are there no messengers to tell them why the world is in such a mess? We are to preach the good news of the coming Kingdom of God.
Bro. Simeon Mwakalinga

Photo: The family of Bro. Mwakalinga, after Bible study, practising hymns. Left Bro. Simeon, centre Bro. Simeon’s wife, Christina and, right, their daughter, Sis. Sefa Tonoka

MUSOMA
The word ‘church’ has a very special meaning for us. Jesus said, "…I will build my church" (Matt. 16:18). We are also told that a great number joined a church for fellowship (Acs 2:41). In the early church they lived and worked together (Acts 2:44-47). We also read of Saul making havoc of the church (Acts 8:3), and of work in the church (1 Cor. 12:27). Christ "loved the church" (Eph. 5:25). The word church therefore can define a meeting place of God’s people whether it be on a mountain (Matt. 5:1) in a house (Acts 12:12) or at the riverside.
Bro. Juma Marwa

UVINZA
Members of Lugufu 1 ecclesia do not know the English language. Thank you for sending a copy of the book, ‘Where There Is No Doctor’, we hope it will help us very much at times of sickness.
Bro. Rehani Pascal 

I am keeping well, together with my family. Thank you for your letter and other materials which you sent me. I am sorry for the delay in responding, but it is because of the instability at the Camp. Sometimes we get no permission to go out of the Camp, and our Post Office is situated at least 30km from here, so before leaving we are obliged to get Authorisation papers.
Bro. Bernard Wabene W’Ikola