By: Sharon Hyde, Christ the King, Memphis

One thing I love about our mission trips is the true evangelizing.  You hear about trips where they dig wells, build churches and homes, and etc.  I often wonder if they ever go back to the same places.  If they did, what would they find? Our mission trips are to bring people to Christ.  Bishop says that is his number one priority!  The members are able to make bricks, lay foundations, build walls and tile floors, but we are asked sometimes to help with a roof since they are not able to build the roof structures.

Two years ago we visited the Magagi area. It was a small congregation and they were worshipping under an acacia tree.  There was not a structure.  This was where we baptized Rachel – a sweet baby girl in a purple dress.  I will always remember her for being the first baptism I experienced in Africa.  They were hopeful for a church building to worship in.  They said they would name it CTK – “B” !

This year we asked to visit the church at Magagi.  When we drove up, we noticed the acacia tree had grown, but more importantly, there was a new church building.  It was complete!!

This was my 2nd trip to Tanzania and once again I saw how important family life is to them.  Families stay together – all living in the same cluster of houses – to farming , doing chores, and worshiping together.  It is a 1-3 mile walk for some, but they still go to church to worship together.  This year, I saw the oldest and youngest baptized.  In most families, the head of the house makes the decision for baptism.  In some cases, the head of the house was not available.  Eventually, many of those came to us after receiving permission to be baptized.  

We were asked once to come inside the home to baptize and pray for a newborn baby and mom.  This baby was only 4 days old and did not have a Christian name picked out, so we named her Hannah.

We were also asked to lay hands on many gravely ill people.  The power of prayer is so important in these villages.  We baptized the richest in the village – and some who were poorer than anyone you have ever seen. There was an older man walking with a bag and our evangelist said he was homeless.  It was hard to believe, knowing how important family is, that someone could be homeless.

We met a group of men that were building a house.  Drinking coffee and eating  in a circle, admiring their work.  We baptized each man and they each wanted a Bible to bring to work and study the word together.

A young mother who said she had attended church in the past had lost her way. Like so many busy mothers I had the same thought of being too busy to go to church – this story touched me.  I told the Sunday school children the story and emphasized that we all have sinned and put everyday life ahead of God.   The great thing is Jesus never forgets us and He always waits for us to return to Him.

We also ministered to a family with many Witch Doctor charms. The grandmother did not want to give up her charms, but I drew a cross in the dirt with her stick.  The granddaughter and husband were baptized, took off their charms and asked us to pray for their infertility.

On one of the long walks – 1-2 miles off the road – we met a lady that didn’t remember how old she was but was at least 100 years old. So from 4 days to 100 years old, all with the same problems – rich, poor, homeless, infertility, and sickness they all need Christ, want Christ and want to know more about Christ.  And I can’t wait to go back!